Richards Books

Richard broke the code to playing rock guitar, I was in high school and college in the 70's so that's the Rock Music era I grew up with. I got this book when it came out and if you work the exercises you will be cranking out leads in no time. Soon after I started working on this book friends would stop me and say "how did you do that" It's all in the book and this book changed my life because playing lead guitar is some of the most fun you can ever have.

bought it in the 80's then, lost it.
now i have again.
teaches: know your fret board.

This book is truly a gold mine of information. It helped advance my playing significantly.

This book was recommended to me by a guitar virtuoso with over 25 years of experience. I had tried many, many other books, teachers, and on-line lessons. It wasn't until I got this book that it all started to make sense and come together. Richard Daniels has a great website too: http://www.heavyguitar.com and he has an email ezine you can sign up for! Excellent. Don't pay attention to the date of this book. The method Richard uses is timeless. Devote yourself to this book and you won't be sorry!

Since playing classical guitar for a few years and recently picking up an electric I've been diving into really "getting it" as far as a path for learning and understanding the big picture of what's involved in playing the electric guitar. It's truly a different instrument than the acoustic, and a practice regimen is a difficult challenge to plan. This book, while serving as a great practice reference will give every electric/rock guitarist a complete explanation as well as instruction on the full array of "elements" that will make up your skills not just as a player of a guitar but someone who can work towards "owning" the instrument. From scales, chords, soloing and rhythm, this gives such a clear overview of the art of electric guitar that only now after reading this cover to cover have I found a new inspiration and clear direction on what I need to do to "get there". "There" being the goal of playing with other musicians and improvising knowledgeably.

If you're looking for a book to help make you feel comfortable that you're studying the right things, get this, read it cover to cover and then go from there. Outstanding, a must have. I wish this was the first book I bought on electric. While at first the book will seem rough around the edges from a design and editing standpoint, it will soon become obvious that this is truly a labor of love for the author.

I will add though, that this book should function as the center of the wheel of your quest to learn. Perfect compliments to this volume, for the self taught guitarist, would be a good scales book such as the "Guitar Grimoire Exercise Book", a book on chords and chord theory such as "Chord Chemistry", a method book, in my case classical is enjoyable for learning to read and play music so I'm working out of Noad's "Solo Guitar Playing", and any songbooks you would like to work on songs out of. Another outstanding book I've found indespensable, as have many others is Denyer's "The Guitar Handbook", it's truly a guitar encyclopedia, and explains clearly a heavy amount of theory and technique.

Hopefully this is helpful, I felt compelled to write this review to save those following a similar path as I am the trouble of unecessary purchases or a difficulty finding laser focus on their self taught direction. Good luck!

An excellent novel, part of the series written by WEB Griffin. As intiguing as The Corps series. Delightful to read as a relaxing activity but always "wanting more" as you continued the novel. Strongly recommend as an adventure espionage novel. Highly recommend.

During WW2, the 'Office of Strategic Services' was set-up by 'Wild' Bill Donovan as the precursor to the CIA. Unlike the CIA of today (uhhuh) OSS was run on a shoe string and by a lot of academics who watched to many John Wayne movies. The OSS was notorious for trying to pull off missions in France which led to more problems for the Resistance than they were worth. It was a hotbed of Ivy Leaguers who thought that intellectualism would win out over ability every time.

Griffin has done a marvelous job of describing the tenor of the times on both sides of the Atlantic. The Germans cover all the cliches, like the Honorable Prussian Office, the dastardly Gestapo/SS Guy, the bumbling 'Sargent Schultz' type, etc. The Argentines spend their time plotting to overthrow the government (coup d'etats are like a national sport) and deciding on whether to be American or German neutrals. The Americans are all 'can do' kind of guys, especially the marines, and have more luck with the ladies then an Emir in his Hareem.

But, it's all good fun, sort of like Casablanca (but without the music) from the feel of it. Of course, the idea that there will be a sequel is understood, and we'll get to see everyone again real soon. We'll always have Buenos Aires. Here's looking at you amigo.

This is one of the best books I have read about the OSS operations in a theatre that is rarely considered.

WEB Griffin fills a gap in my military history of actions outside the main combat arenas. He obviously researches thoroughly and the result is gripping all the way through.

Honor Bound captures your attention at the start and never lets go. While there is not really a lot of "action," the story, the settings and the character development all make for an excellent book.

The story is the recruitment and development of an OSS team to carry out a secret mission to disrupt German submarine activity in neutral Argentina during WWII. The sub story is the reconnection of a powerful Argentine father and his American son who have not seen each other since the son was an infant. Several other sub stories are also woven in. All are interesting and well told.

The primary setting is WWII Buenos Aires. Most of us are unaware of the atmosphere there during the war, so that makes for a good learning experience. Other settings include Guadacanal, Midland (Texas) and New Orleans. All add interest to the story.

Griffen also does an excellent job of developing his characters. The primary ones really come to life.

If you are looking for "shoot 'em up" action, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a fascinating book about an arena that you probably know little about, give this a try. I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

Your child (and you too!) will have some good laughs reading this fun loving book together! My kids couldn't stop laughing! Worth every page of reading........Jamie

Great for beginning readers! Kids listen to the nonsense word the townpeople hear and guess what the monster is really saying. Playing with word sounds is an important part of learning to read, and this book is excellent for this. Fun to read aloud because of good story cadence!

THE HUNGRY THING SHOWS UP IN A VILLAGE & MISPRONOUNCES EVERYTHING HE WANTS TO EAT, SO THE VILLAGERS HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HE WANTS. I REALLY LIKE THIS BOOK, BUT DIDN'T THINK OUR TODDLER WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IT RIGHT NOW, BUT ON THE CONTRARY, IT'S REQUESTED ALOT.

This is a great book for SLPs (speech-language pathologists) who work with groups of K-2nd grade kids who aren't "getting" rhyming. The kids love to try to be the first to guess what the Hungry Thing is asking to eat. For example, the book reads "tickles, you know, are curly tailed hot dogs that grow in a row. 'Of course,' said the cook, 'tickles taste yummy, and you giggle and laugh with ten in your tummy!' 'I think,' said the little boy, 'it's all very clear. Tickles sound like sickels sound like......pickles to me!'" Great read aloud.

This was one of the first books I could read by myself, back in the '70s. I am now a school librarian and a parent, and this book is still a big hit with the kindergarten and first grade crowd. They laugh out loud and LOVE that they are smarter than the assembled townspeople. Our school's ancient copies have been borrowed to the point that the covers are worn and the pages are falling out. Time to purchase replacements!

When I was in 5th grade (25 or so years ago), our teacher, Mrs. Smith had a reward system where if the class got enough checks, we could redeem them for various treats. Time after time, once we got enough checks, we'd beg her to read to us from this book. I don't recall our class ever asking for anything else. I'd strongly recommend this one to parents of kids of any age. This, to me, is as good as American fairy tales get.

This book is very dear to my heart. The stories told in this book came from my family, R.M. Ward. I grew up hearing my grand parents, father & Richard Chase tell these tall tells. I read them to my kids now and I hear my relatives in my head so I begain tellin-um like they told me.My hope is that these stories live on through the generations of my family as well as other families.I love hearing my daughter ask for just one more just like I did.

I remember reading an earlier version of this book as a child. The collection of folk tales is as enjoyable to read as an adult as it was years ago. In fact, I can now bring my children the tales of the Appalachian Mountains and let their imaginations run wild with giants, witches, talking animals, and a witty little scoundrel like Jack. The tales are preserved in a very close "mountain vernacular" language. There is a noticable difference between some stories in the use of terminology, but this helps me to envision another storyteller spinning the yarn in his/her own fashion, which is part of the fun of listening to folk tales. My only complaint is that the collection is not larger.

I had this book as a child, and loved it so much that I bought it for my own children and read them a story out of it every night until they had heard all the stories it offered, and they loved it, too.

I heard about this book from a teacher who used to sub. in inner city schools. She said kids always remembered her for it. It's a compilation of short stories that are supposed to be told orally. They use HEAVY Appalachian dialect and I had thought that might be a problem for my second language learners, but THEY LOVED THEM. The stories tell of how Jack (from the beanstalk) outsmarts giants in different situations. His tricks often have a violent description, but because he's doing it to giants, it's not very traumatizing. A terrific oral language developer, and a whole lot of fun!!

This book is great for first time parents. This is my most referenced parenting books and I have several! I kept checking this out from the library before I finally bought my own copy. You won't regret buying this one.

This book has been incredibly helpful to my husband and I, we purchased it after hearing one of the nannies on a morning weekly radio show in Minneapolis. The nanny gives out advice to parents each week and we always enjoy listening to what she has to say. We have 3 kids under 5 and really value the advice of British nannies, this books encourages a routine and schedule, fresh meals and plenty of sleep for kids (and parents). Since reading the book we have introduced these things and have seen incredible changes, our kids are so much happier, they are now going to bed earlier, helping me out in the kitchen, and our bedtime routine is so much easier. Thank You nannies.

I have read every baby book there is, and this definitely rates in the top 5. It's nothing earth-shattering or totally new, but there are great examples and good real-life ideas to use with your kids. Plus, it's entertaining to read.

My kids are 2, 5 and 7 yrs. I actually bought this book because I saw that it had a chapter on school.

My 5 yr old had a rocky first week at school and I was really worried. I read the school chapter first and the first thing it did was it made me feel better. The book reminded me that starting school is another new experience for my son and he needs time to get used to it, which of course on one level I did know but reading it made me believe it. I started using the "Goodbye Routine" and it definately resulted in less tears than the day before. I kept doing it and things have improved.The school chapter is really helpful and I am now using their homework advice for my 7yr old and Hooray what a difference!

I had just accepted that with 3 kids weekday mornings were always going to be rushed and stressful. This book has helped me to change all that and it was not difficult to do. Now most mornings we actually all sit down to eat breakfast together and I don't have to scream at the kids to turn the TV off.

I am also using the strategies on improving communication with all my kids but especially with my two year old who likes to say no to everything I ask her to do. I didn't realize that I was inviting her to say no by giving her too many choices.

My only complaint is that Nanny Wisdom does not cover Potty Training. I am just about to start that with my 2 year old and I had a hard time with my other kids. I would like to know how the nannies do it. Also, the recipes have been so popular in our house that I wish there were even more of them in the book.

Nanny Wisdom is it is actually fun to read which is an added bonus. The book has little stories about the kids the nannies have looked after and experiences they have had in their different jobs. It makes you understand how experienced and caring these nannies are.

After reading this book I really trust their advice 100%. I always say to my husband now, The Nannies say this or The Nannies say that!!

I loved this book because it covers such a big range of parenting problems and situations and really gives parents great answers. It has helped me more than any other parenting book I own (I did like What to Expect when my kids were newborns and I do like Pocket Parent). I know it will keep on helping me as it has so much in it. I am so glad I stumbled across this book in my parenting travels!

Just finished the final chapter and although my parenting of "lovely's are now with my grandchildren, you can always learn something new. The recipe's and the "how to" approach is consistent and right on! All the advice on how to deal with a child sleeping through the night helped out my daughter immensly. The nannies are great and their knowledge is superb. I highly recommend this book to new mothers, new dads, grammies and granpies - everyone who needs "expertise" on handling all the new situations that come with the title of parent.

You can never go wrong with the Audobon series of field guides, I own like the whole set. It's a good buy!

Once you get used to the format of the Audubon Field Guides, they are very easy to use. I especially like the the thumb tab approach to locating an entry. Like all the Audubon series, this guide is compact, well-written, precise, comprehensive, informative, brilliant color plates, with a tough outer cover that stands up to rugged trail use. Highly recommended.

As with all the Audubon Field Guides, so too with this one. The color plates are the best in the "field" of all the field guides; these photos are indispensible for any one who needs to identify any of the more than 650 species of western wildflowers.

The durable leatherette cover, as well as the heavy duty (turtleback) book binding, make this a book that can easily withstand much wear and tear.

The descriptive information is good; where the text starts to show deficiencies is in the Range, Habitat, and Comments sections of each species. The information tends to be vague and merely glosses over critical facts that should be included. I can only assume that it's the usual story of the editors not having the space to include more relevant information.

The index is cross referenced to the color plates; this is a big plus when out in the field attempting to do identifications. As far as a good tool to increase one's knowledge of the natural world, this field guide is helpful and deserves a place in any naturalist's library.

The Cloud Reckoner

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

I love these field guides! The photographs are fantastic, and are easy to navigate for quick identification. We enjoy looking at these books even when we aren't out scouting for new things to identify.

This book is excellent. It's photos of flowers and leaves are close up and clear. The introduction is filled with information on flower and leaf parts with diagrams. The information, description, and where each flower can be found is very detailed.

richie was a friend first and later my brother-in-law. you need to read this book to understand what the brave pathfinders endured. i was very lucky to have personally know him before and after the war. writing this book was both theraputic and heart wrecthing for him but, he knew he had to write it. the big c took his life much too early. rest in peace brother.

This is one of my favorite audio books. The narrator does a fantastic job.

Great book. Absolutely loved it. Very sad he's gone and won't be able to follow up on the next tour he did.

I was in Vietnam with the 9th Inf Div Pathfinder Det (13 Pathfinders for the entire division) and the 1st Bde 101st. I knew about half of the people that were with Rich Burns at the time, but don't remember meeting him. I can vouch for his accuracy of a lot of what happened during that period of the war.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about what we did. There is a US Army Pathfinder Association that is trying hard to gather more information from those of us that did this job. It's located at www.USPathfinders.org. For those interested, There is a history section that might be helpful.

i cant say anymore but its a must read dam good book

When a tourist lodge opened about twenty years ago in Kenya, the alpha males of a nearby baboon troop helped themselves to the easy pickings at the garbage dump. In the time honored tradition of baboon despotism where status obsessed males strictly enforce the prevailing hierarchy, the top ranking males claimed the spoils for themselves, and drove away their lower ranking brother baboons. The alpha males then perished en masse when they become infected with bovine tuberculosis from the rotten meat they ate at the dump. Once the alpha males died and their terroristic bullying tactics with them, the survivors were suddenly able to relax and began treating each other more decently. A new more peaceful baboon society was born.

Gwynne Dyer recounts this incident in the last chapter of "WAR: The Lethal Custom" to summarize and exemplify one of his main arguments in this thought-provoking work -- that our species' penchant for violence, although it does have roots in our evolutionary past, does not mean it is inevitable. He argues that as sentient beings we do have and have shown the capacity for making peace, too. In what is a hopeful but realistic retelling of the founding of the League of Nations after WWI and the United Nations after WWII, Dyer suggests that through it these organizations human beings are attempting to deal with the very real possiblity of species annihilation. He argues that the reversal of despoliation of the world must begin in earnest now so as to prevent the international anarchy that will undoubtedly follow if nations choose not to cooperate and instead chase after and fight over diminishing resources.

Tracing the rise of war from our early ancestors to the present day, Dyer relates a convincing story of increasing technological efficiency in the art and machinery of death, where the technology of war comes to outstrip the capacity of most human societies to contain and direct it. Early on when our species lived in egalitarian societies of roughly thirty individuals to a band, killing one's neighbors was a rare occurrence. In a sparsely peopled world with few competitors for game or territory, it was rare that roving bands would skirmish or fight each other. War appeared as more constant and sustained human enterprise with the rise of agriculturalism with its settled communities ripe for plunder by marauding bands whose economic lives and assumptions about tactics were based on their experience as shepherds of livestock. Highly mobile, schooled in techniques of herding, these bands employed the same principles when facing armies of settlers, e.g., using speed, terror, bluff and deception to terrorize settled communities into giving up their treasures.

War figures heavily in explaining the rise and fall of civilizations and peoples throughout history. The Roman phalanx, for instance, an early "machine" of war which used men as its moving parts, remained effective for hundreds of years, until guns eventually rendered it passe. Walled cities and medieval castles too, were marvels of defensive engineering, until they met a similar fate. Then with the end of professional and mercenary armies with the levee en masse in the wake of the French Revolution, came the era of total war when civilian populations, the manufacturers of the materiel of war, became defined as combatants, too, ushering in totalitarian states, weapons of mass destruction and the possiblity of annihilation.

Dyer also does a particularly fine job on guerilla warfare, which acquired that name during the resistance to Napoleon's invasion and annexation of Spain. He questions the notion of a "War on Terror" as espoused by the current American regime as emblematic of its naivete. The idea of war implies an end, a truce, an armistice. Dyer suggests that the U.S., by declaring a "war" on terror fell into the trap laid by Osama Bid Laden. For it is not a war that can be won through warfare. "Police Action Against Terrorists," while not as compelling from a rhetorical or strategic standpoint, has been shown to be the more effective strategy over time.

A history of the humankind told through the changing techniques of warfare and the key confrontations marking these shifts, written with verve, psychological and anthropological acuity, WAR is a valuable exploration of this most uncivil custom. Dyer sees evidence of and movement toward the restoration on an international level of the cooperation of early egalitarian societies. He suggests the spread of cross-cultural communication, which is opening a field for international debate (as evidenced in the massive worldwide anti-war protests against the invasion of Iraq), is restoring the possiblity of dialogue and a democracy of the multitude.

Tom Clancy once observed that a war of agression is armed robbery writ large--"they've got it, we want it, let's go get it." That's a simplistic if accurate observation, but it only describes war in only one incarnation. This book was written during the last few years of the Cold War, when very few "experts" on the issue could be described as objective. Back then, only two camps were being heard from. One was the "gung ho" school of thought that admitted that war might not be very desirable, but when your country got a slap in the face from someone "over yonder", those responsible had to be taught a lesson. That of course is the product of nationalism having been confused with patriotism--the terms are not identical. The other was the pacifist school of thought, which maintained that any enemy can be reasoned with and should be at all costs, and that anyone in uniform is by definition a bloodthirsty human predator. The first is the product of a bottomless naiivete about human nature and ignorance of how societies other than one's own think--the second forgets that it's the criminal, not the soldier, who's a predator in human vesture. Out of curiosity, I viewed the PBS series based on this book. I found myself intrigued by Dyer's observation that the way to make a fighting man out of a young man raised to believe that killing people is wrong is to strongly imply the enemy aren't really people. When you get right down to it, that is borne out by the historical wartime habit of referring to the enemy by demonizing the enemy and referring to him in subhuman terms. Another of Dyer's comments that interested me was the observation that a nation that piles up stockpiles of weapons in preparation for war will sooner or later get that war. Dyer of course isn't the only writer who's been able to look at war in such terms--Herman Wouk postscripted "War and Remembrance" with the comment that either war is finished or we are. The sad irony of our age is that some of us may be able to view war with this level of objectivity, but most of us still haven't outgrown nationalism--a phenomenon which Dyer correctly identifies as the root cause of war.

In the mid-80's, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) presented a documentary on the nature of war. Hosted by Gwynne Dyer, my recollection (I was barely a teen at the time) is that it was an interesting and in-depth analysis on the nature of war. Dyer then proceeded to write a companion book, which has been out of print for some years. Now, there is this brand-new, updated version. Dyer has woven the events of the last 20 years into the fabric of the narrative, instead of tacking on an extra chapter at the end - thus it reads like a new book, not a money-grabbing enhancement of an old one. It has been out in Canada for a few months, and will make it's U.S. (re)debut in the spring.

In terms of timeline, this is the most comprehensive book on the roots of, and motivations for, war. Dyer uses archaeological evidence and combines it with analyses on the behaviours of our primate cousins (chimps, baboons, etc.) to build a description of the origin of organised society and the roots of warfare. He then proceeds through the ages, from Babylon and Egypt to the Cold War and the two U.S.-Iraq wars. In this way, he builds a complex but ultimately useful and compelling description of warfare as a human activity. He makes many of the same conclusions as John Keegan and others, but the sheer depth of the analysis is more complex than anything else out there, to my knowledge.

Granted, much of the material in this book has been covered before. For example, is war a natural condition of human societies? Is it inevitable that man will fight his peers? With his trademark wit and seemingly contradictory combination of optimism and sarcasm, Dyer convincingly builds his thesis. The prose is entertaining to read, and the liberal sprinkling of photographic illustrations makes this book eminently readable.

First, the pessimistic side: Humans (and most apes, for that matter) really DO mean to kill each other. However, the average person's chance to die by a violent death has remained mainly steady over the millenia. Certainly, the chances of dying in this century's World Wars was high, but those wars only took up 10% of the century's time. Thus, as battles increased in size and lethality, societies fought less and less frequently, so it all balanced out.

However, he is quite optimistic that humans really are moving in a pacifistic direction. With the advent of nuclear weapons, the next big war will be the last one. His chapters describing the Cold War might be controversial (especially to the U.S. Right) as he maintains Reagan's defense policy was basically invented by Jimmy Carter, and the Soviet Union was already done before Reagan came to power. Whatever your political leanings, though, he lucidly describes the training and mindset of the professionals tasked with maintaining and, if necessary, launching the ICBMs that WWIII would have been fought with.

That's not to say that Dyer is a pacifist per se. He has great respect for people in uniform, and those that follow his syndicated column will know he was in favour of Gulf War I and the destruction of the Taliban by the U.S.-led coalition. He does maintain, however, that modern warfare has turned into an all-or-nothing game where the loser is wiped out (at least the government, and often entire ethnic groups). This is not a sustainable situation in the nuclear era, and so we are in great danger. However, he points out that natural human tendency is to equal rights and democracy. As modern communications and universal literacy make it feasible, nations will naturally move towards more equitable solutions. Thus, in the final analysis, war may eventually become obsolete after all. As he says in the book, it will be good riddance.

The best reflection about war I have read so far. Less detailed than Keegan's "history of warfare", but more pertinent. A clear, lucid perspective on organized human violence. Dyer is parcimonious with words and daring with concepts.
The hardcover edition is also a beautiful looking book.

Dyer has done an excellent job of revising his earlier text, although I must confess to missing a couple of particularly trenchant comments that he has left out in an effort to rise above the suspicions of today's readers, steeped as they are in a silly, false political dichotomy. Dyer's book is both a source of illumination onto how humans got here and a clear explication of how war threatens the future of the human race. He is not overly optimistic about our chances, but neither is he a doomsayer. If we have the guts and intelligence to confront the urges, instincts, and social pathologies that drive us towards violent conflict, we've got a chance. It's up to us.

John Welshons is an amazing author. Both of his books (Healing the Grief,Finding the Road back to Joy and When Prayers Aren't Answered) have brought so much peace and healing to me personally and all of my friends with whom I have shared his works. God has truely blessed him with a wonderful gift and blessed us, the rest of the world, with him. Both of his books are definately a MUST READ.
Carrie Joyce
Dunedin, Fl.

John Welshons has written another fantastic book! In an easy to read, compassionate and nonjudgemental manner, the author urges the reader to try to look at the way life is and not how we each believe it should be. A scholar of the world's religions, he draws on traditions from both the East and West. While the book does deal with different types of prayer, I think its appeal is much broader than those interested in theology. It is a book about how to find joy by understanding what is truly important. I recommend it as a gift to anyone you want to help find more joy in their lives!

First, please ignore the odd review of this wonderful book from Publishers Weekly and follow the reviews of the other readers of this book who have given John's book 5 stars. I have seen John Welshons in person at workshops and he is in every sense the real deal. He is one of the most patient and loving people I have ever come across and he has a unique ability to address every questioner in a caring and direct manner. I have given copies of John's first book to many people who have experienced a loss in their lives and they have always thanked me for the gift. They also recognize that "Awakening From Grief" is not just a book about death, but very much a book about life. I hope you will all give this book a chance to serve you in your quest for love and happiness.

A book I can pick up at any time to get an inspirational lift. Filled with such tenderness, compassion and lots of hope when so hard to find when carrying such a heavy heart. As fate would have it, When Prayers Aren't Answered came out to the bookstores it was like the book was written to match my life for the past five years as the same with John's first book Awakening From Grief. Once you start reading you will not want to put it down. I highly recommend reading it. John Welshons books are my Beacon of Light..

I definitely recommend this book. I love it because it considers all religious beliefs, and it makes quite clear that we are like little children in our love to God. If He doesn't give us what we want then we desert him and loose him all along, while the challenge is to love God and be connected with Him either He gives us what we want or not. Most of the time for our best.

This may be one of the most important books ever written. The title and cover photo don't do justice to the alarming thesis that our entire civilization is at risk, with a multitude of problems coming to a head this century. My children, ages 7 & 4, may face such gigantic problems by middle age as to make one despair. But never despair; these problems have been created by humans and we can grapple with them and solve many. But planning is critical, lest we once again be like naked people in a dark room with a hot stove in the middle--bumping into the stove and then each other, reacting only to the moment. Many of us do live for the moment and that could be our downfall as a species. We need to shift gears to a new mode of thinking that abandons continuous growth in all areas--easier said than done!

With great good fortune and apparent wisdom the United State became a magnificent country from sea to shining sea. How tragic that our enormous, fertile and bounteous western lands should be so ill-used that, indeed, in many cases, they are crumbling and disintegrating before our very eyes. We have not been good stewards of our land and its resources; this book tells the story. Backed by years of experience at the U.S. Geological Survey, the authors make a meticulous, reasoned, well-documented and comprehensive argument. If we don't pay attention we are in danger of squandering our natural bounty to greed, mismanagement and indifference. Every federal, state and county policy maker, every earth science professor, every geologist and ecologist, every library, indeed every citizen who has the barest inkling of what's at stake should have this book. Halting and reversing years of land, water, waste, mineral and air mismanagement will not be easy, but must and can be done. This reasoned and thoughtful book proves that we are on a collision course with a tragic destiny if we don't begin to care and care properly for our land. This cry and program for better land stewardship gives us the technical know-how and the hope that it can be done.

This book is an ideal source book for environmental studies programs at the university level. It provides objective, largely dispassionate discussions of a broad range of human activities that have fundamentally shaped and degraded the natural landscape of the American West. These activities include: logging, mining, minerals exploration, oil and gas production, road building, military training, chemical and nuclear weapons manufacture and testing, waste disposal, water diversion, grazing, and motorized recreation.

The authors provide comprehensive discussions of the more significant environmental impacts of each of these activities; general scientific background for understanding the nature and interrelations of these impacts; and historical/political insights for understanding how these adverse environmental situations have developed through time. Each discussion attempts to provide an even-handed treatment of these complex and often controversial issues. Moreover, the book is very well documented. It includes a 23-page glossary of terms, a 25-page index, 45 pages of factual appendices, and 150 pages of clearly referenced footnotes.

In summary, The American West at Risk is an excellent guide and text for the serious study of environmental issues in the western United States.

The authors bring science into the political discussion of our consumptive use of the arid West and spare no sacred cows. We are carelessly and systematically using up and destroying the natural resources that make the West the unique and wonderful place we love; replacing wildlife with domestic animals and off-road vehicles; making sacred places into dumps and mining the water that provides life to both the desert and ourselves.
This is a must-have book for conservationists, teachers and anyone who cares about understanding our impact on these rugged but fragile lands.

'The American West at Risk' never made it onto my bookshelf. It is still on my desk, months after buying it, and I expect it will remain there for some time as my frequently referenced, easy-to-understand guide to the environmental problems facing the American West. What's truly valuable about this book is that the information that the authors distilled into it is so pertinent and relevant yet usually impossible to find in one place with such clarity and detail. The average person usually has to grapple with lengthy, convoluted and sometimes misleading environmental assessments and impact statements regarding the extent of damage that projects of the DoD, DoE and other federal agencies have caused or may cause the land and health of peoples in the West. Wilshire, Nielson and Hazlett have distilled the thousands of pages that the beginner or amateur researcher - whether farmer, rancher, downwinder, transplant or even politician - would normally have to page through to get a handle on a controversial Western land-use issue. The authors, deeply concerned about land abuse in the West, have taken the time and effort to put together this themed-reference guide that no one else has done. They did a 5-star job at it.