Richardson Books

This book contains the manuscript of one of Thoreau's last works, The Dispersion of Seeds. Through his daily walks in the woods, Thoreau became fascinated with the question of how the plants he was seeing became established. A puzzling riddle of the time that local townsmen constantly asked was why when they cut pine forests, oak forests seemed to grow up, and when they cut oak forests, pine forests would take their place. Thoreau was uniquely able to answer such questions, since he had spent years wandering through the forests, taking notes on everything he saw. In this volume, he not only provides answers to the pine-oak riddle, but he also lays to rest the idea of spontaneous generation of plants, which was still accepted in many circles at the time he wrote this book.

This book represents perhaps some of Thoreau's greatest works in ecology. In it, he lays out his own theory of forest succession based on ecological observation and experimentation. He was one of the first to understand forest succession on the American continent, working almost entirely alone, with little previous research in the literature to draw on. Not only is the book a magnificent ecological study, but the text itself is sheer pleasure to read, being a prime example of Thoreau's well-crafted prose.

Faith in a Seed, a collection of Henry David Thoreau's late nature writings, deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the plant sciences or Thoreau's life and work. This volume consists of four previously-unpublished manuscripts, which the author left uncompleted when he died in 1862. Although compiled of rough drafts, Faith in a Seed is still very readable and enjoyable. Thoreau's last major project, The Dispersion of Seeds, fills most of this book. In it, he describes the seeds of various New England plants, as well as how they are disseminated by way of animals and the elements. The philosopher of Walden Pond roams the woods, fields, and swamps of "a world that is already planted, but is also still being planted as at first." Although this is a scientific work, Thoreau's wonderful voice and way with metaphor permeates every page, making for a very pleasurable read. Of historical interest, Thoreau was one of the first American scientists to embrace Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The idea of an ever-changing earth coincided with Thoreau's own beliefs. He felt that "the development theory implies a greater vital force in Nature, because it is more flexible and accommodating, and equivalent to a sort of constant new creation." In addition to the cornerstone of this book, The Dispersion of Seeds, three shorter selections are included. In Wild Fruits, Thoreau writes about the joys of hunting for wild berries, and teaches that "the value of any experience is measured, not by the amount of money, but the amount of development we get out of it." Weeds and Grasses and Forest Trees elaborate on the ideas of plant propagation and forest succession illustrated in The Dispersion of Seeds. On the whole, I found this book to be a welcome addition to my Thoreau collection. Even in his late years, as he became more and more interested in the technicalities of nature, he still dearly loved the wild; and this comes through in Faith in a Seed. Come, saunter with Henry through dark pitch-pine groves, the huckleberry fields of Fair Haven Hill, and the seedling-lined banks of the Concord River. Discover that "the very earth itself is a granary and a seminary."

As Pope John Paul II points out in his encyclical, Fides et Ratio "(T)he more human beings know reality and the world, the more they know themselves in their uniqueness,...the question of the meaning of things and of their very existence becomes ever more pressing." The book Faith in Science intends to show, at least anecdotally, that this is indeed the case. Like most of the rest of us (or perhaps even more so than the rest of us), some of the world's leading scientists also wrestle with life's ultimate questions.
This book, published in 2001 compiles transcripts of twelve interviews with top scientists (including two Nobel Prize winners) that discuss how the scientists' personal beliefs and faith effect their understanding of life and their practice of science. I found the majority of the interviews insightful and thought provoking, providing a rare insiders' view of the scientists' struggles to make sense of life's questions in a milieu often regarded as devoid of or hostile to religion and theological inquiry. The interviews are as readable as those in popular newsmagazines and can be appreciated by both the general reader as well as the scientific specialist.
The book is ambitious in terms of its scope. The scientists' religious backgrounds range from more traditional monotheistic faiths (Protestant and Catholic Christianity, Islam and Judaism) to less common belief systems. A few of the scientists interviewed are also trained theologians or philosophers in their own right. These scientists' chosen fields range from biology and ecology to astronomy and cosmology, physics, computer science and psychiatry. With this broad scope, the book quickly reveals a diversity of individual approaches when dealing with the question of faith in science. Some of the interviewees have discovered a comfortable home within established religious communities; others have found their presence within these institutions more tentative or untenable. Some describe their need to pursue a religious tradition other than that of their family of origin in order to make sense of their spiritual journey. All accounts represent individual experiences of confronting life's significant questions.
Using this type of approach, the reader looking for a "faith versus science" confrontation may be disappointed. The point of the book is neither to minimize religion, nor to declare its superiority. Instead, the interviews along with book's title subtly raise an ironic question for this post-modern age. With issues such as those surrounding cloning, high-tech weaponry and bio-engineered organisms already present or on the near horizon, can humanity continue to have "faith in science?" Or will the human race ultimately find that a spiritual component working within science is helpful or even vital? What can science contribute to the understandings of theology or spirituality? While these questions remain open, this book does succeed in showing that faith and science can co-exist, interact, and enhance the lives and thinking of some of the world's leading scientists. Perhaps theology and science as broad fields of study can also ultimately learn and grow from the experience of these exceptional individuals.

For anyone interested in issues at the interface of science and religion, this collection of interviews comes highly recommended. Chief among the merits of this volume is its level of engagement, and it is the people involved in this project who insure that the level of this conversation will be deep and its range wide. The core of the book is a set of interviews of twelve scientists conducted by philosopher Philip Clayton and science writer Gordy Slack. They are taken from the proceedings of a 1997 meeting in Berkeley (facilitated by the Science and the Spiritual Quest program under the auspices of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, a pioneer in the field of science and religion), where an international pool of sixty scientists met to discuss the relationships between their scientific work and their religious and spiritual lives. Interviewers Clayton and Slack set a philosophically sophisticated tone and manage at the same time to invite the scientists to talk at a more personal, intimate level, without letting them descend into grandstanding or evoking defensive apologetic. The nuances of each scientist�s perspective surface in the interaction. Clayton and Slack probe; they push and encourage scientists to refine their thinking and their statements.
It is also the caliber of scientists that makes the depth of engagement here possible. Their caliber as scientists is beyond dispute; two of the twelve are Nobel laureates, most of the rest are at the top of their fields. But, clearly, they have also been chosen for inclusion in this volume for their ability to articulate and explore their faith or spiritual quest as it interfaces with their lives as scientists. The twelve come from a range of scientific disciplines and of religious stances and spiritualities, and their level of spiritual-religious maturity or of commitment to a particular tradition varies. There are Islamic scientists who speak more of complementarity between modes of knowing than of conflict between science and religion. Others among the twelve are Jewish, Roman Catholic, Anglican. Spiritual struggle is displayed and addressed; the various approaches and traditions are honored.
Taken together, these interviews constitute profound evidence for faith in science in several senses. They exhibit phenomenological evidence that at least some ranking scientists integrate deep faith and excellent science. In addition, the conversations turn, time and again, to points of personal struggle. There is struggle to find integration between one�s life in science and one�s religious tradition, to resolve epistemological issues, to reconcile belief in human freedom with evidence of bio-genetic determinism.
The conversation is revelatory, as well, of the faith that science itself entails. There are choices to be made at the confluence of science and religion, to be sure. But the choices cannot be distilled into one between purely rational science and a (supposedly irrational) life of faith. Science relies on doctrines, tenets, rituals, and customs which must be taken on faith, and no one seriously arrogates unto him- or herself absolute objectivity anymore. There is, then, an implicit (and sometimes stated) critique of scientism here, an exposure of the beliefs implicit in reductionistic science.
Scientists and theologians ought especially to find this book provocative and perhaps evocative of further discussion. The interviews could be excellent classroom discussion starters and the book could serve well as a sourcebook for courses in religion, the history of science, and in epistemology. Clayton and Slack have provided models, as well, for how to deepen discussion and help people refine their thinking about the science-religion interface.
In the middle of his talk with physicist Arno Penzias, Slack quotes Wittgenstein: �We feel that when all scientific questions have been answered, the problems of life remain completely unanswered.� To this, Penzias replies: �The meaning of life is not in science. The meaning of life has little to do with how good our description of the world is. The description of the world we have today is remarkable . . . . [but] with all of this scientific progress we�ve made, the addition to our understanding of meaning is not all that hot.� But when Slack offers the same Wittgenstein quote to another scientist, a very different response is forthcoming. That is the beauty and the challenge of this book.
If one comes away from the encounter with this array of approaches with any clarity, it is that, at the science-religion interface, humility and modesty are appropriate. It is also clear that these issues are important and that they are not going away � and that some of our finest minds (meaning persons with fine minds!) and deepest spirits are engaged in working on them. We have so much yet to learn about the universe; our spiritual quests have just begun.

This is a particularly good autobiography, and should be studied for its balance between candor and restraint. Near is fearless in examining the conflicts she endured (some of which she created) by becoming immersed in women's music and progressive politics in the 1970s - 1980s. She writes movingly about the pressures she encountered, and sometimes acquiesced to, in her journey of becoming a "cultural worker" as opposed to an entertainer, and her growing comfort of living with the conflicts instead of running from them. There is one key sentence in the book that epitomizes the futile infighting among different progressive camps that caused frissures where bridge building was sorely needed: "Mistrust and misunderstanding among those who care is more devastating than the insensitivity of those who do not" (p. 148).

What I think is missing from the book is a discussion of Near's one album deal with the Chameleon Music Group ("Singer In the Storm"). The album is not discussed in the text but is listed in the book's brief discography listing as a collaborative effort between CMG and Redwood Records, the label Near founded to release her recordings. If ever there needs to be a book written on the formation and history of an independent music label, Redwood Records would make an excellent and worthwhile subject.

All in all, this is an insightful, well written book by an artist who always defined herself on her own terms, and her process of realizing what those terms were. I would LOVE a sequel!!

Holly Near has written a very entertaining book about her life. She describes how she has gone from being heterosexual to (possibly) gay and back to heterosexual. One such return to being straight caused a lesbian admirer to throwup. She is as perturbed to hear this as we are. But putting a label on Holly Near is not going to be a profitable experience. I just felt that I had met a woman and really seen her heart. I read this book some time ago and I still remember a strong emotion. The book is hard to find and we haven't heard from her. Holly, whatcha up to

This is the greatest book if you forage for wild spring greens, or eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs from your garden. Europeans eat much more variety than our supermarkets offer, and these simple recipes are invaluable. Basic recipes for vinegrette, mayonnaise, pesto etc and simple soups and desserts for all seasons. Some cookbook recipes are so complex, it's nice to see a book that assumes that one will just make a light meal of sorrel soup and crepes. I often give this book as a gift.

Gave this as a gift for a vegetarian friend. She loves it, its got a lot of helpful information for growing and eating veggies.

I don't intend to visit China but I loved this book. Richardson talks about the dailyness of travel, all those things that aren't well described in guidebooks. He gets annoyed, makes friends, cracks jokes in sign language, bicycles down dead end roads, gets told off by old ladies, eats watermelon with a borrowed knife, gets his teeth fixed, and eats dog meat. It's a convincing blend of the exotic with the ever-present realization that you are yourself and that's who you are, still, when you travel.

Richardson suggests ways to make immersion in a foreign culture, even one as seemingly impenetrable as the Chinese one, not only possible but entertaining and educational. Search for something or somebody so that you have an excuse to interact with people. Hang out with English students - they're hungry to exchange ideas. Prepare a photo album of your life at home and share it. Agree to things.

Whether it's China or anywhere else you have in mind to go, read this book.

GETTING AROUND IN CHINA by Fred Richardson puts the journey back into travel. The writing style takes the reader on that journey. As well as presenting necessary information and details on travel the book includes enough of his experiences finding his way that the reader vicariously journeys in China too in the manner that a travelogue does.

The first sections of this book present details on how-to for finding a hotel within your budget, locating good food at reasonable prices in interesting areas, and how to travel by train, boat, bicycle, including sections on personal safety, standing in lines, using telephones, finding internet cafes, even a brief section on handling the sensation of culture shock upon return from your trip. The last section of this small, useful, reasonably priced volume included well edited selections from the author's journals acquired over twenty years of China travel. They site short tales, reflections and give insights into the author's personal style that show how he has made so many Chinese friends over the years. Here is one of my favorites.

"In Guangzhou, I found everything waiting for me. I assembled my bike in a quiet corner near the luggage carousels. A few people wandered over to watch and two security officers kept coming over to joke with me and help. When the bike was assembled, I asked the two officers, with a bit of Chinese and sign language, if they rode. Receiving an affirmative, I pushed the bike hard toward one of them and let go of it. He caught it as it went by, looking a bit worried. He jumped on it and rode it around the area and around the luggage carousals, to the amazement of everyone there. Then the other guard did the same, with a huge grin. They gave the bike back and I tied on my bags and bit them farewell. I hope they didn't get in trouble."

A unique guide written by a unique traveler. This man lets his interests create the journey rather than a set schedule or preconceived itinerary. Although an invaluable resource for anyone traveling in China, reading this book expands the armchair traveler's sense of China.

This book isn't recommended for beginning players, because it talks and describe a lot of topics along a widely year of golf... be cautioned when you read it. For advances player: it's an amazing book with "instruction and tips", added the gift that you can live years of golf.

I bought "Great Golf" because I wanted an instruction book that gave me the tips I was looking for but also kept me immersed in the words and images of the heros I grew up admiring: Snead, Hogan, Player, and my favorite: Dr. Cary Middlecoff. Little did I know my wife would also treasure this book. She took up golf two years ago, took lessons, and now is at a level where she can check the finer points against this historical chronicle of advise and instruction. She especially appreciates chapters from golf's women icons: Nancy Lopez, Babe Didrikson Zacharias, Anika Sorenstam, and others whose take on the game has a women's perspective. You wouldn't think an instruction book would be one that we just sit down and read and peruse through, but that's what "Great Golf" has us doing.

In searching for ways to help me understand my relationship with my Kenyan boyfriend better, I (American) turned to books about intercultural relationships. This was the first one I read. It is very encouraging. It is full of other people's stories and experiences in being in an intercultural relationship. They describe issues that came up in their relationship - some which were expected and some which were total surprises - and how they worked through those issues. They are real life stories, so they don't all live happily ever after.

I enjoyed reading the happy stories of the couples who were able to make their relationships work despite their differences. It was also helpful to know about the couples who did not stay together, and what happened to them that made them end their relationship.

I enjoyed reading this book. Anyone who is in a relationship with someone of a different background whether it's religious, racial, or ethnic will appreciate this book. Even individuals who maybe contemplating a relationship that fosters differences will have a better understanding. Subtle differences can enhance or create friction in the relationship. This book celebrate differences. I hope everyone will embrace our differences!

This a wonderful treatment of drag queens. The text is very sympathetic and imformative and the photographs are fabulous. Many of the photos have quotes from the drag queens that are helpful hints about dressing or windows into their souls. The author of the text is a sometime crossdresser. This book is a treasured part of my personal library.

This book was absolutely fabulous. It provided much information about drag and doing drag.fabulous.

The only book on Richardsons works that has interior floor plans. Limited, but it had the one I was most interested in. Would of prefered a hard bound copy. Happy I could find this one though. Since I only cared about Ames lodge, I haven't actually read the book through. Its worth the expenditure of your money if your a Richardson fan. Fahey.....

H.H. Richardson is often credited as the first architect to craft a unique American style. He influenced Louis Sullivan, who taught Frank Lloyd Wright, who inspired Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler and John Lautner. That encompasses a lot of American architecture. This guide provides the reader with a succinct description of each of Richardson's works, with addresses and even maps to help the interested architectural tourist to visit the actual sites. Reading the book is informative. Visiting the sites is breathtaking.

This is an absorbing and worthwhile study of Hadley's life, but after she and Hemingway break up, Diliberto doesn't have much to say about Hadley. She sums up the rest of her life quite briefly, leaving the impression--one that I'm sure the author did not intend--that Hadley wasn't very interesting and didn't have much of a life aside from her time with Hemingway.

Diliberto has done a wonderful job as researcher and writer to bring this remarkable woman to life. I really felt the joy and pain of both her life and her long influence on Hemingway. One cannot really understand him, and his much criticized views and literary treatment of women, without knowing her. A can't-put-it-down read if you're interested in him and the first half of the 20th Century. By the way, she had a "second life" after Hemingway with the poet Paul Mowrer