Stevens Books

Williams sniffs the foul atmosphere of modern business and calls its bluff. Weak, mealy-mouthed people with no honour, compassion, or humanity. How can you spend your working life amongst them and still keep your dignity?

Hadji tells you how he did it--not, maybe, the way you might choose to do it, but undisputably real and true to himself. Lots of crappy self-help books talk about the work-life balance. Williams goes much further; he balances the shallow values of day-to-day work with the deeper values of your soul. You can buy into the Hustle without selling out to it.

I wish I had this book when I was starting out in the ad business. It took me a lot longer to work out how bogus the whole mess was, and how to engage with it in a way that wasn't, in the words of one of Hadji's pals, just death by paper cuts rather than a single, fatal blow.

Buy it. Not just because a smart, earnest man wrote wisdom that's worth paying for. But because he put his money where his mouth is and published this himself. A minimum of hustlers will eat off his back. That's a good thing.

I think that this book is a definite must read for any minority venturing out into Corporate America. It prepares you for what comes with being non-white in the office and provides several encouraging ways of how you could survive.

I am about three-quarters of the way through it now. I read a few pages everyday on my train ride to work. I feel as though it gives me additional courage, since the author seems to have been through what I am now starting to experience.

It's affordable, it's entertaining and above all...it's real.

Hadji Williams is a 13-year veteran of the advertising and marketing industries, but don't expect your standard business approach with KNOCK THE HUSTLE: HOW TO SAVE YOUR JOB AND YOUR LIFE FROM CORPORATE AMERICA: it parallels his life on Chicago's South side with his straight-laced corporate career at major advertising and marketing forms working on Fortune 500 accounts, and provides a satisfying, diverse mix of cautionary tales, outrageous incidents, case studies, and candid insights on business 'friendships', corporate dress codes, and more. The first-person rappy/chatty tone and realistic assessments should especially appeal to x-generation up-and-coming young business participants who will here find substance and assessments of the pros and cons of the work world and how to survive in it.

I read this book in a matter of two days because i could not put it down. Hadji has dropped some priceless knowlege for anyone trying to make it through the hustle we call capitalism. I will be buying this book for everyone i know. Not only that Hadji Williams is also a really nice person who responded promptly to a message i sent him and we exchanged some ideas that helped me understand the book a bit more.

If you want to save your soul and survive in the corporate world get this book.

Peace and Much Respect

Micheal
dj unlearn

Now you see it and now you don't. Can you survive in Corporate America and still keep your self-respect? Well according to KNOCK THE HUSTLE by Hadji J.S. Williams, if you know the game you can survive, however, if you're clueless then join the club, you have been played.

Now this is what you call an original analysis of the "American apple pie:" for those of us who want to make it big and become wealthy in a one package deal. Mr. Williams breaks it down very methodically that if you think you have the upper hand on your career and income, you better take the blinders off and blink again. Sassy and straight to the point, make no bones about it his comparisons of jobs, bosses, working 80 hours a week and kissing up to the bosses to get ahead is real and everyone who knows what he's talking about can relate. Don't close the book now, he's just warming up.

I was shaking, nodding my head and actually found myself talking aloud while I was reading this book. It was just plain-down-right-in-your-face-it's-about-time-you-knew- the-truth, in a style written with clarity and intellectual detail. Mr. William's quote "How to Save Your Job and Your Life from Corporate America" sums up the corporate society that many have never entered but have looked from a distance. He definitely did his homework and simply outlined many areas of the America economic society that makes this country outstanding in so many ways. He made no excuses, no justifications, just information to get you on the inside of the game.

It's up to you live or die trying to make it in corporate America, however, if you have the right tools, then you can make it a success story, otherwise, you down for the count. I applaud Mr. Williams on taking a bold step in coming clean with what we should know and shouldn't know. Read it and close the book with one word - Wow.

Reviewed by Kalaani
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

"The Kundalini Equation" is one of Steve Barnes' early solo ventures and for those who are even half as passionate about human development as the author is, this is one of the best.

The story centers on a typical computer nerd that through chance and/or brilliance recreates through a powerful combination of yogic breath work, visualization, martial arts and diet a mind/body technology that evolves him from human to super-human. After a series of gruesome murders, the question soon becomes: Is he more than human or something less? This self-directed evolution idea seems to be one of Steve Barnes passions and the idea is evident in almost every piece of work that he writes. Frankly, I never tire of this and anxiously wait for everything that Barnes writes. His interests are so similar to my own, but much more than this, Steve Barnes is one of the best writers in the business. He has a great style of writing and an obvious passion for the written word, but more importantly Barnes knows people, their motivations, their lightness and darkness (and oddly seems to like them anyway).

If you can find a copy of Kundalini Equation read it and enjoy it.

Bravo Mr. Barnes.

This book is not for the faint-hearted. It will make you take a look into yourself and others, and see what is deeply hidden there. Although the journey through the book is challenging, it's well-worth the effort! One of my favorites from Steven...

I first read this quite a few years ago but reread it nearly every year - starting to wear it out actually. Barnes clearly did the necessary research to make the tale feel real. The story line and character development make this one of the best in the fiction world (I would love to see this turned into a screenplay).

This is one of the best books available to read. It is great writing. As well developed as a Stephen King Novel, with the plot drive of Thomas Harris. There is little this book doesn't offer. Martial Arts appreciation a plus, but not a requirement. Stephen Barnes is a master. I have read James Patterson, Richard Matheson, Stephen King, Robert Ludlum, Thomas Harris, Umberto Eco, Richard Bach. This book is a postmodern masterpiece.

This author has done his research. I am amazed at the level of detail borrowing from martial arts, NLP and other disciplines - keeping everything real.

This story is hard to put down as well.

It's hard to believe the quality that is in this little paperback - but make amazon find you a copy and buy it.

If you are at all interested in martial arts, transhumanism, eastern philosphy, or good stories - this is for you.

This book keeps you within its' pages....it has been stated before but I 2nd anyone when they said its hard to put down. The story is great and the plot moves along well....no chapter is stale in actions. Get this book and read it!

I caught me on page one. This is THE best book I have read in years. I can go as far to say I loved it more then one of Anne Rice's novels. I highly highly recommend this book.

IT IS AWSOME!!!!!!

this is a fairly entertaining book for those who like to read religious supernatural fiction. it was a bit sophmoric in character development in my humble opinion. as it is a rather short book the story had a pretty happy ending. the heroine's
background was not entirely explained in great detail and it would have lent more body to this novel. the characters have hope for future experiences if developed more fully.

This book was so exciting to read. Once I started it I couldn't wait to finish. After I was through all I could think of was "I hope he writes something to follow this!" This book was full of energy. The book moves you from page to page without letting you stop. It isn't very often that a book comes along that everyone who reads will enjoy. If you like mystery, adventure, or romance this book is great. From the very first page I was drawn in and couldn't stop reading. This book will be a great gift for me to give to my friends and family who enjoy reading. I can't wait until I find out how Fran and Chris turn their seemingly horrible fate into a romance.

I started reading Legion in the morning and didn't put it down until I was done that night. A great "Good versus Evil" story, with twists & turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I especially enjoyed the strong warrior character being a young high school aged girl with all her innocent idealism still intact. This book will enthrall you no matter what your interests are, it has something for everyone. It is a must read!

The Life of Your Times keeps you wondering where the story line is going and how on earth it will ever mesh together. The extra added conversations are hilarious. You are intrigued with each of the characters story lines and how on earth they connect to the other people. Then all of a sudden it becomes perfectly clear and you are amazed then you did not figure the concept earlier. The surprise ending is perfect. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend everyone read it.

Byers weaves together a story with humor and imagination. This book provides a wonderful read and has the reader constantly challenged in thought. The book can make one laugh and ponder the imponderable. All in all, this book provides a fun ride and a thoughtful probe into oneself.

With his first book, The Life of Your Time, Byers grabs the reader by the lapels and promptly heaves him into the world of Percival J. Weckbaugh, a courteous sixth-grader in a small Midwestern town. When Percival is presented with his first awareness of coincidence, he questions the concept, setting into motion a series of seemingly unrelated events. The book is bursting with adorably imperfect people (for whom the author has obvious and great affection) and the reader is drawn into their lives as each struggles with his own versions of love, regret, ambition, courage, failure, inner peace, and questions about his own place in the universe.

Volleying between humor and poignancy, the characters' paths cross and entangle with varying degrees of intensity and frequency - much the same way one might realistically observe in any small town. And though the story line plows through everything from being bullied at school to marital infidelity to suicide, the book remains optimistic, encouraging, and enriching. Byers launches the characters through potential minefields, managing to let each character navigate his own course, and draw his own conclusion about the greater forces at work and the value of living life to the fullest. Although not a particularly long book (about 150 pages), The Life of Your Time is a hearty and satisfying read. With each word carefully placed and diligently orchestrated to pack a wallop, many of the images and awakenings stay with the reader long after the story ends. Byers is an advocate to important concepts, lending his words and unique understanding to things most of us dare try to articulate. Once started, this book is hard to put down, and once finished it's hard to give up.

The texture of the writing is extraordinary, as the author effortlessly weaves the reader through coincidences, revelations, and character encounters, carefully and unobtrusively tying up loose ends along the way. The tapestry of the book is enhanced by Byers' quick and clever wit, dynamic use of puns, and fast-paced, stream-of-consciousness writing. And ever present through it all remain the shimmering golden threads of faith, hope, and God's love.

Interspersed with humor (the chapter titles are particularly witty) and insight, the author truly has his finger on the pulse of humanity's ongoing struggle with the very meaning of life. Creating a unique delivery, Steven J. Byers has assembled a superb cast, each of which could be personally identified with at some level, regardless of the characters' age or gender. In his portrayal of this quest for the ultimate answer, Byers has obviously 'put his pen where his faith is' in creating this memorable work; sending the reader a message which is clear, and with a point well taken."The Life of Your Time" is a must-read for all who are about to embark on their own journey, as well as for those that have already undertaken this endeavor.

When the book opens with the Author interviewing someone to be the Narrator of his story, you know that "The Life of Your Time" isn't going to be your ordinary book, much less a book with a religious theme. In fact, you're well engrossed with the Author's witty observations on life and the interesting "coincidences" that confront young Percival (a very polite boy) before you realize that there may be a deeper meaning to this book than you first thought. This book is easy to read (although you'll need to go back and read it a second time to find out all the details that somehow are tied together by the end of the book!) and highly entertaining. The writing style reminds me of C.S. Lewis' "Narnia Chronicles," but with very up-to-date 21st century observations on life and its meaning. A review in the American Library Association's "Book List" called "The Life of Your Time" a "tour de force" -- and I agree! I highly recommend this book to anyone who's ever wondered about whether coicidences are really coincidental or whether, just maybe, there's a more significant meaning to our lives.

This book was so awesome I felt like I was in Florida ! This story was about a girl named Brenna who really liked manatees. One day Dr. Mac
decided to take Maggie,Zoe,and Brenna to Florida to visit a manatee
rescue center,that needs money really bad.You will have to read the
book to find out what happens next. I really enjoyed this story because
I love animals,especially manatees!

This is the fourth book in the WILD AT HEART series about young vet volunteers. You've read about Maggie, Sunita, and David. This book is about Brenna, and manatees. Manatees are large marine mammals. They look something like floating elephants. They're related to elephants, too, as well as to aardvarks and hyraxes. Did you know that? Brenna did. She loves manatees. She did a school project on them and got an A+. Now she gets to travel by airplane to Florida with Dr. Mac and her two granddaughters, Maggie and Zoe, to work in a rescue mission for manatees. And she is jazzed! She takes along her camera with its zoom lens, and she can't wait to meet Dr. Mac's former pupil, Gretchen, who runs the rescue mission. Of course, her mother's parting words, "Be polite, watch your temper, and think before you open your mouth," get Brenna into trouble --- when she forgets them!

They no sooner arrive at the mission than Gretchen and her assistant Carlos get a phone call about a wounded manatee that needs help. Brenna wants to go along, and she makes Dr. Mac mad by asking Gretchen to let them. But Gretchen says it's okay. When they find the manatee, they discover that it's Violet, an old friend of Gretchen and Carlos. She's been struck by a boat. The propeller ripped into her back, broke her ribs, and punctured a lung. She's been floating, helpless and in pain, for weeks. Gretchen and Carlos don't know whether they can save her or not. When they get her back to the mission, Gretchen lets Dr. Mac and the girls watch the surgery.

While Violet is recuperating from the first surgery, Gretchen takes Dr. Mac and the girls on a floating restaurant cruise to the Gulf of Mexico. Is that neat or what? While Brenna tries to figure out which fork to use (she has three), she notices an abandoned baby manatee thrashing in the water. Gretchen uses Brenna's camera with its telephoto lens to see that the baby is tangled in the rope of a crab pot. The tide is coming in, and the baby will drown unless someone rescues him. Gretchen puts on a life jacket and jumps overboard. Brenna thinks she needs help and jumps in, too --- without a life jacket. Gretchen isn't happy about that, and Dr. Mac is steamed about it.

They rescue the baby and take it to the mission. Carlos says Brenna can name him. She names him Key Lime. That's her pie that was melting while she helped Gretchen rescue him. Key Lime needs an adopted mother, and he wants Violet to volunteer. But Violet is getting worse, so Gretchen and Carlos have to operate on her again. But there is even more terrible news than that. The mission is in debt. It needs hundreds of thousands of dollars just to survive, and Gretchen's bank loan is denied. Even if they can save Violet and Key Lime, they can't save the mission. Or can they? I'll give you some clues: Brenna's camera and a baseball game. Got it? Then you'd better read the book!

--- Reviewed by Tamara Penny

I absolutely LOVE any Wild at Heart Books, and I can never put them down. I would strongly suggest that you buy this book for you, friend, or a family member. Anyone could find something that they enjoy in these books!!!

This book is very intriguing, I couldn't put it down! Brenna and two other friends (Zoe and Maggie) went to Florda to study manatees. When they get there they meet a marine biologist who works at a rescue center for manatees and other animals. This place needs ALOT of money to stay open. When Brenna takes a picture of a famous baseball player driving his boat too fast where manatees may be, and then shows it to him after his baseball game... Did she just save the rescue center? I suggest this book to anyone who likes water animals, and alot of adventure.

I think this book is AWESOME it's my faivorite in the series !
It's about this girl named Brenna who gose to Florida with some other volunteers from Wild at Heart animal clinic to reaserch Manatees and really makes a diference. I would recamend this book to any persone that likes water animals or just wants a Great book.

Professionals who turn to an encyclopedia on a regular basis have long had to choose between the bulk and sometimes arcane detail of the 30-volume Encyclopedia Britannica and the heft of the one-volume Columbia Encyclopedia. The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia was a redoubtable alternative in the 80s and early 90s, despite entries that could be maddeningly brief, but Columbia has not published an updated volume in years.

There's always the Internet, of course, but online information is so often of suspect provenance. I've found the Encarta Encyclopedia that was thrown in with the software that came with my computer a few years ago to be inadequate. And there's nothing like a book at hand, a physical presence requiring no booting up or electricity: just the facts, ma'am, without all the flash.

To the rescue come Encyclopedia Britannica and Miriam-Webster, who have combined forces to create a current and authoritative one-volume encyclopedia of the same size as the Miriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. They make an admirable and emphatically useful pair. The encyclopedia is both contemporary and as comprehensive as possible for its size. Intelligently and lucidly written, thoroughly cross-referenced, loaded with maps and photographs, this superb reference book has been effectively answering my questions and settling debates for several years now. I often pick it up just to browse. Highly recommended.

To cram an entire encyclopedia into a single volume requires either fewer articles, shorter articles are both. This encyclopedia seems to focus more on shorter articles. The breadth of coverage is very good. Unless you are looking up a very obscure topic, this encyclopedia is likely to have it. The article lengths are not what you would find in a World Book.

By including shorter articles this puts additional pressure on the editors of this encyclopedia to concisely cover the most relevant information. This is something they do very well. The articles are interesting, and cover exactly what you want to know. I have often found that the article gives me enough information about a topic to now know what additional books to begin to bring into my research on a particular topic.

I also enjoy flipping through it and finding random articles to read about. Or just looking for interesting topics.

One gets quite a lot for one's money with this one-volume encyclopedia. It's impressive how the editors at Merriam-Webster are able to make a book that is so comprehensive and concise at the same time.

There are a couple of odd things about it, though. Many of the articles cover topics that concern current events, with articles on recent celebrities like Jerry Seifeld and companies like Microsoft. Unfortunately, such current topics must come at the expense of other less current topics. This excessive concentration on current topics could make the book date quite rapidly.

Also, many of the articles have been lifted straight from the Encyclopedia Britannica. This would not have been a problem if the editors had taken advantage of the opportunity to revise the articles to bring them up to date, but unfortunately they didn't do so in many cases. The net result of these two editorial decisions is to give the book a straight-from-the-headlines feel for one article, and then an ancient feel for the next.

The Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary is an essential tool for any reader. Their encyclopedia is very helpful in addition because there are often times when a simple definition is not sufficient explanation.

If you are interested in a detailed study of a subject found here, you will have to look eleswhere, but this is an excellent place to start: to learn about, amplify or confirm your basic understanding of a subject.

Perfect for dormitory rooms, home offices and libraries, this essential volume is affordable,accessible, and authoritative.

Created in cooperation with Encyclopedia Britannica as well as a host of academic consultants, Merriam Webster's Collegiate Encyclopedia is a one volume treasure of information. It holds more than 25,000 entries covering every facet of scholarship and discipline, such as the arts, business, geography, history, literature, medicine, philosophy, pop culture, religion, science, technology, and up to the minute info regarding computers.

Pursuing an area of interest is easy with alphabetically sequenced listings, and 70,000 cross references which lead to additional data.

A pronunciation guide with some 10,000 words increases fluency and self-confidence.

Graphics heighten interest with photographs, maps, diagrams, and tables, thereby enriching awareness as well as learning.

True to its reputation of producing high quality reference materials Merriam-Webster again offers a first-rate volume.

This is a great book! It was clear, concise, informative ,and erudite. It summarizes nicely Yiddish culture, history, and language. Good Job.

It is always a pleasure to get a little extra. It's even better to get a lot extra! When I read Meshuggenry, not only did it explain many Yiddish expressions that are as American as bagels, I also got a seasoning of the life and spirit that fermented in the world of Yiddish. Take Klezmer music. In a few pages you get a history of its origins and its continual and present reincarnations. Take Yiddish Food and Cooking. A little history, a nosh of Yiddish food terms and some mouth-watering recipes. There are chapters on Yiddish humor and theater, but it's the insight to the Yiddish language and soul that makes this very readable concise book very special. That's the little extra! Meshuggenary is not only enjoyable to read, you are let into Yiddish insights that are still evolving. After wandering for many years from Brooklyn, to New Jersey, to California, it was good to read about my roots. Get off your tokhes and order a copy of Meshuggenary.

Aside from the Yiddish - English dictionary the book has many features explaining various aspects of Yiddish culture. It provides real insight into the cultural world and life of Yiddish speakers. An excellent browsing book.

Today the business world has inherited the language of Yiddish. This is because most small businessmen used to be Jewish or worked with Jewish people. In today's world the businesman might be hispanic or black, but everyone still throws in Yiddish words.

Wouldn't it be nice to know what those words mean. This book will teach you Yiddish terms.

In the process learn about Jewish history and the history of Yiddish. They are not the same. Lean the difference.

I found the book very enlightening. So will you. I know the author personally and he is for real.

An absolute delight--the authors have produced a very lively academic book (which may well be an oxymoron). I wonder what early Yiddishists would say if they could now see what impact Yiddish (and Yinglish, etc.) have had on American speech, language and culture. I suspect that they would have been amazed at what they, their successors and G_d had wrought. Only in America. And you don't have to be Jewish to kvell at Meshuggenary which is a landmark success. It will not be easy in the years to come to challenge the depth, insight and completeness of the book.

Reminded me so much of my mother in law. Enjoy the book, belongs in every home library.

Forget the world of intrigue, suspense and deception. Here is a story of quite compassion, love, and family. With simple direct tone and nostalgic portraits, Mr. Steve captures elements of life sadly long overlooked. Seldom have we glimpsed the soul of a person so completely, viewed through the loving eyes of those closet to her. Easily flowing from one topic to another we envision the changing life thoughts of a wonderfully innocent woman unaffected by the cynicism of life. Each page reveals another element to the complex yet unassuming nature of Julia. You will smile and nod and laugh and think as you listen to Julia speak. And when you close the cover you will thank yourself for taking the journey through her eyes.

Not a cook book, but this book is a recipe for laughter. Loved it!

This is a great book. It brings back some fond memories of my two grandmothers.

If you want to bring a smile to your face, read this book. Before you put it down, you'll feel like you know Julia and you'll have a sense of the special relationship she, her dauther and son-in-law shared. My favorite quote: (Upon meeting an acquaintance, Julia remarks --) "Hi, how are you? You look so nice and fat!"
Enjoy the read.

I purchased this book for my new granddaughter when I found it on this site. This is the same book that I must have read hundreds of times to my daughter, her mother! It's a fun book, the illustrations wonderful, and made both my daughter and I a bit "misty" to see it again!!

The book arrived in perfect condition and we were all excited to see this "old friend".

The format of this book is consistent for each letter of the alphabet. The letter being featured on the page is large and in color. The text length and layout is also consistent page to page. Also, the repeated structure for each letter helps the reader anticipate the same rhythm for each page.
This is an entertaining book but not one that would be appropriate for a very young child. It would be more appropriate for children that are five years or older. On each page, there is a lot of activity. Not only are there two characters, a place, item being sold, and two animals, the illustrations also convey confusion or chaos. For example, the W page says, "W my name is Winifred and my husband's name is William. We come from Wales and we sell whistles. Winifred is a WOLF. William is a WEASEL." The illustration shows the wolf and weasel blowing whistles as seven other animals fly through the air and cover their ears. There is also a clock shattering and two signs with fine print. With so much commotion on each page, it would be difficult for a child to focus on the intended words that showcase the letter for that page.
Another reason this book would not be a good choice for a very young child is that Bayer frequently uses animals, names, and places that might be unfamiliar to the child. For instance, "C my name is Clara and my husband's name is Claude. We come from Calcutta and we sell cakes. Clara is a COW. Claude is a CONDOR." On this page, the author could have chosen more well-known names (Catherine or Carl), place (Cleveland or California), and animals (cat or cougar). However, the author does include notes at the back of the book about some of the less familiar creatures.
All of the reasons that this would not be a good book for a child just learning the alphabet are the reasons as to why it would be extremely fun and entertaining for any child or adult past that developmental stage. The unusual words can provide an instant vocabulary lesson. The illustrations help support the text by clarifying any words that would be unknown to the reader.

This is a great ABC book. It is different from the usual format so it really gets kid's imaginations going. As a teacher I love to have a book that expands vocabulary. This book is good as a model for a class book. I also use it as a part of a first grade maps unit. We find all of these interesting places!

I am a Pre-Kindergarten Readiness teacher in my school district for 5 year olds. This book was listed in my Fountas & Pinnell kindergarten phonics text to assist students in learning to read their names in print. I used this story to highlight my students names as we placed them on the word wall in my classroom. I found the text enjoyable and a great learning tool.

If you live in AZ and love the out doors, this is a great book for you to have as a reference or as a fun read.

Subjects are thoroughly covered and the information is written in a friendly and interesting manner. If you have a question about the Sonoran Desert, you will most likely find the answer here. Among other surprises, this book offered my first look at the "creeping devil cactus" - how interesting! I'd never even heard of it before. "A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert" is a book you will turn to for detailed information that can be trusted as well as entertainment. Very nice photographs and illustrations. A great book for a nature lover, even if the Sonoran Desert holds no particular interest to them.

I grew up in the Sonoran Desert, in the ultra hot (and humid!) city of Yuma, Arizona. During my time there I visited the Californian and northern Baja Californian sections of this huge hyperarid land. I eventually moved to the less humid (if less hyperarid in terms of rainfall) city of Tucson, where I explored a considerable part of the eastern Arizonan part of the desert, as well as taking trips into the desert in southern Baja California and Sonora itself. This is a fascinating land and one with great surprises, such as a fauna of fish and aquatic insects, desert crusts of cyanobacteria, tropical birds, army and leaf-cutting ants and strange plants.

Now Steven J. Phillips and Patricia Comus of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum have edited a neat guide to the area in "A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert". The various sections contain numerous bits of information, many of which were new to me despite about 25 years of wandering in the Sonoran Desert. The discussions of the structure and history of the desert are particularly informative. This book should be in the bookshelf, and indeed in the knapsack (despite its size), of all travelers in this fantastic desert.

I have to admit that I know five of the authors- namely Steve Prchal, Renee Lizotte, Gary Paul Nabhan, Carl A. Olson and Thomas Van Devender- excellent writers all- but I can also say that it is a worthwhile book based just on the work of writers whom I've never met and so I can claim some non-bias.

To add to this praise I have a few very minor quibbles. I wish that there had been more reference sections- certainly there are several books on the identification of desert plants, birds, mammals and fish! Also, as a jumping spider specialist I was disappointed that the quite readily seen red and black Apache jumping spider (Phidippus apacheanus), which appears to mimic velvet ants, was not mentioned (but then I am prejudiced!). Also not mentioned were the bright red velvet mites that emerge after desert rains (I get these brought to me all the time by people wanting to know what they are.) In addition, I could not find any reference in the index to tadpole shrimp- a very abundant inhabitant of desert temporary pools. I suppose that there was little room to add such in this already over 600 page work, but it is a pity, as I think they are of interest to the visitor. One other quibble is that I personally dislike the term "brown spider" as there are lots of "brown spiders"- including wolf spiders, some crab spiders, and many others. I prefer "violin spider" as being more specifically descriptive, although I could never get W. J. Gertsch to agree with me on this (I believe that he is the original source of this common name!)

Having said this, I will reiterate that anybody who wants to have some idea of what they are seeing in the Sonoran Desert has to have this book! They can find no better guide on the market!

This is the ideal book to take along on trips to the Sonora Desert. Whether it is the Cailfornian , including Baja, Arizonian(it actually covers five states) or Mexican portions of the vast and diverse Sonara Desert, the details and complexities of this eco system are truly amazing. This book is an indespensible guide to all facets of this immense gift, including the many plants and animals that inhabit this harsh yet bountiful environment. It is a book to read before, as well as after the trips to the desert. Since it is so diverse and vast , covering some 100, 000 sq.mi., the amount of information given is quite a bit but done in such a mannner that one can easily navigate the text to the desired area of interest Inevitably one will stray into an area of new found interest. The little known facts are a lay persons path to knowledge about what the heck they just saw or are about to see. The black and white illustrations for the plants and animals you will or did encounter are excellent and extremely helpful for identification. There is a section with color photographs as well to further illustrate the beauty of the Sonora Desert. With contributions by some thirty five different experts in their pespective field this book is the ultimate guide. Do not hesitate to buy this book if you are visting the Sonora Desert as it will prove to be a valuble reference tool that can be used over and over. Since there is so much to learn about the Sonora Desert and it's inhabitants, this book can be read anytime, anywhere since it is nearly impossible to experience it all. Recommended for the tourist, naturalist or anyone interested in learning more about the 2000 species of plants, 550 species of verbrates and thousands of unknown invertebrate species who make the Sonora Desert home. This is truly fascinating material that only nature can provide so don't hesitate to purchase this book.

we agree with all of the other reveiws.... a great discovery and a great resource....Glad we got it...