Stewart Books

Just as described. Book was in perfect condition, fast shipping! I would definitely use seller again. Thanks.

This book is excelent for understanding finance from scratch. I read the spanish translation of this book. It is not a book "for dummies". It teaches each concept at a time in a clear way.

I and my friends(with no business background) are studying corporate finance by ourselves using this book and all of us are very satisfied with the book so far.

The concepts are explained very clearly(even kindly) and sample tests with complete solutions are very useful. The book also has solutions for selected end-of-the chapter problems and I enjoy mini cases which help me apply the concepts to the practice in detail.

I had tried other finance books before and most of them were not clear in explaining concepts and a bit difficult for me(my major was chemistry). I think that this book is probably the easiest and the best book to begin with for starters in finance.

If possible, please tell me the difference between this book (Fundamentals of Corporate Finance by Richard Brealey) and Principles of Corporate Finance by Brealey and Myers. I currently own the 5th edition of Principles; having worn the book down with constant thumbing, I am looking for a replacement.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The financial concepts are explained very nicely. Though it is my first finance book i can go through it without much difficulty or extra help. However there are still some drawbacks need to be noticed:

1. Need more charts and graphics to explain the concepts, ie: when explaining the DU PONT System, i think the pyramid structure can be illustrated so as to state a whole concept, not only fragments

2. Too many examples

3. This book is too detailed in both relevant and irrelevant matters

Still, I think it is a good book.

My copy is a Sierra Club Book. This is beautifully illustrated and has spectacular photographs. Once you get past the coffee table fluff, There is a lot to be learned. Save this as one of the last Big Bang books that may go the way of the Piltdown Man. 'Einstein's Greatest Blunder? : The Cosmological Constant and Other Fudge Factors in the Physics of the Universe" ISBN: 0674242416

Take heart, as there are other in print books by Timothy Ferris.

Life Beyond Earth by Timothy Ferris ISBN: 0684849372. Just put the number in the search box and press go.

Life Beyond Earth

I read this book maybe 20 years ago as a little kid, and I still think about it. It really stimulated a lifelong interest in astronomy and cosmology. If you aren't schooled in astronomy I think it will open your eyes and present to you a view of the universe that will change the way you look at things forever. If I could find more copies of this book, and it were cheaper, I would hand it out like candy to the numerous people unschooled in astronomy I've met in the last 20 years, who, I am sure this book would greatly enrich.

The strength of this book is its photographs from various observatories around the world. I have not--in 20 years of looking, found a collection of astrophotographs that comes close. They are inspiring! Other manmade illustrations in the book vividly illustrate just where we are in the universe. Mr. Ferris also does an admirable job taking you by the hand and poetically explaining what is really out there when you gaze into the night sky. You will be amazed by what you don't now know.

If you can get a copy, get it, read it, enrich yourself, show it to your kids, and don't let it go.

Heaven's net casts wide.
Though its meshes are coarse, nothing slips through.
-- Lao Tzu

If ever there was a physical manifestation of poetry, the starry sky at night, the panoply of objects that populate the heavens, would come close. The character of Dr. Arroway in Carl Sagan's Contact exclaims, upon seeing the glorious objects of the universe up close during her epic flight, 'Poetry! They should have sent a poet!'

This book, Galaxies, is a book on a grand scale, as is its subject. It is a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book the size of a small coffee table, the pages measure 13 inches by 15 inches, a huge footprint of a book, with most of the photographs and diagrams sized full-page.

Timothy Ferris, at the time of this book was first published, was a professor of English at Brooklyn College CUNY. He has since gone on to fame as a science writer, particularly in the field of astronomy, and now teaches astronomy and science writing on the other coast, at UC Berkeley. Largely due to clear writing, diligent research that is thorough, and a good eye for visuals (astronomy is a visual science in many ways, and Ferris selected the photographs for this book himself) Ferris has put together a tremendous introduction to the subject of galaxies, impressing with the scale of the book the tremendous size and scale of galaxies.

Being an English professor, he of course had a wide knowledge of literature, and this is apparent from his choice of side notes, quotes and references, which populate not only the captions and taglines, but interpermeate the text on a regular basis. Here in the midst of scientific discussion one will find quotes from Shakespeare, Thornton Wilder, St. Juliana, Heraclitus, Ben Jonson, and more.

The first section deals with the basic definitions of what a galaxy is, the discovery of galaxies, and our place (and their place) in the cosmos. From here, Ferris takes us on a brief tour of the galaxy from the inside, using of course our own Milky Way galaxy, the only galaxy we can know from the inside. By looking at the constituent elements of a galaxy--stars, nebulae, star clusters, supernovae and black holes--Ferris introduces us to the life cycle of stars and some of the dynamics of galactic formation and evolution. Some of the more stunning photographs of this book are in this section, particularly the nebulae (gaseous formations that represent both the beginning and the end of life cycles of stars).

From a tour of our own galaxy, Ferris proceeds to the Local Group of Galaxies, and begins a discussion of the different kinds of galaxies. Our own, the Milky Way, is a fairly large spiral galaxy. This is not the most common type, however, nor the most rare. Our galaxy has attendant galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (named so because they are only visible from the Southern Hemisphere; named in honour of a European explorer who trekked down there), which are mostly blobs of stars, with no formal structure as a spiral would have. The nearest spiral is the Andromeda, part of the local pair (most spirals come in pairs). Andromeda also has smaller, blob-like satellite galaxies, with a smaller proto-spiral (M33) not far off.

In the next section, Ferris examines the types of galaxies which populate the Local Group, the Local Supergroup, and other groupings of galaxies. These include elliptical galaxies, spiral galaxies, barred spiral galaxies, and lenticular (or SO) galaxies. Ellipticals often appear as blobs, sometimes with halos, and no intricate structures. Spirals can be more of less tightly 'wound', arms around a nucleus with a bulge. Barred spirals are more intricate yet, and have a 'bar' or spindle-shaped grouping of stars that extends straight out from the central bulge and nucleus, to which the arms of the spiral seem to be attached. Lenticular galaxies are hardest yet to categorise--they might be ellipticals in a spiral mode, perhaps somehow robbed of their arms. How they evolved is a mystery. Beyond this, there are yet other irregular galaxies, which are often the results of galactic collisions and gravitational interferences.

Some galaxies seem to have violent events occurring, gaseous jets or lots of light and radio activity which speaks of harsh activity. Vast energy spikes and marred appearances give an interesting flavour to astronomical research. Often these happen from interactive galaxies, in which they are playing off each other, or indeed, as some will swallow up others.

Ferris continues his outward rush to the very limits of the universe, until we encounter quasars, the largest of large groupings of superclusters, and a brief discussion of the geometries and nature of space and time. The expansion of the universe, and possible futures (infinite expansion or ultimate collapse, or somewhere in between?) are discussed, as well as paradoxes which might arise in a collapsing universe.

Photographic plates are shown throughout in colour, in black and white, in negative, and in grid-overlays. There is a wide variety, showing the variety of ways in which astronomical objects are examined. This is a fabulous book. Rush to get it.

What we have learned
Is like a handful of earth;
What we have yet to learn
Is like the whole world.
-- Avvaiyar

This is a wonderful book if you can find it. The photographs are spectacular--for example, a two-page spread of the Hercules cluster in which every one of the hundreds of objects in the photo is a discrete galaxy.

This is a must-have for every astronomy buff. It makes a great coffee-table book as well.

. . .is what one reviewer said when this book was first published. It's a claim which is hard to dispute. The hard core scientist might not appreciate it's "coffee table" book format -- but heck, the book wasn't written for such a person in the first place!

Filled with readable and comprehendable text and citations ranging from Thorton Wilder's "Our Town" to St. Julian's "Revelations of Divine Love", this book will prompt even the most unscientific mind to gaze at the sky with new wonder.

But beyond the layout, beyond the scientific information, beyond the citations, the book is best described by its absolutely stunning deep-sky photography. It is mind-boggling to me how someone could look at the night sky and question the existence of God.

"He who made the Plei'ades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning,and darkens the day into night,who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name" -- from the book of Amos the Prophet

Book is well written. Theories are great. I would have prefered more instruction on making the puzzles rather than just the theory.

as a long time collector and producer of wooden puzzles is this new puzzlebook an absolute Must for every puzzle interested people; although I have all Coffin`s former editions this new review about his designs is usefull for collectors as well as for producers of puzzles;

This book covers a large number of puzzle designs, most due to the author. Most of these puzzles have become sought-after classics. The puzzles are mostly 3D interlocking burrs, but there also included are 2D designs, sliding block puzzles, and non-interlocking 3D puzzles. The author also talks about how to build puzzles, characteristics of wood, etc.

I am not a puzzle builder, but enjoyed the book immesely. The author is an excellent writer and his musings about symmetry and general design considerations I found fascinating. Solutions in general are lacking and much is left to the ingenuity of the reader to keep the mystery of solving these puzzles fresh.

Although you can download a pdf copy of this book for free, I enjoy the physical copy for perusal. Highly recommended.

Written by veteran woodworker and expert wood puzzle designer Stewart Coffin, Geometric Puzzle Design is a one-of-a-kind guide to creating intriguing, three-dimensional wooden puzzles. Special techniques for creating oddly shaped small puzzle pieces accurately and safely, recommendations for drafting one's own original designs, mathematical concepts that can be applied as engineering tools, and much more fill this original craftsman's manual. A "must-have" for intermediate to advanced woodworkers seeking to create truly brain-teasing gifts.

Coffin does it again, with the quintessential wooden puzzle builder's guide. If you're fortunate enough to have previous works by Stewart, keep in mind that this is an updated version, so a lot will be repetitive. Then again, if you have the previous version, you're probably a Puzzle Junkie, in which case the updates alone are probably worth it.
If I were going to be stuck on a desert island...and there were trees, and I had a knife and a sharpening stone...then this would be the One Book I'd want.

I have been using this book, among many others, since its publication. What I find is that with almost every subject, this book provides clear answers that are reinforced across the entire body of nutrition research literature. I have come to trust this reference as a "single source" as a result, even though in the beginning I would consult several sources. Mr. van Straten is the #1 health journalist in the UK and has run a private practice for nutritional healing for 30 years. His advice is practical and very usable. The book is also beautifully illustrated, making it a pleasure to use.

This book is one of the most wonderful things I own. Given to me as a gift by my friend, I thanked her million times for the book. Has great advice for all age groups from pre-pregnancy - kids - teens - middle age to elderly etc., - goes full circle.
We keep referring to it pretty often. It covers most of the foods and most of the common illnesses that can be cured with proper regulation of diet. A Wonderful reference. Does not require you to read it from start to finish.

This book is excellent. It covers everything you could possibly imagine including natural foods, vitamins, food suggestions for illnesses, fruits, vegetables, diary, meat, nuts, soy just to name a few. Also stress, relaxation, yoga and age groups. Well written for the layperson as well as the expert, and includes beautiful color photographs. If you want to buy just one book that has it all, this is the one!

If there was only one book I could keep..above all others it would be this one. I have referred to this one over and over again. It is a wealth of nutritional information and tid bits of trivia regarding almost every food and drink going. From fruits and veggies to natural spring water (from around the world), wild game to candy this book has it all.
"Healing Foods" also contains a section on foods to include and/or exclude from your diet in relation to many different symptoms one may be experiencing.
Not only does this book cover the value of food for our body but also for our mind and emotional health as well. There is just so much info available along with colourful photos and an eye catching layout, I reccommend this book to anyone interested in a natural way to boost your health in general or just curious to know how the food we eat affects our body and mind.

So easy to use either as a quick resourse guide or for indepth reading. Suggested for anyone interesting in alternative medicine, healthy bodies through healthy eating, and gaining a knowledge of the benefits of specific foods. Certainly a must for your reference library!

Winston Churchill will be remembered as the most heroic figure of the 20th Century. He is also one of history's greatest historians. His decision to write the history of peoples by a particular language was brilliant, and gave a broad outline to why we think the way we do. If you're going to the desert, a desert island, or one of Mars' moons, this is one of the few books you should pack.

As academic history, this may be pretty dated, but as English literature, Churchill's History of the English-Speaking Peoples deserves to be ranked as one of the great classics. If you enjoy intelligent popular history by someone who felt passionately about his own culture and you enjoy great oratory from someone who enjoyed stirring lofty emotions, you will cherish this incredible four-volume work. Every sentence is a carefully-crafted jewel. It is more than craftsmanship. It is art. For every important incident he pulls up the most eloquent of historical quotes to draw a word picture. If words move you, Winston Churchill will move you to tears more than once with this work.

One warning: Don't loan any of the volumes out. You won't get them back.

I read this series a number of years back. Sir Winston Churchill put together a fascinating guide to the development of British civilization, ranging from the Roman conquest of Britain all the way into the dawn of the 20th century. It is clear from the reading that Churchill was quite proud of his British heritage. And why not? The British managed to rule nearly every corner of the globe and to have virtual command of the global economy. Churchill presented this as a logical progression from England's national awakening through such pivotal events as the Reformation and the Glorious Revolution. Also noteworthy is his chronicle of "the Great Democracies" and their role in spreading British civilization. While this book will annoy the PC crowd, I argue that it is a classic work on the rise of a great and enduring civilization.

It is impossible to fully understand American history without understanding English history- Churchill offers insight as only a statesman could- and does it very well.

To most people Churchill is known as one of Britain's greatest statesmen. That overshadows his literary achievements.

He begins his account with Caesar's conquest of Britannia. The downfall of the Roman Empire plunges the colony into the Dark Ages. Britannia is not left unscathed by the waves of peoples' migrations sweeping across Europe. Germanic idioms of Saxon invaders replace Celtic dialects and coexist with the clergy's Latin. William the Conqueror casts French into the language melting-pot. England is racked by the War of the Roses until the Tudor dynasty unites and pacifies the country with iron determination. The defeat of the Spanish Armada opens the way for colonisation of the New World. Those colonies' War of Independence launches a second English-speaking nation with its own turbulent history. Britain's victory over Napoleon opens the way to world-wide Empire.

Churchill makes the reader understand how the societies of the English-speaking peoples, their institutions and their language have evolved over a course of almost two thousand years. Many steps were the results of conflicts between opposing forces:

King John had to appease the lords by issuing Magna Carta. His concern for stability through dy-nastic legitimacy led Henry VIII to break with Rome. Conflict between Parliament and Crown led to Civil War culminating in regicide. Frictions between mother country and colonies erupted in the American War of Independence. The issue of slavery almost tore the American Union asunder.

Churchill presents each conflict in an impartial yet compassionate way. He forces the reader to understand opposing and hardly reconcilable views. That prepares the reader to understand the eventual solution. In retrospect, each conflict and its solution is seen as a step forward. Neither side was wrong - only the result is right.

Churchill himself was an historic figure. That endowed him with a fine sense of history. His com-mand of the English language raises his work above the average of historical textbooks into the sphere of great literature. There are passages which one feels compelled to read aloud, only to be surprised at how their beauty at times assumes almost musical qualities. For his literary achieve-ments Churchill was rightly awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955.

Like most people my age, I've seen old movies depicting the Gold Rush, but they were nothing compared to this delightful account of the author's experiences in Dawson and Whitehorse, in the Yukon. From page one to the end, I FELT the cold of the North, learned about the vegetation and moreso, shared in the life of the pioneers AFTER the Gold Rush. Such hearty men and women gave of themselves in the search for gold, few, very feew becoming rich. Yet, they all seem to have enrichened my life thanks to their determination and stamina despite all odds. To read of the social differences that the citizens upheld in Dawson gives one a thoughtful look at the upper classes, who brought their prejudices with them to Dawson. Yet, with time, as the gold became more and more rare, the population dwindled and with it the many differences, which had segretated the classes. Abandoned homes, run-down shacks, empty stores finally gave way to social values, which brought the remaining residents together. As the author mentions, one could not walk down the street of Dawson without saying "hello" to everyone since the life of one touched the life of the others. With only 800 persons left in town, all knew one another and social standing gave way to familial attitudes. It was no longer necessary to give the telephone operator a number, only the name of the person to whom one wanted to speak need be mentioned and the phone rang at the other end. Tragedy and hardships took hold of the life of everyone, but friendship and helpfulness prevailed as their numbers dwindled. A beautiful read, which has opened my mind and heart to these pioneers, who are our ancestors.

I read this book during a travel threw canada in 1985 especially Atlin in the yukon. I like all biographics books which are the witnness of the story of the world.

Ms. Berton's account of life in Dawson from 1907 to the 1920's is too late to tell the story of the Klondike gold rush. Instead it tells of life in a small northern community that has seen its hey-day come and go, describing it's traditions and lifestyle in such detail you soon feel as though you've lived there too.

The descriptive passages are excellent and the book contains several colorful tales of individual struggles, her own and others'. I was a bit put off by the enormous number of names of people she met in the Yukon but didn't find I needed to remember them all to enjoy the book. If you have read the history of Dawson during the gold rush in other books, this is a great afterword that describes many notable figures' lives following the rush, answering several 'whatever happened to so-and-so' questions.

I remember our elementary school library encouraging children to read it, but given its richness of detail and adult perspective it's anything but a kid's book. Despite her matter-of-fact writing style, Ms. Berton's story is emotionally engaging and a great portrait of life in northern Canada.

This is the true story of a woman who moved to the Yukon in the days of the Gold Rush - she went to be a schoolteacher for a couple of years, married a prospector, and wound up raising a family in one of the most spectacular - and harshest - places and times in North America. Laura Berton writes with humor and insight, and has produced a most entertaining book which is interesting as biography, as history, and as just a fun read! Laura also produced one of the most prolific authors in Canada today - Pierre Berton, author of FLAMES ACROSS THE BORDER and THE DIONNE YEARS. This is a book that deserves to be more widely read!

If you ever plan to come up to Dawson City, Yukon you will want to read this book. Mrs. Berton gives an insight to the Goldrush town of Dawson City. I can say that you will still find the house she lived in and some of the houses that she describes in her book. As a resident of Dawson City it is nice to have read a book that is truly about what life was and is in Dawson City.

I've recently read the "autobiography" "West With The Night" for a Hight School history class. While I found Markham's book to be a beautifuly spun story of growing up in colonial Kenya and life in the early 1900s, this book left me with more questions than answers. On digging deeper, I found that this book was written by her third husband, Raoul Schumacher. Also, I found that many interesting and scandalous parts of her life had been omitted from this historical tale. However, these things do not change the fact the "West With the Night" is a completly enrapturing tale of a very strong, determined woman. I only advise that you take this story with a grain of salt; and then go read the book "The lives of Beryl Markham" by Errol Trzebinski to get the real deal.

Taken to Kenya at age three, in 1905, Beryl Markham was raised on a farm by her father and a much-hated governess - her mother soon re-abandoned pioneer life for England. And while other girls were groomed to be ladies of society, she learned to ride and train horses, played with the Nandi boys living on her father's land and went hunting with their fathers. Barely 19, she became a professional racehorse trainer; at age 24 (1926) her mare Wise Child won the prestigious St. Leger, beating the odds and the favorite, Wrack, likewise initially trained by Beryl but taken from her weeks earlier by an owner distrusting her experience. After marrying and divorcing again wealthy Mansfield Markham, whose last name she kept, she met pioneer aviator Tom Black (later pilot to the Prince of Wales), who awakened her interest in flying and soon became her instructor. Having obtained her B license - "a flyer's Magna Carta" - Markham operated a taxi and cargo service out of Nairobi and worked as a scout for professional hunters like author Karen Blixen's (Isak Dinesen's) (ex-)husband Baron Br&oring;r Blixen. After her return to England, in 1936 she became the first pilot to successfully cross the Atlantic from east to west, against the headwinds. (She didn't reach New York, as planned - technical difficulties forced her plane into a Nova Scotia bog - but her achievement created substantial headlines regardless.) After being lured to Hollywood by a film project involving her flight, and marrying and divorcing again the man who later claimed this book's authorship, writer Raoul Schumacher, Markham ultimately returned to Kenya and to racehorse training. No less than six of her horses won Kenya's East African Derby, making her a local celebrity of considerable note. She died in 1986.

"West With the Night" is a memoir of Markham's life in Kenya until her mid-1930s departure to England. In language rivaling Blixen's in poetry and Hemingway's in power and skill, it chronicles her unconventional upbringing, early 20th century colonial society, a racehorse trainer's anxieties and ambitions, a flyer's freedom and solitude, and those people who meant most to her: her father, her Nandi friends, Tom Black, and some persons also known to readers of Blixen's memoirs: Lord and Lady Delamere, Baron Blixen, and Denys Finch-Hatton, for whose attentions she competed with Blixen (who herself isn't mentioned at all, as Markham isn't mentioned, either, in "Out of Africa").

"There are as many Africas as there are books about Africa," we are introduced to the continent she considered "home:" "Being ... all things to all authors, it follows, I suppose, that Africa must be all things to all readers. ... It is what you will, and it withstands all interpretations." And the people Markham most respected matched this environment in hardiness as much as in diversity and depth: Baron Blixen, "six feet of amiable Swede," whose "appreciation of the melodramatic [was] non-existent," and who was "never significantly silent" and "the toughest, most durable White Hunter ever ... to shoot a charging buffalo between the eyes while debating whether his sundown drink will be gin or whisky." Denys Finch-Hatton, "a great man who never achieved arrogance," whose charm was "of intellect and strength," who "would have greeted doomsday with a wink," could "tread upon inferior men with his tongue," and was "a keystone" in an arch of lives which fell at his premature death, "leaving its lesser stones heaped [and] for a while without design." And Tom Black, Beryl's messenger from Destiny, who taught her that "when you fly ... you feel that everything you see belongs to you [and you're] closer to ... something you've sensed you might be capable of, but never had the courage to imagine," but who summed up the effect of Kenya's growing attraction to amateur hunters (aided not least by his own services) with the simple words "lion, rifles - and stupidity."

Perhaps Markham's most poignant accounts are those of her interactions with the Nandi. For unlike Karen Blixen, who came to Africa as an adult and never entirely abandoned a white colonialist's attitude, Markham's upbringing enabled her to innately understand their world: "He thought war was made of spears and shields and courage, and he brought them all," we learn about young warrior Arab Maina: "But [in World War I] they gave him a gun, so he left the spear and the shield behind and took the courage, and went where they sent him. [When he was killed,] some said it was because he had forsaken his spear." And when her childhood friend Kibii returns to become her servant, now a warrior himself and renamed Arab Ruta, she realizes that what a child doesn't know "of race and colour and class, he learns soon enough as he grows to see each man flipped inexorably into some predestined groove," and while Ruta will still be her friend, "the handclasp will be shorter ... and though the path is for a while the same, he will walk behind me now, when once, in the simplicity of our nonage, we walked together."

Like most memoirs - most notably Hemingway's "Moveable Feast" and Blixen"s "Out of Africa" - "West With the Night" is a selective account; and as in those works, the omissions only enhance its power. Hemingway's much-quoted lavish praise is both deserved and all the more notable as "Papa," otherwise so thrifty in lauding contemporaries, intensely disliked Markham as a person. - Authorship of the book has been called into question by the claims of Markham's ex-husband Raoul Schumacher, and by Errol Trzebinski's biography (which relies substantially on third-party accounts and merely proves that Schumacher had time and opportunity to write the book, not that he actually did). It's a great shame that writing as lasting and beautiful as this should be marred by such a controversy. Frankly, though, I don't hear any voice but Beryl Markham's in this account; both philosophically and stylistically, I have no doubt that this is her story alone. And therefore, ultimately ... "What matter who's speaking?" (Michel Focault, "What is an Author?")

This is the illustrated edition of West With the Night, published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1994. A handsome, quality book with a sewn binding, dustcover, and hardback boards that are quarter-cloth, 3/4's pictorial (clouds.) I think it is pretty! Heavy weight paper with something like over 125 illustrations integrated into the flow of the text.

It is debateable whether or not Beryl's husband helped to write this story. He was a writer and must have inluenced her in some ways. However, there are books other than "The lives of Beryl Markham" that give insight to the depth of his inluences upon her writing and also present Beryl's opinion on this subject. In Beryl's "African Stories" compiled by a woman who interviewed Beryl it becomes clear that Raoul's writing style did not match the writing style of this book. Raoul focused on scandal and tried to write his own story about Beryl in which scandal played a large part to help make the book popular. In Beryl's opinion the scandals of her life were unimportant details. Horses and African life were her truths and the details surrounding these truths were what she wanted to convey to the world. She used artisitc liscence. One surely should be able to to use this skill if one is writing about ones own life. Stories are not required to be as reality shows are today. The book is not titled "West With The Night A True Story". It was not meant to be taken with a grain of salt. It was meant to immerse the reader, take them to a different place if you will and make them feel as though they lived it. Allow the book to be what it is, enjoy the fine writing and let it take you to where you may have never been before. Read further and discover more. It is a facinating mystery touched by so many factors many of which we may never know because the one person who could tell us whether or not she wrote the book is dead and gone.

Beryl Markam's controversial "West with the Night" gives a vivid, personal view of life in colonial Kenya. A geat aviator and race horse trainer, Beryl Markham gives new life to women everywhere.

Hockey fans will love this book. If you are not a hockey fan, you may want to read this book. It could change your opinion!

The best part about this book is that it's in the players' own words. For anyone who enjoys stories about old time hockey this is a must read.

Inside stories, inside thoughts, the hows, whys, and wherefores of hockey goaltending. Not just the stars and legends, but the back-ups, the crazies, the philosopher-goalies speak on the art, zen, and fun that is goaltending.

If you are a goalie in any sport, whether hockey, lacrosse, soccer, water polo - you will gain useful insight into your game by hearing how these athletes describe their vocation.

Irvin knows how to preamble and then just let the goalies speak their piece. An excellent read.

This is an excellent look at goalies from the present and recent past. You'll learn more about your favorites and get a welcome introduction to others (many of whom are still playing) you haven't heard as much about. You can open the book, start reading at the beginning, middle, or end, and you'll have a good time!

As a parent of a goaltender, who of course wants to make it to the NHL, I found this book to be very encouraging. Every goaltender can and does have bad games. If you have the heart, you have a chance to make it.

The two reviews below are absolutely correct. Pierre Berton has written a great masterpiece of narrative history. I first read this book almost 20 years ago, and I can still recall the enjoyment it gave. This is perhaps the best book of history in terms of enjoyable reading which I have come across. The only author in the same league today is Simon Schama, and he generally works in somewhat more esoteric, less popular areas. I have also discussed the excellence of Berton's writing in a review of the companion volume Flames Across the Border: 1813-14 which, along with this text, makes up as fine a two volume set of North American history as can be obtained.

A wonderful book by Canada's foremost historian commemorates the War of 1812 as Canada's War of Independence.

The War of 1812 was initiated by President Madison as a war of conquest against Ontario (or Lower Canada, as it was then known). The British forces were arrayed against various un-coordinated American attacks, and the Americans fared particularly badly in 1812-13, notably losing Detroit.

This instalment does not reach the later events of the war, in which more of a stalemate developed (and the Americans scored some big naval victories). But the Canadians never doubted that the campaigns covered in this book - of 1812-13 - had marked a long-term strategic victory, guaranteeing Canada's separate identity, and the inner leadership clique of English-speaking, ethnically Scottish Presbyterians who ran the war effort became the ruling elite of Canada for over a century (if not to this day).

Many key characters of American history come here: General (later President) Harrison; Indian chief Tecumseh; President Madison and President Jefferson. This volume, however, gives equal time (if not precedence) to the Canadian heroes of the campaigns, including in particular celebrates loyalist heroes such as Brock and Strachan. Superb account of the war's critical, indeed decisive, early years.

The invasion of Canada is one of the most engrossing books on history I have ever read. Ms Berton brings to life the characters, events and atmosphere of a continet on the brink of war. This is achieved by Ms Bertons skillfull blend of historical research and artistic licence, which give even the most uninspred reader of history something to get thier "teeth into". I found it avid reading and look forward to sampling more of Ms Bertons work.

This volume is an excellent introduction to the War of 1812. The Canadian author maintains his objectivity throughout the volume, and gives accurate and telling details to causes, politics, and leadership on both sides of the northern North American border and how that affected the progress of the war. After reading this book, the reader will come away baffled and outraged at the level of incompetence shown on both sides (initially the US side however), and the level of audacity and caution exhibited by both sides as well. In summation, a highly recommended book, that will provide a good base upon which a detailed understanding of causes, effects, and results of many aspects of this war can be attained.

Best book on history I ever read. Most books on the war of 1812 focus on the 'high level' intrigue--congressional debates, executive office plotting, etc. This book focuses on the front lines. Learn about how Madison decision to appoint imcompetent generals (He didn't want the war, and it was his way of keeping it from happening) led to human suffering. Get a good sense of life on the frontier and the fear Americans had of the local Indians. Read this book.

I've had this parody, plus 2 related others -- "Martha Stuart Better Than You At Living" and "Martha Stuart's Excrutiatingly Perfect Weddings" -- for almost 10 years...and they still make me laugh out loud and smile, when I need a good laugh or smile. Brilliantly -- and, yes, lovingly -- put together by showing respect to the great detail that makes Martha such a Drama Queen. Expert humor...buy, buy, buy! ;)

Uhh....it's almost TOO well done!!! The subtlety, the sarcasm. Martha herself would be proud of the ideas and craft concepts presented. You will find yourself laughing out loud. Fits perfectly on my coffee table next to my real "Living" magazines. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Get it before it goes out of print! This is a collectors item of great writing!

This parody magazine will get even Martha devotees to laugh. The authors have taken Martha Stuart's well known love of detail to the nth degree - and then twisted! The tongue-in-cheek articles are so close in style to articles in the authentic magazine that you'll forget for a moment you're reading a parody, until suddenly the absurdness hits you - right between the eyes.

I like Martha Stewart and yet this book had me laughing out loud. I'm ordering extras for my relatives. In this parody, Martha makes water from scratch, and there's also an article on how the Homeless, don't have to be gardenless.