Stuart Books

This book should be read just before, or just after Stuart's beloved "The Thread That Runs So True". In it, you discover parts of his life that are only hinted at in "Thread". Like the year he spent in the rough and tumble world of the steel mill, and the time he traveled with a carnival. There are wonderful sections about how he worked his way through Lincoln Memorial, and his time at Vanderbilt, where he wrote the paper that was the original version of this book.

This is a great manual, by Brooks Kubik - the author of the excellent Dinosaur Training book, and published by Brawn series author Stuart McRobert. It lays out a series of progressive, time-proven programs...around six total. Covers sets, reps and exercises, how many times to repeat each program and for how long. Its only 16pgs. but would be a useful addition to every lifter's library as even the 1st program isn't really just for beginners, it's just one the author deemed a good one to build on. You will get big and powerful with these programs if you follow them diligently and eat sufficiently...they are not the usual idiotic "pumping" plans for asthetics only. Incl. 5x5, 5/4/3/2/1, 5x1, and so on to more advanced specialization programs. Check out Crain's Muscle World's online store for it, they usually carry it (and also its companion "Big Arms"), since Amazon never has it and 2nd party sellers ask outragous prices. You shouldn't pay more than maybe $15 tops.

When I picked this book up,I wasn't really expecting much from it.Part way through the election campaign, the Bush camp thought Gore would trounce them in the debates,as they felt Gore had managed to keep"clean" of Clinton's problems as well as being a better debater.Well it didn't turn out that way;did it? In other words Gore blew it big time.He had it in the bag and should have had it won long before Florida;which the Democrats like to blame for Gore's loss.I tend to agree with Stevens in why Gore blew it and Bush won.If you really believe that the counting mess-up in Florida unfairly gave the election to Bush,I suggest this book to you.

One of the great charms of Massachusetts is the abundance of bike paths that were put in during the 1970s and 1980s. Whether you like to bike, use in-line skates, walk, or run, these paths will provide you with much healthy pleasure that you could not easily get otherwise. This guide is remarkably complete and accurate in describing your choices for a fun afternoon in the sun.

I first became interested in bike paths from riding on the famous path in Provincetown as a young man of 20. Having rented a bike there one day, the lady who helped me said that it was one of the things she was proudest of that she could ride the whole cicuit without stopping when she turned 50. I vowed to remember that and be sure to try the path again when I turned 50.

I was fascinated to learn that this route is still considered the state's "most spectacular bike path." Knowing that course well, I was hooked by the book when I realized that it contained good, if brief, descriptions of that wonderful and famous route.

The book opens with a statewide map that locates the 34 paths that are described in the book, so you can see where each one is. Five are on Cape Cod, four in central Massachusetts, one each in Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and the bulk are in the greater Boston area. The Berkshires are bereft.

A lot of these paths follow old railroad lines, and extend for quite a distance. Others circulate within a state park. Some local bike paths are included. The MDC reservations in Boston provide many wonderful routes. My older son favors the long-distance routes on the reservations, and he frequently takes the routes along the Charles River on his in-line skates. One of the joys of these paths throughout the state are the views that are unavailable from other sites.

The book describes the laws about bike riding and the rules of the road on the paths. Children under 12 must wear a helmet, and those under 1 are not permitted on bikes. On a bike path, you need to remember to stay on the right except to pass. When you pass on the left, you need to make an audible sound to alert the person ahead. Also, these are not places for fast bike riding or in-line skating. You need to go to closed courses for those purposes. These paths are for recreation by large numbers of people.

Each path contains information about its length, the difficulty of the slopes, neighborhood you pass through, condition, background of its founding, rules and regulations, orientation of how to find the starting point, a detailed map, well detailed descriptioons of the trail segments, driving and parking directions, the names and relevant information about bike and skate shops that are local (including whether they rent bikes or not), sources of additional information, and a photo of the path.

Considering that some of these paths can be ridden in only a few minutes for one circuit, the material is quite extensive.

This is the revised and expanded second edition of this work. When the third edition comes out, I suggest that it include more specific information about the steepness of the most significant slopes, the elevation of the path, and how it is affected by the spring snow melt. If you are like me, you'd like to get out of the house after this very snowy winter we've just had in Massachusetts.

I suggest that you expand the benefit from your travels by also getting a nature guide for whatever you like to observe, whether plants or animals. That will provide more interesting diversions while you bike. I also find it valuable to set my mind on some important question when I start the ride. Usually, I have many good answers by the time I finish, as well as a healthy feeling of having stretched my legs and lungs.

Get rolling!

This is an excellent book that is well organized, well written and beautifully illustrated. I have found this to be an extremely useful reference during the course of surgical pathology signout. Discussion of diagnostic problems in which I have been interested have been easy to find and clearly addressed. I think this is a "must have" book for practicing pathologists, pathology residents and pathology fellows. It is also likely to be a useful reference for clinicians involved in the care of patients with breast diseases.

Your price on this book ~ The Birds of Africa (Vol 5) ~ is no better than buying it anyplace else including from the publisher.

Regards, Wayne

This is one of the best guides I have ever found to any country!

It is first and foremost an excellent guide to birdwatching localities all around New Zealand. Rather than just describing the essential sites for twitchers rushing around the country to tick off all endemics as quickly as possible, this book tells you what birds are to be seen in just about any corner of this spectacularly beautiful land. It even mentions what other wildlife, if any, is to be seen besides birds at the same spots.

It also has a useful photographic guide to the birds of New Zealand, giving both essential identification info and multiple site recommendations for each species both on North and South Island where relevant. While this part of the book is no substitute for a comprehensive and light field guide to birds, it does cover most species of interest, including most endemics.

Anyone interested in the fauna of New Zealand should buy a copy - while it seems hard to get here, the book is still readily available on Amazon's UK site, or in New Zealand itself.

Basics: 2003, hardcover, 628 pages, 600 color photos, 223 illustrations, 288 species, atlas maps

This is an excellent reference to the Canadian province adjacent to Alaska. The book coves all 288 species known at the time of publication and does so with extensively researched information. Although most birds are shown with a color photograph, this book is not meant to be an identification guide. Instead, it is a well documented reference to the distribution, status, habitat, and seasonal presence of each bird within the Yukon Territory.

The value of this book is definitely in its text. The authors have done a great job at collecting data from many sources to compile the information into a very useful account for each bird. The five primary topics covered are distribution, seasonal patterns, nesting, habitat, and noteworthy records. Two other topics vary in length for remarks and for world range.

Each bird is given a large, 4x4 inch map of the Yukon Territory with good geologic detail (rivers, road, lat/long). The presence of the bird is denoted with a coded circle. The circle represents each of the four seasons as well as confirmed breeding. It's interesting to note how many of the sightings are located along major roadways into this remote northern area. Accompanying the map is a seasonal bar-chart displaying the number of records for each of the months. This helps to give a quick, easy-to-understand image of the bird's seasonal presence.

Most of the color photos are good quality, while some of them being are little small or distant. But, these are meant to give the reader a view of the bird and not to be used for identification detail. The number of photos range from 0-4 for each bird. Also included for some birds are black-and-white line drawings.

The first 57 pages of the book offer a good overview of the Yukon's historical and current ecology . Enhanced with 90 photos and maps, the authors provide a good account of the environment, bird history, culture, and conservation.

This is a remarkable book that is equal to or better than any other similar book done on Canada or the US. This large (and heavy) book is a must reference for the northern birder.

I've listed several related books below...
1) The Birds of British Columbia: Vol 1-4 by Campbell et al.
2) The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta by Semenchuk
3) The birds of Alberta by Salt
4) The Birds of Canada by Godfrey
5) Birds of Western Canada by Taverner
6) Guide to the Birds of Alaska by Armstrong
7) The Birds of Alaska by Gabrielson/Lincoln

The breadth and depth of this work goes beyond most contemorary authors capabilities. The relativistic - subjectivism - Situational Ethics - traditional Christian moral theological viewpoints are brought out and contrasted in a modern believable fasion. This work will "MAKE YOU THINK" --- about your own life and where you are headed. The work is written in a manner entertaining and enjoyable and acceptable for teens yet sophisticated enough for mature minds.

Well Done! BRAVO. I cannot wait for the next work by Mr. Stuart.

Dr. Norman Jones a leading intellectual in the history of early modern Britain and the author of such titles as Faith by Statute: Parliament and the Settlement of Religion, God and the
Moneylenders. Usury and Law in Early Modern England, most recently The English Reformation: Religion and Cultural Adaptation includes The Birth of the Elizabethan Age.
England in the 1560s to his growing corpus of work. In this comprehensive account of one of England's most historically fascinating decades, Jones attempts to present the reader with a vivid, down to earth account of the 1560s from the point of view of the people who lived during the time. Jones proves his scholarly versatility in this account by not limiting it to just the religious, political, cultural, or social aspects of the time but by necessity crosses each one and ties them together in order to depict this tumultuous time in England.

Jones begins in 1558 with the death of Queen Mary I and the tense but joyful celebration of a new monarch. This is the perfect place to begin not just because it gives the historical
background necessary for understanding the 1560s but Jones also importantly sets the mood and emotional tone that comprised the entire decade. The ambiguity, procrastination and the down
right refusal of Elizabeth to clearly determine religion, marry, and name a heir gave her the opportunity to "gain firm control over her realm, prevented a Catholic revolt or even her
excommunication until the end of the decade, and created the Puritan movement (19)." This political genius on the part of Elizabeth prevented war and preserved her power but left great
confusion particularly regarding religion and the social expectations of women, specifically the duties of a queen.

In his chapter on Protestant discontents with the Elizabethan settlement and its sister chapter on Catholicism, Jones paints the picture of the religious tensions and confusion of both groups with fine brush strokes. The main players in the continuing English Reformation process are introduced and given proper attention for the parts they played in either resisting or pushing for reform. Pithily he mentions and discusses the Protestant concerns with discipline and ecclesiastical government (53) and the hopes and schemes of the Catholics, essential for understanding the period.

In an inductive manner he recreates from original documents the colorful past, plentiful in intrigue in both senses of the word. In his chapter on royal marriage, the scandalous stories of Elizabeth's courtships and her love for the Earl of Leicester are featured along with Mary Queen of Scots' tragic love life and political manipulations.

By writing from the point of view of the prominent and not so prominent figures of the time, Jones clearly shows the reader all of the political, cultural, and intellectual aspects of what the poor wretches endured in Merry O' England. This book is not only a historical text about the 1560s, it reads like a soap opera giving the reader windows into the public and private lives of the people. The style of the author is similar to a novel in the sense that a particular person and string of thought is followed throughout the book. For instance, John Whythorne is mentioned early as predicting the trouble of a changed monarch, later about his religious convictions, he is a main character in Jones' chapter on marriage, and he appears in the chapters on family values, carpe diem, making a living, and the epilogue. This format is superior to a biography but with the
same emotional connection. Jones allows you to feel for the people mentioned in the stories; you can sympathize with their suffering, their confusion, and occasional rejoicing.

This book is not just for intellectuals and scholars interested in this period, but it can be of use for anyone interested in the complexities that are involved in cultural and religious adaptation. Beyond that, the way it tells the story of the English people is entertaining and as good for curling up with on a rainy day as it is an important historical interpretation by a leader in the field.

Kyle VanArsdol