Wilson Books

I have been recommending the first edition of this book for years, as one of the best "beginners books" around. The new edition is even better since Ms. Wilson has added more essential oils, information on hydrosols...brought the book up to date with what is happening in the world of Aromatherapy in this decade.
The book offers a great balance of information about a wide array of essential oils as well as recipes/formulas for their use in restoring wellbeing to both body and emotions. It is one of the best on the market today.

I absolutely love this book. If you are seeking more than just basic information about essential oils and how they work, this is the book for you. It describes everything you need to know from the many types of essential oil extraction, to carrier oils, to storage, to blends and hydrosols. Blending the appropriate oils and amounts is a snap with this easy to use and informative resource which includes numerous recipes. I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed. Happy blending!

And another fine book, all about the operation of HAM. Everything from rules to help to projects !

This is one of those books you can pick up and read random chapters, or even individual pages and find value. The book is organized topically and covers a wide variety of interests, so whether your interest is RTTY, DX, moonbounce, or whatever, you'll likely find it covered here - not just in shallow survey form, either (in spite of its wide coverage), but with usable advice and perspective. I think this is one of ARRL's better titles, along with their license manuals and the Antenna Book. Highly recommended for the newer ham or experienced ham curious about unfamiliar operating modes.

5 stars for one of the most significant literary/theatrical endeavors of the last century, August Wilson's cycle of ten plays, a decade-by-decade chronicle of ordinary African-American family life from 1900-2000, elevated to the extraordinary by some of the most powerful poetic diction ever to grace the American stage; Wilson was the successor and peer of Eugene O'Neill and Tenessee Williams, refracted through the sensibility of James Baldwin. The bars, the churches, the backporch, the white-picket fence front yard, the crack-vial strewn alleys, the jails, the recording studios, the ballparks, this was the terrain Wilson took us through, no place was alien to him, every character, old , young, male, female, upwardly mobile, downwardly spiraling, or just holding on, saint and sinner had their gospel and blues-drenched monologue/moment in the spotlight. These ten linked plays are essential reading, and bear in mind Wilson kept himself alive while through sheer force of will while in the throes of a terminal illness to make sure he finished the cycle. And for the first time ever, all ten have been housed in one volume.

So why oh why has the tome been priced in the three figures, beyond the scope of the very people who would most benefit by reading it? A sin and a shame...one star to the publisher, Mr. Wilson's estate, whoever thought this gouging was necessary.

Having read all these plays as they emerged in print, having seen many of them on stage over the past 23 years, and having just had the ecstatic experience of witnessing all ten plays in the cycle performed in chronological order at the Kennedy Center in Washington, I confess a strong bias in this review! I believe that every literate American should have this set on his or her bookshelf. It will provoke laughter and tears, stir the mystic chords that bind all people together regardless of race or status, and provide the satisfying recognition that -- while life is an inscrutable mystery -- it is also a rich and rewarding adventure.

Lauded as one of the greatest African American playwrights, August Wilson, born in 1945, has earned numerous Tony nominations and awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes for "Fences" and "The Piano Lesson".

Who He Is:
He is known for his "poetic poetry" in language while the blues music plays a significant role in his work. In this book is a thorough understanding called, "August Wilson's Blues Poetic" by Paul Carter Harrison. Meanwhile, a lengthy preface by Wilson provides insight into his experience as a playwright.

Ten of Wilson's plays, chronicle decades of African American heritage and experience. In this book, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" covers the twenties, "Fences", the fifties; and "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" explores the turn of the century.

The only thing better than reading Wilson's plays is to SEE them performed, complete with the vernacular - the spoken language of an area. If you have ever believed that you have had no interest in theatre plays, rethink that notion and see the work of August Wilson.

Ma Rainey:
The scene for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", takes place in a recording studio in 1927 where two white music executives are making a record of blues singer, Ma Rainey and a group of musicians.

Because the focus is on four male band members. It may take a while to try to put a face with each character, but within a short time, you grasp who the characters are - their values, beliefs and fears.

Ma Rainey's tone of voice is profound and nobody can push her around. Some critics report that Ma Rainey was exploitive and abusive to her band members, but I certainly did not get that impression. She was just tough and she knew how important her role was in blues music!

During rehearsal, the members share their experience in racist America and where they are now with racist treatment. A dramatic ending caps when the most bitter player reacts violently when another member steps on his shoes.

Prize Winning "Fences":
The Pulitzer Prize, "Fences" takes place at the home of Troy Maxson, a garbage collector who felt cheated of fame as a baseball player by a white system. Troy is set to build a fence around his property and symbolically, the fence stands for his protection from the outside. He contains what he earned and seeks to keep out any evil. Troy's conflict is with his younger son who is about to be recruited with a football scholarship. Troy dissuades the boy by instilling the value and certainty of life is only with hard labor.

Joe Turner:
The setting for "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" takes place in a boarding house where owners Seth and his wife operate with strict rules for the many transients. Joe Turner is not a character in the play, but a man who enslaved Harold Loomis, the main character, for years. Now Loomis tries to find his wife. This is a wonderful story with folklore, blues, spirituality and identity, which is metaphorically referred to as a "song".

These plays are wonderful and it's difficult to say which is best, because they are so different. ...MzRizz

August Wilson is the greatest American playwright. Not the greatest living American playwright, but the greatest, period. His best plays stand comparison with the best work of Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, and Tennessee Williams. No American playwright has produced such a consistent body of work, and no American playwright has attempted a cycle with the scope and ambition of his series of plays. Wilson's subject is the Great Migration, the story of the African-Americans who emigrated from the southern states to the cities of the industrial North and their slow construction of satisfactory lives in the difficult and changing world of 20th century America. Wilson has written 10 plays on this subject, one for each decade of the 20th century, amounting to a fictional history of African-Americans in the urban North. This is, however, history from below. Wilson's heroes are garbagemen, short-order cooks, day laborers, self-taught musicians, and street vendors. One of his great gifts is his ability to use common speech in a way that is consistently interesting, frequently eloquent, and often powerful. He gives poetic voice to people usually regarded as inarticulate and invests ordinary struggles with real but not exaggerated significance. The African-Americans of Wilson's plays are a doubly uprooted people. Uprooted initially by the grievous trauma of slavery that sundered their connection with their native traditions, the emigrants fleeing the Jim Crow south and its brutal racism are uprooted also from their homes, families, and the traditions developed in the aftermath of slavery.
Wilson's overall story is the reconstruction of African-American identity and family life in the cities of the North over the course of the 20th century. Wilson's plays often feature protagonists whose sense of identity and families have been damaged greatly by the oppressions of racism and the atomizing effects of the industrial economy of the North. Over the course of the cycle, Wilson shows characters re-establishing a sense of connection with their ancestors, even back to Africa, and gradually developing the family ties to sustain them. Wilson repeatedly uses supernatural elements in his work, particularly as a device to advance his theme of the importance of developing a sense of historic connection with ancestors, including those originally abducted from Africa. This could easily be hokey, but his matter of fact use of these elements is very effective. Another recurring theme is the importance of music, particularly the Blues tradition developed by African-American musicians, which he sees as a vital and creative force in African-American life, often carrying truths across generations. Some of the most affecting parts of Wilson's work are his demonstrations of the direct and indirect destructive effects of American racism on family life. Even more powerful are those scenes in which his characters overcome these obstacles to reaffirm family connections.
Not all of Wilson's plays are outstanding, but all are at least very good. Readers will differ on their favorites. In my opinion, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Fences, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom are outstanding. The rest vary from excellent (The Piano Lession) to the very good. Cumulatively, they are a really impressive achievement. Mention must be made of the fact that Wilson has been aided by outstanding collaborators. Wilson's plays usually go through a series of versions before the final version emerges. Wilson has had the benefit of working with unusually talented directors, notably the gifted Lloyd Richards, who was responsible in large measure for recognizing Wilson's talent. Wilson has benefited also from the existence of a whole generation of remarkably talented African-American actors. These people made it possible for Wilson to realize his vision. We have all been the beneficiaries of the work of Wilson and his collaborators.

Having completed a 3week trip to Australia for shelling...I was overcome with the variety of my collection...82 new species....so I immediately turned to Amazon for rescue...this book has proven to be totally covering of all the Gastropods I found.....I liken this to R. Tucker Abbotts "Compendium of Seashells"....it is definitely a Classic!!! Roz

We deal with Australian seashells and often get asked by collectors around the world about more information and images of Australian (particularly the endemic) shells. We usually recommend this 2 volume-book as it not only contains the latest information and numerous excellent colour plates on the subject, but is also beautifully designed and a real joy to browse through for beginners and advanced collectors alike. The text is very exhausive on all major Australian gastropod families and provides the first ever published comprehensive info about the fascinating Zoila group (Western Australian endemic Cowries).

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It reads just like a teenager writing it which is a credit to the author, M Reinhart.

The scrapes and adventures Bab gets herself into and the long suffering she puts up with are too funny (because of course the rest of the world just doesn't understand the woes of being a sub-deb).

Read it for yourself and if you have an adolescent daughter, pass it on!

Bab is a melodramtic young lady with a habit of getting herself into hilarious scrapes as she attempt to deal with the indignity of not being allowed to be a debutante (deb) like her (slightly!) older sister.

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. I still laugh out loud over Bab's sincere "lothing" of her enemies and her attempts to do good deed by helping others with their "speling."

Colorado is a vacationers paradise offering a variety of outdoor experiences and adventures for every season of the year. The collaborative work of Peter Massey, Jeanne Wilson, and Angela Titus, "Backcountry Adventures Colorado" is a 568-page compendium of detailed and reliable information showcases 143 of Colorado's best scenic back roads and four-wheel drive trails that can well serve to plan itineraries ranging from day trips, to week-end excursions, to week-long holiday adventures exploring what Colorado has to offer away from the usual tourist destinations. From ghost towns, to forgotten mines and mill workings, to old railroad and stage lines, "Backcountry Adventures Colorado truly lives up to its title with 'user friendly' and profusely illustrated directions. Enhanced with town histories, plant and animal information, driving directions that include GPS coordinates, and trails rated for degree of difficulty, mileage, and driving time, "Backcountry Adventures Colorado" is ideal for the non-specialist general reader and is illustrated with 924 photographs and 152 four-color topographic trail maps. "Backcountry Adventures Colorado" is an ideal and highly recommended reference for scenic drives -- and would serve as an excellent model for developing similar travel guides for other states.

Out of all the choices you have for the topic of exploring Colorado, this is ultimately the BEST guidebook you can find!! I was totally blown over by how much detail that was included! The color photos in the book (literally hundreds) are great and just flipping through the book made me want to start planning my trip right away! Whether you have an SUV or a 4x4, the scenic drives in this book take you to ghost towns and all kinds of interesting destinations in Colorado's backcountry. You get to see photos of what the old towns looked like when they were still standing and the authors give some cool background history on the mining camps too. There is even a field guide so you can identify the wildflowers and animals in the areas you travel to. All in all, this book blows the competition right out of the park!!

This is the most informative bat book that I've picked up so far. Lots of great information if you love bats and want to know more about them, or fear bats and are interested in learning to love them. Lots of great photos, but not a picture book at all. Probably too wordy for little kids, but great for adults.

Why don't baby bats fall off mom bats in flight? Hmmm? The answer to this and all of your other curious musings about the most successful and least understood of the mammals are presented in this latest volume of a Smithsonian series. For children or adults, with excellent close- up photos, this one is sure to foster a growing interest in our flying relatives. About 1/4 of mammal species have winged fingers, big ears and knees turned sideways to facilitate dangling from ceilings, and that doesn't include your weird Uncle Mort! Bats occur on every continent except Antarctica, and in eco-niches as diverse as blood sucking, fruit chewing, fish nipping and insect consumption. Some are excellent mousers. Several types may live for thirty years. As mentioned in my review of THE FORGOTTEN POLLINATORS (Stephen L. Buchmann & Gary Paul Nabhan, Shearwater Books, 1996), the bats include species critical to reproduction for many types of plant, and (along with other pollinator species) many are in steep decline. Here's one little piece of brain candy from this high quality sampler: Baby bats' milk teeth (they have two sequential sets like most other mammals) are hooked and pointy. They lock on to mom's nipple like a Voskod docked to Mir. Look Ma! No hands!

I have lot of Indian books but this one is the best by far. Its very authentic but the recipes are not very difficult. Some are time consuming but this book has pictures for every recipe and its very easy to follow. It also has a spiral binding so it lays flat which makes it easy to read while you are cooking. I don't know why this book hasn't received more press because its not only my favorite Indian cookbook its my favorite cookbook. Every recipe I have tried from this book is great.

When my friends presented us with this book, being Indians we wondered how good it would be. But this book has simple recipes in Indian cooking that turn up the most delicious meals that we have ever had. If you want to own one book on Indian cooking, this book is it.

Wilson has been making me laugh since I was a kid, and letting me know that there's at least one guy out there goofier than me. Still, better to be a little weird than to do whatever you're told by whatever authority figure is trying to jack you, as Gahan ably points out time and again.
This guy is a freak in the best possible way, gleefully mocking our fears and weirdnesses, and boy do we have a ton of 'em. Even better than his strangeness is his intelligent understanding of people and what really makes us tick. Not all of his work is weird; some of it is direct and to the point, and his always amusing artistic style never fails to highlight the joke and the insight. Plus, his stuff just makes me laugh, time and again and again.
A great artist makes you see the world differently after you've encountered his work. Gahan Wilson has been a master at doing just that for almost fifty years now.
Long may he weird!

If you've ever "liked" one of Gahan Wilson's cartoons, you'll "love" this book! Nice collection of some of his finest cartoons. Highly recommended.