Wood Books

In POACHER WARS, Bill Wasserman portrays his villains vividly, comprehensively, and accurately. Reading this book reminded me of my own "hoofties" and my dealings with them, some of them with Bill at my side. Bill's writing style is easy to read, yet very descriptive. Each story has its own uniqueness and its end only wants to make you go on to the next story. If you want to know what working wildlife law enforcement is like for a Pennsylvania conservation officer, this book is a must read for you. Great job, Bill. And thanks for the memories and your friendship!
Chuck Arcovitch, WCO, retired

Yep, every ridgerunner has at least one story involving a game warden. There are times when they can be annoying, like that time you hit that deer at 1am, only the deer was still twitching and the tire iron was only to put it out of its misery. After all, if you were going to jacklight deer, wouldn't you have a spotlight and a loaded tire iron, and still have an intact radiator? There's no sense letting all that good meat go to waste.

Of course, lots of poachers like to make the claim that a deer was just "road kill", and to portray themselves as down-on-their-luck rascals just looking for meat to feed their hungry family. The hardcore poacher is often a serious outlaw with an extensive criminal record, and little respect for life. Illegal hunting to meet the demands of an international trade in wildlife and wildlife parts is a major problem facing those concerned with the protection and sustainability of wildlife populations. Many of the people involved in the trade of illegally hunted animals are the same people involved with organized crime --such as drugs and prostitution. They want to be where the money is. The trade in bear's gall bladders is a good example. The bear gallbladder trade is similar to the heroin business, except that bear organs are harder to come by and harder to smoke. There is money in wildlife.

If you want to know more about poaching, ask a poacher, or better yet, ask a game warden who has pursued poachers on foot, by vehicle or boat. Or you can just read Poacher Wars, A Pennsylvania Game Warden's Journal by William Wasserman. Bill was a Pennsylvania game warden for more than thirty years, and was responsible for patrolling 400 square miles of rugged mountain terrain.

He's encountered a number of poachers who were convicted felons including murderers, drug addicts, dope dealers and outlaw bikers. He's seen men shot in the woods, with their blood seeping from wounds, and put his own life at risk. In his book you will find sixteen true short stories about these dangerous and unpredictable men.

If you want to know what working wildlife law enforcement is like for a Pennsylvania conservation officer, this book is a definite must-read. Game wardens are police officers with full arrest powers: they solve poaching cases with many of the same forensic skills that police investigators use to solve murder cases-such as DNA analysis and ballistic evidence. Crimes against wildlife can be more difficult to solve than crimes against humans, because there is often a lack of witnesses to interview, and Bambi can't or won't talk.

Hunting season is meant to protect animal populations and breeding cycles. So if you love the taste of venison, polish up the rifle, or your car, and bone up on the latest game regulations. Now where did I put my shotgun???

If you love this book, check out "Of A Predatory Heart" by Joe Parry and "Of Woods and Wild Things" by Don Knauss


Guns? Game? Or is meat just tasty, tasty murder? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Miss a previous column, check out past columns at www.frommyshelf.blogspot.com Hobo swears he had a valid hunting license for that mouse, he can check it out in his book "Hobo Finds A Home", a children's book about a cat who wanted more out of life.

Bill Wasserman was probably the most dedicated WCO (Wildlife Conservation Officer) the PA Game Commission ever had as its employee for over thirty years.

Poacher Wars, by WCO Wasserman, is a compelling work in law enforcement and wildlife conservation ... a remarkable book that you will remember for years to come.

I had no idea that game wardens had the kind of investigative skills demonstrated by officer Wasserman. Crimes against wildlife can be more difficult to solve than crimes against humans. With wild animals, game wardens can't interview family & friends of the deceased to gather information that might lead to a suspect. Some of the crimes that officer Wasserman writes about were more difficult to solve than the murder of a human!

The book was very enjoyable, and I highly recommend it!

I just ordered Matthew's new book and can't wait for it to arrive. I was fortunate to study with him at a distance for several years and to be a patient of his at times. He has whole realms of knowledge, has studied with Native American medicine men, and is deeply intuitive.

This book, along with Vitalism, has given me a historical and practical context for Western Herbalism that makes sense to me. I've been a closet herbalist for decades, stumbling over what were to me, cryptic texts, out of context, and these books by Matthew Wood catapulted me out of said closet and into (herbalist) school.-!!- I had no idea what to expect when I ordered this book. Halfway through I ordered Vitalism, and half way through that I ordered The Book of Herbal Wisdom. Having not read a huge quantity of herbals I cannot rate this book against all the many others, but it lit a bonfire in me to move forward. Lights on. Five Stars.

This book, as most of Mathew Wood's books is par excellence! Written with clarity, ease, brilliance Mr. Woods books are engaging, easy to read for both the budding herbalist or experienced practitioner. The Western Herbalism he espouses is based on his extensive experience as a practicing herbalist and his continued passion to study the great herbal masters of the Western World. His integrity, wit, and skill will leave you clamoring for more written works by this modern healing Master. I highly recommend all of his books not only for Western Herbalists, but for Chinese Herbalists and Homeopaths as well.

Matthew Fox has brought the Old Ways of Herbal Medicine to our modern world. This book speaks in a language I can understand. His descriptions of the underlying imbalances within the tissue that results in symptoms made such an impression on me. He lists signs which we all can identify in our illness. The book gives a description of the plants that can favorably affect these tissue states. Once the underlying cause of an illness is brought back to normal, a balanced state, then the disease goes away. Makes sense to me!!!

Clear and to the point, but also has such a warm, personal touch. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

This book on Puzzles was first published in 1986 and later published in paperback. I borrowed it from my Library a couple of times and recently obtained my own copy. If you have any interest in puzzles,you'll immediately agree that this book is outstanding in every way. The authors are two of the biggest names when it comes to writing about mechanical puzzles of today and of the past. Jerry Slocum has collected puzzles all his life,has over 30,000, and has probably the finest collection in the world. He is President of the Slocum Puzzle Foundation,in Beverly Hills,California.
This book is an overview of just about everything there is about puzzles.There are all kinds of puzzles such as Crossword,Word Search and many types more commonly called Pencil Puzzles;but that is not what this book is all about. It is somewhat difficult to define Mechanical Puzzles;but if you think of the types of puzzles that you can pick up in your hand,it helps to see the types of puzzles covered in the book.
The authors cover puzzles everyone is familiar with such as Rubik's Cube,Sliding Blocks,Tangrams,Wire,String & Rings,Mazes,Puzzle Locks,Puzzle Boxes,Take-Apart Puzzles,and on and on. I think you get the picture.
The authors cover the history of the puzzles and give hundreds of pictures of them from their collections as well as from collections of other great collectors. The book has many pictures of the creators of puzzles and it is a real treat to put a face to the names which are so well known in the puzzle world.
The book is a pure delight to read and to look at the fascinating array of puzzles;but it doesn't end there. There is all kinds of information on how to go about solving many of the puzzles;and on top of that lots of instructions oh how you can make many of the puzzles. No doubt,the reader could build quite a collection of puzzles,just from the information in the book.
I also find this book to be a real help in finding and identifying puzzles. People don't throw away these puzzles;but they often end up in Flea and Antique Markets,Second Hand Shops,Garage Sales and so forth. This book shows you what to look for and find. Let me give you an example. A while back,I saw one of the Japanese building towers shown on page 65,sitting on a shelf amongst a bunch of bric-a brac,didn't recognize it as a puzzle ,and passed it by. When I saw it in this book,I immediately knew what I had missed. Oh well,live and learn. The point is,if you hope to find puzzles,you got to know what to look for;and this book shows you. Another good example. The Bombay stores carries puzzles at times and recently had 4 very well constructed puzzles.I bought one called "The Comet" which is quite similar to the "Papa-Chuck" puzzle on page 74 and consists of 51 interlocking pieces.
So,if solving,collecting,making or anyting else about puzzles interests you,this book will become a prized possession.It would take many lifetimes for one person to find and enjoy what the authors have assembled in to this excellent book and made it available with extremely high ,color,paper,illustrations ,printing and construction quality;and at the same time a very reasonable cost. While you're at it,why not check out Jerry Slocum's Page on the Web,to see what's going on in the world of puzzles.

I bought the book originally to learn how to make some of the puzzles. The fact that there are dozens of puzzles to make immediately differentiates the book from others. There is an enormous wealth of information about puzzles of all kinds. The authors have notes about puzzle inventors, tips on making puzzles, and, in a few cases, tips on how to solve the puzzles. Really a nice book for anyone with an interest in puzzles.

This book is full of many types of mechanical puzzles many dating from the early 19th century. 150 pages of pictures and discriptions of how to make and solve many of these puzzles along with history and biographies on many of the puzzles and makers. The authors have included concise instructions on how to make many of these puzzles from wood with common handtools and a basic knowledge of how to read net drawings. A great read for any age.

Whether you love puzzles or they just frustrate you beyond belief, you's sure to find this book intriguing and absorbing. Filled with 150+ pages of pictures, diagrams, text, and solutions, this book is the most comprehensive treatment of puzzles of all natures that I've ever seen. Puzzles addressed include: 3D Wood block puzzles, Drinking Vessles, Imposible Objects, Folding Puzzles, Disentanglement Puzzles, and more...

Of course not all puzzles are solved by the book...the authors have to leave you something!

If you're handy in the machine shop you'll enjoy the diagrams of wooden blocks and other items that you can make. I've made a few with great results.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I had the opportunity to meet one of the authors and found that another book is in the works, I can't wait. It was an engaging story that somewhat hit home.

I thought it was a very good book. It was very intriguing and full of suspense. I would highly recommend this book to avid readers.

When I began this book, I could not put it down! It was wonderful! The characters seem so real. The scenes are described so well that it almost feels like you are in the book with them. I can't wait for the next one in the series!

The most riviting book I've ever read! The characters seem so real to me. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it! The detail is very true to life. I could picture every scene and relate to every character. I can't wait until the second and third books come out! This would make a great movie!

Book is perfect for anyone about to embark on a project boat or one who may be testing the water to see how well prepared you need to be. The book indicates what is necessary to have on hand in order to re-do a sailboat. Having just begun my boat refinishing, I can say I personally took a number of bits of advice into consideration and these may have saved me time and money already. Cheap insurance and a great mentor to have in hand as you get ready.

Similar to other books in the series. Style wise, this is the opposite of The Sailmaker's Apprentice by Marino. This is not a book to pick up while sitting by the fire sipping tea. It is a great reference book with concise "how to" information. Good explanations of both materials and techniques - including safety.

Another crystal clear Don Casey book. Explains painting, varnishing, surface prep, brushes, solvents, sanding, basic gelcoat, fixing small blisters, painting the mast, applying the name, fixing non-skid surfaces, fixing crazing and alligatoring, and bottom painting. If I screw it up now, it won't be Casey's fault :)!

We recently lucked into a wonderful Grampian 26 in great shape, and were even luckier to have located this and the other Don Casey books! Even though it is still very much winter here, I'm chomping at the bit to start preparing the boat for the water. Casey's books are a must for any yacht owner!

I liked this book very much. The writer really kept you in suspense with the book. Looking forward to more books from the author. I would recommened this book to others.

I read this book and loved it. I thought that this book was going to be great when I bought it. I like the book covers to stand out when I purchase something. I found that the writer has written a spine tingling Novel with The savior of the woods. I am looking for other books by this author. I think the book held its own, and kept me interested from start to finish.

I read this book and loved it very much. I knew this was going to be a great book. The writer wrote a very good make you want to jump novel with savior of the woods. I am looking forward to more books from the author. This book kept me very interested from begining to end. I give this book 5 stars.

I read this book and loved it very much. I knew this was going to be a great book. The writer wrote a very good make you want to jump novel with savior of the woods. I am looking forward to more books from the author. This book kept me very interested from begining to end. I give this book 5 stars.

I love all Monica's Woods books but this one is my favorite - so far. It is a heartbreakingly wonderful book told with great sensitivity.

I'm so glad I discovered Monica Wood. Her language is gorgeous, her characters compelling, and she oh so delicately describes the pain and joy of human relationships, in a way we can all identify with. I highly recommend Secret Language, and can't wait to read more by this talented author.

This was the first novel by Monica Wood, one of my new favorite writers! I first read "My Only Story" and then managed to find "The Secret Language". In between I read her newest book, "Ernie's Ark".

I loved all three books even though they were quite different. All are about families and how they shape us. Part of this theme is that families may be those whom we assemble around us rather than those related by blood.

In "The Secret Language", both Connie and Faith have suffered damage and serious neglect at the hands of their parents, Billy and Delle, traveling actors who were semi-famous but never achieved the fame they sought. These were people who really loved only themselves and the idea of who they were, and their two pretty little girls were part of this image.

The strong coping mechanisms that the sisters developed as children helped them then and continued to help them in adulthood. Unfortunately, the way that Faith coped was to try to avoid feeling too deeply. Despite having married into an outgoing family, the Dohertys, Faith has been walled off for so long that she is unable to connect and always feels like an outsider....they seem overwhelming to her. She seems incapable of allowing Joe to love her, and feels as if she is frozen and incapable of being any other way. Her sister Connie also fears love, but in a different way.

When Isadora appears and wants to be let into their lives, to be an instant sister, she does not realize she will never really be on the inside because there are no shared experiences. She will never see their father, Billy, for the narcissist whom he was, caring only about himself and the image he projected. Like Billy, Isadora is also self-absorbed and a user who will do almost anything to get her way. To say that she is manipulative is an understatement.

I really appreciate the way Wood develops her characters. As a reader, I feel that I know these people: feel their pain, their joy, their sorrow. What a gift!

Secret Language is a five star book in my opinion! It's about two sisters, Connie and Faith, who grow up in various hotels while traveling around the U.S. with their semi-famous parents. The two girls growup very fast because most of the time they are left alone. By the time Faith is just getting out of high school and Connie is in her senior year, they are left to take care of themselves because of the death of both their parents. They, especially Faith, go through their life stumbling over obstacle after obstacle. It takes Faith a long time to put her past behind her and to start over. There were charaters who were always there to help them through their journey and to let them know that they are special. This never really happened when they were kids. Monica Wood is an excellent writer and I'm excited to read some of her other books.

I seldom write product reviews, but this one merits the time. I borrowed the book from my local library to read to my 4 year old, and was thoroughly touched. Most of us are rushing through our daily lives, with little time to reflect on anything. Reading the story to my son gave me the time to reflect on my own life, and time to say "Thanks". I'm purchasing it with the hope that, as my son grows, he will find time for reflection, and that this book touches him as it did me.

This book is filled with beautiful, richly colored pictures, and descriptive language that paints a picture of its own. I read this story aloud before our Thanksgiving dinner and it added such meaning to the day. Children and adults alike will treasure this book. It is something that will be a new tradition in our home.

Here it is!! This is the book I wish that I wrote. The secret to a happy life- presented in an easy to digest way. The art makes this book a "peak experience". A lovely book for all ages.

Douglas Wood is a breath a fresh air in our consumeristic world. He offers children a view of life that treasures the simple pleasures, and appreicate each moment life has to offer. A real find for children - AND adults.
The core message of this book has become MY daily reflection for the year. His books resonate deeply in me and my children LOVE them.

I still remember the first time I saw the McArthur's Universal Corrective Map of the World, the "upside-down" map with Australia at its center. It was 15 or so years ago, in a down-under exhibit at Brookfield Zoo. The experience of seeing "north" and "south" disconnected from their habitual, yet arbitrary, association with "up" and "down" was at once discomfitting and exhilating. I saw THROUGH the map, and grokked one assumption upon which standard Mercator projection was based.

A textbook of sorts, this was apparently written for bright junior high and high school students. The book's ambivalent title, Seeing Through Maps, is apt because the book is about both seeing through (i.e., USING) maps and seeing THROUGH the map itself to the assumptions that frame it. "Understanding that every map is a projection that gives up some aspect of global reality in order to present what it shows---and that is otherwise endlessly selective---should free you to see through the connotations to the denotative maps that support them. And so in turn be able to scrutinize the connotations. Understanding that every map has a point of view and serves a purpose should free you to take the point of view that serves your interest." (p. 79)

Yet for all this talk about maps, the book is not a study in the practice of cartography. Rather, it is an exploration of the practice of representation in general, an exploration which can evoke profound cognitive dissonance. Consequently, the book also exhorts the reader to adapt a sense of "model agnosticism" when it comes to using maps/metaphors/representations, because no single perspective or position can be total or comprehensive, by definition. The authors repeatedly expound on this main theme of the book:

"Each view excludes another. Because each view has its own value, each may be required to serve one purpose or another. But the more points of view that are taken into account, the more comprehensive is the understanding." (p. 22)

"What is wrong with _moving_ from one view to another? First you catch this view. Then you get that. You stand in between for a while. Then you move to an entirely new position. In fact, this is our recommendation. We believe that the best understanding comes from being able to view the world from as many perspectives as possible. We want you to give up the idea that one map, or even one projection, can meet our needs for understanding." (p. 26)

"'[U]pside-down' maps shock viewers into questioning their assumptions about maps in particular and about life in general....Sometimes all we need to do to solve our problems is turn them upside down." (p. 56)

"But we do not have to have just one picture. We can have, we _do_ have, many. There is no reason for maps all to be on the same projection. The ceaseless repetition of a single projection tries to convince people that 'this' is what the earth looks like. But the earth does not look the way any individual projection makes it look." (p. 67)

"The more attached you are to YOUR way being right, the harder a time you'll have with new perspectives." (p. 69)

"Once people get an image of the earth in their heads, it is hard to persuade them of the advantages offered by another point of view. Another name for this reluctance is prejudice. To work against it, keep as many perspectives in play as possible!" (p.76)

"If we make an effort to look at everything, and try to take our eyes to new places, the world we experience will be much richer, more interesting, more useful, more complete, more generous, more _real_." (p. 109)

If you want your adolescent kids to be given a healthy dose of cognitive dissonance, to open their eyes to a deeper structure at work in our usage of symbols and to innoculate them against media illiteracy, this book seems to be a pretty good place to start. Here's my test. Look at these three questions from the book, page 99:

"What assumptions are built into the concept or image I'm presented with?; What other points of view might provide an entirely different 'take' on things?; How might this appear to someone raised in an entirely different culture or country?"

Do you want your kids asking these kinds of questions? If so, this book would be a good resource. (It is also a great introduction to funky, non-traditional maps like the Peters projection, the Fuller Dymaxion map, and the aforementioned McArthur's Universal Corrective Map of the World.)

This book will really help you to appreciate maps and their use through out history. Easily understood and very well written. This is must read for anyone who is even slightly interesred in maps.

As librarians in Bergen County, N.J., we highly recommend "Seeing Through Maps" for all library collections. This a wonderfully illustrated, interestingly written book. It is especially good for the young adult collection as it is accurate, clear and attractively laid out. Young adults coming into the library find it easily understood and packed full of information. This book would be very helpful in both public and school libraries.

I highly recommend this title, whether you are or are not a map enthusiast. The book is easy to follow for anyone with at least a junior high school education, and informative, even if you are a college graduate. It will give you a new appreciation of maps and their important role in our history and our world today. This is the type of book that will make you a "map geek" even if you never really thought that much about the subject before you picked up the book.

This book is very well written and easy to understand. It is the book I recommend to anyone just getting into segmented wood turning. William takes the reader through jig making to final product in a down to earth approach to the subject.

If your thinking of trying an open segmented turning this is definiately the book to read. Well worth the price, and alot of information.

I gave this book to my husband for his birthday---it has become the best, most used present I've ever found for him. He absolutely loves it!

I was fortunate enough to see a live demo that the author gave at my turning club's meeting. Prior to that, I hadn't had much interest in open-segmented turning. It's not that I didn't think it was interesting, I just didn't think I had the equipment needed for such precise work, or the patience or time needed to devote to it. But seeing Bill's work, as well as seeing how easy he makes it to do this type of work, changed my mind completely! I immediately bought a copy of his book (which is a steal considering the detail he put into it, and how well written it is!) and set about making my first piece, following the example he includes in the book. My friends and family were amazed when they saw this first piece and encouraged me to do more of them! And I couldn't believe how easy it was to do. My hat is off to Bill. He's a great demonstrator, and does a phenominal job putting that skill into words and pictures. This book is a must own for any turner!

Be sure to check out the author's website:
http://www.smithart.us to learn more about Bill and his work.