McDonald's Books

Alma Schindler was a piece of work who went on to inspire a number of others, notably the first movement of husband Gustav Mahler's sixth symphony and lover Oskar Koskoschka's most famous painting, Bride of the Wind. After Mahler's death and her fling with Kokoschka, Alma married architect Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus. After their divorce, she married novelist and playwright Franz Werfel - an unjustly neglected figure best known today for the novel The Song of Bernadette and the play Jacobowsky and the Colonel - who called Alma "one of the very few magical women who exist."

She continues to inspire, as demonstrated by "Counterpoint," a 10-poem sequence that forms the second part of Skin, April Lindner's debut volume of verse. "Counterpoint" is subtitled "Poems on the Life of Alma Mahler Werfel" and follows Alma from her childhood visits to her father's studio (Emile Schindler was a well-known landscape painter), when she would "practice keeping still... to watch his hand propel the brush," up to 1964 in New York City, when she finds that death "is handsome /... and he, too, needs me /... his whispered proposal... clumsy / but ardent..." The sequence ends with a line so good it would be as wrong to quote it as to tell whodunit in a murder mystery.

Skin is the 11th winner of the Walt McDonald First-Book Poetry Prize, awarded by Texas Tech University Press and named in honor of a former TTUP poetry editor. Lindner, who teaches English at St. Joseph's University, seems well-deserving. She has a sharp eye for detail: "daylight, rationed by Venetian slats," "the white moth of a kiss / blown from a boy's plump lips," "burnt / sienna moustache," "milky way of red freckles" - these are picked at random from just two pages. She also has a well-nigh flawless ear for lyrical phrases graced by the uneven rhythm extolled by the French symbolist Paul Verlaine.

Occasionally, especially in the opening section, she gets a little too personal for my taste. Having no wish to be a voyeur, even if invited, I found the intimacies related in "Condom," for instance, off-putting.

But at her best, what she says of contemporary realist painter William Bailey - "once he's got us, he makes us see / deeper than we'd choose" - is also true of Lindner. The last stanza of "Moving" - from one residence to another - transmits a subtly disturbing frisson:

Last, we'll pierce the wall

to hang the faces we call ours:

bride face, groom face, infant face,

their interiors locked and off-limits,

like rooms we lived in, houses ago.

Robert Fink, the man who chose Skin for publication, has written an introduction that offers a "close reading" of Lindner's texts that borders on parody. Oh well. For those who like that sort of thing, that's the sort of thing they like. Read it, if you must, but do yourself and Lindner a favor and read the poems first.

What is it like to live and work and love from inside a woman's skin? I'm a man so I can never know for sure, but SKIN paints such vivid word pictures that it knocked me out of my own skin for a while, and into the author's. These poems are powerful.

I had the chance to hear this author read, and was moved to buy her book, which now is one of my new favorite poetry collections. Her work is sensuous, full of vibrant metaphor and imagery. Some poems are in regular meter, but most are in very musical free verse. The poems stand well alone, but together they read almost novelistically. The book is split into three sections: the first describes a woman's complex relationship with her husband and children, and the third deals mostly with sexual and romantic love. The middle section is a narrative sequence on the life of Alma Mahler, whose curious marital and sexual adventures play nicely against those of the first person narrator in the rest of the book. Best of all, these poems are immediately accessible, and yet yield up more on subsequent rereadings.

Dr. Lindner is my professor at my college, and I knew that she wrote poetry, but I had never read it. Her poetry is phenomenal. It speaks to the heart, the soul, and the mind.

Until a friend recently sent me a copy of Skin, I thought I had left my poetry-reading days back in college along with things like an all-pizza diet, Macroeconomics, and most of my hair.

As it was, the book sat on the shelf for weeks before I cracked it open to take a look. I'd like to be able to put into words just what sort of effect the contents had on me, but now I have an entirely new appreciation of just how limited my expressive talents really are.

Let's just say that, ever since, I have been searching everywhere for more writing by April Lindner. Join me -- you won't regret it.

This book unleashed the scents of the landscape each time I dove in. Made me think of how accurate one must be to survive in such primitive times. Any mistake may take your life. Wolfgangs love came from some very hidden place. His wolf and companion Darkmoon impressed me as gifts from his God to honor his worthiness. I do recommend this book to all who want a Historic Journey.

The War Trail is a compelling and graphic read. Mr. McDonald has a keen sense of detail and historic accuracy that blends history, fiction, and certainly real experience in his work. If you read this book you want to know more about the author himself,as it leaves one with the sense that he has worn the shoes of the protagonist. When is the next book coming out?

Though not the genre I typically read, I thoroughly enjoyed The War Trail. The author's attention to detail brought every scene to life, and made me feel that I was walking the woods of a part of the country that I love. It would have been marvelous to see it in those early years, when it was still wild and empty! I loved the vivid descriptions of Indian life and traditions, and felt that I learning as well as being entertained. Can't wait for the sequel!

As hunter among wilderness animals and as survivor in a humans' world - Indians and Europeans - in which mistakes are often fatal, McDonald's Wolfgang conveys the sensation of being stalked and of stalking. The reader senses this author speaks from experience. Hunters, gun collectors and nature lovers will envy the virile Wolfgang. Historians will travel comfortably in his head. After reading the book, it struck me that while I was immersed in the intense adventures, between the lines Wolfgang and the equally indomitable Indian woman, Dark Moon, were consummating a powerful love story. I heartily recommend "The War Trail."

As an individual with a penchant for detail, I was not disappointed with Charles McDonald's tale of Wolfgang Steiner's journey. His descriptions of the changes in nature that come with each season were written with exceptional accuracy. Additionally, the plot was suspenseful and left me wanting to finish the book without putting it down. The historical accuracy of people, places and events written of in the novel was a nice treat. McDonald's affection for the outdoors does not go unnoticed in this novel. I'd definitely recommend The War Trail to anyone who craves adventure and loves the Great Outdoors.

Arcturus sets a new standard in terms of the details: the motivations, the weapons, the locales, and the tactics of modern terrorists and those who fight them. Unlike many authors whose details seem to divert them from the story, this author incorporates his knowledge into a fast-paced and engrossing tale. I finished it over two evenings. Buy it, you'll enjoy it!

This book is a must have for anyone who wants to understand the mind of a terrorist. Character development is superb, the plot is thrilling, and it made me want to join the Army! This book should be required reading for anyone who is unfortunate enough to not understand the threat our country faces, i.e. the Democrat Party.

Mollenhour has just entered the Tom Clancy / Robert Ludlum class. The characters are engaging and interesting. This book was well researched and I am curious to know whether Mr. Mollenhour has some black ops under his belt. He sure knows his weapons. Don't be fooled by the teasers - this book has the ring of truth and is a believable "terrorist" tale.

A great adventure, action novel with unpredictable twists and turns. There is a story line that maintains interest and entertaining character development. Super read.

In a genre that is packed full of action and suspense, but chronically devoid of `the why,' Mollenhour's tale stands in a league of its own. While the storyline & suspense are gripping and the characters are real and engaging . . . . it is Acturus' and Jack McDonald's resounding answer to "Why we fight?" that will set this book apart.

Equally impressive is the attention to detail and mastery of research that was constantly on display. No stone was left unturned to complete this well planned thriller.

Make sure you are comfortable when you start the last 25% of the book . . . you won't want to move until it is complete.

Bravo!

Russ McDonald is not someone many people have heard of, unless you happen to live in the world of Shakespeare scholars, in which case, I would be surprised if you have not. Mr. McDonald was for a long time associated with the Folger Library, and has edited numerous volumes of the Penguin Shakespeare editions, among other credentials. I have had the good fortune to be in one of his classes, and I can think of no one else I have ever met that has so much love and appreciation for Shakespeare's genius, while simultaneously being able to pass that to his students. I honestly don't think there is anything this man *doesn't* know about Shakespeare.

That being said, The Bedford Companion is less about The Bard, and more so about the times in which he lived. While attention is given to his plays, equal attention is given to such things as the history of the Globe Theater, Shakespeare's early life, the economic situations of the time, and a history of Shakespeare appreciation, or "Bardolatry". It shows Shakespeare as a human, as a buisinessman, a family man, and how he eventually become know as the greatest writer in the English language. (Most of his plays weren't published until after his death.) This book may not help you fully understand Hamlet, but it can certainly make it more interesting.

Russ McDonald's book provides excellent materials that help students to see the time in which Shakespeare lived. I use it everytime I teach Shakespeare. Note, I'm 13 and under, but Amazon's review system is funky (see!).

I recommend this book for those who enjoy reading British literature from the 16th and 17th centuries not just Shakespeare.

Its been almost 13 years since I had the pleasure of enjoying Russ McDonald's insight on Shakespeare first hand and it was a pleasure re-engaging with his wit and insight again via this text.

This book is a great overview of all things Shakespeare. It intorduces the man himself, the language of the works, the culture of the Elizabethans and the theatre, sosurces, and basic scholarly criticism and ideas. A wonderful foundational text with primary documents which greatly enhance the reading and give the subject a new life.

Bedford's handbook is quite handy for a non-expert. Anyone who's going to be teaching Shakespeare but hasn't written a dissertation on him ought to pick one up.

Aside from the occasional typo or grammatical error, I found this to be the best of its type since Wendell Levi's Making Pigeons Pay. In some ways, in fact, this book is superior in scope to Levi's.

A great deal of the book is oriented to pet bird wholesaling. There also are well-written chapters for each of the top sellers - parakeets, cockatiels, finches and love birds. I found each of the bird breeding-specific chapters to be helpful, although further details should be included in a future edition.

I am hopeful the author, or another capable writer with experience, will soon issue a similar book for the more lucrative Parrots, Macaws, and so forth.

I further also hope somebody with experience will soon offer books for the other pet trade groupings - reptiles; marsupials, rodents, and so forth.

Hmmm...perhaps Breaking Free can do so and can then publish an Encyclopedia of Pets & Exotic Animals? Guess what...it is now in preparation and completion is scheduled on 1 September 2005. Interested parties should email LJ at ljsbreakingfree dot com.

We at LJ's Breaking Free intend to list this book for readers for it truly is one of those gems that people can use to find their freedom from corporate wage-slavery.

We also shall be seeking the publisher/author's permission for e-Book rights. In time, this book should be at the top of our best seller list - Bill Anderson, (LJ), Breaking Free.

A very well written book that will hold your interest so much that you will find it hard to put down. Very thorough, with step by step instructions on breeding, feeding, housing, and marketing of parakeets, cockatiels, lovebirds and finches, either as a hobby or commercially. The most complete book of its kind.

This book includes a lot of information that would take the average person years to learn. Not only does it cover breeding various species of birds, but it covers different ways of marketing them as well. It even covers shipping birds via the airlines, which opens up larger markets for most people. If you enjoy birds and are considering turning your hobby into a small business, this book is a must have.

After leaving a 20 year career with the government, I was hoping to find something more creative. While looking for information on buying a pet bird for my daughter , I happened across not only a great book about birds but also a new career. Although I will be starting at the hobby level at first , with the straight forward advice and information in this book I really feel I can expand this to any level. This book reflects 25 years of some one elses hard work and experience. Not only did I find the information on raising birds fascinating but there is a wealth of knowledge for anyone looking to start their own business.

I was looking for a secondary income when I ran across this book. I found that the pet business is a huge business that I had never really thought about. I have always loved birds and animals and this book had the information that I needed to get started with a small business of my own. After reading the book through twice, I knew this was something that I would enjoy doing. I located a wholesale buyer in my area who agreed to buy my production. The book is well written, very interesting, and easy to understand. After reading the book you can clearly see that the author is an animal lover and is very much interested in the welfare of the birds, since he discourages anyone from entering this business solely for the financial rewards. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to breed the smaller types of pet birds, either for fun or as a small business.

Author Steve Niles used to live in the D.C. area and then moved to L.A. Like author, like character. Cal McDonald experiences a wake up call after battling a crazed killer and the possibility of a new case drives him to relocate to Los Angeles. His ghoul friend Mo'Lock is not around so Cal sets off on his own to visit the home of another monster hunter.

The City of Angels also seems to be the city of monsters as Cal has to deal with all sorts of unusual activity while waiting for his West-Coast counterpart. But if werewolves and vampires aren't enough, Cal finds out that a predicted and feared Day of Monsters might actually be about to happen. Most of the world does not know about the strange things that also inhabit our world but they are about to get a dose of reality if Cal can not figure out what is going on and put a stop to it right away.

This is a short book made shorter by having a number of adventures. It is a little more disjointed than the first novel but it reads better. The action and pacing are fast. While Cal complains about not getting a chance to take a breath the reader may feel the same way as the action races along. Fast, furious, and a lot of fun. Check it out.

Loaded with clever plot twists, witty dialogue and awesome monster on monster battles this is sure to please

This is the best in the Cal McDonald series. It had some great action sequences, some truly funny and well-worded dialogue, an interesting plot and great characters including our old friends Cal and his partner Mo' Lock as well as Sam Burnett a fellow monster hunter and old friend of Cal's, who spends most of the story as an understandably PO'd animated severed head who spends most of his time screaming obscenities, and a new love interest of Cal's a women who runs a Magazine called Speculator (mentioned once or twice in Savage Membrane) from her apartment. For villains we have a big boss Vampire named Dave, a werewolf duo and a satanic teenager.

Like Savage Membrane this is a great quick read. The short chapters hold your interest and make it easy to read the whole thing in one sitting.

Overall this book has allot of clever twists and turns allot of over the top and interesting characters allot of cool action sequences allot of smart witty dialogue and last but not least allot of crazy monsters. Sure to please fans of cal McDonald, fans of monsters and fans of noir.

Steve Niles wrote a hard core novel that I just couldn't put down for anything. Guns, Drugs and Monsters is full of creativity, energy, wit and charm in every chapter. I found myself savoring every page of this book, often turning away to laugh and collect myself after being stunned by the incredible energy of the prose. This book was filled with nothing but "hardcore super stuff."

Not once I could of put the book down, it got my attention and held it in. (Guns, Drugs and monsters, A Cal McDonald mystery.) Cal McDonald has made a career helping and hunting the dark creatures that haunt the world and has made as many friends as he has enemies. to some he is friend and protector. but to most- those who prey on innocent humans lives- Cal is a sworn enemy.

I recommend you read this book because once you have a taste of Steve Niles style, you never want to get it out of your system.

Though Niles does not write great literature, he does write a great satire. This book is filled with hilarious characters, weird monsters, and some great plot twists. Cal McDonald is a lovable anti-hero who is not afraid of getting himself arrested, maimed, or even transformed into various unholy beings. The book is fun and a great read, especially is you have read Dashal Hammet or Raymond Chandler. If You enjoy this book, I also recommend "Savage Membrane" (the first Cal McDonald book), "Dial M for Monster" (a collection of Cal McDonald short stories), "Criminal Macabre" (Cal McDonald's first graphic novel, illustrated by Ben Templesmith), and "Love Me Tenderloin" (The new Cal McDonald comic currently on issue #1). I hope you all enjoy this wonderful adventure in the supernatural underworld of Los Angeles.

Guns, Drugs, and Monsters isn't going to place among this century's "great" novels--it just doesn't aim for a mainstream audience. What the book does have, however, is more creativity, wit, and charm in one chapter than most books have in their entirety. Steve Niles has one of the most high-energy and witty writing styles I've ever encountered. I found myself savoring every page of this book, often turning away to laugh and collect myself after being stunned by the incredible energy of the prose. The creative turns of phrase, and the sheer quantity of fun ideas make this book something special. It's as if Steve Niles just decided to compile a book full of nothing but the "good stuff."

This may sound like hyperbole, and not everyone may have my reaction to it, but just trust that Guns, Drugs, and Monsters reads like nothing else you've encountered. I had already picked up the trade paperback of 30 Days of Night, also by Steve Niles, but have yet to read it. Now that I've read Guns, Drugs, and Monsters, not only am I positive that 30 Days of Night will live up to its hype, but I fully intend to check out as many Niles creations as I can find.

I am now a full-fledged Steve Niles fan, and sincerely hope that this second entry into the adventures of Cal McDonald will not be the last (at least I still have the first book to enjoy, Savage Membrane).

This book is about how Judy wants independence and her mom and dad keep on saying "we'll think about it." Judy thinks that means no. This book includes learning abut Paul Revere and Sybil Ludington and a lot more about British Stuff. To find out if Judy gets her independence read this book now! If you like Franny K. Stein, Captain Underpants or other learning books you'll like this book a lot. These books mix because they all have a little bit of danger, learning, and a bunch of humor. I liked this book because in one part Judy makes her own freedom trail in her own house. Find out more details in Judy Moody Declares Independence.

These are great books for the 8-10 year old girl. My daughter does not like to read and yet this series has captured her imagination and kept her engrossed for long periods. Well meaning topics and fun reading for kids.

Megan McDonald's Judy Moody Declares Independence tells of a heroine rebelling against parental restrictions and a pesky little brother. Her plain to declare independence with all the pomp of patriotism brings her special challenges. More fun stories of the zany Judy emerge.

My kids have all Judy Moody and Stink books. They love them, and I know for the fact that they help kids who struggle with reading in 3rd grade. They are easy to read and have a good story, are funny and appealing to that age group. A must have!

As legions of young readers have happily learned there's nobody, absolutely nobody like Judy Moody. She's fun, feisty and, yes, at times incorrigible. She doesn't much care for school or spending too much time with her pesky kid brother, Stink (her aversions are not necessarily stated by order of importance to her).

What she does like at the moment is being in the Cradle of Liberty, Boston Massachusetts. She likes the bean city for several reasons - she's missing two days of school, she's no longer riding in the car next to Stink, and she doesn't have to brush her hair every day. The more Judy thinks about it the more this whole independence idea appeals to her.

With Mom and Dad leading the way, readers are treated to a tour of historic sites in Boston as well as concise explanations of what each one means. Of course, in Stink's opinion what they're seeing is about "a bunch of dead guys and some old stuff that isn't even there anymore."

However, Judy sees their trip quite differently. She sees it as an opportunity to declare her independence from Stink by always running ahead of him. She meets a new friend from England, Tori, and the two promise to be penpals.

Now, the one thing Judy may be missing is that along with her beloved independence comes responsibility - that's with a capital R. Wonder if that's something our favorite girl can learn.

Lighthearted illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds lend merriment to Judy's pursuit of freedom.

- Gail Cooke

Don't be deceived by the silly romance cover. This is a good sf/fantasy novel. McDonald has fun parodying Victorian and cyberpunk fiction in this story tracing three generations of Irish women's interaction with the "mygmus" (mythoconsciousness).

Katherine Kurtz calls McDonald 'a poet masquerading as a novelist'. She's right. McDonald has essentially written 2 novellas and a novel. Each is very different in terms of sense of time, and even place, although Ireland is the locale of all three tales. Inteconnected, yes; still, each stands well on its own.
'Craigdarragh' is an Irish manor estate at the cusp of World War 1, specifically 1913. Chiefly through diary entries, we meet Emily Desmond and her parents, Edward and Caroline. Emily, at 13, is a very imaginative girl on the verge of sexual awareness. Edward is an eccentic astronomer, confounde by his daughter, who risks family name and fortune to communicate with what he believes to be alien visitors fom the stars. Caroline is a respected poet with more than a slight acquaintance with her daughter's interest in the Otherworld.
Emily's explorations of Bridestone Wood, and its repercussions, form one story line. Edward's obsessin with alien visitors marks the second. Along the way we are introduced to a blind musician and his female companion, a dancer. There is Dr. Hannibal Rooke, a paranormal investigator. Finally, the poet William Butler Yeats. The musician, the dancer and the doctor will visit in the other tales.
'The Mythlines'- Jessica Caldwell is one of three sisters in Ireland during the 1930s. An artist, she has big dreams at 17 and 3/4. She also has an attitude problem. Tiresias and Gonzaga, a pair of 'itinerant journeymen,' are trying to find her, for Jessica is beginning to see the mythlines, borders between our world and Faery. She is seeing Dr. Rooke, who has an interest in helping Jessica confront her past. Then, there's Damian, her new boyfriend. member of the I.R.A.
'Shekinah' introduces us to Enye MacColl, a twenty-something in advertisement by day. By night she battles the phaguses of the Otherland, using Japanese swordfighting techniques. Enye, too, sees the mythlines; as a child she invented a complete world in her grandmother's garden.
Along the way, we meet Jaypee, Saul, Elliot, Mr. Antrobus, and the Midnight Children. All play an important part in Enye MacColl's journey.
Three women of Ireland. Each forced to confront great tragedy. Ian McDonald does an excellent job at telling their stories.
'In its contemporary form, the pookah has been demythologised by the centuries into another member of the pantheon of fairies major and minor- a rural Puck figure, generally good-natured, if prone to ocassional acts of minor domestic mischief. In its ancient manifestations, the pookah has been terrible and dangerous, the spirit of the forest itself, with its roots in the racial memory of the woolly mammoth of the periglacial fringelands, hunting with tusk and claw and sinew the sights of the Mesolithic settlers.'

= Original and unusual
Reviewer: cont1nuity from Ipswich, Suffolk United Kingdom
King of Morning, Queen of Day is tracking the lives of three generations of women born to the ability to see and manipulate human mythoconsciousness. From the age of Yeats to a period not far past modern day, we travel with the women as they discover their powers and face the parallel world opened by their perceptions. Each has a unique take on what they are dealing with and each finds her own rite of passage, encountering those that help and those that hinder along the way. Characters are vividly described and the plotting becomes tighter and more accomplished as the novel progresses, with the last, science-fiction third standing out as most original and unusual.

I first read this novel about ten years ago, and reread it faithfully every year. It's a lyrical exploration of the lives of three generations of Irish women entangled by a supernatural force that they don't understand but can't escape. Haunting and riveting, it remains in my thoughts even today.

I knew, just by reading the back cover blurb, that this book was right up my alley. Women with mystical powers? Check. Faeries? Check. Ireland? Check. In fact, I think the only reason I didn't discover this book earlier is that it was published in 1991, and I only started reading fantasy sometime in the late nineties.

The story begins with Emily, a bratty but endearing girl of fifteen, poised on the edge of adulthood in the early 20th century. Emily knows she is special, set apart-and when she sees the faeries in the wood by her family's home, she knows she will never be satisfied with ordinary life. Emily makes a colossal mess of things, as bratty fifteen-year-olds will do, and sets in motion events that will affect generations to come.

What follows is a fairy tale, but not precisely a tale of faeries; it's more of an exploration of the nature of reality and of myth, as seen through the eyes of Emily and two other women: Jessica, a glib-tongued teenager of the 1930s whose tall tales have an uncanny way of coming true; and Enye, a woman of the late 1980s, torn between everyday life and a battle with supernatural forces from the world beyond.

This is a stunning story and one that I'll probably reread over and over again. It doesn't suffer one bit from the ailment that afflicts so many multigenerational novels-the tendency for one or more of the intertwined stories to lack luster. All three of the women, and their lives and times, are vivid and passionate. And I must say, there are few male authors who can write such nuanced and three-dimensional female characters. Get your hands on a used copy of this. I wish they'd reprint it...

Everbody knows the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover"...That saying is true. I was a little lire at first. Once I started reading my whole prospective about the aurthor changed. This book has taught me a lot. I look forward to his next book.

This book was great. All though it was short it had great meaning. I really felt bad for the guy. I could really get into the book and I read it all in a couple hours. I learned a lot to. This book is funny, sad, smart and detailed. Definatly recommed it!!!

Talk about turning a negative into a positive, how about three negatives? Its great to see a man couragous enough to expose his short-comings with life, admit the obvious, and straighten up again. Continue to stand tall Kevin, and share your life, and thoughts, for it has been a pleasure to read about reality, today, without all the fiction. This endeavor was well thoughtout, and expressed with true passion for life and love. The lack of additive fiction just to give lenght to the medium, adds to the charm of it. Looking forward to you next work, stay focused and possitive.

McDonald's book, because of its scant 67 pages, is best described as a diary (as the subtitle suggests). The reader gets a story that is not bogged down with unnecessary details, making "My Three Bitches" a highly entertaining work that can be read in a short amount of time. I wish that all writers in this genre (real life drama) would tell their tales this way, rather than try to get bulk and call it "literature." Kevin tells his story of getting dumped at unusual times and in unusual places by three different women with a lighthearted humor that proves his book has indeed served as therapy for him. And thankfully, the diary manages to redeem its provocative title.

Okay, okay here goes...I can understand Dorna maybe being a little too young for marriage and maybe the long distance relationship with Michelle was a little to much for her but, Samantha is a whole different story...how dare her.

It seems you choose these women because they are well rounded, and maybe you felt your good looks and your wallet was enough to have the fairy tale life you seem so engrossed in persuing. However, slow down, enjoy yourself, and don't be so quick to give your precious heart away so freely and so fast.

You have the idea life and present yourself as a romantic. Those three ladies just wasn't right for you. I just hope when Miss Right do appear in your life you are not too scarred from your past relationships that you will not recognize her or be overly paranoid that she will do the same to you as the other three did.

A relationship is a two-way street. Stop being the one that's doing all the giving.

Great book for both photography and natural history reports of the North American pitcher plants. Wonderful photos of these plants in their natural habitats. Detailed reports of the natural history of all species, especially Heliamphora. This book's focus is on these plants in their evnironments and includes detailed range maps for all species.

Finally - a book that introduces the genus Heliamphora in all its glory. This is really the first book to do them justice. It includes dozens of stunning photos, morphology and habitat descriptions, fascinating analysis of trapping mechanisms, speculation about the environmental conditions that lead to the forms and the distribution of present day species, as well as some tentative discussion of the relationship between the three genera. Two minor disappointments - no mention of the new fossil discovery of an ancient member of the Sarracenia family from China (Archaeamphora), and no photos of Heliamphora sarracenioides, which it seems might be one of the more important species discovered in the last decade. I suspect both discoveries occurred too late to be incorporated because the book is otherwise quite thorough (and these new discoveries leave me hoping for a revised edition in the future). "Pitcher Plants of North America" is now by far my favorite carnivorous plant book ever.

Pitcher Plants of the Americas by Stewart McPherson is a very nice addition to any carnivorous plant enthusiast's library. It is very well written and easy to understand. The photography is spectacular. This book will give one a better understanding of the pitcher plants native to North and South America.

British geographer, researcher, and conservationist Stewart McPherson presents Pitcher Plants of the Americas, a lavish overview of the five genera of carnivorous pitcher plants in North, Central, and South America. Featuring stunning color photography of virtually every species, enhanced by the high-quality paper of the text, Pitcher Plants of the Americas describes species, their ranges, and their unique features in clear language that is not excessively technical. A first-rate field guide and welcome contribution to natural history reference shelves, sure to fascinate both general readers and horticulture specialists.

I've been waiting for years to get my hands on a book that covers Heliamphora more than superficially. This was it. Very in depth info on specific habitats for each species, full descriptions, amazing photos. A great mix of science and personal observation/commentary by the author.

Definitely recommend it!