California Books

I bought this book and another for my father. He was on the USS Enterprise during his time in the navy and has recently started reading old war books. Great price and arrived very quickly. My dad was happily surprised when he opened this gift. I don't expect he'll ever read the whole book but he's read bits and pieces of it since Christmas.

This is one of the best books ever wrote on WWII. I wish it could have gone more into the actual deck operations but you cannot really fault the auther. What astonishes me most is the number of times pilots understood that they had no fuel and would have to ditch into the ocean but still pushed on watching there friends and squadron mates go down in battle. I recommend to everyone.

Two sections in this book stand out in my mind. One was the section talking about the crew as they enter Pearl Harbor immediately after the attack. You could feel the emotions as you read about them and you could imagine how they felt as they saw the destruction. The other is the ending. It was almost as if the author were writing about the death of a person instead of a ship.

This is a very well writen book about a very important ship in our history. There are not too many ships that have the record of the Enterprise and there probably will not be too many more like her. The book reads like a novel instead of a historical book and it breathes life into the ship and her valiant crew.

If you enjoy WW2 History. Specifically US Navy genre, it can't get any better than a book about a ship whose name will live forever(and deservedly so). Got an old 2nd hand book years ago and it remains my prized book.

I absolutely adore this book, and am on at least the third copy I've owned, having worn the others out.

CDR Staffor has written an absolutely magnificient tome. He covers both the scope of the War in the Pacific, and the exploits of the Enterprise herself very thoroghly and in incredible detail.

I've always been interested in the Enterprise, especially considering that my dad was a pilot in the last Air Group ever assigned to the ship.

Her story is the story of the pacific, and the coming of age years of naval aviation. The early giants of naval aviation commanded her, and the greats of this horrible war flew from her decks, and helped to build her legend.

This book is one of the pillars that must be read in order to develop a thorough understanding and appreciation of the war in the Pacific.

It's just a great shame that the campaign to save her from the scrapper's torch failed. It's ironic that the ship that the enemy could never destroy ended up losing her life to a torch a few hundred miles from her birth place.

I read this book a few years ago but still recall its images vividly. The interwoven stories, foreshadowing, and imagery are quite masterful and overall present a great narrative.

Es un libro un tanto complicado, pero muy interesante. Tiene todos los elementos para vivir un poco de risas, muchos escalofríos, un buen absurdo y mucho del ser humano. Una novela que leí hace varios años y que aún recuerdo como cuando la estaba leyendo. Muy pocos libros logran eso.

Poniéndome en plan exigente, me hubiera gustado un poco mas de claridad en el ritmo de la historia, pero aún con eso, es un libro que cualquier amante de la novela debe leer.

(va sin acentos)
Este libro me parecio interesante pero no lo suficientemente bueno para darle 5 estrellas. Tuve un problema con el "ritmo" de libro en especial al principio (digamos a "grosso modo" la primera mitad), ya que me parecio dificil de leer. El autor no parecia tener la fluidez suficiente para llevar la historia, rica en personajes altos en color. En la segunda mitad, cuando se desencadenan las acciones que guiaran al lector al final del libro, se nota una fluidez en la pluma que le da al libro un impulso definitivo. En suma, me parece un buen libro, un poco desigual para ser sincera, con un cierto abuso de adjetivos y una puntuacion un poco marcada que me irritaron en un cierto momento: los que lean el libro quizas comprenderan lo que digo. No merece un 3 en la clasificacion, mas no merece un 5. Puede ser que el prologo, en el que se habla de la admiracion del autor por Garcia Marquez y su amistad con el escritor colombiano hizo crecer una expectativa que no fue completamente satisfecha y esto es quizas, tambien, un error personal.

Compre este libro hace 4 años y acabo de leerlo, no se como pude esperar tanto. Si de mi dependiera no le daria un premio sino dos. El mejor libro que he leido en este año.

El manejo del absurdo en la novela es un arte bastante delicado pues se puede convertir en ridículo o tonto con solo pequeños errores. Estos están completamente ausentes en esta novela, en la cual la locura se explica a si misma a través de millones de pequeños sub cuentos que el autor logra enlazar una historia coherente, donde un cubano ex-veterano de la guerra de Angola en su desespero por escapar de un tigre alado imaginario ( o tal vez no) que lo persigue secuestra un grupo de muchachos que lo único que querían era un poco de sexo en su noche de graduación del colegio. Sin embargo esta trama es solo incidental para que el autor nos pueda presentar como en un mundo incoherente la "locura" es un medio tal válido para darle sentido como cualquier otro.

La novela es simplemente genial.

I read Conspiracies and Secret Societies cover to cover. I found it to be fun and entertaining for the most part. However there were some examples that were frightening enough that I did further research and found them to be absolutely true. The book presents the topics in such a way that you can come to your own conclusions. There is no indication of "soap boxing" for any of the topics. There is referance information to do your own reseach on the entries. Highly recommended for those who want to know more...

The most comprehensive listing on the market I've seen.
A must have for conspiracy enthusiasts.

We read Brad Steiger's mystery books of the
late 1960's and early 1970's. They were
worthy paperbacks, not as wild, funny and
erratic as John Keel's works, but similar.

This book is much larger and extensive than
those:

CASS is a "FAT 500" book of many descriptions,
photo images and theories, that a reader can
use to grip and examine popular conspiracies and
associated personalities, perhaps to improve
conversations about the unusual or increase
adrenaline levels.

We commend Steiger on inclusion of

1. John Lennon, UFO researchers, Jonestown,
and George Wallace MURDERS, via possible MK
ULTRA, Manchurian Candidate, MI[56], MIB,
drug-affected mind control, cancer or other
Kontrol techniques.

2. Dr. Henry Kissinger (Master Spy, "Hank",
Dr. Strangelove) who, along with other Occult
Mind Control Advisors, seem always present in
the New World Order Rule and Reign of Terror.

3. Bankers, Bildebergers, Trilaterals

4. Interesting Individuals (NOT criminal) like
R. Steiner, Helen Blavatsky, Nikola Tesla and
Wilhelm Reich the Orgon Energy Explorer.

Certain vital essential clever conspiracies and
societies are conveniently MISSING:

1. World War Criminal financial elites who gather
TRILLIONS of Dollars/Rubles/Pounds/Francs/Marks
from Wars throughout the centuries, so the WWC's
acquire a vast mountain of Gold and Jewels with
which to "secure" their New World Order.

2. Chernobyl, a major nuclear disaster, at
the brink of a New World War, between Black and
White Races, perhaps a detour warning;
and the World NUCLEAR Movement with its nuclear
Occult practices: SuperUnNatural Forces, Evil
"Advanced Technology", the Mad Magic of Mad Humans.

3. Khazars, who have filled so many influential
positions in the US, UK and elsewhere are missing,
perhaps to ensure that CASS would be published.
Also the Syndicate, the ultimate of criminal
profitable conspiracy, is conveniently omitted,
as is much of its lesser partner in crime,
the Mafia (Italian-based rather than Russian-based).

4. Joe McCarthy receives only a mere mention,
even though McCarthy was perched on the rim of a
Massive Giant $Conspiracy$ just prior to his
possible murder in a US Naval hospital.

5. The KAL 007 passenger jet, downed by Soviet
military fighter, killing major conspiracy
activist (Dr. Larry McDonald) from the John
Birch Society, a so-called "right wing extremist"
group, previously mentioned in Steiger's books
as providing relevant material exposing World
Conspiracy, is omitted. CASS does describe
some of the JBS and other "extremist" groups.

6. Ted Owens, one of the greatest psychics and
forecaster Prophets of the 20th century never
receives a review. Mr. Owens was a Prodigy
equivalent to the Prophet Musa (Moses or Moshe).
Many UFO radicals and simple UFO witnesses came
under severe, sometimes deadly fire, especially
during the 1965-75 US/USSR/SE Asia War years.

7. CIA/KGB collusion, FBI/FSB familiars, NSA/NKVD
Nazie Commies are not hinted at.

(Telephone monitoring, harrassment, intimidation,
surveillance, other spy spooking, as experienced
by radicals and "extremists", can be quite real,
as in my case for the past 34+ years!)

8. Many Black Muslim deaths, disappearances and
"accidents" are not mentioned.

9. Interdimensional Intelligences mind-control
over People actions receive no theory.

10. Council on Foreign Relations (CFR),
Robert McNamara's "Whiz Kids" and RAND
"Think Tanks" are conveniently omitted, as are
Congressional/Judicial/Executive organised crime
links and networks.

Basically, Conspiracies is a good reference for
"politically correct" or "religiously correct"
conspiracies, if that's what you're looking for.

When You realise that some always portrayed as
"Criminal" or "The Devil" or "The Enemy"
are possibly Heroes and/or Scapegoats, then
You are getting getting deep into the stuff of
REAL Life Conspiracies and Secret Societies.

To remain Sane with CASS, perhaps Realise that
Each and Every Creature is really a Divine Being,
directly related to the Super Supreme Divine
Being, ALLAH or God, Who Loves and Cares for ALL
and Each of Us, as an Eternal Divine Family Member.

We give Conspiracies and Secret Societies THREE
out of FIVE, but hoped and expected better from
Mr. Steiger, as further progress in his
discoveries of hidden worldly ways of Human
society, over the past 50 years or more.

None Dare Call It Conspiracy
None Dare Call It Treason
Iron Curtain Over America

This book is great. If you have even the slightest interest in conspiracy theories, get this book. You won't be able to put it down (You may also not be able to go to sleep after reading this book). This book covers some of the lesser known conspiracy theories and secret socities such as Heaven's Gate, the Mothman, and many others. It also covers many of the classic conspiracy theories, such as men in black, roswell, area 51, and of course, the new world order. One thing I like about the book is that it gets to the point. It doesn't start out with "It was a clear day in Roswell, New Mexico. The wind was gently blowing, the kids were out playing, and the grass was greener than ever." Instead, it jumps right to what happened, starting out with something like "Something crashed in Roswell New Mexico. The goverment says it was a weather balloon, but many others think it was a UFO." Also, this book is very reliable, listing ALL its sources of information. So get this book!

Why are you still reading this review? Go to the top of the screen, and click the order button! Then, when it arrives, read it, then lose three days of sleep because this book WILL creep you out as well as entertain you for hours.

Oh my gosh, you're still reading this review! What part of push the order button don't you udnerstand?

That's right I'm worried about Brad and Sherry. Why? All they do is research and write darn good books. Good thing for those of us who want to read them! When I got this book I could not put it down. Be prepared to spend some time reading it. Fascinating reading. Go take a vacation guys, you deserve it.

The author describes raising his autistic, mathematically gifted son for his son's first ten years of life. This book provides insights that would help all parents of young, high functioning, autistics. And indeed I would suggest this book as the first read of a parent who just found out that his/her child is autistic.

Despite being an economist, the author's writing style is clear, concise and interesting.

This book was loaned to me by my son's nurse practitioner. I hadn't heard of it, but now I'm encouraging everyone I know to read it. This is a great book that demonstrates the true "human" feelings of being a parent of a child with autism. I was deeply touched by the honesty displayed in this book, and found that my thoughts, experiences, and feelings are mirrored by the author's. I appreciate his willingness to expose his heart for the purpose of educating others about autism. This book is a must read for any family member or friend of someone who has autism.

While reading, A Different Kind of Boy: A Father's Memoir About Raising a Gifted Child with Autism, I found myself stopping early on to recall how my two children were as babies and toddlers before the diagnosis of autism arrived. The author, Daniel Mont, shares his frustrations along with observations as the primary caregiver to Alex, his first born son. While his wife Nannette was working outside the home the first few years, Daniel was spending hours reading books to Alex.

When Daniel got a teaching position at Cornell they moved to upstate New York with Nannette taking over the daily duties pertaining to Alex. They noticed that Alex did not take any interest in other children when at the playground and had difficulty at the store. Since this was their first child when Simon was born a few years later they realized with regret how much slower Alex was with milestones and the lack of social skills.

Daniel shares the relief once the diagnosis was made and the steps taken to get there, including the time a preschool teacher accused them of being abusive parents. There are a few choice words at this point in the book when Daniel incites the rage he was feeling from this attack and how he and Nannette focused on getting some assistance with Alex instead of getting on the defensive. For most families that have a child on the autism spectrum this is a predicament that happens often, and due to the lack of awareness for those who work with small children. Many of his colleagues and family members thought they were spoiling Alex, but later they learned how additional measures need to be put in place to help the autistic child fit in with society and how things work.

Daniel wrote about growing up with a sister who had a disability, but never received a formal diagnosis for her handicap. When Alex was diagnosed Daniel was able to reach out to his mother and learn from her experience. Alex received speech therapy early on with the therapist assisting him in social situations, guiding him in the art of the conversation and how to relate to others.

There is no mention about vaccinations or questioning why Alex is the way he is. Time is spent trying to get inside the world of Alex and how he thinks. The book is written in a style that is easy to comprehend for anyone who lacks information on autism. Daniel mentions a few books that helped him early on and how he joined some internet groups and the guidance he received from adults with autism. The family accepted autism and made adjustments to accommodate Alex so that he could thrive being himself. Daniel and his family grew up in New Jersey, which is where I was raised as well and have a sibling with a disability.

A Different Kind of Boy: A Father's Memoir About Raising a Gifted Child with Autism covers the time from when Alex was born to fifth grade. At this point in time Daniel is picturing life when his sons have moved on to college and their own lives. This was something he was not sure would happen, but now he believes that Alex will have success in life. Family relationships are mentioned and how they handled the loss of Daniel's mother.

I felt the second half flowed smoother than the first. The beginning chapters I had to go back and see what age Alex was at the time since I was confused with the timeframe, due to chapters being out of sequence. Every so often when reading a chapter the author would refer back to his childhood or a few years back with either Alex or Simon.

The author does not gloss over any issues and gives honest feedback on how he felt at pivotal times in his life and the anxiety about school, plus finding friends for Alex. He finished this book after his mother passed on and pursued his acting career further.

This book is perfectly suited for anyone who wants to know more about living with a child who is autistic and would be beneficial to family members who have someone on the spectrum and may live out of town or in another state. This will help parents know what struggles other families have gone through and give guidance on how to navigate the system to enable your child to thrive in their surroundings.

I second the emotions of other five-star-awarding readers. I've bought several copies of this book and shared it with journalists, editors, teachers, and family members who have recently had a loved one get the Asperger's diagnosis. Engaging, well-written, well-paced, funny--but to me the best thing about this book is the very modest Daniel Mont himself, and the attitude that he and his wife demonstrate to the rest of us: he accepts his son for who he is, he wants for him what every decent parent wants: happiness, the ability to connect, the ability to make a contribution. The Monts are wise enough to understand that this will only happen on Alex's own terms. The book also has many fascinating details that help a reader understand, in practical terms, what a person with Asperger's might see or understand differently from someone else, and why. And because Daniel accepts those differences, we do, too. I have a brother (one among 3 of them) with mental retardation and autism, so our families are alike in some ways, different in others, but I can testify that this wonderful, unassuming, entertaining memoir tells it like it is. Read it yourself or do someone the favor of giving it to them as a gift. This would be a great gift for a teenager, in my bookish opinion. It really opens your mind and airs it out.

This book is worthwhile reading for anyone who has ever been in contact with someone who seems intellectual but is unable to "connect" with people.

The journey of the book, as others have commented, is take the reader through the symptoms, diagnosis and coping with Alex's autism. There exists only a small subset of the population which is autistic and only a small subset of the population capable of digesting, providing insight and sharing live experience with first rate written communication. This book occupies a unique space in that the gifted author has the full life experience with the autistic child, which experience is shared with us all in this book.

Given the subject matter of the book, as others have commented, this book should be required reading for anyone who is in regular contact with a bright autistic person. Yet the insights in this book can go much further. More generally, this book will be helpful to the reader in relating to the bright, unapproachable segment of the population that almost everyone comes into contact with. Many people, of all ages, will gain insight into how to relate better to some of the people in their everyday lives.

Many books are read for their educational value, others for their entertainment. The book is so well-paced and engaging as to provide "edu-tainment" -- you can't put it down, and when you've finished you've learned a lot of new information. The same material could have been covered with a dry, academic style which would really only be read and digested by few. But Daniel Mont, as the modest but extremely bright father in his own right (Ph.Ds don't grow on trees, do they?), displays a gift for real communication. The author seems to understand very well what will motivate the reader to turn the next page.

I highly recommend this book, on so many levels.

This book is very important to read: mostly because so few people know about the bushmeat trade in Africa and its impact on the great apes. The book goes into why apes are worth saving, the contribution of logging to crisis, how the crisis is kept hidden, and suggestions on how to alleviate the problem. You will be very surprised to learn the lengths, difficulties, and dangers the contributors of the book go through simply to bring this issue into the spotlight. I also found it very shameful how the crisis has been ignored and exacerbated by the media and the conservation groups.


Honestly though, I felt the book was a little long. It's not actually a long book, but its longer than it needs to be. It seemed to get a little repetitive as the author kept hammering the same points over again. Also, though the author does include an aside on vegetarianism and its merits (while discouraging veganism), he is not a vegetarian himself. While this is, of course, not the subject of the book I feel that if he is going to argue to protect the great apes on the grounds of their sentience, than it is wrong to overlook the sentience of cows, chickens, and especially pigs (who have the same mental capacity as a dog). This is just a minor criticism, but it did bother me a little throughout the book.

So yes, you should read this book. Its very thorough, detailed, complete, and compelling. You will learn a lot and, if the authors have succeeded (and I think they have), you will be sufficiently outraged and willing to contribute to the cause.

Sometime far in our past, humans took up rocks and sticks to hunt food instead of scavenging from other predators. With our meat available today in shrink-wrapped containers it's easy to lose sight of that long-standing tradition. Others in the world still obtain meat in the traditional environment. The difference is that instead of spears, the weapons are high-powered shotguns. Instead of skulking through the forest seeking prey, hunters are now given rides by timber carriers using deep-penetrating access roads. In this book, Dale Peterson reveals the transformations forest hunting has undergone in West African nations. It's not a
pleasing picture, but it's valid and it's important. And it must change.

The bushmeat trade has many implications, but Peterson has chosen three significant ones. One, of course, is that by killing chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas for food, we're consuming our nearest relations. The primate line divided only 12 million years ago, with the descendants of one line becoming today's mountain gorillas. The other line led to chimpanzees and bonobos with a spur turning off about 7 million years ago leading to you and me. The proximity of chimpanzee and human DNA patterns is no longer news, but the reminder needs to be flashed occasionally.

Another implication is health. With so much attention given to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, it's worth reflecting on its origins. More importantly, as Peterson reminds us, is to consider how it works. HIV/AIDS appears to be a recent evolutionary virus quirk. It adapts and evolves with amazing speed. The roots of it remain in the African forest and a new strain can emerge at any time. The best means of transmission from ape or monkey to human is through blood - that stuff the hunter is soaked in as he butchers his forest kill.

The third theme is the question of human relations with the rest of our environment. Human population growth is presented in a novel framework. How many humans come into existence every day is contrasted with the great ape population. Peterson calculates that the entire gorilla population is equalled by new humans every twelve hours. Population pressures in the "developed" world lead to demands for African timber products. In turn, the timber firms are cutting great swaths of forest using displaced populations for labour. To feed these workers, hunters are hired or loggers hunt and apes, due to their availability and size, become a major food source. In a feedback cycle of habitat reduction and hunting, the apes are simply being exterminated. Recovery would require sharply reduced logging. Peterson notes that trees are being taken that began growth in Michaelangelo's time, but their replacements will be cut in only forty years.

Peterson is effusive in his description of the significant role played by Swiss photographer Karl Ammann. Ammann's chance encounter with a logging truck driver revealed the role international logging firms play in the ape slaughter and the extended bushmeat trade. The logging firms, particularly CIB, contend they are providing "employment for locals, health services, food and education". Peterson explains the falsity of this contention, with "health services limited to a nurse and schools and teachers paid for by the workers' families.

Peterson argues that the long-established bushmeat tradition is already lost, displaced by commercial logging practices and new, mass hunting methods using guns, sometimes lent by government officials. If we can change a culture, such as was done with slavery, hunting traditions no longer tenable can be modified, as well. He cites the willingness of Americans to spend minimal annual funds to protect wolves, bears and other fauna. Why not establish a fund for ape protection. He calculates that US$1 billion per year could be raised with an individual contribution of but US$50. Not an enormous sum, given that other donations and military expenditures far exceed it. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

What animals we eat are selected by what culture we grow up in. Distant societies think nothing of eating dogs. Some closer ones think eating horse is completely acceptable. Then there are frogs, snakes, and insect larvae. It is all a matter of getting enough protein. One man's protein is another man's atrocity. Americans are used to eating meat they find in Styrofoam trays wrapped in plastic, but the indigenous peoples of central Africa have always eaten the animals living around them: elephants, antelopes, porcupines, rodents, and so on. They don't mind a stew of gorilla or a chimp's sirloin, and what of it? It's the way they have always done things. Tribal languages, in fact, often use the same word for wild animal as they do for meat. The world, however, is not the way it always was, and a shocking book, _Eating Apes_ (University of California Press) by Dale Peterson, shows that apes on the menu is not something the world ought to continue to accept.

We ourselves are members of the tribe of great apes; chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans are on the branch with us. But if African tribes don't share our scientific view or our squeamishness, traditional hunters, in predation balance over the centuries, surely are not going to do lasting harm. Traditional hunting, however, is no longer traditional. There has been an invasion from outside the continent by logging companies, making huge profits from our demand for hardwoods. The companies have lots of workers, many of them from the region, and all the workers have to be fed. Hunters, many of whom are also from the region, are hired to bring in the protein. Bows, arrows, and nets have given way to the far more efficient and deadly wire snares and automatic rifles and shotguns. Perhaps if greater firepower were the only threat to our primate cousins, they could still make it. But we are destroying their habitat (again, mostly by logging), and primates will suffer before other species because of their slow rate of reproduction. There are plenty of species headed toward extinction, but few because we are eating them, and none so close to us evolutionarily. In addition, butchering the apes may be the way humans got HIV and Ebola viruses. It may well be that you haven't heard of the problem of eating apes into extinction because the conservation organizations are keeping quiet about such a downer of a message, and because they are, believe it or not, in partnership with the loggers.

What will be needed is the courage to challenge cultural convictions. It is possible for the West to value (or at least claim to value) sensitivity to other cultures, but in the case of eating apes, it will have to impose scientific knowledge of close kinship, risk of disease, and impending loss of primates to get the native cultures to change. It may even be possible within the corporate culture, which mines habitats to get at profits, to insist not just on sustainable development (a nebulous idea the logging companies pay lip service to) but to take on a wider view of environmental improvement. You can figure up the odds of occurrence of these cultural changes, and especially if you look at our past record, you will not be optimistic. Peterson includes an appendix of what you, and what conservation organizations, can do; he obviously is not giving up hope. Perhaps it is a sign of hope that his reasonable and dispassionate account of this disaster will start many people thinking about the previously covert problem of the loss of the apes. Nevertheless, this is a profoundly disturbing and sad book, and will not be forgotten by those who can get through it.

American and international conservation organizations may be doing little more than feel-good guilt assuaging with many of their slick magazine glossy photos, while ignoring a huge elephant right in front of the world's faces and refusing to show readers the problem.

So says Peterson in the challenging and disturbing book Eating Apes.

Peterson writes about the hunting for bushmeat in Central Africa, specifically hunting great apes - gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos. He accuses the Wildlife Conservation Society of doing little more than giving PR flak to a German logging concern in the Congo, CIB, a decade ago, just at the time public pressure was starting to ratchet up on the issue, in large part due to photographer Karl Ammann.

He also accuses Wildlife Conservation, the magazine of WCS, along with National Geographic and other such magazines and other media for generally downplaying or even spiking the issue. Ammann, as interviewed in the book, is even blunter, noting how several wildlife conservation magazines said they didn't want his pictures specifically because they were too controversial and, in not so many words, too guilt-provoking while showing that the modern western-nation wildlife preservation industry wasn't wearing any clothes on this issue.

Read Eating Apes. Then rethink your donations to wildlife groups, at least without some strong letters to the editor.

With its appealing cover-picture of two baby chimps and its appalling title, "Eating Apes" is a must read for everybody interested in conservation in general and the survival of the great apes in particular. Although I've been already aware of the bushmeat crisis through voluntary work at a zoo, this book hit me hard. The scope of denial by many - individuals and conservation groups alike - paired with risky relationships between NGOs and logging companies is driving our closest living relatives - the great apes - to extinction. Dale Peterson's book encompasses every aspect of this difficult and very complex issue and Karl Ammann's pictures and comments provide further evidence of what really is happening. Everbody who makes or is going to make decisions regarding the bushmeat trade, logging, development and conservation in central Africa has to read this book before making those important and far-reaching decisions. My next task will be to check with the various conservation groups I support, to find out what they are planning to do about this subject. Depending on their answers, I may well choose to cancel some memberships. Something I haven't actually thought about before reading this book - so I hope that many others will follow suit and choose action over complacency!

wonderful. when you read this work you can actually feel the soil, smell the grass, and taste the fruit. a greeat read

I feel a connection with David Masumoto. Not that I've met him or anything - in fact, there's a good chance I never will (although I keep hoping that one summer day I can make it over to his farm to pick peaches). No, this feeling is based on an impression that we have both fought the same fight over different things, for the same reasons. It is also because he writes so poignantly about a landscape I grew up in. Mr. Masumoto is an organic farmer in the valley of California, and his story is becoming more and more familiar to me as I see this way of life disappearing across the country.

A third generation Japanese American peach and grape farmer, David Masumoto inherited the family orchard from his father. He also had the heritage of his childhood memories of how that particular peach variety, Sun Crest, tasted and ran with juice unlike the pretty red baseballs that have passed for today's supermarket peach varieties. Mr. M wanted to show the world how delightful an old-fashioned peach could be.

When he took over his father's farm, he resolved to not only continue growing his Sun Crests, but to do it organically. This would prove challenging in our day and age of cheap, quick fixes; moreover, it would test his strongly felt ideals. The land needed to heal and replenish itself after years of chemical fertilizers and toxic pest control methods. Masumoto had to take his example from research on other organic farming practices, planting wildflowers to encourage beneficial insect life and sowing "green manure" crops to act as natural mulch and compost. All this took time, patience, and faith that his hard work would eventually pay off.

Epitaph for a Peach is rich in sensory descriptions, philosophy, and nostalgic flashbacks. It is a picture of the way a farmer's life is connected to the seasons, capricious weather patterns, and changing market conditions. Not incidentally, Masumoto also teaches about the obscure history of Japanese farmers in the Valley - something that even I, native to Fresno, had little idea of. Reading this book was a slow, thoughtful experience much in the same manner that one slows down to savor a rich fruit. Recommended to anybody interested in history, growing food, or the vanishing California landscape.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

Author David Masumoto has written an excellent vignette into the year in a life of a small-scale, family farmer. His passion for his life's work, his connection to the land, and his strong family values are so clearly evident in his writing. I think a lot of readers will be envious of the life he describes. I share many of his views on the value of small family farms and the need to focus on how food should taste. Masumoto's book will reonsate deeply with those of us who know what it means to be curious about how something grows, who look forward to the first ripe peach or melon of the year, who prefer to make things from scratch and sit down with all our kids at dinner.

It is rare to read a book where the author works miracles with his hands and his words. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys non-fiction but finds it dry, without humanity. David Mas Masumoto is anything but dry. His land may be at times, but his poetic prose is anything but. His relationship with his family, his family's farm and nature is a rare combination. I highly recommend this read.

I live somewhat north of the area Mr. Masumoto writes about - where the San Francisco Bay Area Suburbs collide with the San Joaquin Farmlands. The Peach and Cherry Orchards and the Sweet Corn, Tomatoes and Strawberries are currently holding their own - but like Mr. Masumoto's Peaches and Grapes, only tenuously, and with great courage. If you would like to understand not only how these people live, but who and why they are, you should read this book. It is both beautifully written and thought provoking.

I would consider myself a intermediate level model builder and I have had this book for 7 months now. After working with it awhile I can honestly say that this book has improved my model building. As most reviewers have noted it is the type of book that is right next to you on the workbench and you will find yourself constantly referring it to for "how-to's". While I agree on the point mentioned by other reviewers that further text for each picture would have been helpful, it did not hinder the process of seeing how Mig does different techniques. The book has an excellent table of contents that breaks down techniques logically so you can quickly scan it and find the right page for what you are trying to do. The book covers a wide range of levels, from basic to advanced, and there is plenty of in-between techniques. I would not go as far as to say this is the only book you would need, but I will say it is a must have for your collection. You will use it constantly and wonder why you did not get it sooner.

... as this books shows a miriad of useful tricks you can use to make your AFV models much more realistic.

Despite of this, some more advanced modellers can be a little frustrated as, once you've completed a dozen or so of kits, mostly of what is said in this book can be considered "obvious" for you.

Anyway, pictures that ilustrate the step-by-step painting processes are of great quality and a pleasure for you eyes!

Regarding to this, it seems to me that almost 30% of the book is auto-promotion. At least, that's how I feel when almost one third of the book is dedicated to pictures of finished models by Miguel Jiménez.

Best regards from Spain

José Carlos

Great book, I doubt anyone who bought it ended up seriously disappointed.

Here's what's inside:
30 pages of introductions
15 pages of intro to techniques
15 pages on construction techniques
100 pages on painting
20 pages on groundwork and misc.
70 pages of model photos (gallery)

Book follows Internet FAQ format - series of questions and answers. Answers typically comprise of very short text (2-3 sentences) and number of clear color photos (typically 3-4, sometimes more). Each question deals with a particular technique, showing how to achieve very specific effect.

As you can see, the book deals with painting, and nothing else. The "15 pages on construction techniques" describe creating proper texture (cast metal parts) and battle damage - not actual kit construction.

Format makes the book not very accessible to beginners. There is very little step by step explanation, readers are largely left to choose which techniques to use,and understand it's nuances. It's much easier for intermediate / advanced modelers, who will know which techniques they want to incorporate into their process. Not all is lost however, as there is a "question" in the book, describing suggested workflow for particular camo type. For example, when making a model of "single tone green tank", we're to perform these steps:
* green base color
* filters
* fading
* washes
* running rusty chips
* pre-dusting
* watermarks
* dry mud
* spilled fuel
* crew footprints
Each of these steps is described in a separate "question", so it's a matter of applying these.

Although the book feels heavy, and is packed with nice color photos, I've found that when it comes to learning particular technique, reader is left with few lines of text and few photos. In some cases it's enough, in others I wished for more. You should therefore count on having to stare at the photos, think about the technique and try it on scrap plastic, before attempting to use it on the model.

Despite the "Q&A" format, I'd recommend reading the book front to back initially. The less familiar you are with armor modeling, the more important it is. Some advice is simply buried in places that might not be very obvious, and reading the whole book first helps.

From what I wrote above it might seem that the book is not perfect, and that is certainly true. Format has its advantages, but can also be confusing. I decided that the book is well worth 5 stars however, despite its shortcomings.

Miguel Jimenez, while taking his modeling skills to the next level in realism, has defined and described a number of ground-breaking techniques. English-speaking reader can learn most of them at Rarities World section of ML, but in this book they're explained in a more visual way.

There is also no other book that describes modern approach to armor modeling. At least not to my knowledge.

My recommendation - buy it. I don't know of any other book on the market that will teach you painting techniques described in this one.

If you are into realism, this is your book, but I must say that the techniques explained here may be a little daring for the average and the new modeller.

This book does not cover the basics of scale afv modelling, you will not find "how to use an airbrush" or "what color should I paint my tank" kind of questions.

On the other hand less-experienced modellers will get their answers once and for all, regarding issues like wash,filter, rust, how, when, why??? and stuff like that.

The techniques shown here are becoming a must in the hobby, so anyone daring to go further go ahead and buy this book.

This is a TOOL, not another book in your room.

After having been away from the armor modelling hobby for three decades, I recently returned to find there has been an explosion of after-market tools, upgrades, paints, pigments, filters, washes and other techniques for making models more realistic. One of the big changes is pigments, and the guru of them is Mig Jimenez. His book outlines all the major ways of weathering and aging plastic kits, as well as some minor techniques.

The book is filled with great illustrations that really show the materials, processes and results, and is very easy to follow. My one quibble would be the accompanying text, which often leaves out the physical steps, requiring the reader to draw their own conclusions about how the magic is performed. My recommendation would be to supplement the book with Mig's DVD (so far only available in PAL format and therefore watchable only on a personal computer or European-formatted DVD player). The DVD shows how these techniques are accomplished in a step-by-step manner.

As the old saying goes, "if you buy only one modelling technique book, this is the one to buy."

This is one of my favorite books--fascinating and informative. I've sent copies to several family members.

I have always fantasized about being a world traveling journalist living a life of adventure and bringing my unique point of view to my readers. Alas, that is not to be. However, I certainly have a deep appreciation for up-close and personal viewpoints of world events. That's why I absolutely loved this book and devoured the entire thing in one big orgy of uninterrupted reading.

Subtitled "A Journey on the Frontlines of Islam, from Bagdad to Timbuktu", Yaroslav Trofimov, an Italian citizen, is a Wall Street Journal reporter whose knowledge of languages, including Arabic, gave him access to people and places often denied to Westerners. He wrote this book between 2001 and 2005 and his writing style is simple, personal and full of facts, history and perspective. As I turned the pages, I was right there with him as he traveled around the Islamic world talking to clerics, ordinary Muslims and heads of state about their views on the current "War On Terror" that has brought attention to their perspective and, especially in the case of Iraq, has turned their lives upside down. He visited Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Yemen, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Mali and Bosnia. That's quite a lot of places for one small book. They are all different, of course, but all share the Islamic world view, which, to my western eyes is a fresh perspective which gave me the chills as I slowly grasped the mounting significance of the present-day conflicts in all of these regions.

The clashes have been going on for thousands of years, but modern technology has accelerated the process and there is a culture class on a grand scale happening all over the world. The author devotes four full chapters to Iraq, and, to his credit, acknowledges the difficult job of American and British military personnel whose presence in the region has created a whole new set of problems for the Iraqi people who once viewed them as liberators. Those days are gone forever though. I knew all this before I read the book, of course, but it's one thing to read newspaper accounts and watch a small sound byte on CNN or Fox News. It's another thing entirely to feel I was in the shoes of this reporter, eating the food, dodging the gunfire and talking to individuals. My own sensitivities have also been stirred deeply and I know I will never quite view the Muslim world the same again.

The book is short, a mere 303 pages, but the author's skill managed to enlighten me about so much. Bosnia is very different from Timbuktu or Yemen, and sometimes it seemed as if these peoples have little in common. But the Islamic point of view is always there and very different from the Western world view. I applaud the author for clarifying this for me. Highly recommended.

I love this book so much that I already bought another to send to a friend. I will probably do it again if another friend did not buy it already on my advise. Mr. Trofinov succeed in making laugh while teaching me stuff about the world of Islam while others succeed only in making me cringe, fear, making my blood boil. The Journal is lucky to have him as a reporter.

This is a good book filled with personal experiences of a talented journalist who has travelled extensively in the arab world. It contains haunting images of people and suffering and explores the ironies and contradictions of the Arab world. One is presented with an image of a hypocritical Saudi Arabia, which uses Islam to keep its people down, and comparisons with a more secular Mali, which has found a way to reconcile modernity and religious values.

The book is unflinching in its critique of the American invasion of Iraq and the unintended consequence of the occupation. It is harrowing in its depiction of the vehemence of anti-Americanism from the wealthy suburbs of Cairo to the slums of Yemen. It create different looks at the seeming monolithic Hezbollah, unified by both public service and violent opposition to Israel.

The one drawback is that the book is totally framed by the perspective of the author. To say it is an uncomprimising look at the contradictions of Modern Islam and the failure of US foreign policy is to overlook the subjectivity of the writing. Choosing to focus on mismanagement or soldiers gloating over Arab deaths, the author ignores the nobility of others who struggle to make a positive impact. Some things in the book are taken at face value, when more thorough inspection should be required. For instance, at some point the book claims American forces shot and killed an Iraqi man for discharging his gun, thinking his house was being burglarized. How did the author arrive at this conclusion ? Ask the dead man ? The conclusion to be drawn is that Trofimov took representations of others at face value, but when Trofimov experience pro-US sentiment, he assumes it to be the result of toadying rather than genuine sentiment.

In the end, you have a well written book, containing fascinating yet selective experiences of the author. I recommend it as a fascinating journalistic travel journal, but like any journal one shaded by the authors subjective opinions.

Popular contemporary Islamic culture gets an airing in Yaroslav Trofimov's FAITH AT WAR, and the the non-islamic world is subject to a rude awakening 312 pages later. The author is very much a part of and participant in his inquiries into the attitudes that fuel resentment against the West and the US, whether in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan or Bosnia.

I was astonished to learn of the paranoia and proclivity to believe the wildest conspiracy theories throughout Islamic societies. Indeed, and as a validation of Trofimov, a personal friend of mine recently visited Iran with his Iranian wife. On a mountain climb above Tehran with his Iranian-American daughters, he encountered two AK-47 wielding guardians of the Islamic revolution who were keen to ply my friend with all manner of anti-semitic conspiracy theories, including the long-discredited Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the "Israeli plot" to blow up the World Trade Center. Similar notions abound in Trofimov's accounts of his travels to "the frontlines of Islam" in the wake of the September 11 Al Qaeda attacks in the US.

FAITH AT WAR is a model of engaging journalism, with its riveting insights and Trofimov's determination - even at great risk to the writer's life - to get Islamic spokesmen to speak with him, revealing their livid concerns and lurid fixations. The paperback edition comes with an updated afterword and there is a helpful glossary of terms as well. The book is a fine primer/introduction to the contradictions inherent in the contemporary global Islamic resurgence largely fueled by the fanatical, retrogressive Saudi Arabian brand of Wahabist Islam. Highly recommended.

If you like getting outdoors for a walk or hike in San Fran or Marin and want to get advice from two Bay Area natives, get this guide. I recommend it for its thoroughness and presentation. For people like me who have just moved here, it's worth every penny.

The authors style puts adventurers at ease as they dissect the complex world of city streets and highways that lead to the trailheads. There's no trolling through pages of dense text. It's all broken up with pictures and maps and cleanly numbered trail lists and descriptions. It's by far the best I've come across for this area.

We just discovered this great hiking book. Our weekend trips have been put on hold and we're finding some pretty places along the Marin coastline to explore. Doubles as a tourist guide for our out-of-town friends. They look at the pictures and tell us where they want to go.

There's alot of advice and information in here and it's nicely arranged for reference. Chunky and spunky, good to go!

I would say it's one of the most helpful travel books I've ever bought. The detailed descriptions for family walks around San Francisco and through the Marin woods were especially good. It's organized. The writing style is colorful, direct, and amusing. Buy this book and you might want to buy a restaurant guide to to along with it. Going to California is now going to be a yearly ritual.Zagat 2008 San Francisco Restaurants

A great resource and really user friendly. We loved the whole feel and layout. We parked the car in one spot and spent one entire day walking and hopping the cable cars. All the action is grouped so our time was well spent and car expenses kept to a minimum. Strongly recommended for a city fix.

Our carcamping trip to the West Coast last month was a big success. Our first stop in the San Francisco Bay Area was Muir Woods where the Trailblazer untangled the trail system for us. Our Marin campsite was a perfect staging area for our daily outings.

This book is fully illustrated with photos and locater maps and they've even included a little California history to spice it up. Clean graphics, well organized. You can dip in and out of the pages and get clued in on the fly. The route from Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge by bike provided beautiful views of the bay. For us an excellent way to see the area on a limited budget.

I am - or was - an overweight teen. I really love the show Growing Up Gotti and once I heard that Frankie had a diet book comng out I thought that this would be a perfect oppurtunity for me to loss the weight for good. I ordered the book and it exceeded my expectations. Frankie is truly a great writer. This book encouraged me to follow his diet steps! Now, only half way through my diet, I have lost 24 lbs. And it is thanks to Frankie! So thank you for helping me and others lose extra weight for good.

I wish there was more publicity on this book. I had watched the show and goggled the show for images and came upon a picture of him before the show and was shocked to see his weight and even more shocked at what he is today. After viewing the sample pages provided by Amazon, I knew I had to grab a copy. I am 10 years older then Frank but he touches the core of my problems. He is an admirable writer that can be respected by all ages. I really appreciate his honesty, sincerity and encouragement. He taps into emotions and experiences that I have yet to see in any book, and for it to target the young generation is phenomenal!! Thanks Frank :)

The author of this book was just arrested for drug posession. Diet and exercise, or was there something more?

Lies and scandals.

i love the growning up gottie show
it of the chin, but anywayz, hi frankie, i just wanna say that u look soooooo fooooone,now we girls can see ur the real frankie
u look amazing

Frank Gotti's diet and exercise book really reveals the trauma of being overweight as a kid/tennager. I couldnt believe the before and after pics! And the heartfelt text inside. Frank was not afraid to show his sensitive side, in an effort to help others lose the weight as well. I applaud him--he has guts!....(and he's gorgeous!)....Katie Ross