Pacific Books

As someone who used to reside in Olympia, I enjoyed looking at all of the old photographs from Olympia. A well compiled little history. Book contains very little text, mostly pictures. For me, that's what I enjoy about history anyway.

This historic review of Olympia High School is great! If you like to learn about the history of Olympia (not only the school but the city too) this book keeps you turning the pages with so many wonderful pictures and great tidbits of information.

Brilliant piece of work! Whether or not you grew up in Olympia, attended OHS or know someone who did, this books is a must. So much history, and so many great pictures all packed into 125 pages. What a great gift.

This book brings back lots of memories. Our family has several generations and branches of people that attended and graduated from Olympia High School. Now we have another source to show people about our town and our families. Future generations will have a great time snickering at the outfits and hair styles. Love all the great photos of our town. Jim did a GREAT job. If you are a Bear or know one, get this book.

So many historic images, it's highly pictorial. Many pieces of history I never knew. What a great piece of work. I'm using it for Christmas gifts for family and friends.

If you want a book to use a jumping off point for more learning about Oregon's rich, interesting history, the Oregonian's book on Oregon is a great place to start. Great for any personal library, I highly recommend it!

PURCHASED FOR MY HUSBAND FOR HIS BIRTHDAY AND HE HAS HARDLY PUT IT DOWN SINCE RECEIVING IT! AS WE ARE FAIRLY NEW TO THE STATE, WE UNDERSTAND THE PLACE WE NOW LIVE AND WHAT LEAD UP TO THE WAY WE FIND OREGON TODAY. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN NORTHWEST HISTORY AND IT PEOPLE.

Although we did purchase this as a gift for a friend and colleague moving to Sisters, Oregon we did scan it and it is a wonderful book.

Being a former Oregon resident and to this day occasional Oregon visitor, I was fascinated by this book, which is a history of the Beaver State, and one that is done quite well. From the chronology of the state, to recording historic events, and sidebars about influential people in its history, this book takes a wonderful look back over the past 150 years.

Since the book was written by staff members of the Oregonian, it reads like a "newspaper account" of the days leading from Oregon's inception to the present. But what an entertaining account. From the early days, through the "turn of the century, the roaring 20's, the Depression, wartime, the fifties, turbulent 60s, up to the year 2000, all events are well-documented.

I never knew for example that Tom McCall when he was governor in 1970 staged the only ever state-run rock concert. I only saw him years later when I lived in Oregon and saw him deliver commentary on the evening news. I knew of course about Vanport and its horrendous end. I also remembered the bad flooding in 1996, having been in Portland the weekend before it happened. And of course, who could ever forget Mt. St. Helens erupting in 1980? These of course are just a few of the events that have occured in Oregon's history

I mentioned sidebars about influential people. People like McCall, Artie Wilson (a famous Pacific Coast League baseball player now living in Portland), Beverly Cleary (who wrote the Henry books I loved as a kid), Neil Goldschmitt, and the current Portland mayor Vera Katz, among others.

I have always loved the state of Oregon and its people, even if I'm a dreaded "Californian." This book reinforces my love and admiration of the state to the north of me.

This is better than a history book. I lived in Oregon for years and never knew half of the things that are in this book. It is laid out so that you can pick it up for a few minutes of quick facts or read it as a novel; I did both. I think this will be a great gift for someone who has roots in Oregon

Are the father-centered family, private property, and the state necessary and inevitable part of all human societies?
Frederick Engels, coworker of Karl Marx, says no. Engels demonstrates that these three institutions arose in the fairly recent history of the human race, as a way to establish the rule of the many over the few. And, conversley, when these institutions are an obstacle to human progress, they can be dismantled.
Although this book was written about 125 years ago, the subject matter and his point of view sound surprisingly modern. Evelyn Reed, a Marxist anthropologist, writes a 1972 introduction that updates the original work from the point of view of 20th century anthropology debates abd the rise of modern women's movement. An additional short article by Engels, "The part played by labor in the transition from ape to man" is a lively piece that could be part of today's debates on human origin with almost no hint of its vintage (except maybe for his use of the term "man", instead of gender-neutral "humanity").

Marx and Engels made a fundamentally wrong guess about the nature of human beings. But it is very important to understand their line of reasoning, because they developed quite a few critical insights along the way. Due to political charge associated with their teachings it is practically impossible to find suitable third party narrative of their works. So, the only way to enlighten yourself is to dig right down into originals.

This is a serious, scientific and materialist analysis of development and change in human society and its institutions. Frederick Engels, who along with Karl Marx was one of the central founders of the modern communist movement, wrote this book in the late 1800s based on the latest developments in the then-new science of anthropology. Studying it can help us understand society and be better prepared to organize and work to change it.

Engels takes up the rise of the state and of the family and the oppression of women as early societies became more productive, making possible the division of groups of human beings into those who produce and those who live off them, and the need of the exploiters to perpetuate this state of affairs.

The Pathfinder Press edition also has a valuable introduction by Evelyn Reed, long-time socialist activist and author of works including "Woman's Evolution," "Sexism and Science," "Cosmetics, Fashion and the Exploitation of Women," and "Problems of Women's Liberation."

Why is society so cruel? It seems to be self-defeating. Why doesn't the war of the sexes ever end? In no other species do the two sexes battle against each other.

In this book we learn that things weren't always this way. In fact, oppression and exploitation are recent inventions, if we count that human history dates back EIGHTY thousand years since the rise of homo sapiens sapiens. At one point most cultures suddenly became sedentary and agriculturalist - and private property in the land emerged. Private property of land resulted in an overthrow of the matriarchal family by its male members and in the establishment of a separate group of men who violently protect unequal relationships (the state as we know it today). All happened together in a revolution that occurred in the course of just a few generations some SIX thousand years ago.

Nonetheless, the moral of this story is one of hope. If we were capable of remaking ourselves once, and based on that have advanced dramatically in a limited sense of creating material culture, then humankind can remake itself again and found a culture that enriches all aspects of everyone's lives. But this time the redesign will have to be conscious and conscientious, the beginning of a humane human history in which all participate on an equal basis. Such is the future that socialism and communism promise for us.

As a companion to this volume, be sure to read Women's Evolution, by Reed. Written a century later, it shows that anthropology's evidence overwhelmingly coincides with the theory Engels put forward in this book.

Was human society always overseen by a military and police force?
Was wealth and the means of producing more wealth always the private possession of individuals or a small section of society?
Were women always at the bottom of society, treated primarily as sex objects and machines for child-bearing and child-raising?

And is this humanity's destiny?
In this book published in 1884, Fredrich Engels answers the above questions in the negative. His book is based on anthropological data available in his day from societies around the globe. New discoveries since have confirmed his conclusions and the book is remarkably relevant today.

This author always hits her mark with wonderful, easy to prepare, fresh, tasty recipes.

Truly every recipe I've made from this cookbook is wonderful! Having moved away from the Pacific Northwest, I also find the author's notes by each recipe make me especially nostalgic! That aside...the food is delicious, and there are recipes for every taste!

I have tried numerous recipes in Pacfic Fresh and found each and every one to be great. The salads and salad dressings are outstanding as are the main courses and pasta dishes!! I have served many to guests and always receive rave reviews!

Every cook needs a cookbook collection of reliable and easy recipes that consistently turn out great! Pacific Fresh is that book!!

I bought this book at a winery in Napa in 1998 and have used it until it's nearly worn out. Recipes are easy to follow and don't require a lot of time. Everything I've ever tried is great. My family especially loves the salads and dressings. Sorry, Maryana, but I have shared some of your recipes at guest requests, but now I'm going to buy several copies for hostess and holiday gifts, and I'm going to replace my copy while I'm at it!

The best feature of this cookbook is that it uses simple ingredients. I especially like the soup and salad (and salad dressing) recipes, though I have also had success with the main courses and desserts. I have given this book as a gift to several of my GenX-aged friends because the recipes are simple enough for beginning cooks, but my mom and their moms seem to like it, too.

Looking through this book is a magnificent journey through the beauty of California's magnificent Central Coast. Photographer Douglas Steakley has captured this beauty in an amazing way. I would strongly encourage locals, visitors, and those unable to visit this area to buy this book. This is not an ordinary photo book that you flip through in a few minutes! Although I am fortunate enough to live in this wonderful area I spent quite a bit of time looking at each page absorbing the fantastic photography Mr. Steakley has to offer. The poetry by Ric Masten and foreword by Jane Smiley were also delightful to read and are an important part of this beautiful book.

Looking through this book is a magnificent journey through the beauty of California's magnificent Central Coast. Photographer Douglas Steakley has captured this beauty in an amazing way. I would strongly encourage locals, visitors, and those unable to visit this area to buy this book. This is not an ordinary photo book that you flip through in a few minutes! Although I am fortunate enough to live in this wonderful area I spent quite a bit of time looking at each page absorbing the fantastic photography Mr. Steakley has to offer. The poetry by Ric Masten and foreword by Jane Smiley were also delightful to read and are an important part of this beautiful book.

Over 20 years ago, I visited the Monterey Peninsula: I recall the splendor of land meeting sea, the power of the ocean and the majesty of the hillside. The images of the region remained dormant in my mind until revived by "Pacific Light." "Pacific Light" is a photography book that does not allow closure; it whispers and radiates to our senses to be viewed again and again. Essentially, it is not another table book: It demands one's focus and attention like an exceptional masterpiece. One is inspired by the pictures and poetry of the Monterey Peninsula, an area that explodes with natural beauty and color on every page. Laser sharp, technically and artistically captivating images charm the eye then the brain. Every photo tells a story about the land, its people, the light, the poet and the photographer. I delighted in the lush green landscapes with shades of emerald rivaling Ireland, rolling hills with a dusting of snow reminiscent of Eastern Washington and the ethereal splendor of Pfeiffer Beach that fittingly covers the dust jacket. Mr. Steakley shows us the unparalleled beauty of China Cove beach, brilliant in a warm Caribbean like light, the majesty of Garrapata Beach at sunset, and the breathtaking vista of a waterfall at McWay Creek. The photographs validate a dedicated and talented photographer who comprehends the area and is aware of its moods, artistry and verse. I applaud the photography of Doug Steakley and the poetry of Ric Masten whose synergy is palpable in this well designed book. I recommend this book to anyone who has visited the area or who savors a magnificent hardback of landscape photography and poetry.

Looking through this book is a magnificent journey through the beauty of California's magnificent Central Coast. Photographer Douglas Steakley has captured this beauty in an amazing way. I would strongly encourage locals, visitors, and those unable to visit this area to buy this book. This is not an ordinary photo book that you flip through in a few minutes! Although I am fortunate enough to live in this wonderful area I spent quite a bit of time looking at each page absorbing the fantastic photography Mr. Steakley has to offer. The poetry by Ric Masten and foreword by Jane Smiley were also delightful to read and are an important part of this beautiful book.

Over 20 years ago, I visited the Monterey Peninsula: I recall the splendor of land meeting sea, the power of the ocean and the majesty of the hillside. The images of the region remained dormant in my mind until revived by "Pacific Light." "Pacific Light" is a photography book that does not allow closure; it whispers and radiates to our senses to be viewed again and again. Essentially, it is not another table book: It demands one's focus and attention like an exceptional masterpiece. One is inspired by the pictures and poetry of the Monterey Peninsula, an area that explodes with natural beauty and color on every page. Laser sharp, technically and artistically captivating images charm the eye then the brain. Every photo tells a story about the land, its people, the light, the poet and the photographer. I delighted in the lush green landscapes with shades of emerald rivaling Ireland, rolling hills with a dusting of snow reminiscent of Eastern Washington and the ethereal splendor of Pfeiffer Beach that fittingly covers the dust jacket. Mr. Steakley shows us the unparalleled beauty of China Cove beach, brilliant in a warm Caribbean like light, the majesty of Garrapata Beach at sunset, and the breathtaking vista of a waterfall at McWay Creek. The photographs validate a dedicated and talented photographer who comprehends the area and is aware of its moods, artistry and verse. I applaud the photography of Doug Steakley and the poetry of Ric Masten whose synergy is palpable in this well designed book. I recommend this book to anyone who has visited the area or who savors a magnificent hardback of landscape photography and poetry.

I am looking for a copy. Can anyone help? Harriet

Please contact me at either : hiltonpu@fedsure.co.za . . . or P O Box 371, Noordhoek, 7975, South Africa Many thanks!

This beautiful book illustrates both with magnificent photographs and excellent recipes why the Pacific Northwest has such glorious food. From authentic regional appetizers to zesty main courses and tasty desserts there is great food to make and enjoy. We have given several as gifts, and are trying to find more!

This cookbook is magnificent! With breathtaking photography,stellar production values and innovative recipes which emphasize the unique bounty of the Pacific Northwest, what more could anyone ask for in a cookbook? Grab your own copy to use and treasure forever!

Of all my cook books, this is my favorite. The beautiful illustrations are a plus along with the truly unique recipes. It's such a beautiful book I leave it on my coffe table for my friends to look through and comment. As much as I like experimenting with different styles of cooking, I seem to always return to this book. It truly represents the unique style of cooking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest!

From the fall of Lucifer from Heaven, to the life of the patriarchs, this book reads like a top-rated movie. Like you're seeing these powerful events first hand. Like actually being there when there was war in Heaven between Christ and His angels, and Satan and his fallen angels. The Garden of Eden, and the creation of Adam and Eve from the hand of God comes to life. And just read about the faithfulness of Noah and the events leading up to the flood, for powerful conviction and Biblical insight. Volume one of her five volume set Conflict of the Ages: Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings, The Desire of Ages, The Acts of the Apostles and The Great Controversy. All prime examples of why Ellen G. White remains my favorite non-Biblical author. I highly recommend them all.

If you want help to understand the Bible better, then this book is phenomenal! It is written in such a clear manner that everyone can understand. It covered the first part of the Bible through David's time.

I read the Bible as I was reading the book and found that it coincided with it. It opened my eyes to many of the events that happened during those times. Did you know that when Moses lead the people out of Egypt that God showed them the way as a pillar of a cloud during the day and was a pillar of fire at night and fed them manna from heaven every day except on the Sabbath and then he gave them double the day before so that no one would work on the Holy day. He also gave them water from the Rock of Christ. (There were like six hundred thousand or more to begin with and ended up being probably a million or more after 40 years of wandering) She explained that as long as the people kept their faith in God and didn't turn to sin they were protected by him. One of their enemies discovered that fact and decided the only way that they could defeat the Jewish people was by causing them to sin and then when the people, through their actions (sinning), rejected God and his teachings, then they were vulnerable and could be defeated. I find that very true today.

This is one of the best books I have ever read that explained to me why certain events happened and how and why they worshipped a certain way, etc.

I am not an Adventist and did not find that it promoted that Church necessarily, but rather found it enlightening for any person who believes in God or especially those who want to know more about Him. She does not promote the book over the Bible, the Bible is God's Word and that is first and foremost the only true and accurate message, but she does help us understand it better. I highly recommend this book especially if you read it and the Bible, like I did, together. It will bring you a much greater understanding of God and why he does things. She also has other books that she has written that are good. She wrote them a century ago and they are as relevant and appliable today as they were then. Enjoy!

In "Patriarchs and Prophets" Ellen G. White gives us important insights into the origins of evil and suffering, tells us the TRUE story of the origins and early history of the earth and of mankind(Yes, Virginia, God really did create the earth and everything on it in six literal days, and there really was a great flood!), and covers the history of God's people from Adam to David. All this she does with Tolkienesque skill, always pointing the reader to the Bible as God's word and to Jesus Christ as the only hope for mankind, singly and collectively. In a nutshell, the underlying message of this book is: GOD LOVES YOU!

This book presents an excellent chronology of events that preceeds the dawn of creation. Although you may be already familiar with some of this tale, you will be in for an enhanced perspective. The color and emotion that the author lends to the tale will have you barely able to put this book down.

You will most definitely be in for a real-life enhancing experience!

I finished reading the online version of this book recently, downloaded from Ellen White's estate website. Chapters are about 11 pages long, so it was easy to read a chapter every morning as a devotional. It covers the chronology of the Bible from Creation to King David, and expounds on what the Bible says. Its very readable and inspiring to live a better life with God. Occasionally chapters lecturing on a good life, etc were interspersed with the events told in the Bible. .

This is the perfect companion to Jack Kerouac's classic novel, offering a wealth of information, fascinating stories, and gorgeous photographs about the world chronicled in that novel's pages. But it offers so much more -- a richer understanding of Gary Snyder & Philip Whalen, as well as their poetic work, and an in-depth look at the times & experiences that shaped all three writers. There are countless books about the Beats, many of them quite good indeed ... but this is surely one of the best. The author truly knows & loves his subjects, without being blinded by any need for glossy hagiography. It's as honest a book as you'll find about these three remarkable men & their times. A very enthusiastic recommendation!

In his first book, John Suiter has produced a work that contributes significantly to the literature on early development of the Beat literary movement and to understanding the disparate characters of Snyder, Whalen, and Kerouac. Using the common experience of all three men serving as fire lookouts in the Northern Cascades in the early to mid 1950's, the author evokes portraits of how each writer was influenced by wilderness and the isolation of a fire lookout, and how each used the experience in his work. Drawing from recent interviews with Snyder and Whalen and others who knew them during the early 1950's, from previously unpublished letters and journals, and from extensive close readings of all three writers, the author crafts a portrait of the evolution of a literary movement, of a wilderness ethic, and perhaps unintentionally, the devolution of Kerouac contrasted against the focus and dedication of Snyder and Whalen. The book is illustrated with photographs of the fire lookouts and their locales.

John Suiter's work on the founding fathers of Beat poetry and prose is a marvelous read. Suiter takes us along the trail through post war America and ties together the Beat poets, Jack Kerouac, McCarthyism, San Francisco and the North Cascades Forest Service Fire Lookout system of the 1950's. Imagine the poet/Zen Buddhist Gary Snyder being blacklisted from working for the Forest Service! Do you want to know how Jack Kerouac got the idea for his Dharma Bums work? What was it like spending a month and a half completely alone on top of a mountain in the Pacific Northwest, looking for the telltale smoke of a developing forest fire? Do you know what a "lightning stool" is, what you do with it and would you like to see a photograph of one? What was it like being at the famous Six Gallery poetry reading in 1955 when Allen Ginsberg first read "Howl"? If these questions interest you, or if you want to know about the origins of Beat writings-this is the book to get. Author Suiter launches the reader away through Old Mexico to visit with young Robert Mitchum as Christ in a glass coffin and William "Junky" Burroughs, up through Yosemite to camp with Kerouac and Snyder, a stop in San Francisco at City Lights Bookstore and Lawrence Ferlinghetti and finally Japan and Hozomeen, and the Void from Desolation. A delightful Masterpiece of fact and photographs!

"Poets on the Peaks" by John Suiter is a beautiful and insightful book. The text and pictures hold your hand through wonderful reminiscing with and about some of the greatest poets of our time. The landscapes that inspired the poetry that Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen and Jack Kerouac are famous for is staged perfectly throughout the book. It gives you a sense of time and place that makes you feel as if you were in those look out towers and you experienced that electric and quiet time. Learn, escape, and love with this book. It is well worth it!

Writer-photographer Suiter provides a literary portrait of Beat era poets Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, and Jack Kerouac in Poets On The Peaks, which centers around their early experiences as fire lookouts in the 1950s. As such, Poets On The Peaks provides a hard book to easily categorize: it covers beautiful Cascade Mountain scenes and peaks, fire lookouts, and literature and biography alike. The writings of these three juxtapose nicely with the photos and images, making this a recommended gift choice for the holiday season.

It's impossible for us today to imagine what a frightening proposition it must've been in the mid-19th century to sell your eastern farm or business and prepare to head west to start a new life. Maps were unreliable, distances were staggering, and stories about wild animals and Indians sobering. It wasn't quite like stepping off the edge of the world, but it probably seemed like it to many greenhorns.

So in 1859, Captain Randolph Marcy, under orders from the Department of War, wrote The Prairie Traveler. Marcy, who would later serve as a Brigadier in the Civil War, was an accomplished traveler in the west, and his guidebook was packed with useful information for the determined but inexperienced pioneer taking either the northern overland trail to Oregon or the southern Sante Fe one to California.

The book is great reading--and, not infrequently, helpful even today for the camper when it comes to advice about improvising shelter or lighting a fire from damp wood. For the mid-19th century reader, it provides essential tips on provisions, wagon-packing and animal-care, first aid (large doses of whiskey are the best remedy for rattlesnake bite), identifying good water (alkaline ponds are surrounded by yellow-reddish grass), improvisation (red willow bark is a good substitute for tobacco), collapsible camp furniture, and gun safety. The food section is especially interesting. Marcy recommends carrying lots of dried vegetables (one ounce of dry vegetables, when wettened, equals an entire ration), "cold flour," a concoction of flour, cinammon, and sugar which, when mixed with a bit of water, provides a pick-me-up (not unlike today's energy bar), and jerked meat (no need for salt; the prairie sun will dry buffalo strips in short order). He also provides a rather gruesome recipe for pemmican (powdered buffalo meat saturated in raw buffalo fat, sown up in a hide bag with the hair turned outwards).

Marcy distrusts and indeed actively dislikes Plains Indians, although he admires Delawares and Shawnees, and writes quite warmly of a Delaware friend of his named Black Beaver. So he spends a fair number of pages warning prairie travelers to be wary of approaching Indians. To better prepare them, he teaches the rudiments of sign language, teaches how to track Indians (scattered mustang manure rather than whole mustang manure indicates Indians on the move rather than just a wild mustang herd), and gives detailed instructions on how to sleep with cocked and primed rifles. It never seems to occur to Marcy that Plains Indians were a diverse group, or that their animosity might've had more to do with the white pioneers' presence than with the natural meanness he attributes to them.

A fascinating read!

Read this book and you will view things a bit differently on your next drive. As you effortlessly drive across a bridge over a river at 65 MPH, your thoughts may well travel back to Captain Marcy's advice on how to cross a river with wagons pulled by mule-team.

This book is essential to any author, movie director or Living Historian who wants to "get it right". THE PRAIRIE TRAVELER is chock-full of information about overland travel in the mid-19th century, and covers almost any possible, practical, useful subject related to wilderness travel. Although it is written in 1850's American English, it is actually a fairly easy read with very little "culture shock".

For those of you with the cerebral agility to remove the mental straight-jacket of "Political Correctness", THE PRAIRIE TRAVELER will accurately picture the Frontier society as it existed at the time. It was a very good society in most ways, with the limitations that 19th century people were born into and educated with. Those pioneers did advance themselves, bit-by-bit, away from the limitations they were born into, and the result is the 21st Century America we live in today. We stand on their shoulders, advanced as far as we are today, because of the small advances they made in their generation.

A 21st century man condemning a 19th century man for being the product of his times reflects the mental and educational limitations of the 21st century man.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and bought some for friends who like history. The reading is easy, though you will find a dictionary helpful with some of the archaic words. I have relatives who crossed the prairie in 1848 to California; I have a much better understanding of what the trip must've been like.
For those who love American history, esp. the old west I highly recommend this book

A good insight into the mind of an inhabitant of the new world in the 1800s. Very unpolitically correct to the point of being amusing (section on 'Indians'). I read this book on a long camping tour and liked in a lot. There are some sections that are more like lists, and arenot as interesting, but you can skip over them.

A fascinating assemblage of facts and information for the overland emigrant of the mid-1800's to successfully complete the long, arduous journey to the west coast. Captain Marcy includes everything one can possibly imagine: from types of wagons, livestock, food, provisions and medicines to fording rivers, selection of campsites, types of saddles, packing, tracking, guides, guards, etc. and habits of Indians. The itineraries at the end of the book detail the mileages, availability of water, grass, wood, road conditions, etc. along several different routes to the Pacific. With our many modern day conveniencies traveling across the country, we tend to dismiss the hardships and sacrifices our pioneers endured while traversing the continent. This little book puts it all into focus.

I know Milton in real life from UCSB, and he is as hilarious and knowledgeable as he is in the book. I'm studying marine biology, and this helped me so much.

The title is absolutly correct. This book is loaded with more information than the average person needs, but it is easy reading and obviously written by someone who loves the ocean and has spent years researching the fish of the Pacific. I also ejoyed the humor and quick wit of the author. This book is a must for anyone who is seeking information about the fishes of the Pacific Coast.

Dr. Phil's trademark humor is incorporated into this book about dating. You'll learn how to choose someone with qualities you admire.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn about common fish local to the California area. Its a scientifically structured field guide chaulked full of quips and funny little anecdotes. So if you want a good laugh while learning a huge volume of information (even the meaning of each fishes scientific name!), then i suggest you get this book. Dont forget to read the other information in this book like the 'preface' and even the copyright page. Youll never know where youll find the next laugh in this book.

I have worked briefly in Milton Love's lab personally and he is even funnier in person. He is one of the few people ive had the chance to meet whom after i walk away laughing i realized that i actually learned more than i did in a regular class. He knows an enormous amount of knowledge about fishes which is why i also feel this book has merit. Plus he references Ted Pietcsh, who if you have read the news discovered the world's smallest fish as released in January 2006.

Without a doubt, the funniest taxonomic work on Ichthyology you will ever come across- and extremely and extensively informative to boot. Even the preface is a delight to read, where Love discusses the intelligence of fish (stupider than the stupidest mouse to ever live), if fish sleep, how their names relate to Communism, if they will harm us emotionally, and Love's relative intelligence when compared to other marine biologists. Then he goes through, fish by fish, all the main species off the Pacific Coast, from BC to SoCal. (If you're looking for fish from the Gulf of Alaska, you will be disappointed.) He begins with Myxini and Petromyzone, moves to Chondrichthyes, and then onto Osteichthyes. (Hagfish, Lampreys, Sharks and Rays, and Bony Fish- for fish are actually four different creatures, as separate from each other as Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals are from each other.) Each section looks at the identifying characteristics, distribution, anatomy, commercial fishery, and extra tidbits, still with that trademark humor. And then there's a bit of the parasitic at the tail end of the book. Perhaps my favorite line: 'Your average hagfish can take a bucket full of water and almost solidify it with slime in a few minutes. (I don't know about you, but that makes me proud to be American.)'