Pacific Books

The work of Michael Pillsbury has been almost as popular in Chinese military circles as it is in the United States. His previous report on Chinese views of future warfare was noted enthusiastically by Chinese military scholars, although there was some concern over his liberal reference to high ranking Chinese sources.

Nevertheless, Pillsbury was able to return to drink from the same well in preparing China Debates the Future Security Environment. His sources are highly placed and respected members of China's security apparatus, and include members of leading think tanks, such as the China Institute for International Studies, as well as People's Liberation Army leadership.

The great value of the work is that between its covers Pillsbury shows a comprehensive picture of Chinese perspectives on a variety of topics relating to future security environments. He explains contemporary Chinese Communist Party rationale for viewing the future based on an amalagam of ancient Chinese statecraft (views drawn from the Warring States Era, which many Chinese use to draw comparisons with today's single superpower system) and current methodology for calculating the comprehensive national power (CNP) of modern states. The CNP of the United States will decline in the future, the Chinese are required to believe, and their calculations go to some lengths to show this pattern in various ways.

Most interesting to me was a discussion of China's three views of future threats and how these relate to special interest groups inside the PLA. People's War traditionalists are still the most powerful bloc and control most budget decisions. Their future posits a large enemy, such as the United States, Russia, India or a resurgent Japan. Power projection advocates see the future differently in terms of local wars around China's periphery. They advocate modernization, smaller and more professional forces. The revolution in military affairs (RMA) enthusiasts see no immediate major threat for a number of years, time, they say, to transform key parts of the military force to be technologically competitive with the West.

There is a fourth future, explained in Unrestricted Warfare, a book by two senior colonels in the PLA published last year. It advocates removing all rules and restrictions in the conduct of war to enable the "inferior to defeat the superior." Available too late for Pillsbury to consider in this work, Unrestricted Warfare may represent a synthesis of views on the future way of war from a Chinese perpective, even though it "does not represent official doctrine."

I commend Pillsbury's work to both the serious and casual student of Chinese military affairs. He has done a service for those on both sides of the Pacific.

Pillsbury's excellent work reminds Americans of the danger of expecting other nations to mirror our notions, objectives and policies. Fascinating Chinese foreign policy insights throughout the book. Some of the translated policy proposals/commentaries were really quite shocking. It should be required reading for all presidential (and Congressional) candidates. A "serious" book -- but very "readable", and definitely NOT just for policy "wonks." Availability may be troublesome as it is published by the National Defense University (NDU) and available through the Government Printing Office (GPO)[sorry Amazon ;-) ].

I have learned that perceptions are sometimes more important than facts and in the case of the Chinese viewpoint of the world situation, this holds true. This book describes in an interesting fashion, the Chinese perception of the motives, strengths and weaknesses of the world powers.

The Chinese use an interesting method of determining a nation's relative power using a quasi-mathematical formula to determine the Comprehensive National Power (CNP) of any given nation. They use this also to project the future CNP of given nations.

This interesting process is described in detail and the varying uses of this CNP are described. The Chinese show the most interest in the United States, Russia, Europe (mainly Germany, France and the United Kingdom), Japan, India and China. These calculations are focused through the lens of Chinese perception. This is based on Chinese history including ancient Chinese history, Marxism, Mao thought and the writings of Deng tso Peng. This is the most fascinating portion of the book.

For example, some factions in this debate feel that Japan is becoming militaristic and will want power in Asia. Most feel that Russia will become their friend in the coming struggles. The optomists feel that there will be a multipolar power sharing between China, Europe, Russia, the United States and Japan in a atmosphere of cooperation.

You may or may not disagree with the Chinese conclusions but the reality is, they believe that the world operates the way they see it and will react to world events accordingly.

Beyond ranking this fantastic work, there isn't much I can add that previous reviewers haven't admirably covered. It is necessary for our country to understand the needs that motivates the calculations Pillsbury illustrates in his book. It is essential for the American debate about our relationship with China to include texts such as these, which highlight important concerns for Americans, but transcend the current dichotomy of right-wing paranoia and left-wing romanticism toward China.

While Pillsbury's book is devoted to a very specific topic, the tone and quality of his work helps illustrate China's foreign policy communities in ways that are absent in the sterotyped visions of China usually constructed. Instead of having to fall in with one or the other viewpoint that is more an argument about domestic ideology than about China, we ought to remember that it is the clarity of our vision that is the most important technique for ensuring American security. Public relations gestures of saber-rattling or apologia accomplish just the obvious. That is why careful attention paid to work such as Pillsbury's book makes us better off in the long run.

We purchased this book during a visit to the most beautiful of the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State, Orcas Island. The food reminds me so much about what I love about Orcas Island. Fresh, natural, organic foods prepared simply to create an elegant evening for any home. You will love this book. Every recipe is a supreme delight!

Christina opened her restaurant on beautiful Orcas Island over 25 years ago and it's still a restaurant we recommend to visitors as a must. Before it was fashionable she began her restaurant committed to fresh local ingredients and seasonal recipes. We love her cookbook because it's designed that way with pages dedicated to tomatoes, apples or oysters and we love her stories about growing up in the Northwest and how that shaped her vision of food. The best thing is the percentage of recipes we'd make again - always our judge of a great cookbook. We love her crab fondue, her steamed clams with thyme and lemon vodka, her picnic chicken liver terrine, roasted vegetable salad with tomato caper vinegrette, hot and sour fish soup... and there's lots more. Makes your mouth water doesn't it!!!!!!

My wife and I enjoyed a night full of incredible food and music at Christina's on the evening of our wedding. The reception was attended by friends who took planes, trains, and ferries from as far away as Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago, and Ann Arbor... everyone fell in love with Christina's food, Bruce's smile, and Christopher's Hot Monks. A perfect night to a perfect wedding day. Christina's cookbook is a wonderful reminder of the unique flavors and fresh tastes that has always distinguished her restaurant as simply the best!

As customers who have already enjoyed Christina's restaurant--which, as expats visiting from France, my family and I stumbled into 20 years ago--we may be biased. But this is more than a compendium of the wonderful cuisine we have enjoyed there, more than the sum of welcome and ambiance (and WHAT a view from the deck overlooking the waters of Eastsound!). Christina knows how to write as well as to cook. The little essays about discovering food as she grew up in the Pacific Northwest bring the recipes to life. They also provide a capsule history of a generation: from the wheat fields of eastern Washington to the burgeoning restaurants of Portland, Oregon, to the lovely little island north of Seattle (Orcas) that is home to the gem she created as a single mom a couple of decades ago. Read the book. Go to the restaurant. Live some history!

To Mr Karl Berger, reviewer below.
I found it very interesting that you have written another book on Clipperton. Can you provide me with any more details of your book eg is it non-fiction, will it cover similar ground to this book or does it have a different slant?

Thank you,

When I saw the book Clipperton in the display window of a New York book store I had already been planning to write a novel about this strange island. With the additional information the book provided my plans became more concrete then. After a decade and many many rejection letters I finally found a publisher in Harbor House, Augusta, Georgia. The novel will be published in the fall of 2006. Thanks to Jimmy Skaggs; his book is interesting and well documented. A find for island lovers.

Karl Berger M. D.

When I first saw Clipperton on a map of the world and I googled it for more information, I was floored to find snippets of abandonment, starvation, rape and murder, and FDR's personal interest in this tiny atoll in the eastern Pacific, and eventually led to me reading this exhaustively researched book.

From many obscure sources, the author did a great job tracking the chronology of discovery, early encounters, attempted development, military history and FDR's interest in the island, and overview of fauna and flora. To me, the most striking chapter was when a group of Mexicans were abandoned on the island; the men perished trying to row for help, and the women remaining on the island were left to starve and deal with the one remaining man on the island who proclaimed himself "king" and raped several of the women.

Unbelievable history for such a small, isolated rock in the middle of nowhere.

Clipperton Island is little more than one big rock, some hundreds of miles west of the Pacific coast of Mexico. During the early twentieth century there was a delightfully obscure arbitration by the King of Italy over who owned the rock: France or Mexico. France won, but not before the King had procrastinated for over twenty years. The island is named for a pirate; it has long been a stopping point for British and American interests, and various attempts have been made to extract value from it, either as a naval base or a mining stop. Jimmy Skaggs brings Clipperton's eccentric history to life - and also persuasively argues that Clipperton had been visited during Magellan's circumnavigation. What an interesting story about an obscure Pacific rock.

A very good read. And while I've never flown in the Arctic, personal experiences of similar nature in various other parts of the world made me feel right at home in learning about those little problems (being just a "little" too heavy for take off, needing that one part so desperately for your airplane, even polar bear attacks) that seem to plague professional aviators everywhere. Written in an easy-to-read, engaging, style. Well done.
This is Your Captain Speaking: A Common Sense Manual for Keeping Your Wings Level

. . . should you read the Chronicles?

You betcha, is my vote.

As you can see from the other reviews, pilots love these yarns. But anybody with the slightest interest in Bush Alaska and its larger-than-life characters, climate, and country will love the Chronicles, too.

Besides being a professional pilot with many thousands of hours in his logbook, Clouddancer is a soulful raconteur and a born storyteller. The best of these stories are people stories, and Clouddancer understands people, which is the most important thing in a writer.

That said, you have to make some allowances.

For one thing, as a writer, Clouddancer makes a great Bush pilot. By which I mean, he brings much enthusiasm and passion to his writing, but not-so-much polish (although we're working on that -- I'm his unofficial coach/consultant/cheerleader). So don't expect the kind of finely honed prose you'd find in an Ernest Hemingway novel (although there are comparable quantities of liquor and sex).

Also, about half of these stories are extremely technical accounts of various situations that come up in flying, both Bush and air-carrier. They'll be nearly incomprehensible to non-pilots, and perhaps not particularly interesting for those not into flying, per se.

But these are quibbles. I give the Chronicles 5 stars because they are, in total, really great Alaska flying books, of which there are far too few.

Stan Jones
One-time amateur Kotzebue Bush pilot, as well as author of the Nathan Active mystery series, which is set in a fictional Alaskan Eskimo village modeled on Kotzebue, where Clouddancer cut his Bush-flying teeth

Absolutely captures the spirit of bush flying in our great state- Seems absurd, but all too true, and part of why lots of us wouldn't want to fly anywhere else. CloudDancer has almost as big and well-deserved a following for his writing as Gwennie's does for their reindeer sausage. Want to know more... Buy It!

As one who started his professional flying career in the Alaskan Arctic, and finished out as a Sled Driver in Kotzebue, I can't begin to tell you the memories that these stories bring back. And the thing is, they're all true. Same characters, same airplanes, same stuff still happening up there every day. Kotzebue is a Third World Country with a zip code, and for those of us who figured out how to survive it, it's one of the most amazing and fun places to fly on the planet.

From the new pilot thinking of taking the commercial path in Alaska bush flying, to us grizzled old farts who somehow survived all the years and all the thousands of hours of bad weather and shoddy equipment, this book is a must read. Hidden in the humor is a treasure chest of how-to-do weather flying and techniques for the novice Alaska flyer to draw from, and an intimate look at the native people of Alaska and what their world is really like.

Definitely, Linda Leigh Paul should be very proud of her work....It really captures the spirit of Northwest design...When one asks, "Why hire an Architect",,,all one needs to do is show this book,,,it tells all....Again, a job well done!!!

I was surprized by the quality of the works presented but more particularly the idea of "the architecture of adventure". The premise of this book is "right on." These get-aways are not just comfortable, but expose their owner's attitudes on being at home in nature.

This is a beautiful book full of beautiful houses in beautiful places. There is a wide range of projects and styles, illustrating the quality of design in the Pacific Northwest region. An attractive book in its own right, this would be a great resource for anybody thinking of building a vacation house.

From the Seattle AIA Reviewer, Peter Sackett:

Trying to convince a reader that architecture is
good by telling them it's good is an exercise in
futility. In Coastal Retreats: The Pacific Northwest
and the Architecture of Adventure (Universe,
2002) author Linda Leigh Paul understands the
burden of her responsibility as a writer. Her
contributions reflect what images, on their own,
cannot. Coastal Retreats offers a broad
photographic sampling of Northwest vacation
homes designed over the last half-century with
editorial work that provides context for their
creation, including anecdotes from both owner and
architect, taking the architecture out of the
showroom and into the lives of the people who use
it.

A couple of years ago I ranted for eight hundred
words or so in the pages of Arcade about a
newly-published monographic account on the work
of architect Roland Terry. My beef wasn't that the
architect's work wasn't up to snuff, rather that the
book's author had done little to flatter the
architecture nor contribute a compelling narrative to
describe its significance. To judge from the editorial
content, he seemed less than convinced that
Terry's work could stand on its own without
bolstering it with sentences of fawning admiration
to make projects appear buoyant on the page.

Paul, instead, takes the trouble to tell stories
behind the homes' creation using relaxed, informal
language to describe the likes and dislikes of
clients as well as quirks of the landscape that
provide a setting for enjoyment of their
investment. The approach is both entertaining and
instructive. She includes the following in a chapter
on "Decatur Island Haven" by George Suyama
Architects:

"In the mid-1990s, while flying over the San Juan
Islands, designer Christian Grevstad's instincts led
him to alert his pilot that they were off course and
lost. As the pilot corrected the flight path, Grevstad
glanced down at a flowering meadow sitting atop a high
bluff. Below him lay the site he had envisioned for his
ideal island getaway. He headed for Seattle, where he
did the necessary footwork, and found that the price
was right."

Grevstad may enjoy a vexingly privileged lifestyle,
but it makes for a cool story.

This must be one of the best travel guides I've ever read. The author apparently wrote this book based on extensive personal experience since there is a ton of information contained in the book that one would not know unless one has actually travelled to those places.

Highly recommended !

A very helpful guide for driving up or down my favorite coast in the world! Doerper takes you almost mile by mile - was particularly helpful as I drove from Sebastopol up to Menocino, heretofore undiscovered country for me. Galen Rowell's photographs have always been a treat. His death was a real loss, but at least you can tour the CA coast through his eyes in this book.

I liked this book enough to buy Doerper's corollary for the Pacific Northwest to use this year:)!

I bought this book before traveling from San Francisco down Big Sur (about halfway), and it has great coverage of the Big Sur coast, the Santa Cruz area, and San Francisco.

Costal California is more than just a guide book to the California coast. A first glance, Galen Rowell's spectacular photography, 25 full-color maps, wine labels, and historical photographs tell you that there can't be a better illustrated guide for this local. When you start to read this book, you find that it is more than just travel data. John Doerper writes, "The California coast is as much a state of mind as it is a place. Its people, and the stories and myths they have woven around this magic coast, are as captivating as the spectacular scenery." He obviously kept this thought in mind as he wrote this inspirational , entertaining, and expert guide.

This is not your typical tour book. The author is more interested and making you know about Las Vegas then telling you about it. Las Vegas is made tangible and not just rated in terms of good or bad.

The typical tour book stuff is here including hotel rates and restaurant reviews. However, if you want to know more, it's there. It provides description of hotels as well as details their history. Every subject is handled in this manner as well making the book feel more like a narative.

There are small excerpts from popular authors for even more perspective. Perhaps, perspective is the right word for this book. The reader is treated to a point of view and not just vague recollection of facts and figures. This is the first tour book I ever read cover to cover.

Though it has some slow parts, over all it is a great quick history / guide of Las Vegas. Even if you've been there, you'll find amusement in some of the tales or info included. I did.

This is not your typical tour book. The author acutally suceeds in being entertaining as well as informative. Las Vegas is made tangible and not just rated in terms of good or bad.

The typical tour book stuff is here including hotel rates and restaurant reviews. However, if you want to know more, it's there. It provides the description of a hotel as well as detailing its history. In Vegas, even the hotels have personality. Every subject is handled in a like manner. This has the added bonus of making the book feel more like a narative.

There are small excerpts from popular authors for even more perspective. Perhaps, perspective is the right word for this book. The reader is treated to a point of view and not just a vague recollection of facts and figures. This is the first tour book I ever read cover to cover.

Though it has some slow parts, over all it is a great quick history / guide of Las Vegas. Even if you've been there, you'll find amusement in some of the tales or info included. I did.

How good is this book? Another guidebook recomedns reading it! This book gives great insight into the history of Las Vegas as well as the individual hotels. While it is a little short on specific information, this guide more than makes up for it with specacular color photography and well written articles. A must read for those who want to know more than what the Chamer of Commerce or the Convention and Visitors Bureau will admit.

I work in tourism, so I'm required to know all I can about Vegas. Castleman's Las Vegas is more than another guide. It can be read like an exciting novel that you don't want to put down. Or it's index makes it a quick reference tool. It's all here. History, the characters, the gaming, the hotels, weddings, maps, side trips, bargains - everything in a good size to carry and read on the plane.

By the time you land, you will feel like a Vegas veteran and save time and money.

Besides a great read, this book is worth the price simply for the fantastic photography.

I had never been to Vegas before, and a friend of mine loaned me this exact book. My dread of this vacation soon became one of excitment. I took the book with me, and we did tours (Hoover Dam and two city tours) that we wouldn't have without it. The book was a great, great help! It is easy to read, fun to follow, and I even read parts that didn't apply to me. I enjoyed the trip very much and plan to go back next year. It tells you when to go to save money, what the weather is like, what each hotel is like---it was much better than the tour agency I counted on to book the trip for me. There is plenty to do there besides gamble!!!! I had a strict budget for my companion and myself and we didn't even spend that, we were so busy. Take the recommondations to heart and have fun paging threw this to learn and enjoy before you go. Then write me! I found myself at ease when there and I would be glad to answer any questions you have! I was not a believer before I went, and now I want to make it an anual trip! Get this book and GO!

Las Vegas is one of the most visited cities in America, and this book is a great reference. I got this book right after I went to Las Vegas for the first time and planned all my future trips around it. Admittedly, everything in Las Vegas changes every six months, but there are a lot of websites and references to find more information at the end of this book. The subjects covered in this book include how to get there, where to stay, where to eat and drink, basic gambling, and most importantly, where to shop. They do a lot of categorizing of hotels and entertainment which is good, for example, telling you which activities are good for children and which are fun for wild party people in their 20s. This book also hits on some of the lesser known attractions, and gives you a good idea of what kind of things you'll enjoy seeing (and what things will be a waste of your time). There is also a lot of invaluable advice found in these pages. Despite the "idiot" title, this a smartly written and well put together book that will appeal to a variety of people. Don't leave for Las Vegas without it.

This excellent book not only saved us time and money...it told us about wonderful things to see & do that neither my travel agent or freqent visitors knew about. It's easy reading, funny, and very informative. I've given copies for gifts to people planning a trip to Las Vegas. Our copy has dog ears, many yellow highlighted areas, worn pages which proves it's well worth reading and re-reading. DON'T LEAVE HOME FOR VEGAS WITHOUT IT !

I had been to vegas one time before, but wanted a new experience this time. This book showed me the ins and outs of the city..from cheap food to the best place to sing kareoke. It helped me expand my horizons beyond the slot machines. Making for a more well rounded, and fun trip. Easy to read, and very informative.

I would highly recommend this book for the diverstiy of interests covered. The internet addresses and contact people have changed, so that is a bit annoying, but I realize the book was written a while ago now. I can't wait to connect!

This is not a guide book, rather is is a life-style guide on how to expand your interests and meet new people of similar interests. The authors help give you a way to balance your harried work life and find other things to do (and hopefully meet cool people with similar interests). The research is very thorough (groups and places many San Franciscans have not heard about) -- where can you experience the flying trapeeze?, where do beekeepers meet?, you like model railroads?, whale watching?. I didn't count them, but there seem to be at least 693 entries. Great book -- well worth the price.

For me going out and meeting people can be uncomfortable. I bought CISF and went to several of the organizations listed in the book. I couldn't believe how easy it was for me to fit in and have a great time. I'm going to at least one new place a week now.

Like everyone else I know who has purchased "Connecting in San Francisco," my copy is book marked throughout with "stickies". Sure, as a San Franciscan for six years, I knew of a number of groups and activities. For me, the most fun was learning about the ones I didn't know existed and new groups I wanted to join. I have tried many new pursuits, which have become part of my weekly routine and have vastly enriched my life. Along with recruiting friends to join me in these activities, I have acquired new friends. Most of what I have done required a minimum investment of time and money and the rewards are enormous. It's also interesting to note that this book is of great value to visitors and those who are just in the city on a temporary basis. Many listings are "drop-in" activities like two of my favorites: The San Francisco Art Association's First Thursday Gallery Nights and the free rollerblading lesson and rentals offered by Marina Skate and Snowboard. No matter how obscure you might think your interests are, you will find something in this book. And the joy in trying some new things is in discovering another side of yourself. The authors have done their research. The activities have been great fun and the environments very welcoming!

I bought the book because i need the names of the fishes in the caribbean, where i dive now, and i thinks that it is a very nice book, very usefull and with a low price.

I bought this book since I am a volunteer at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia. This book is a tremendous resouce especially in the Tropical Diver Exhibit which has many species of tropical fish. It is helpful in identification and lists the fish by scientific as well as common names. I would highly recommend this guide for fish identification, and many of the volunteers use this guide as their resource as well.

this one is a real must. if I had to choose a single fish ID book to bring along in a dive trip, this handy book would be the one. it is probably more usefull for indo-pacific fishes but also atlantic/caribbean fishes part is pretty good. i guess it is the most complete book on fish identification i ever bought.

An amazingly well done flied guide useful for even advanced fish enthusiasts and scuba divers. I have used this book on dive trips to the Egyptian red sea, the sea of Cortez in Mexico and to Cuba, as well as while walking trough several aquariums in the US, and I have hardly ever failed to find a tropical fish species I observed in this book. The illustrations are well done and include juveniles, sex differences and regional color variants. In addition to the geographic range of a species, the likely occurrence on the reef (lagoon, outward reef, sand ...), the depth ranges and information about fish behavior are indicated. I have found this additional information extremely useful, especially when trying to identify one of several similar species.

The book is divided into a Indopacific and a Carribean part, and in addition to the species descriptions there is a short general introduction to corral reefs and fish biology.