Australia Books

This book has really changed my life. Thanks for the helpful tips, Johnne says I'm much better after having read your book!

I am very happy to say that I have had Dean Hill as my snowboard instructor in Aspen, CO for the past 2 seasons and he is the best! Just got the book and it is very easy to follow and makes sense. Dean really has a great passion for the sport and it shows in his book and in person on the mountain.

Great job Deano! I really enjoyed reading through it and as would be expected from you it's increadible.

Good one!

It is obvious that this book is written by someone who is passionate and has made snowboarding a huge part of their life.

The content is clear, technical and written with a full understanding of all facets of snowboarding.

The writter has a unique talent for relaying technical knowledge to others in a way that is easy to understand and that will expand your mind.

I am a new science teacher. I have found this book to be a necessity in my classroom. In talking with veteran teachers, they also see this book as vital to any biology teacher. It is easy to use and provides many innovative ideas.

This is one of three essential source books that includes A Sourcebook for Elementary Science and Geology and Earth Sciences Sourcebook (out of print). Professionals in business, science, engineering, agriculture and K-12 & university education keep these sourcebooks close at hand. These are the "how to" methods of science. You are cost-effective by efficient use of equipment, glassware, reagents and specimens. I regularly give the Sourcebook for the Biological Sciences as a gift to those I work with.

After majoring in biology decades ago, there are only two books that I did not sell. This is one of them. It is truly a "keeper". As a science teacher, I continue to find it useful every year.

The wealth of information encompasses such diverse topics as the solving of biological problems using the chi-square, the making of stock solutions (for example, Lugol's solution), examinations of onion cells, the testing for Vitamin C content, field classification of conifers, and the culturing of live animals in the lab or classroom. The latter include earthworms, daphnia, hydra, Drosophila, and brine shrimp.

A great resource for science methods and information.

I loved the entire Well of Echoes series. I picked up Geomancer while on vacation in Canada a few years back, and loved it so much that I ordered the rest of the series (Tetrarch, which wasn't available in the US at that time, then Alchymist and Chimaera) from Amazon UK. Ian Irvine writes fantasy that doesn't fit the traditional fantasy mold. No junior heroes with undiscovered powers, no evil bad guys, elves, dwarves, magical swords, or anything else that you've already seen a hundred times before. I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for something new and different and wonderful.

the well of echoes quartet is the best book series i've ever read, i've nearly finished the chimaera and im sad that the story is ending but it is good that nish's tale continues.
From the moment i started i got sucked in and felt like i had become part of the story

Best books in the world
congratulations Ian Irvine

This is a great book, the first book was good but this is even better. I'm just starting to read the third book. This book has everything you ask for in a book. It's just fanastic!

Tetrarch is the second book of 'The Well of Echoes' tetralogy. Sanethar is inhabited by old humans as well as creatures out of the void when the Forbidding was broken centuries ago. The old humans, unwilling to share their world with another species are at war with the 'monstruous' lyrinx (intellegent creatures who have mastered the art of flying using the Secret Art). This book focuses on the main character, Tiaan, a young woman who posesses extraordinary skills in the art of Geomancy. Being the holder of the highly sought after Ampliment (a priceless crystal used in the making of Clankers, as well as for Geomantic purposes), making her the main target of her pursuers - human and lyrinx alike. This book continues with Tiaan's remarkable journey, as well as the tough choices she is forced to make.

What I think...
I have always been a fan of Irvine's books, mainly because he is a fantastic Sci-Fi author. Looking back on the previous books he has written, I believe that Irvine has greatly improved on his style of writing and what he puts in his books. Although I cannot deny that the first book of his tetralogy 'The View of the Mirror'(A Shadow on the Glass) didn't quite make a lot of sense, I have to congratulate Irvine on his fantastic story weaving in Tetrarch. Once you start reading, it's almost impossible to put the book down. I even carried this book to all my classes so that I could sneak in a bit of reading whenever possible!

This is a great book that deals with coming to terms with family rules and boundaries. It also has images about going to the hospital and getting stitches. A fun read.

This book has been the favourite in our house for a long time.It has been read so many times, it is known by heart. A great book to share with the 3-8 year olds.

Simplicity with layers underneath is the essence of a picture book and this book has both. I don't want to read War and Peace with our kids. I want to share a story which seems simple on the surface, is heaps of fun, but which gives you something to talk about with your kids. Our children both LOVED Hippo on the Roof and they came back again and again to the concept of the kid's alter ego having all the freedom she craved. They even picked up on the fact that the cake and other things she wanted were not always that good for her. (I swear I didn't coach them...) Lots of kids have imaginary friends, not many of them have hippos on their roof. I bet they wished they did.

In my view, this book is about power and sorting out boundaries.Being a little kid sometimes makes you feel powerless: everyone is bigger and can do more things than you. Imagining yourself , or an ally , to be equally or more powerful is part of growing up. It is also fun to imagine a world where there are no limitations e.g. you can eat cake all the time. And instead of being scared by noises at night on the roof, it is much more comforting to imagine that it is your big powerful friend, the Hippo. That's why kids love this series of books about the cake-eating hippo.

Thrump-O-Moto is a wonderful book! I have been reading it since I was old enough to read, yearly at least. An epic storyline, delightful art, and heart warming message. It proves that miracles can happen, but they are never very easy. As a child, it was a children's book about adult things like life, death, and heroism, which is why I love it. Its a pity there aren't more books like this jewel.

This is a beautifully illiustrated and written book for both children and adults. It is touching and inspiring. It brings home the important lesson of never giving up and helping to fight the good fight against an illiness or other evil.
Takes place in Australia and Japan and a fantasy land.
Charming and lovable characters.
Enchanting and inspiring.

I bought this book for my children for Christmas in 1988. It was so beautiful in word and pictures that I bought a second book so that each of the children could have their own book. It's story of the wizard "Thrump O Moto and how he saves Patricia from the evil "Nurk-u the Bad is so delightful. I always wanted to find the address of Steven Spielberg as I felt it would have been a wonderful movie only Spielberg could have writted for the screen.

Clavell's Thrump-O-Moto is nothing short of a literary masterpiece. This fantasy begins with a lazy rural afternoon and leaps across continents and through time warps with a most informal and personal accessibility. The possibilities of friendship, the comparison of cultures, and the thrill of adventure all contribute to create a most fantastic story. The illustrations supplement the flowing text like frosting on an already luscious cake. Clavell's marriage of detail and whimsy make for characters and places with an endearing, enduring reality all their own. Ideal for preschool and young elementary children, Thrump-O-Moto may require a few laptimes for tots with short attention spans; but don't be surprised if when you finally reach the end, you are asked to begin the adventure all over again!

My 11 year old son loves this series of books. He has read all 3 and thinks they are very funny.

My 9-year-old son enjoyed this book a lot. It is quirky and funny, and pleased a fussy reader!

My 10 year old son has read all the Toad books and loved them. He is not a book lover either...wish there were more.

My 9 year-old son and I read these books together and fall apart in fits of laughter. Just good, clean fun!

What a fantastic book! I had no idea dogs played a role like this in the war. Whether your interested in war, working dogs or just want to read a great story i would recommend this book. Pete describes perfectly the innocent nature of a dog even in these extreme circumstances. I can't say enough good things about Tracker's so just pick it up and enjoy.....

wonderfully written book of the australian involvement of tracker dog teams in vietnam...thousands of allied lives were saved through the relationship built by the tracker dogs and handlers, together with the scout, sentry, mine, tunnel, booby trap, and other military working dog teams...over 4,000 dogs and in excess of 10,000 handlers kept our troops safe....the lives of our allied military forces depended on the trust built between handler and dog....

I love books written by people who have been in the working dog field with dogs such as Service Dogs of the Police,Military working roles. I personally find books written on the obedience trailling and Schuzhund competitions basically repetitive and in the main, boring.

Service work and associated training to me, is the real world of dog training, I enjoy competition and encourage people to compete.But I get tired of the never ending waffle of the best way to train involving food, toys, clickers, working in drives etc.

This book is excellent taking one into the real world of extreme dangers of the Vietnam war. Well written, reviting, and refreshing after the waffle of other dog books.Well done Peter. ...

I have read numerous books about war dogs. This is by far my favorite. I was totally engrossed from beginning to end. The book will make you laugh and a few pages later make you cry. Mr. Haran's accounts of his experiences in training tracker dogs for Vietnam, and doing two tours as a dog handler in the "J" (jungle), really bring home the effectiveness of man-dog teams and illustrate the deep bonds that develop between the two forged under fire. I can't say enough good things about this book. If you are a dog lover, or if you're interested in war dogs at all, you should read this book. You won't be disappointed.

This book documents the sexual perversion, physical abuse, and gratuitous cruelty inflicted on defenseless boys as young as seven years old by Irish Christian Brothers in the Mount Cashel orphanage for homeless boys in St. John's, Newfoundland during the 1970s-80s. It is also the story of a massive cover-up perpetrated over a period of some fifteen years which involved high ranking justice department officials as well as the chief of police.

It is a tragic story, which doesn't have quite the ending which I would have liked. Why, for example, were no public officials ever punished or, at least, dishonored for their corruption? And, where was the well deserved lynch mob which might have at least frightened the perverts and abusers when their long delayed time for justice finally arrived? And, why didn't the punishment for the `brothers,' once convicted, fit their crimes as did that of the priest in Louisiana who was sentenced to twenty years at hard labor without the possibility of parole? And why, for God's sake, did they only investigate what happened in 1975 and, even then, only allow the testimony of the eight boys questioned in that year? Surely, there were lots of other boys being sexually abused and tormented long before and long after that year. And, just as surely, there were other `Christian brothers,' yet unnamed, who also deserve punishment. And, finally, why didn't they reinstate the well intentioned cop who got drunk and tried to break the story ten years earlier?

This is a hard read, partly because of its subject matter but mostly because it is so meticulously documented. This, at times, makes for tedious reading. But, if you want to learn just how deviant and cruel even a respected man can be, and just how devious and corrupt public officials can become, then this is the book for you. But don't expect to see the justice you might have hoped for, for in this case justice was denied - at least denied the children.

The author did a lot of work in writing this book. His research was accurate but his findings were often off the mark because he just didn't understand some of the nuances. He painstakingly went over all the data, included accurate quotes, and came to mostly accurate conclusions. Unfortunately, some of his conclusions missed the mark. A good effort. He should be congratulated for his effort if not for his conclusions.

i lived through a similar orphanage childhood in artane school dublin city ireland,1949-58.owned ,run by the same religious order,the irish christian brothers.cruel wicked evil beyond my own ability to put into english language.i wish mr harris would make a docu-drama narrative about artane industrial school thank god for courageous journalists and publishers.

Having grown up in newfoundland and being present there while the Mount Cashel scandal came to light and underwent inquiry, I can assure the other reviewers that this book is indeed truthful. The circumstances the book describes are so incredibly shocking that I can readily understand why readers would have skepticism regarding its basis in reality. That just makes the story so much more worth reading.

Waiting For Daylight: King Ranch: Images From The Past is a marvelous showcase of full-color photographs taken by Janell Kleberg from horseback while working cattle in South Texas, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia. Descriptive captions add insight to the moving images of ranch and animal herding life. Providing the reader with a unique suspension of the ever-present flow of time, the beautiful scenery, the hard-working horses, and superbly documented images of everyday life create and unforgettable window into the lives of dedicated men and women employed in the hard but rewarding work of ranching.

This is a great book documenting the life of people in a harsh environment. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in not only spectacular photos but unbelievable descriptions of the photos.

Waiting for Daylight is a wonderful coffee table book that highlights the joys of ranching which only someone with a broad background in the saddle could write. Janell Kleberg also has a great artistic touch seen in the many photographs that are sprinkled throughout the book.
Having been raised on the King Ranch do Brasil, Kleberg's book brought back many memories. She has done a wonderful job of capturing the many locales of King Ranch operations outside of the USA.

The authors name is Janell Kleberg, not Janell King.
Janell captures the people of ranching. The images are taken while she worked side by side with the men and women of King Ranch. Photos were taken as she worked horseback on the various operations including Brazil,Texas,Argentina,Australia and Venezuela.The images are of a time past 1970-1990. Tio Kleberg

Bought it more than 5 years ago and we've covered only a third of the walks in this excellent book. Good details - could do with an update esp the maps. Otherwise, still quite user friendly/relevant.

I discovered an earlier edition of this truly great book in my local book shop and have since walked most of the walks in both the earlier and this current edition. It has to be the bible for anyone wanting to experience the joys the State of Victoria in Australia has to offer. The track notes are concise, yet easy to follow and are accompanied by useful maps for each walk. The publishers would be advised to re-think their layout designs as the book has a decidedly old fashion feel about it, BUT this does not detract from the usefulness of the book. WELL DONE MR THOMAS !

A diverse range of hikes for all grades of walkers from families to hard-core adventurers. Includes contour maps for each hike as well as photographs and illustrations to accompany the comprehensive route descriptions. The destinations include the Australian Alps, the magnificent Grampians, Wilsons Promontory and Gippsland. Sixty of the walks are with 60 miles of Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria. Introductory chapters include advice on equipment, food suggestions, first aid, etc etc.