Clubs Books

For Executive's Only is a valuable career resource. The authors provide a practical and actionable plan to not only find your next job, but more importantly, find out what your next job should be. This is far more involved than a typical self help book that gives resume pointers. The book walks you through an entire self assessment and career targeting process that is based on Strategic Planning processes used every day in business. The punch line - Why put any less effort or strategy into building your personal career?

A quick read - I read it on a plane trip - that can provide years of useful advice.

Bill Belknap has been a consultant of mine for several years, and his pithy, straight-forward style is embodied in this book. I would describe it as a "see the forest through the trees" perspective on self-assessment and selling oneself. Whether it's selling a product, consulting services or oneself, Bill's perspective is high level, to the point, and action oriented. Very useful!

Anyone in a job humting mode will find this book chock full of great advice. Not a 'cookie cutter' approach, it challanges the reader to think outside standard hunting techniques that could cost thousands through outplacemnent firms and ties them together in an easy to read and apply philosophy. Well worth the investment.

The Five O'Clock Club strategy shows you how to build an entire cadre of self-marketing tools for the job search including the all important, attention-grabbing resume. Advice is specific and down to earth with great examples. You'll swear they walked in your shoes. Carol O'Brien

If you've just heard that your department is being reorganized, or you've simply had one too many bad days at work, order this book rush delivery and set aside the next night for an easy, practical and inspiring solution to your next job search.

I was able to get through the book in one night, and then start the next morning out of the box with a solid game plan, knowing exactly where to start on my search. There's no fluff here, just a straightforward guideline of what to do the first day, the first week, and on through negotiating your offer and starting your new position on the right foot.

This is not a self-help book; this is a tactical guide emphasizing strategic planning. It suggests one should dedicate the same energy, research, preparedness, long and short term organization, and confidence that we give to any presentation or business initiative to our search for the next great career move. And in doing so, just as you'd never suggest your firm enter a market you didn't truly believe in, you should only consider industries, companies and managers where you're certain your values and skills will be a successful fit. "So here is your challenge: don't settle for just a "good job". Plan for a great job. And to plan for a great job means you must seek work where and how you will perform best." This really resonated with me, it is true that for every work challenge I'd prepare vigorously, anticipating questions, laying out a timeline, etc. but I was not giving that same level of attention or forethought to my job search.

It's hard to believe that such a quick read can encompass 1) a confidence-building and eye opening assessment of your past successes and interests, 2) a reminder of the importance of a whole-life balance (if your life outside of work is neglected, your job performance and morale will inevitably suffer), 3) the importance of finding a firm that supports your core values, 4) clear steps towards researching your target industries and firms, 5) a manageable networking plan including great ideas for new contacts ("my mother in law plays bridge with the mother of the CEO of ???") 6) the importance of and how to hone a polished answer for the interview question "so tell me about yourself" 7) and - boy do I wish I'd done this before signing on to my last job - performing due diligence on your new manager, and your manager's manager.

This book is a winner, intelligent and savvy, and laid out in a way that reduces job search anxiety. You know exactly what should be on your to-do list each day, and how to tell if you're staying on course, and if not, how to steer it back in the right direction. Even if you think you know everything there is to know about finding your next position, buy this book. I guarantee you'll have many "aha" moments, many reminders of what you've been doing right, what you can do better, and a winning crib sheet for any aspect of your search.

This book has been checked out from the library at least 10 times before we found a copy of our own. We also have another David Peters favorite in "Strange Creatures", and can't wait to get a copy of our own. I only wish that someone would put out a new edition of the books, so we could get them new. With the scale pictures, and the wonderful drawings, it keeps our 8 year old reading for hours (and it has since she was 5). If you get a chance to get your hands on one, grab it.

This incredible book first caught my eye in the school library when I was in 4th grade; this same book is now found fascinating by my children ages 6 and 7. The illustrations are beautiful and the text is written in a way that even a young reader would understand. I find it really saddening that the book is out of print, because I would really like to replace the well-worn copy that I have handed down to my kids. Trust me, this is a book that you can certainly pass down for future generations to enjoy (no exageration)!!!!

This is a book that transcends generational barriers and age barriers in language and content. I got this book when I was eight and the way Peters fluidly coalesced extinct and extant creatures into one book influenced my entire outlook on life! I still refer to the book in university now that I'm an ecology major.

This book, although texted for the 10-15 yer old reader, is excellent enough to be enjoyed by readers of all ages. It briefly examines all manner of large creatures, both extinct and living, and by full-color, scaled drawings, with a man and and woman for visualization, shows how truly huge such things as apatosaurs and blue whales really could be. One of the interesting features is that each and every creature is drawn in the same scale, so such things as triceratops and modern rhinos, and mammoths and elephants and tyrannosaurs, may be compared. You will receive some surprises. I recommend this book to all readers.

When my boys were in grade school, they LOVED this book. Now they are in high school and college and they still love it! It is filled with wonderful illustrations drawn to scale and an informative easy to read text. A delightful book for all ages.

i love this book if your a guinea pig lover its a must. if your not familiar with the series its about this girl named mandy and her parents are vets. in this story there having a animal show and mandy and her friends want to enter there guinea pigs but 2 of the guinea pigs gets sick well they live to see the show?!?! find out in guinea pig gang

Animal ark books are amazingly brilliant. Although I've only read one I'm eager to read more. When I bought this book my mum thought I was too old for it, she said it was for younger children but I think not matter how old or young you may be if you love animals you'll love animal ark books!

Guinea pig gang is absolutely amazing,at least that's what I think. I love animals and this book was just the thing for me to read at the poolside on holiday or in my bed in fact,anywhere. I totally loved that's why I deciced to review it for my school essay it was so brilliant! I just want to say the author did a wonderful job,well done! It definately deserved the 5 stars I gave it!

I totally agree with that one review, it doesn't matter how old you are if you love guinea pigs, or just pets in general you must read this book! I wanted the book for Christmas, I love guinea pigs and I'm 26 years old. The cover is too precious! I just had to have it! This story introduces to people to what wonderful pets guinea pigs really are. This is a wonderful story about friends who have a passion for guinea pigs. I highly reccomend this story for any age. Kristy-guinea pig owner for almost 20 years!

Mandy and James meet a girl in their class named Lisa, who says she has a guinea pig, but she won't join the guinea pig gang. Mandy and James find out that the guinea pig isn't Lisa's, it's her sister Jenny's, but Jenny doesn't take care of her guinea pig. Will Lisa be able to get Jenny to give her her guinea pig, and join the guinea pig gang?

Once again, hats off to the author for a nice well written and well-translated edition. This book has a lot to offer if you open your mind. You can learn many wonderful things from reading this work, and it's a book that you can refer to everyday of your life. The Hagakure is broken down into many small sections, and passages with a lesson in each of them.

This book covers a wide range of topics such as: how to conduct yourself on a daily basis, to the way you should think, and the way you should view other people. Many examples I learned in my own life are found in this book, and it's nice to see that even though certain things are common sense - you can still read a book like this and receive gratification. Tsunetomo is 100% accurate throughout this book, and you get the feeling like you're receiving words of wisdom through a father figure.

This account shows you how to be a human being full of virtue and magnificent attributes. It conveys many qualities such as: listening to others and not relying solely on your own opinion, when to keep quiet and mind your own business, how to handle power, and knowledge, etc. This book discusses self mastery, loyalty, wisdom, respect, dedication, cowards, men of honor, and much more... Everyone can learn something from these short stories. This paperback is a little treasure, and should be treated as such. I would recommend this as required reading to a younger generation that seems lost in this modern world we live in today...Five Stars across the board...

One of the better translations of a seminal work in bushido.

If you ever feel that you need to second guess and think about what exactly the authors intended to say in the first place when reading translations of a foreign language texts, I can identify with you. I have bought other translations of Hagakure, such as Wilson's translation. I like Wilson's translations because he usually proivdes good introduction and for a while I thought his translations are the standard text, but then I came upon D. E. Tarver's transaltions largely through the positive comments made by other reviewers, especially the one who pointed out that Tarver transalted a section in the Hagakure as "...the way of the warrior is fufilled in death," instead of Wilson's transaltion which reads "...is found in death." I had puzzled what Wilson or Yamamoto Tsunetomo meant when he said that...hmmmmm....a case of inaccurate translation or there is a deeper meaning....hmmmmm

I have to admit when I saw Tarver's picture (a bearded smiling caucasion man in a jacket and white T-shirt) and his background (which is amazing but familiar like other martial artists in the US, like holding many belts ranging in diff style of martial arts) on the back of his book I thought he must be one of those New Age seeking/60s hippie/money lover/Bruce Lee fan again. But to my surprirse his transaltions are really clear and insightful.

I think he is for real. And I am glad I came upon his translation and thanks to that reviewer from Japan who pointed out the differece. The rest of his book is really well translated and for the first time I feel like Yamaoto Tsunetomo began to make more sense, so I think the problems I faced with other translations were indeed a problem of the transaltions not Yamaoto Tsunetomo.

This is just my opinion and I have read many translations of the Asian texts with transaltions or not, so hope this is helpful to you just as I was helped by that japanese REVIEWER...and sorry if I offend anyone with my stereotype of "bearded smiling caucasion man in a jacket and white T-shirt".....you know.....anyway

This translation of the book is the only one I will ever need. Sensai Tarver is a man of skill and kindness. He and I have shared correspondance and he has pointed me in the direction of finding a Ken Jitsu teacher. If you stumble apon his website MAKE SURE to take a moment and leave him a kind comment it will make him very pleased to see is work is appreciated!

Critical reading for anyone passionate about the martial arts. This book focuses on the ethical: compassion, honor, class, style, loyalty, grace and self sacrafice of the Samurai. At the same time "empty mind", controling a situation without thought, but with quick and deadly action. No tought of self. Budo. Filled with the ideology of lives lived in historic times, with drastic measures, suicidal to homicidal, that could never be accepted in MOST these 21st century cultures despite the justifications fo those acient WAYS. This awesome book is not only a non-stop read through, it's a glimpse into the past of a lifestyle that could offer remedies to many modern day issues.

Semper Fi and see U on da Mat uke...

This "coffee table" style book works for me because of my passion for golf and my love for famous golf courses. Linda Hartough may be the best landscape artist I've seen in rendering these classic courses with the precision of modern day photography.

What I really got out of this book was a memory recollection of playing a majority of these courses. Looking at these paintings I was thrown into the distant memory of playing Pebble Beach, Olympic Club (Lake Course), Carnoustie, St. Andrews (Old Course), Royal Lytham, Royal Birkdale, and Royal Troon. It was like de ja vu all over again!

Also worth checking out are the Augusta National paintings. This might be her finest work. I especially liked her work on hole #'s 10,11,12, and 15. Augusta is the best course in the world. Second to none.

If Linda Hartough ever publishes paintings of the century old courses of Ireland, in particular the courses designed by Old Tom Morris and Alister Mackenzie; I will buy it. I would really like to see her render and paint the "classic" Irish courses of Ballybunion, Lahinch, Ardglass, Royal Portrush, Newcastle, and Royal County Down. Those classic links style courses are some of the finest on the earth.

Hallowed Ground is a beautiful book, capturing spectacular locations from the greatest courses in both America and the United Kingdom.
Included in this hardback collection of art by Linda Hartough is the fabled 7th hole at Pebble Beach, and many holes from Augusta National's Amen Corner. Pieces on each course by Jaime Diaz highlight battles that have taken place on the fairways, and give life to the paintings as showdowns on 18th greens are described.
What makes this book interesting is that when you see the life-like paintings and read about the classic golf that has gone on in that scene, you are able to put yourself in the picture. It is amazing to be able to watch the final round of the 1981 US Open just by reading this book.
To a true fan of golf, or anyone who loves a good coffee table book, Hallowed Grounds is a perfect edition to your collection. Buy this book today, and put yourself in the picture!

This "coffee table" style book works for me because of my passion for golf and my love for famous golf courses. Linda Hartough may be the best landscape artist I've seen in rendering these classic courses with the precision of modern day photography.

What I really got out of this book was a memory recollection of playing a majority of these courses. Looking at these paintings I was thrown into the distant memory of playing Pebble Beach, Shinnecock Hills, Winged Foot, Olympic Club, Carnoustie, St. Andrews (Old Course), Royal Lytham, Royal Birkdale, and Royal Troon. It was like de ja vu all over again!

Also worth checking out are the Augusta National paintings. This might be her finest work. I especially liked her work on hole #'s 10,11,12, and 15. Augusta is the best course in the world. Second to none. Her painting here is some of her finest work also.

If Linda Hartough ever publishes paintings of the century old courses of Ireland, in particular the courses designed by Old Tom Morris and Alister Mackenzie , I will buy it. I would really like to see her render and paint the "classic" Irish courses of Ballybunion, Lahinch, Ardglass, Royal Portrush, Newcastle, and Royal County Down. Those classic links style courses are some of the finest on this planet and really bring back fond memories of my playing days.

This "coffee table" style book works for me because of my passion for golf and my love for famous golf courses. Linda Hartough may be the best landscape artist I've seen in rendering these classic courses with the precision of modern day photography.

What I really got out of this book was a memory recollection of playing a majority of these courses. Looking at these paintings I was thrown into the distant memory of playing Pebble Beach, Shinnecock Hills, Winged Foot, Olympic Club, Carnoustie, St. Andrews (Old Course), Royal Lytham, Royal Birkdale, and Royal Troon. It was like de ja vu all over again!

Also worth checking out are the Augusta National paintings. This might be her finest work. I especially liked her work on hole #'s 10,11,12, and 15. Augusta is the best course in the world. Second to none. Her painting here is some of her finest work also.

If Linda Hartough ever publishes paintings of the century old courses of Ireland, in particular the courses designed by Old Tom Morris and Alister Mackenzie , I will buy it. I would really like to see her render and paint the "classic" Irish courses of Ballybunion, Lahinch, Ardglass, Royal Portrush, Newcastle, and Royal County Down. Those classic links style courses are some of the finest on this planet and really bring back fond memories of my playing days.

I was fortunate to have the Golf Channel on a few months ago. Linda Hartough, the artist featured in this book was on with a few of her originals. I immediately purchased the book. After browsing the book 3 or 4 times, taking in her breathtaking artwork, I decided to read a few of the writings by Jaime Diaz on some of my favorite courses. The writings are as enjoyable as the artwork. This book should become required reading for anyone playing the game, especially for golfers new to the game. They would gain a greater appreciation for golf. Thank you Linda Hartough and Jaime Diaz

The Saddle Club's number one practical joker, Stevie Lake, has decided to reform. The only problem is, nobody believes her. Maybe that's why no one in the cast of the movie Stevie is shooting for school will cooperate. 'Cinderella on Horseback? Puh-leeese! It has to be a setup to make them look stupid and give Stevie the last laugh. That's when the stars of the movie-Stevie's best friends, Carole Hanson and Lisa Atwood, and Stevie's boyfriend, Phil-plan a few tricks of their own. They're going to show Stevie that what goes around, comes around. The only problem is, the jokes are having a ripple effect. Everyone at Pine Hollow Stables is about to get a taste of practical joking, Saddle Club style.

I thought that this book was really good. I recommend it for children 8-12 years or over who likes doing pratical jokes and if you like horses. It has a bit of romance in it between Phil and Stevie but that is all. This book definitely gets 4 stars from me!

This was an excellent addition to the series. the prank on stevie was enormous and I couldn't stop laughing when I read about her origional report fairy tale documentary titled SLEEPING BEAUTY. And she filmed her brother sleeping in his kiddie pajamas. This book was Great!

this book is great. It is a normal saddle club book. If you haven't read it read it. Stevvie giving up practical jokes? Yeah right!

This is the best book I ever read. And that part when Stevie said she was going to give up practicle jokes that is impossible.I just want Bonnie Bryant to keep up the good work.

At first I didn't think this would be a good book. Stevie giving up practical jokes is almost impossible! However, I was wrong, this Saddle club is terrific!Personally, Iloved Sleeping Beauty even if Stevie's teacher didn't!!!!!Suzan

This is my favorite childhood book. I am now 26 and was discussing favorite childhood books with my husband when he said he had never heard of Chester. I ordered the book, we read it together, and he's now a Chester fan too. Can't wait to share this with our future children!

In this book, I learned not to belive in what other people say. Chester was a wild horse, he lived with other horses out in the west. Chester wanted for someone to take care of him but the other horses said that it was better to be a wild horse. Then people with ropes came and Chester asked them if they could take him but they did not take him they took the other horses. So it is better to do what you want, not what other people say.

In this book, I learned not to belive in what other people say. Chester was a wild horse, he lived with other horses out in the west. Chester wanted for someone to take care of him but the other horses said that it was better to be a wild horse. Then people with ropes came and Chester asked them if they could take him but they did not take him they took the other horses. So it is better to do what you want, not what other people say.

In this book, I learned not to belive in what other people say. Chester was a wild horse, he lived with other horses out in the west. Chester wanted for someone to take care of him but the other horses said that it was better to be a wild horse. Then people with ropes came and Chester asked them if they could take him but they did not take him they took the other horses. So it is better to do what you want, not what other people say.

Chester really wants to be caught by the cow boys, but to his surprise they only want the wild horses that run away. this takes him on an adventure through town trying to find out what he can be helpful with. Easy to read story. Great for the beginner ready.

This book answered all of the questions I had about investment clubs. Written in a casual, easily accessible way, this book gave precise and detailed information about founding or finding a club.
In the book, you'll learn about what work is actually involved with club membership; tips on assembling a group of committed people to be in a club with (plus tips on how to deal with troublesome member issues); and how to find and use investment and investment club resources to learn more about investing and to help keep your club running smoothly.
Whether you are simply interested in what investment clubs are and how they work, or you are serious about starting or joining an investment club, this book is a clearly written and fun way to learn about clubs. By going through each step of starting or becoming involved with an investment club, by dissecting the language of the legal documents your club must maintain, and by providing examples of actual investment clubs, this book covers it all, and will be an invaluable resource for the life of your club.

I just got through reading a number of books on investing. I had heard of the investment club movement. I did not know much about them. This book is a gem.
True to the series, it does have a gentle learning slope; there is nothing overwhelming, no challenging concepts. But it does break down the process of starting and running a club into clear, manageable pieces. I now want to start a club!
The investment philosophy is compelling. I would certainly encourage anyone interested in starting an investment club to read this book.

A great book on all aspects of starting a club. This is just what some friends and I are doing now - and I am so grateful that this book is available. It serves as a step-by-step "how to". Plus, it has great information on avoiding pit-falls and keeping club life fun and interesting.

As usual with the 'For Dummies' books, this one takes it easy. You can read it pretty quickly, it starts out quite simply and builds slowly. You don't think you're getting as much information as you are until you've finished.

Again as usual, this book is written by a couple of people who combine personal experience with a casual relaxed writing style. (For what it's worth, I've tried writing like this and it isn't easy.)

Most of us thinking about investment clubs already have some investing experience and think that we might be able to teach the club a lot. Most of us learn that the other people in the club can teach us a lot. Investment clubs attract the advanced amateur who bring specialized knowledge, their own experience, and above all enough questions that you might have forgotten to ask to make it well worth your while.

Great Way to Get Started.

If your looking to start an invesment club - This book is a MUST have! Already have an invesment club - This book is a MUST have! It will prove to be helpful and informative for new and existing clubs. This book along with information provided by the National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC) will help clubs become successful, long-term investors.

Jessi is accepted to Dance New York for a three week time span. She feels sad about leaving her friends but when she gets there she feels she's in another world. After three weeks is up of dancing at the acadamy she given a chance to dance there permanently now she has two choices stay with her friends or follow her dream.

Jessi is going to New York. There she will dance in ballet. But does this mean it's the end of the BSC.

This is the first book about Jessi since book #103 Happy Holidays, Jessi. It was really good though. Jessi gets accepted into Dance New York, a excellant ballet school. She gets to work with one of her heroes, is reunited with Quint, and makes great new friends! Jessi love living in the city and has a hard time coming back. Meanwhile at home Mallory misses Jessi like crazy! Becca is furious at Jessi for leaving her. This book really tells you that home is where the heart is. I loved this book and I hope you do to! :)

In here, Jessi Ramsey, an eleven year old fantastic ballerina, is offered the chance for a two-week class in New York--a dancing class! Go Jessi! And it's away from school! So Jessi is psyched and all her friends in the Babysitters' Club will miss her but they are excited for her as well. When she gets to the city, she is reunited with an old friend and makes new ones, plus she's staying with her cousin and his wife. They're very nice to her. She also likes it that they're artists and her cousin's wife plays the piano! New York City is very exciting but everyone's waiting for Jessi at home--right? Plus Jessi wants to go back--right?

Wrong. Jessi is accepted to be in the full-time program for the experts and has a very tough choice to make: her #1 goal or her friends and family back in Stoneybrook, Connecticut? What will she decide to do?

Jessi is going to New York to do ballet. In the book, Jessi meets Quint and likes him. Unfortunately, Quint has a crush on Jessi and she has to go home.

This is essential reading for anyone interested in conservation and those who simply love nature writing. I read this book before reading "The Wild Muir". In comparison, this one is obviously a more thorough overview of Muir's life. Reading this book first makes "Wild Muir" more enjoyable....kinda like reading a novel before watching a movie based on it.

This Autobiography of John Muir was a look at the life of an amazing man. He was the type of writer that could take you to the place where he was living and make you feel like you were right there with him. His childhood experiences in Scotland and the farm life of Wisconsin formed the basis for how he viewed and related to the rest of his life and those around him. He was a world traveler who looked through the eyes of creation to observe ecology and invention. As a world traveler I also observe through the eyes of creation and as a native Californian I have had extensive experience hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada's. John Muir's writing style took me back to the places I have loved and remembered.

A great writer writing about great things - you'll feel like you're in the middle of the Sierra yourself. Endlessly enjoyable.

"American forests! the glory of the world!"
- John Muir, 1901

Of all the extraordinary men and women that have made our nation great, one stands above all others for his dedication to preserving its unequaled natural beauty: John Muir. Founder of The Sierra Club, this lover of the western forests' legacy to our generation is the National Park system, through which millions of acres of unique ecosystems have been set aside for everyone's enjoyment.

"Muir: Nature Writings" is a collection of the writings of this Scottish expatriate who first stepped foot in America in 1849 as an eleven year old brawler and budding naturalist. Blessed with a childhood mastery of Latin and Greek as well as a discerning and disciplined eye, the learned boy possessed a poet's heart, a scientist's mind, and a theologian's soul. A genius, who as a teen whittled precision wooden scientific instruments, Muir used his diverse skills to vividly portray nature's life and death struggles on his family's Wisconsin farm in "My Boyhood & Youth." Here we find Muir learning to swim by observing frogs or recollecting the mindless slaughter of the Earth's most numerous bird, the now-extinct passenger pigeon, a forlorn tale that foreshadows the conservationist he was to become.

While in college polishing his mechanical skills, Muir was detoured into studying botany. Dropping out to make powered tools for factories, an accident left him rethinking that detour; he forsook the factory and walked across America. His journey led him to the Sierra Mountains, chronicled in "My First Summer in the Sierra." Now working as a shepherd, Muir drove his flock through Yosemite while making detailed nature studies. Marveling at the natural beauty of the land he would eventually champion as one of the first National Parks, Muir wrote: "We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us. Our flesh-and-bone tabernacle seems transparent as glass to the beauty about us, as if truly an inseparable part of it, thrilling with the air and trees, streams and rocks, in the waves of the sun, - a part of all nature, neither old nor young, sick nor well, but immortal."

Muir's writings here run the gamut from analytical to thrilling. In "Stickeen", the author and a canine companion cheat death while stranded mid-storm between crevasses of an Alaskan glacier. (A self-taught authority on glaciers, Muir would eventually have one in Alaska bear his name.) "The Mountains of California" is an in-depth look at the geologic formations, plants, and animals of the region. In this piece, he tells of being stuck on the side of volcanic Mt. Shasta, staying warm in the bitter cold by nestling up to steam vents. Muir also laments the loss of the vast meadows of the San Joaquin Valley as he discusses how to make a living post-Gold Rush by raising bees for honey.

What makes Muir so unique when compared with today's environmentalists is this belief that we can live in harmony with Creation if we take simple steps to prevent despoiling it. In "The American Forests" he wrote: "No place is too good for good men, and there is still room.... Every place is made better by them. Let them be as free to pick gold and gems from the hills, to cut and hew, dig and plant, for homes and bread...." Muir's balanced view of Man's place in the wilderness overwhelmingly reflects his Christian faith, for he never fails to stand in awe of each living thing God has made. That our government leaders were so swayed by Muir's writing attests to the power of his "holy" persuasion. All of us are indebted to John Muir's single-minded devotion to America's wilderness.

("Muir: Nature Writings" is part of the Library of America series. This diverse collection of the writings of great Americans ranges from sermons of early American preachers to analysis of the Vietnam War. The works of Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, Flannery O'Connor, and James Thurber are but a few that comprise the series. An invaluable lookingglass into the heart and soul of our nation, this collection is essential reading for anyone who longs to know what makes America unique.)

John Muir was one of the founders of the early 20th century conservation movement and godfather to today's environmentalism. This collection of three books and shorter works demonstrates the reason. Muir's description of the natural world is at times scientific, at others spiritual. Here nature is not some remote thing but the living manifestation of God's love. This is not a religious book as such and yet he finds that all parts of the natural creation from rocks and mountains to trees and animals have inherent within them a life force which makes them precious. Humans are neither removed from nor a "higher" part of nature. Muir shows that we are part of this larger whole - a radical concept when he proposed it and radical still. Muir set the standard in calling for preservation of the natural world. He was a genius as an inventor and scientist and, in addition, is one of our finest writers ever. These collected Nature Writings are simply beautiful and wonderfully presented in this Library of America edition.