Gerald Durrell's books have touched the hearts of naturalists for decades and I admit that I have only become a fan of his in the recent years. I was introduced to his books through my local used bookstore, where I was looking for copies of James Herriot's books that were not offered at my local bookstore, and decided to pick up a few and try them out.

His stories have a incorporated a vivid energy and hilarity into his passionate memoirs of unique nature experiences that will entertain any nature-lover. While some of his scientific practices may now be considered obsolete, we are given a rare glimpse into the love and respect for all things living that has been a core aspect of any naturalist throughout the ages.

I have since bought as many of Durrell's books that I have been able to find, and treasure each and every one of them.

Gerald Durrell spent most of his life collecting interesting animal specimens and Durrell is an interesting human specimen himself. His well chronicled life (mostly chronicled by Durrell) begins with the hilarious, and very succesfull, "My family and Other Animals". It is ably followed up with the equally hilarious "Birds, Beasts and Relatives". Both books are full of tales from the Durrell family's years on the Greek Island of Corfu, pre WWII. Little Gerry dives right into the flora and fauna of the island, including its human fauna. I own very few nonfiction books with such a plethora of memorable characters. Now, of course, we get to the volume in question. It is plenty good, and worth multiple readings over years, as is "The Overloaded Ark" and several other books detailing trips to collect animals. A word of warning, don't go nuts and buy all the zillion Durrell titles. Some of them are out of print for a reason and were most likely dashed off by Durrell to finance a collecting trip or two...

I would seriously recommend this book to anyone on the planet. Do you like nature? Read this. Do you like animals? Read this. Do you like humour? Read this. Are you someone who appreciates a good book? Read this. You will come away knowing lots of interesting facts about obscure animals,have sniggered your head off, and with vibrant images filling your head. This is an autobiography jam-packed with laughs and description.

I have heard several people say that they felt great conflict in their religious lives and that learning about the bible from Dr. Ralph turned them around. Dr. Ralph helped them come to terms with the misinformation or mis-interpretation they've been suffering from. Dr. Ralph's views are not her own. This approach to scripture is not something new. In fact, it is the contextualist approach to scripture that the Catholic Church teaches and has been teaching for years.

An excellent read for recovering ex-athiests like myself. If your an athiest or agnostic who is considering Christanity, I highly recommend it and Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism by John Shelby Spong. Addresses all the important questions about the Bible in a calm, rational, erudite, and non-condescending manner. A must read for Christian apologists as well.

Ms. Ralph gives an excellent exposition of the genres in the Bible. Her discussions lead to a deeper understanding about what the Bible is trying to teach about the relationship between God and Man. It is a text type book so that it is at times a hard read. It is not for casual reading, you'll fall asleep while reading it if you are looking for a light read. However, if you are after the knowledge, it is a very worthwhile effort.

I just finished reading Battleslave by Ralph Askew. Just by looking at the cover, I wanted to know who this person is. The character, Chrisinda Balderack gave me an inside view of someone torn between serving her Galaxy, as she is being trained to do, and caring for the members of her regime, which is forbidden. It is interesting to read about how enemies eventually become friends, and how that friendship creates one of the best groups of battledroids the Galaxy has ever seen. The ending leaves the reader wondering what happened? This book is written for anyone. If you like science fiction, military history, or human relations, then this is definitely worth reading. I can't wait for the sequel.

I just finished reading Battleslave by Ralph Askew. Just by looking at the cover, I wanted to know who this person is. The character, Chrisinda Balderack gave me an inside view of someone torn between serving her Galaxy, as she is being trained to do, and caring for the members of her regime, which is forbidden. It is interesting to read about how enemies eventually become friends, and how that friendship creates one of the best groups of battledroids the Galaxy has ever seen. The ending leaves the reader wondering what happened? This book is written for anyone. If you like science fiction, military history, or human relations, then this is definitely worth reading. I can't wait for the sequel.

I just finished reading Battleslave by Ralph Askew. Just by looking at the cover, I wanted to know who this person was. The character, Chrisinda Balderack gave an inside view of someone torn between serving her Galaxy, as she is being trained to do, and caring for the members of her regime, which is forbidden. It is interesting to read about how enemies eventually become friends, and how that friendship creates one of the best groups of battledroids the Galaxy has ever seen. The ending leaves the reader wondering what happened? This book is written for anyone. If you like science fiction, military history, or human relations, then this is definitely worth reading. I can't wait for the sequel.

1. The book is very easy to read (i.e. readable). 2. The book clearly defines the duties & responsiblities of the key players of the publishing (circulation, advertising, finance), editorial (editors, writers), and production (production manager & assistants) sides in magazine publishing.

This book is highly recommended not only for those looking for careers in the industry, but also for startup publishing companies that need a clear-cut explanation of what a publisher, editor, copy editor, art director, etc. need to do.

This is a must read for anyone who is already in or thinking about the publishing field. Mr. Monti's experience is evident throughout.

Ralph Monti gives us the inside story of what it really takes to succeed in the magazine publishing business... no matter what your interest: editorial, advertizing, circulation or production, Monti supplies both hard-to-find information plus helpful lists and contacts.

I highly reccomend this book to anyone considering entering the magazine business.

"Prayer Rugs" by Ralph Kaffel was a pleasant surprise. Instead of just another pseudo-scientific rehash of someone else's field work Kaffel has presented us with a lesson in connoisseurship. All too often someone will read all the literature and present their distillation as fact. In "Prayer Rugs" Kaffel show us his sources and when there is disagreement he shows us the differences in opinion. In the discussion of Daghestan Prayer rugs he even gives us the opinions of auction house specialists such as Mary Jo Otsi and Jo Kris. This book is not ethnology or anthropology it is about collecting Caucasian Prayer rugs and in the light it gets a solid 5 stars.

This is a intricately researched and excellently illustrated book on a subject where good informative material is hard if not impossible to find. The author obviosly knows his subject and weaves the history of the region together with a thorough examination of Caucasian Prayer rugs to create a book for both the novice and the serious collector alike. Use it for your own research or put it on your coffee table.

This is a really informative book on Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Comprehensive data on this subject is not readily available in other rug books. Text includes a brief history of trade and rug weaving in the Caucasus in the 19th century, but my favorite feature of the book is the quality and selection of the color plates of the various types of prayer rugs discussed in the book. I learned alot from it.

This is a great resource book for students of the first centuries of Christianity. The selections come from sources with differing points of view (Christian, Jewish, Pagan and secular) and the author gives enough background that you understand the possibility of biases in the ancient authors. Most useful for lay persons who do not have ready access to a good library of religous sources.

Primary sources for the history of the first four centuries of Christianity within the context of the Roman world are difficult to find, widely scattered, and general unknown outside of a specialized cadre of scholarship. Now Ralph Novak interweaves these primary sources with a narrative text in Christianity And The Roman Empire: Background Texts that provides the reader with a single, continuous account of these crucial first centuries of Christianity's development. Through the use of primary sources, Novak shows how the government and people of Rome perceived the treatment of Christians within the empire, as well as the manner in which Christians established their political and religious dominae after Constantine the great came to power. Christianity And The Roman Empire is a superbly researched, written and presented contribution to the study of early Christian history during the first four centuries of the Common Era.

Christianity and the Roman Empire:Background Texts is designed for undergraduates,seminarians, and the general reader in early Christian history. The book contains approximately 250 selections from literary texts and archeological materials dating to the period of 27 B.C. to 416 A.D. These materials were selected to explore (i) the ways in which the early Christians were erceived and treated by the imperial government and the many peoples of the Roman Empire, (ii) the social and political interactions between Christians and the surrounding pagan culture, and (iii) the means the Christian emperors of the 4th century used to consolidate Christian dominance in the social and political life of the Roman Empire. Unlike most source books, however, which merely reproduce the sources or discuss only aspects of the individual sources, in Christianity and the Roman Empire: Background Texts the ancient texts are inserted at the appropriate places in a historical narrative of the history of the rise of Christianity in the Roman World during the first four centuries A.D. The narrative provides both an overall historical context for the sources and specific discussions of the relevance of the sources to the larger narrative history, while the primary sources allow the reader to examine the evidence used to reconstruct this history. The ancient materials presented in Christianity and the Roman Empire: Background Texts are generally reproduced at greater length than commonly found in most source books. A primary goal of the narrative text is to direct the reader along the path of the majority historical consensus without being so intrusive as to obscure the majesty and power of the ancient materials themselves. I have attempted to present the materials in such a way that this book could serve as both a useful adjunct to the work of other scholars in the field and as a stand-alone history for the non-specialist reader. Christianity and the Roman Empire: Background Texts consists of approximately 320pages of text, organized into six chapters and 5 appendices. Chapter One is a brief introduction to basic historical methodology for dealing with literary texts. Chapters Two through Five contain a chronologically organized historical narrative, with ancient sources,describing the rise of Christianity during first four centuries A.D. Chapter Six is a case study of the way in which Christians came to dominate the political life of Alexandria, Egypt during the period of approximately 350-416 A.D. The five appendices examine topics more appropriately examined on a topical rather than a chronological basis, and cover the subjects of Rome's relationship with Judaism during this same period, pagan accusations of Christian immorality, the worship of the Roman emperor, the formulation of the Nicene Creed, and the evidence concerning the dates for the birth and death of Jesus. The book has both primary source and subject indexes.

Jerry Krause has put together a great coaching book with articles contributed by the greatest coaches in the game, covering all aspects of the game. A "must have" for any coach or player seeking a higher level of knowledge of the game.

This book covers it all. From developing your coaching philosophy to Junk Defenses. I have used it to teach 15 year olds a full court press to 9 year olds the basics of footwork. I have over 15 books on basketball, yet this one never seems to make it back onto the shelf.

This and the 5-star basketball drill book are the only two books you will ever need as a coach!

I have read many books on basketball, but this is simply the best. It takes the coaches and their specialties so you know you are getting the best advice ever. An example is John Wooden and the high-low offense and Jerry Tarkanian talking about pressing defenses. You will definately get your money's worth in information.

Ralph's descriptions are so real that I felt the heat, tasted the dust and puckered when there was a danger of getting shot. It was better than a movie. I was afraid to put it down for fear something would happen in the story and I'd miss it. I hope Ralph Cotton is around and writing for a long time

Ralph Cotton did a real good job describing the land and the people, the way they both played a role in shaping the life of William Bonney and the misguided insurance salesman. I especially like "Quiet JAck" Smith and wnat to read more about him

Ralph Cotton has chosen a character dear to my heart. His protagonist is, albeit an outlaw, a reluctant one. In this series of misadventures, Jeston Nash is perhaps best known as a man tryiing to get by during a time when a dollar was hard-made

If anyone wants a good introduction to the debate on eschatology, written by a former dispensationalist fundamentalist, then this is the book to get. It is quite short, but still not trivial, by any means. This book will help you see the importance of eschatology in your practical everyday life.

This is for anyone who wants to read something simple but to-the-point on what the Bible has to say about how history ends. It looks at the issue from a profoundly Biblical point of view and shows why we can trust in the victory of the gospel on earth. No matter who you are, this book will benefit you.

This brief, pithy introduction to the debate among a-, pre- and postmillennialists does far more than simply rehash the standard arguments. It shows how the biblical teachings on the covenant are importantly related to eschatology (i.e., Christian doctrine concerning the future course of history). To outsiders, and perhaps even for some Christians, debate over eschatology may seem like the equivalent of arguing over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, but nothing could be further from the truth. The author says it best in his introduction: "How we view eschatology not only determines our view of history, it also determines our view of everyday life in the present age. What are we living for? What kinds of goals ought we as Christians to pursue? What is the ultimate meaning of our labor in history? To be specific, should we invest our time, money and labor in projects that may take over 100 years to complete, that require sophisticated knowledge and technical ability, and that 'preach the Gospel' in a far less direct manner than passing out tracts? Is the ultimate meaning of our historical labor simply found in the number of people that we win to Christ, or does educational, scientific, artistic, political, and industrial work have ultimate meaning for a Christian also? These and many other questions that touch our daily life find their answers in our eschatological beliefs. It is this connection with everyday life which makes the eschatological debate inescapable -- for without answers to future questions, we cannot know how we ought to serve God in the present . . . " Another point recommending this book is that the author tries to set out his hermeneutic (interpretative) principles clearly and to give a biblical justification for them. Finally, the gentlemanly tone is commendable. The author went through a major transition, from espousing dispensational premillennialism to a postmillennial covenant theology, and he takes pains to avoid any hint of ridicule or disdain for opposing viewpoints -- he's been there himself.

Ralph Wiley is a Genius.his writing is on point&very honest.it pulls no punches about Race&the injustices.the Book hits you with Humor but also Realness that can't be ignored out here.a very important read.

The book was a scream! It was full of anecdotes that most of us as Blacks folks have experienced. The stories were funny but they were also disturbing because so many of the situations were blatantly racist. Black people do have to shout just to be heard. Then people wonder what all the shouting is about. This book is an easy and fast read. You are left shaking your head but with a smile on your face.

The book was provacative. It clarified issues for me and helped me to see the fallacies in our culture. Ralph Wiley is my favorite author and contemporary voice. Problem is that now I live in the Midwest and I can't catch Powerpoint. He is the bomb!