I say that because, well, I just can't think of a word to describe how I feel about this book. This book was written in 1949, but John Myers Myers writes SO WELL that you'd think it was written in the present-day if you didn't know any better. I constantly found myself devouring it in 100 page gulps. Unlike nearly all other fantasy novels that are serious, this fantasy novel is intentionally humourous. The main character, Silverlock, finds himself stranded on a strange continent called The Commonwealth. As he journeys with his friend Golias, he meets up with MANY familiar literary characters. The literary characters and references are scattered through the book, but John Myers Myers doesn't stick with any of them very long. That way they don't go stale or get too much attention. There are TONS of humorous situations and poems in this book that will make you perk right up. Tolkien may have been a good poet, but JMM was just as good and sometimes far better. After reading a flood of formula-fantasy, this book is very fresh and rewarding. It downright shocks me that so few people have commented on this book. Please, do yourself a favor and buy this book IMMEDIATELY.

Read Silverlock while in High School and all your college Literature classes will be infinitely better! You can play spot-the-cross-reference as you follow Shandon on his exuberant journey, but the most fun is just sitting back and enjoying the ride. This book is about the journey of one man's soul from narrow unconsciousness to zest and life, and it does the same for the reader. You'll immediately want to go out and find an adventure!

I got my copy years ago and after having read it dozens of times it is badly worn. I found this site in my search for a new copy. This is simply the best work of fiction ever produced. Myers creates an entire world to challenge and capture the imagination, populated with both well known and obscure characters from all throughout literature. They are wonderful to recognize in this new context, and there is not a dull moment to be found in these adventures. This book will make you feel truly alive, and see the world around you with new awe and appreciation. Nothing compares to Silverlock. I urge you to demand as loud as possible that a new reprint is made- the world needs Silverlock!

Newer books have been written based on more recently available sources, but this book stands the test of time. It is based on solid research, it doesn't spend entire chapters digressing into, for instance, the ins and outs of the Bowies' business dealings, and it keeps speculation on the motivations of Travis, Crockett, Bowie and Santa Anna to a couple of paragraphs each. Any speculation is just the author's guesswork, and I find Myers guesses to be kept more brief - and more to my personal taste - than, say, William C. Davis' in "Three Roads to the Alamo". It has been said that a revisionist is one who, lacking the notion of honor in his/her own character, cannot understand it when encountered in others. While Myers examines the actions of the three main personalities in a journalistic manner, the enormity of their patriotic sacrifice is never deprecated as is the fashion in modern, revisionist historical writing.

This book remains not only the best single volume on the siege, it provides a great introduction to the historic and social melieu of the era for those seeking to understand the background of the Mexican-American War. -

Mr. Myers wrote this book in 1948, and based it on careful research into the facts as they were known at the time. THE ALAMO is a story of heroic men, dedicated to the cause of freedom, sacrificing their lives willingly for that cause. Bowie, Crockett, Travis, and all the others with them, were the stuff of legends, and as such we should remember them. This is a story to rival THE ILLIAD in its nobility of character and cause. Sadly, later research has shown that these giants were, like the Trojans, at least partialy the product of myth, and their cause was not quite so noble. But this in no way detracts from the telling of a great tale, and, if the men of the Alamo were not quite as tall as we imagined them, they were still men deservant of our admiration. They died for what they believed in, and this is their story, from the first man who ever bothered to compile the whole thing in one place.

Although written in 1948, John Myers Myers "The Alamo", proves that he did his homework well way back then. As a result, the factual conclusions he arrived at the time of his writing, dovetail with those arrived at in later years by other Alamo authors, including Walter Lord. Myers writing presents the subject in a historicly accurate manor, but at the same time with the wit and insight of a newspaper editorial, bringing it to life on a human level.

A great, easy to read arguement that we are creating our own demise to profit in the short term. Theo has had a daunting task and put together the pieces of scientific evidence into a timely work of art that questions the side effects of our daily practices. I'd love a sequeal for personal and corporate change that would, of course, only slow the possible outcomes of our daily lives and of those wonderous creatures which have no choice inhabiting and inheriting the tainted sphere with us.

This book is a must read for all who are concerned about improving their own quality of life and that of our future generations, as well as preserving life in every facet. It is our responsibility to pass on this information in whatever capacity we are equipped to do so.

For anyone who is concerned about the state of the environment this is a must read book. Well written and researched this book fills in the big gaps regarding chemical pollutants in our water, soil, and air. This isn't a cheerful book but perhaps with the data presented more people will become involved in cleaning up our planet through cleaning up our industrial sector.

As a teacher of permaculture design I have found this book to be an invaluable resource!

A layman needs a good guide when on tour of a new territory, whether that be a museum, a literary genre, or a country's heritage. In David Pearson's and Les Beletsky's 485 page ECUADOR and its GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, they present a book that is as good a guide as a layman could hope for, not just for exploring Ecuador or its Galapagos Islands, but for getting to know much of the fauna of Amazonian Latin America. The text is professionally written, yet down to earth and not infrequently humorous. The famous entomologist J. Henri Fabre once wrote, "Others again have reproached me with my style, which has not the solemnity, nay, better, the dryness of the schools. They fear lest a page that is read without fatigue should not always be the expression of the truth. Were I to take their word for it, we are profound only on condition of being obscure." This approach to scientific writing - being informative without being pedantic - allows writers like Pearson and Beletsky to fill the reader's heart with wonder while still often bringing a smile to his/her face.

With Ecuador being one of the most biologically diverse countries on earth, it is impossible to create a book that is both comprehensive and brief. The authors have gone for middle ground, covering the portion of Ecuadorian wildlife that is of interest and/or likely to be spotted by the ecotraveller to Ecuador. There are 96 color plates (with 5-6 animals illustrated on each one), several pages of color photographs, an excellent chapter - with maps - of Ecuador's National Parks and Bioreserves, a section on Ecuador's geography and habitats (e.g., Lowland Wet Forest, Mangrove and Coastal Vegetation) along with drawings illustrating several major plants in these regions, and 200 pages of animal descriptions under the headings 'Amphibians', 'Reptiles', 'Birds', 'Mammals', 'Insects & Other Arthropods', and 'Galapagos Wildlife'.

As an Ecuadorian resident, I have found this guide to be an excellent aid to identifying and understanding the natural history of the country. The book was both informative and fun to read, and I can highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about this wonderful area of the world.

I have just returned from those Enchanted Isles and found Beletsky's guide omnipresent, dog-eared and tightly clutched in the sea-salted hands of many a visitor. I am surprised that the Sea Lions and Blue Footed Boobies did not have their own copies!

This guide is a truly indispensible accessory for those fortunate enough to have visited those Islands of wonder and enchantment. It is also a great whetter of one's appetite! Other books have their strengths, but when push comes to shove, or in this case just going around..., one wants a thorough compliment to one's naturalist (to make all those notations when one gets back home, of course) and also a look into what is to come. Accurate and beautifully illustrated.

Actually, it's two books, Volume I and Volume II. But Professor John Myers' book EVIDENCE IN CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES is the single most complete, current, and balanced resource there is for information on this very important topic. John Myers' work has been cited by over 150 courts nationwide, and with good reason. I have been working in the field of child abuse and neglect for many years and have used this book extensively. It's not a book that every lawyer or judge needs to have individually, although that would be great, but it is a book that every law office and court (criminal, juvenile, family) should have in its library. It gives citations to cases throughout the U.S., as well as to statutes. It reviews the literature and trends in this very area. And, of course, it gives the insights and assessments of Professor Myers on MANY areas of evidence that affect child abuse and neglect cases. This book is simply an invaluable resource for lawyers and judges working in the child abuse and neglect field, whether they be prosecutors, defense attorneys, children's attorneys, or judicial officers.

Myers provides an excellent resource for practioners in the area of child abuse. Also includes citations to court cases addressing evidentiary issues.=

This is the greatest book I ever found about ancient ship painting. It took me such a long time to find this kind of wonderful book. It is a must buy for a marine painting lover or artist

The clarity and color of the reproductions of marine paintings in this book are nothing less than superb. While the individual styles and, to some extent, the specific subject matter of the five artists vary, I find it impossible to single out any one of them as being "better" than the others. Each is a highly talented artist who brings the past to life in a most convincing manner. While men-of-war are probably the most frequent subject of the paintings in this book, merchant vessels and ships of exploration and even of pleasure are not neglected. It is pure joy to just leaf through this volume and gaze at the wealth of images. Anyone who is fascinated by the sea and sailing ships cannot fail to be enchanted by this book.

One of the best, most practical books on customer service I've ever read. A "must-read" for all managers and owners who want to excel in a competitive market.

Excelent in the away it introduces you to the world of advertising making it easy for a smart student to learn!!! Its also good for professionals as it shows new ways of "doing bissiness"! I recommend it for anyone with the least interest in marketing.

The amazing tale of Anne Marie left me unable to move from my chair until I had absorbed every last word. The dialogue is straight forward and true to life, the descriptions are not overly lengthy but rather simply descript. You flow through the story as if you were an observer priveledged enough to walk in the characters shadows, never willing to miss a detail.

I have recommended this book to whomever I come across with a book in hand. Having read Maple Dale and Favored to Win, other books of the authors I think it is safe to say that her writings are extroidinary and honest. If we're lucky, MaryAnn Myers will share with us many many more wonderful stories.

MaryAnn Meyers new book is a good little book to read on a winters day. It had just enought suspense to keep me turning the pages. Her characters were so likeable and human. Ann Marie, Danny, Miss Colorado, the veteran, Rosalea and the girls at the end kept me wondering what there stories were. (The makings of another book Ms. Meyers?) That pink prom dress certainly held alot of secrets. Ann Marie was typcal of a young women making it on her own in todays world, struggling with a domineering mother, a job, paying bills, rent, and taking care of herself. Everything came together in the last chapter in New Orleans, Mrs. Meyers knows of what she speaks. The ending was a happy one, which I like in a book.

The Frog, the Wizard and the Shrew is another wonderful book by the Author Mary Ann Myers. I have read several of her other novels and when I saw this one I had to have another book for my collection. Her writing style is what I like most about Mary Ann Myers. I know when I buy her novels I am insured I will enjoy the story from cover to cover. The characters and "props" (I'll call them without giving away their signifigance in this story) are loving and fun. This story also will take you on a journey to a city and state of great culture and notarity. You wouldn't want to miss out on the experience and "taste" of a wonderful French cultured state. I would recommend this book to be read by the young and old. Pick a cozy comfortable spot, make a cup of your favorite drink and be swept away for a wonderful adventure.

If you want to know how old-time sailors did things, this book can tell you in impressive detail. For a sailor on a tall ship from the last century and a half, however, most of this book is irrelevant, and could better be replaced by Eagle Seamanship (at a fraction of the cost).

'SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources'(c.1984) by John Harland, is probably one of the most informative and valuable collections of useful knowledge on sailship handling in the late 20th century!

A major value of this work is its ability to answer the questions developed during today's contemporary square rig sailing. It fully explained why sailboats are pulled by the wind and not pushed (Bernouilli's Principle); the advantages and disadvantages of square rig sailing over fore & aft sailing (downwinds & length of luff); why large square rig ships don't need a center board (a shifting of CLR, CG, & G); or why all sails were never set on a square rig when simply cruising (courses don't draw in a well).

The book is punctuated with pen & ink drawings as well as period photographs and deguerrotypes of ships in the act of a sail evolution or other shipboard activity. And in a time period where photography was not yet invented, the author used contemporary paintings of vessels to demonstrate an aspect of ship handling. Going further back into history, the author delved into the archeological record to demonstrate the origin or existance of a ship component pertinent to his ship handling argument.

SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL further provided continuity answers as to why sails are shaped the way they are; or why the steeve of the bowsprit was lessened over time. The book gave valuable points on how to rig a ship while underway; how to rig the stun'sls; how to rig the braces, lifts, tacks, sheets, clews, and bunts; how to raise and lower heavy sails; how to bend sails to the spars; how to box haul or club haul the ship; and why the main topsail halyard is a heart attack waiting to happen.

Just as the serious and ambitious mate or deckhand in the 1700s was caught with a copy of Bowditch ('Practical Navigator') in his seachest; in the 2000s you can watch a mate or an ambitious O.S. walk up the brow to his sailship with a copy of SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL tucked under his arm. Despite its large size and bulk, this book is well worth taking along into the cramped crews quarters for an informed reading at night.

SEAMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF SAIL is a wonderful archive of esoteric sailship handling maneuvers, equipment, gear, and nautical science. The author has done a wonderful job in his research and has provided a great resource to all sailing ship captains and mates.

If you came here deliberately looking for this type of book, look no further. This is THE one you want. Now I know how to fish an anchor! I just wish the publisher had put the book into a size that more easily fits a backpack or a tote instead of making it coffee-table size.