Excellent and informative.

For those interested in California history beginning with the days of Spanish & Mexican settlement and continuing through the 1890's, this is an excellent book for the price. It covers a myriad of subjects, such as the mission days, the landscape of early California, mining operations, logging, early San Francisco, Southern California, etc...

The book is a collection of 33 different articles, essays, and stories, which were compiled and edited by Frank Oppel, although he did not write any of them. Most of the stories were originally written and/or published from 1870-1900. The majority were published in periodicals of the 1880's & 90's--for example, Harpers New Monthly Magazine, Outing Magazine, and Everybody's Magazine. The other stories are either memoirs, letters, essays, or first-hand accounts of early California written by settlers & pioneers. There is an interesting summary and description of the missions of Alta, California, written by General Vallejo in 1891.

Other subjects include the story of the Utica mine; pioneer Spanish families; San Francisco in the early days; logging in the Redwood forests of Mendocino County; the orange growers of Southern California; gold mining in Coloma,and many others.

Perhaps the best feature of this book, in my opinion at least, are the wonderful illustrations, of which there are many throughout. They are reprints of original plates, and add very much to the "old-time" look of this rather modern book.

The one shortcoming, I think, is that there is no bibliography of source material. On the first page of each individual story, only the name of the author or the title of the periodical in which the story first appeared, is shown. There is no other information presented to confirm whether the particular story in question was a first-hand account,fiction or non-fiction, etc...For some of the stories, it is obvious, such as the essay by General Vallejo. Of course, one simply assumes anything written by him on early California, is! non-fiction, first-hand account. But for some of the stories, it is not so obvious. Further explanation could have only enhanced the quality of the book.

All in all, though, I recommend it highly for all lovers of California history.

This is a great book - a must to put on your cabin bookshelf. A compilation of 26 articles from various magazines from the turn of the century (1892 to 1909,)it is heavily illustrated with prints and line drawing from such greats as Frederick Remington and Arthur Heming. Retrace the journeys of trappers, voyageurs, and adventurers in the Canadian Wilderness.

Before the Germans killed historical writing by trying to make history a scientific process, there were guys like this one who really brought it alive and make us care. This book is riviting. It has haunted my dreams and sparked my imagination since I read it many months ago. I will never be the same.

In the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad,a civilized man goes native and aboriginal in the heart of the Congo jungle.Is it possible the same thing can happen to an upright man of the law in the democratic confines of Prospect Park? In this entertaining and edifying novel the author explores the shared theme imaginatively and very inventively illustrates a decision facing the law man who lives as an outcast in an abandoned den of the park zoo. Would he be able to feel the languishing, redemptive power of the once beautiful park dedicated to the bioethic of a tamed Nature?The author evokes the once civic innocence of the park and its present parlous state to evoke scenes of idyllic beauty,wanton vandalism and crime.Between these antagonists lies the fate of the law man. Will he live by the letter of the law,or will he succumb,like Marlowe,to the credo of the Talion Law. ? An urban man,or urban savage?AS I describe the read it seems a bit"heavy". On the contrary,it is fast moving and gripping ,and worth your readership

While some of the information on equipment and guides is a little dated, this volume contains a wealth of information on tarpon, where to find them, and how to fish for them. Enjoyable, easy reading with lots of practical advice.

Having gulped the second and third volumes of Jo Bannister's Castlemere CID series in 24 hours, I am dizzy with admiration for this first-rate author. CHARISMA's plot includes a serial killer, a traveling preacher, the IRA, and a drug ring. A TASTE FOR BURNING includes a pyromaniac, a fascist-turned-animal-activist, a police cover-up, and the relationships between fathers and sons. Both are well-plotted and well-written, but that's beside the point. What makes this series a winner are its wit, its grit, and its characterization. The humor is dry and ironic. The portrayal of CID work in a small depressed British town is gritty and realistic; it is the very opposite of the cliche British village mystery--more like a small town version of "Prime Suspect" (the Helen Mirren series on PBS). The characterization is superb, especially the three sleuths: Chief Inspector Frank Shapiro, Inspector Liz Graham, and Sargeant Cal Donovan. Each is distinct, interesting but realistic, likeable yet flawed, and their relationships with each other and other characters are no small part of the appeal of this series. Readers of British procedurals ready for a dose of contemporary reality as well as readers of American procedurals ready for a jaunt abroad should enjoy this really well-written series. As for me, I'm going to buy #1 (A BLEEDING OF INNOCENTS) and #4 (NO BIRDS SING) immediately, and #5 (BROKEN LINES) just as soon as it gets into paperback!

I am an elementary school administrator who purchased this book as a gift to my school's Teacher of the Year. It is a great resource of educational quotes by Teachers of the Year from all over the United States (mostly national and state winners, but a few system winners as well). The quotes are organized by topic. Imagine my surprise to find numerous quotes from my state's former Teachers of the Year, whom I've personally met. I'm sure you'll find names that are familiar to your area. The quotes constitute a good mixture of the positive and the negative aspects of education. You'll find humorous anecdotes, inspirational passages, and heart-rendering recollections... What I love about this book is. . . .it is not filled with words of education experts or critics, these are the words of teachers - the best of our profession! And overwhelmingly, these teachers LOVE what they do. A great read, a great gift!

This book was ghost written by well known children's author Linda Mark. It is well written and teaches math in a way that incorporates faith. The book does a good job of teaching problem solving skills.

I was searching for a book that would explain the concepts of telecommunications in terms that I could understand. I am a pilot, not an engineer... After some searching I came across this book by Mr. Panzarino. It is superb! The book is divided into three sections. The first being a splendid and easy to understand description of networking and telecommunications equipment. The second section is devoted to an examination of personal computers, traditional voice equipment and local networking. (Quite frankly, I found this section to be worth it's weight in gold.) Section three gives us an interesting look into future telecom technologies.
Mr. Panzarion's work is to be commended. It takes an exceptional talent to make such a complex subject both easy to understand and enjoyable to read. The book is very well written and equally well illustrated. I particuarly enjoyed the "timetables" of historic events, as they graphically illustrate the speed at which this technology is evolving.
I highly recommend this book and eagerly await Mr. Panzarino's next effort!