This is a spectacular collection of photographs of one of the most beautiful places you can imagine...Truly "God's Country ", Idaho's diversity has been captured by Kirk Anderson in a magnificant volume showing the mountains, waters, and deserts of this special part of America. He has truly "discovered" Idaho!!

As a native Idahoan, this is the first book I have ever found that truly represents the entire state. Idaho is a very diverse landscape and a huge area to cover by any means of transportation. Kirk Anderson's commitment to intimately discover and share his Idaho journey is a gift to all who know or wish to know this beautiful state. The photography proves to be of the highest caliber. Great !

Idaho is a state of geological extremes that range from a desert moonscape to towering mountain peaks, to urban city landscapes. Photographer Kirk Anderson fully and vividly documents the diversity and beauty of this diverse and sometimes surprising state through a spectrum of color photography that presents memorable (and often artistic) portraits in its celebration. Idaho Discovered is a volume of spectacular, informative, entertaining, and highly recommended images that work wonderfully well to showcase the diverse landscapes. The accompanying texts by Frank Rowland and Clarence Stilwill are excellent frameworks supporting a truly remarkable photographic compendium.

From seaman recruit to a three-star general? What a tremendous achievement. And what a tremendous book. Petersen and Phelps (Phelps being one of our most important writers), has managed to take us to another level of pride and determination. Well done, Gentlemen. And thank you for it.

This is an important book for all readers who want to understand the history of this great Republic. Although he does not want to be known as the first black Marine aviator or the first black Marine general, Frank Petersen, nonetheless, occupies a signficant place in American history because of his achievements. He does not want to be known as a pioneer, a trailblazer, or a point man in the fight for racial equality; he wants to simply be known as a leader, and most of all...a loyal Marine. He served his country in far more ways than most people realize and in ways hard for many to comprehend. We are a better country -- a better Republic -- and certainly we have a better Corps because of the service of this Marine. This should be required reading for any academic or education course on the struggle against racial injustice and the triumph of perseverance, reason and a steady hand against the forces of prejudice and hatred. Semper Fidelis, Marine.

It's one thing to hear about how great someone is; it's something totally different to have met that person and to KNOW how great that person is. Lt. Gen. Petersen was my Wing Commander while I was stationed in Okinawa (Headquarters, G-3) during my '83-'84 tour of "The Rock." Though we chatted briefly on a few occasions after his afternoon workouts (yes, he ran daily with that bad hip), he helped me forge an extremely strong sense of duty and honor, and he has been a very positive influence in my life that carries on even today. What's great about the book is that it grabs you and dives right in, taking you on a spellbinding trip that explores the heart and soul of a true battle-hardened, no-nonsense warrior. It could also serve as a seminal work on the history of race relations in the military over the past 50 years. Readers will be thrilled, fascinated, and even brought to tears as they become one with the words which flow so well that it's almost as if General Petersen has a direct link to your brain. There is high drama on all fronts, whether it's in the cockpit of an F-4 Phantom sustaining 37mm anti-aircraft fire, or in the military courtroom showcasing some of the world's most notorious people. The story of Lt. Gen. Petersen's personal life and his career in the Corps will be very inspirational and highly motivating for anyone who reads it. What else would you expect from a Marine?

Semper Fidelis.

I read this book because I had a passing interest in the story of the doomed ship. What I found was a great tale of will and courage in the face of overwhelming odds. This book sparked my interest in polar exploration and the explorers. Shackleton's story is a great one that should be read by anyone with an interest in Man's triumph over nature.

Note, the reader should have some prior background of the Endurance, since the book starts with the ships destruction.

Frank Worsley begins his book just as he realizes that his ship Endurance is doomed to be crushed in the ice, and that's a good place to start, for the adventure was only about to begin. Worsley not only discusses the events of the Endurance expedition but his own adventures in WWI, during which his Q-ship rammed and sank a German U-boat, and his final expedition with Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1922 aboard the Quest. Read this, also read "Shackleton's Boat Journey" by Worsley, and of course Shackleton's own book "South." My only complaint about this new edition of Worsley's book is the addition of a preface by the tendentious, trendy, wildly overrated Patrick O'Brian, who clearly doesn't have the faintest idea what he's writing about. Read the original intro by Admiral of the Fleet Earl Jellicoe, ignore O'Brian, and learn what courage and leadership truly are.

You'll be embarassed to read this fantastic story of tremendous hardship and longsuffering hope as you sit in the comfort of your favorite chair or curled up under the covers in your bed. What a great accomplishment for these adventurers! How tough these men were! What a different era that was not so long ago!

I cannot imagine how they made it through the mess they were in. How is it possible to survive in perpetual cold and wet? The length of time they lived in the various components of this adventure, the amazing visual perspective and the power of nature at her worst which they experienced, and the strength of character and courage all these men exhibited combines to make a most inspiring tale --and it is all true!

I have always been attraced to artworks from that time that depict the frozen parts of the earth. Specifically, Frederick Church's painting of "The Icebergs", "The Aurora Borealis", and many other paintings of ships, ice, and wrecks by a variety of artists, as well as stories of exploration which have influenced me since my youth. Worsley's account of the Endurance has been a remarkable journey for me as well.

Skip the preface and foreward which give too much away --but read this book if you have any spirit of adventure within you! Prepare to be astounded at what we can do, at least what some of us can do when the need arises.

Jack Anglin

A first rule of thumb when approaching Cabell's 18-volume opus, the Biography of Manuel; every book will be about Cabell's relationship with his wife. Cabell is obsessed with marriage, and objectifies all of his female characters to fit one of his imagined female roles; nag, whore, or unapproachable beauty. Cabell's characters always return to their nagging wives, for familiarity's sake if nothing else, with never a suggestion that it might be possible to have a long-term relationship between a man and a woman in which both are creators and in which both learn from each other.

The book Jurgen is from the same mold. Jurgen the pawnbroker moves from one of Cabell's stereotypical women to another. The book became well-known because of the godawful sex sequences, in which Cabell archly refers to Jurgen's sword, staff, or stick -- the resulting call for censorship made the book famous, but that doesn't mean it was Cabell's best. I thought The Silver Stallion and, in some respects, even The Cream of the Jest or The High Place to be better examples of Cabell's writing.

I would recommend that anyone who likes fantasy read at least one of Cabell's books, because he writes like no one else. This book had the usual Cabell wittiness and sardonic feel, so if it's the only one you can find, certainly try it.

Early in his journey, Cabell's Jurgen comes to a place known as 'The Garden Between Dawn and Sunrise.' In the garden live all the imaginary creatures that humankind has ever created: centaurs and sphinxes, fairies, valkyries, and baba-yagas. Jurgen is surprised when he sees his first-love wandering around the garden, but his guide replies "Why, all the women that man has ever loved live here...for very obvious reasons."

Moments like this, simultaneously jaded and genuine, sentimental and cynical, are the most delightful parts of 'Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice.' Nominally the story of a medieval pawnbroker's quest to find his lost wife, 'Jurgen' becomes a bildungsroman in reverse as, on the way, its hero regains his youth and visits the lands of European myth, from Camelot to Cocaigne (the land of pleasure) -- each land shows Jurgen a way of life, and he rejects each in favor of his own sardonic stoicism, for he is, after all, a "monstrously clever fellow."

That phrase describes Cabell as much as it does Jurgen: the author is remarkably erudite, and, like a doting parent hiding easter eggs, drops in-jokes through the book on subjects as far-ranging as troubadour poetry and tantric sex. Cabell corresponded with Aleister Crowley in his day, and, in ours, is an influence on Neil Gaiman ('The Sandman,' 'Neverwhere,' etc.). The book itself caused quite a splash when it became the centerpiece of one of the biggest censorship trials of the early 20th century: something to do with Jurgen's very large *ahem* sword.

Social satire and an idiosyncratic cynicism in the guise of a scholarly romance-fantasy, 'Jurgen' is what would have happened if J.R.R. Tolkien and Dorothy Parker had gotten together to write a book.

In the 1920s, James Branch Cabell (rhymes with "rabble") was considered by many to be one of the greatest American writers, based on this novel. Tastes changed with the coming of the Great Depression; worse, Cabell never again came close to writing a book of this quality, despite his many attempts. Whether or not Cabell is a great writer (and I incline to the view that writers should be judged by their best rather than their mediocre works), Jurgen is a great book, full of insight and a joy to read. The eponymous protagonist is a middle-aged pawnbroker who is given an opportunity to relive his youth. In his travels he encounters, among others, Guenevere, the Master Philologist, the Philistines, his father's Hell, and his grandmother's Heaven. In the end he has an opportunity to question Koshchei who made all things as they are. I heartily recommend this novel. Although it is in an older fantasy tradition, it is at least as readable and enjoyable as the best contemporary fantasy, and its literary quality is far greater. I have re-read it many times.

A great story...the best book I've ever read...can't wait until the next one!

This was probably the best book I've ever read. I can't wait until the sequel. I read it all in one night - I couldn't put it down!

What a wonderful story! One of the finesest books I've ever read! Can't wait to read the next one!

This is the best book for birding in Costa Rica but it is far too big and heavy to be an ideal field guide. A pro birding guide in CR suggested buying the book, removing the illustrations and having them bound for use in the field. Guides at La Selva have the plates laminated in plastic and spiral bound for easy carrying. Since it is a expensive field guide I'd suggest buying a protective cover for it. If you don't want to carry the weight, Peterson's Birds of Mexico has many of the birds you will see in Costa Rica.

Just back from 2 week guided tour to Costa Rica. This was a tour featured as "Nature's Museum" and led by a trained biologist that was good on bird ID, though his time was demanded more for logistics and keeping everyone of our 26 tourists happy by hitting the majors such as monkeys, butterflys, and birds like Quetzels, Motmots, and Toucans. I found the Stiles and Skutch guide to be most helpful. Recommend that a new user, read all of the general information just prior to a visit to the country. Also read in advance, the descriptions of bird families and look thru the plates to get a feel for birds you might see. Then when in the field, you can easily scan the plates, and check out the narrative descriptions, including their habits and ranges. Though this was not a bird trip, we did pick up 150 species that we felt comfortable on ID and perhaps a dozen unknowns mostly because of only flighting glimpes. About half were first called out by the local guides and the others by ourselves with help of the book. I find this book's info. on bird ranges to be most useful especially for neotropical migrants for which our North American guides generally ignore wintering areas south of US. One note of caution, is that the color plates aren't always perfect, for instance the tree swallow is too green, the palm tanager a bit too drab, and variants are not shown. Looks like there is room for a next generation "Sibleyian" guide to birds in central America.

If you have a more casual interest in birds, you may be more happy with "A Pocket Wildlife Guide" for Costa Rica, published by Rainforests Pub.,... commonly available locally in Costa Rica. It has nice color plates of common birds, butterflys, reptiles, and mammals.

This is a lavishly illustrated book with all of Costa Rica's 830 bird species depicted in color on 52 plates. This is also a valuable book if you visit any of Costa Rica's neighbouring countries. The book is not only a field guide, but it is also a guide to birding in Costa Rica. The species accounts are highly informative and set out in a simple format. Although the plates are a bit cramped and the illustrations are small, they are clear and well drawn.This book is a must for any birder visiting Central America.

Too often the political process is something that takes place far outside our own lives, which is why voters tend to be either emotional partisans of their celebrity heroes or apathetic or cynical. Frank Kelly's understanding of one very human and accessible man, Harry Truman, made me rethink what the American Presidency is about. By interweaving his own lifestory with the Truman presidency, Kelly creates an absorbing drama into which we are all swept. He sees politics not as a game, but as the means to realizing a nation's highest potential. Yes, he is an idealist, but we have too few of those. Kelly's vision of one president and his world-changing decisions is transferable to every presidency. As we prepare to elect a new man to that office, there's no more appropriate reading for us than Kelly's book.

Here is a most readable and interesting first-hand account and association with one of America's great presiddents. Frank Kelly's book reveals the integrity and strong character of this man. As one of his speech writers, he had personal contacts with Truman and tells much about his life which could only be told from the intimate contacts he had with the President. He participated in the day to day presidential campaign which led to one of the most surprising and stunning victories any president ever had.

Kelly served as an assistant to the majority leader of the Senate in 1949 and early fifties, so he brings an accurate and authentic character of the man from inside the political circles. If you want to know close-up about this remarkable president from someone who "was there", this book tells it all.

Some of us know that Frank Kelly is a national treasure. He was a speech writer for President Truman and he continues his gift to us in his latest book, where he rekindles the hope and excitement of the Truman era.

Kelly brings to life the remarkable story of how an ordinary man, Harry Truman, became a memorable leader by rising to meet the terrifying challenges that he faced and conquered from 1945 to 1952. Kelly reminds us how much each generation has benefited from the Truman legacy with its enabling vision of the global human family. And how each of us can help all of us to..."achieve a decent, satisfying life that is the right of all people..." as Truman said in his 1949 inaugural address.

It was my great pleasure to read and re-live the Truman era through Frank Kelly's delightful and insightful prose. All of our politicians can learn much about how to be leaders and public servants from this excellent book.

I'd like to begin by saying that Serpico is a very great man. Without question he is one of my heroes. I respect his complete integrity. I think this book should be required reading. It shows the importance of integrity. However, I have one major criticism of the book. When Peter Maas wrote it, he had his own agenda. He wrote the book after he wrote The Valachi Papers. Valachi placed Italian-Americans in a negative light. So Maas wanted to focus on an extremely positive American of Italian descent. The only problem is that he did so at the cost of giving fair credit to other people who were involved. In the book and film, Serpico's former friend, David Durk, is reduced to a very secondary role. In fact, the book suggests that Durk's reasons for fighting corruption alongside Serpico are politically motivated. I've read other books about Serpico and Durk. Serpico was certainly incorruptible and a paragon of virtue. However, he would not have gone to the Knapp Commission if Durk had not persuaded him to do so. The two fought corruption together. A proper book would have been entitled SERPICO AND DURK. Maas story is quite exciting. Serpico was very much a street cop. Durk, on the other hand, although equally incorruptible, was a desk cop. They are both men of the highest caliber, and both deserve equal praise. Although I'm disappointed about the treatment of Durk, I still think Serpico is must reading. (P.S. Amazon, you should refer readers to Durk's biography, which is entitled CRUSADER. It's certainly not nearly as exciting as SERPICO, but Serpico does play a large part in the book.

Peter Maas artistically tells a story of a man who always wanted to be a "good cop." Unfortunately, the dream is shattered when Frank Serpico confronts wide-spread corruption in the NYC Police Department. The famous Knapp Commission is a result of Serpico's complaints about corruption on the force.

Unfortunately, Peter Maas's story could be told about many large urban police departments. Make no mistake about it, corruption, bigotry, and racism are all a part of law enforcement. It was the case back in the 60's - 70's, and it is still the case today. Consequently, Peter Maas's story about "one good cop" fighting a sea of corruption is still relevant today.

The story drags at times. But, otherwise, it is quick reading. It is definitely a story that needs to be read. Hence, I recommend this book. Police corruption is still a current topic. But, more importantly, Serpico's story is one of hope. At least there is "one good cop" out there trying to make a difference. And, knowing this, has made a difference in the way I view law enforcement professionals. That is, they are not all bad.

So you want to be a New York City cop? Read this book and make your decision. Even if your aspirations are not towards law enforcement in the big city, read it anyway. This true story takes the reader from the idealistic beginings to the hopeless conclusion of Frank Serpico's police career that spanned eleven years. From the fitting of his first police uniform, heart pounding rides in Brooklyn radio cars, plainclothes assignments, repeatedly explaining to fellow cops that he is not on the take, feeling his frustration and sometimes elation at every small battle he encounters and one brick wall after another in the way of trying to make things right in a city that sometimes doesn't know it's left, from it's right. Anyone who has taken on a unpopular cause will relate to the desparity and loneliness that was felt by Frank Serpico during a great deal of his career. This book was well researched and well written and is still fresh twenty five years after it was first published. It is very detailed and a true depictation of the everyday life of a cop in New York City.

Who would have thought that a movie of this caliber would have derived from the mind of Stephen King? What's just as profound is the movies ability to maintain and expand upon the integrity of the original story. This screenplay contains the entire shooting script as well as many scenes that didn't not make it past the final rewrites. Frank Darabont also reserves a couple of chapters to explaining his process of getting the movie made. Stephen King also lends his thoughts on Franks vision for the movie, an outstanding achievement for a first-time director.

Wow. This is the first word that came to my mind after finishing reading this screenplay. Now, everyone knows how good the movie is, but reading this takes it to a whole different level. Included in this screenplay is extra scenes not seen in the final cut of the movie, a scene-by-scene analysis of the film, storyboards of important sequences, character photos, and last but not least, 2 forewords - one by Stephen King and the other by Frank Darabont, both giving insightful comments on the making of the movie and the novella 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption'. All in all, this is one of the most worthy purchases i've made as far as screenplays are concerned, and I recommend it to one and all - especially those interested in film analysis and movie making.

This is a great read. This book doesn't just contain the screenplay to one of the best movies of the 1990s. It also has a delightful introduction by Stephen King which explains his relationship with Frank Darabont and describes his "dollar baby" policy concerning his short stories and novellas. There is also a sort of short foreward by Darabont briefly describing how the movie came into being. This book contains the complete shooting script (deleted lines and all) and a bunch of notes by Darabont illuminating why certain scenes were cut, lines where changed, etc. Anyone interesting in filmmaking would really benifit from reading this. For those who aren't even in the least bit interested in how a movie is made, this is still a delightful read. It is a good thing, perhaps one of the best of things.

A compelling story of a physician's journey to become a neurosurgeon. I was engaged after the first paragraph, and had a hard time putting the book down thereafter. Vertosick's style is fluent, straightforward, and without the literary flare that so often clouds books. Within the two days that it took to read this book, I became medical student, patient and neurosurgeon. This was an experience that I shall remember 'til I die.

The author has an edgy, sleep-deprived, wisecrack-a-minute style that makes me glad some states, at least, have reduced the number of hours per week a medical resident must work, from one hundred to eighty. Neurosurgery is a very unforgiving craft, and not all of the stories in this book have a happy ending. Neurosurgeons must tackle some pretty hopeless cases, and the human brain is a very unforgiving operating theatre.

Nevertheless, "When the Air Hits Your Brain" is an unputdownable read. I've been through it twice now---once during a night where I couldn't sleep anyway. If you do intend to sleep, don't read it right before going to bed.

Here are the author's five rules for neurosurgery interns:

1."You ain't never the same when the air hits your brain."
2."The only minor operation is one that someone else is doing."
3."If the patient isn't dead, you can always make him worse if you try hard enough."
4."One look at the patient is better than a thousand phone calls from the nurse."
5."Operating on the wrong patient or doing the wrong side of the body makes for a very bad day--always ask the patient what side their pain is on, which leg hurts, which hand is numb."

Emotionally, Dr. Vertosick's worst rotation was to the local Children's Hospital. A child who was born with an inoperable brain tumor is the focus of the chapter entitled "Rebecca."

A baby's brain is very hard to operate on: "At six weeks of age, the unmyelinated brain is thick soup which can be inadvertently vacuumed away by operative suctions. Moreover, nerves the thickness of pencil lead in adults are little more than a spider's web in a baby."

Dr. Vertosick doesn't spend the whole book wisecracking. He ends the chapter on Rebecca: "I am not particularly religious. In fact, the birth of children bearing cancers I find difficult to reconcile with a merciful God. Nevertheless, there must be someplace where Rebecca now laughs in the bright sunshine, finally free of her ventilator and gastrostomy."

Read how the author strays into the 'inferno of overconfidence' as a chief resident, and comes "perilously close to emotional incineration." Follow him into the operating room as a patient's brain oozes through his fingers, where he is squirted in the eye by an AIDS patient's spinal fluid, and where he cures a woman who was misdiagnosed as an Alzheimer's patient when what she really had was a brain tumor.

I'm in the process of donating all of my books to the library that I know I won't read again. "When the Air Hits Your Brain" is not one of the donations.

This stands out in the field of medical literature. By definition, there are a very select number of people who could have written this book. Firstly, the number of brain surgeons is strictly limited (doh!) for reasons that become apparent as the book progresses. Secondly, and most importantly, I think only a small minority of them can be as bloody good writers as Vertosick.

The book conveys pathos, humour and a dramatic shift in mindset experienced by our author as he is initiated into neurosurgery...from intern to surgical psychopath. This journey takes him several years and a number of lifetimes to complete. The lifetimes are those of the patients and their relatives that he (and we) are priviledged to be invited to share. Naturally, not all the stories have a happy ending and whilst it is clear that Vertosick cares, so, you will find, do you.