In this work, Lukacs traces the origins of American grape growing and wine production from the early 19th century to present. Much of the work is focused on the last 30 or 40 years when grape growing and wine production began to be serious pursuits in the U.S.

This book is entertaining, interesting, and educational but I give it only 3 stars due to its highly repetitive nature. It is as if the book was written so that each chapter can be read independently and not lose the totality of the work. Obviously, this leads to undue repetition. I would have much appreciated Lukacs slimming the book down and avoiding his urge to tell once more what he has already told us.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I loved the the history and, as a wine lover, it helped me understand the product and the industry in a way I never did before. I am a management professor at Stanford, so the best part for me was reading about the innovative practices used in the wine industry, the constant experimentation and information sharing that should serve as model for other industries. After reading this book I realized that the wine industry, not the computer industry, is the best model other firms and industries that want to flourish. I'd give this book six stars if I could.

For my money, this well researched, extremely entertainingly written book is the best historical book about California wine in our generation. Leon Adams' seminal work was becoming badly dated. Here is the update and the replacement. Every word moves the story along, and every fact is fascinating. Geeks will love it, but so will beginners. Concise, yet covers the important stuff, provides new insights, and scintillating prose.

This is certainly one of the better general summary books on archaeological method and theory out there. To the student, the book comes with serious credentials: Colin Renfrew is the Disney Professor of Archaeology at Cambridge while his co-author is a professional writer on archaeological topics. Like many other introductory texts, there is, however, a serious agenda behind this book. Therefore, while I think the authors do a fairly good job of introducing the different aspects of archaeology to the novice, (contrary to the blurb, there is no real way in which this book could function as a serious reference for a professional archaeologist), I have a couple of comments I want to make about the book from a theoretical point of view.

While Renfrew and Bahn position themselves as heirs to all the different schools of archaeology, they do in fact, pick and choose the archaeologists (and the theoretical paradigms they support) quite specifically. Certain works and authors are praised effusively and others are presented with cautionary tags attached to them. This is of course Renfrew and Bahn's perogative. However, the overall effect of the book is the promotion of a fairly traditional positivist view of archaeology (not the radical extreme of Binford exactly, but certainly archaeology as science nonetheless except where Renfrew's own "mentalist" leanings towards specific issues such as the peopling of Europe still come into play). If you are looking for a book that seriously tries to introduce some of the real theoretical advances in archaeology over the last twenty years, this is not the book to read. Renfrew and Bahn are not really presenting a synthesis of old and new approaches to archaeology, but the old dressed up in a new party dress (one that doesn't fit too well at that).

This may seem a little nit-picky to non-archaeologists but the point I want to make is this: Archaeologists use scientific techniques and approaches but we are different kinds of scientists than say physicists or mathematicians. We deal with people (much more complex than subatomic particles) and the cultural and political contexts of the past. Many of the advocates of archaeology as science hold the view that only science and scientists are the proper and legitimate custodians of the past.

Anyone who doubts where Renfrew and Bahn's sympathies really lie should check out the section on archaeology and indigenous people. One should bear in mind that the Disney Professor did not come of age when such concerns were really prominent in people's minds. However, the apparent open-endedness of the authors' commentary, at least to my way of thinking, overlies a much more conservative stance in which indigenous people are a problem to be overcome rather than partners to be accomodated.

So here's my view: buy the book if you want a how-to manual. But please please be aware of its limitations. Renfrew and Bahn do a pretty good job presenting their point of view but it's a point of view not a law of physics.

Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice provides a great introduction to the various aspects of archaeology. It would be a marvellous addition to the library of any archaeology enthusiast. It provides the theory and description of archaeological methods as well as many real world examples. As a result, despite a potentially very dry subject matter, this book is not a hard read.

It is especially appropriate for any amateur who tries to keep up on archaeology and encounters new words/ideas. Since the coverage is encyclopedic, you will undoubtably find the explanations you want in this book!

This is probably one of the best books I've ever read on the subject, and although I've studied archaeology as an interest since childhood, this text rekindled an old love. It is well written and easily read and gives a good overview of the discipline with interesting archaeological sites from all over the world used to illustrate the techniques discussed. I enjoyed the volume so thoroughly I've actually read it twice and will probably read it again in the future just for the enjoyment alone.

... Mosley gives us a male character who isn't afraid to cry and when he gets angry he doesn't get violent but does get even. The mystery surrounding the death of the white stripper is cleverly written into the plot and when the clues reveal the killer they all make sense. This series improves with each novel and Easy is turning into a complex person who has demons of his own to battle.

Though Devil in a Blue Dress and A Red Death are great reads which stand apart from other books in the genre White Butterfly might be the best Easy Rawlins story. Like Ross Macdonald, Walter Mosley weaves a tapestry of pain and heartache and human frailty into White Butterfly. Along the way we get to revisit the friendship of Mouse and Easy and again we learn that there are degrees of right and wrong.
It is only the killing of a white girl which prompts the police to ask for Easy's help. There was no hurry when only black girls were getting murdered in the Los Angeles of 1956. It is the last thing Easy wants as he has a woman named Regina and a child in his life now. Yet he can not give all of himself to them and holds back from telling Regina about his life and his property and where he gets his money.
Mosley has tightly written a character who though good also is flawed and wrestles with his own life and motives as much as he does with the cops and bad guys. We understand why Easy is more comfortable with the amoral Mouse than with the rest of society. You do not have to be black to appreciate the complex moral landscape Mosley paints of Easy's world. You feel Easy's personal loss at the end of this book and it stays with you longer than the mystery.
If Ross Macdonald wrote like a slumming angel then Mosley writes like an angel of the slums. He doesn't try to make us understand Easy's world, only lets us ride along with Easy as he attempts to make sense of it all himself. In the struggle we learn about pain and sorrow and regret, which is to say we learn about life. Reading this book will make you want more of Easy and more of Walter Mosley.

This was my first Mosley/Easy Rawlins mystery and I enjoyed it immensely. It had depth of character and interesting plot twists and turns. I also liked the fact that it was a story about African Americans in 1956 Los Angeles and it didn't rely on the 'N' word for shock value (unlike Ellroy and a few others). I think it was a great introduction to the series.

If you're looking for a rehash of a few good old articles, plus a set of new articles that are in general of very poor quality, and some decent artwork (most old, some new) then this book is fine for you.

But if you're looking for quality dinosaur science, then this book will greatly disappoint you. The new articles are laden with assertions lacking in concrete data, are generally awful in writing quality, and offer a very narrow view of dinosaur science, with alternative viewpoints barely mentioned. These articles' authors are just a few of the editor's friends, not the best and brightest in the field. Together, these new articles destroy the quality of the book, in my opinion. They are sad, weak, shameful science. I was very disappointed.

The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs edited by Gregory S. Paul is a book that combined with the essays that preceed its chapters bring the most current knowledge about dinosaurs to light.

The essays contained within this book are written by some of the foremost thinkers of today about dinosaur life long, long ago. This book attempts to answers some of the most commonly asked questions about dinosaurs; where did they live, how did they evolve, which dinosaur families lived where and when, how did they look, act live, were dinosaurs warm-blooded, did they have feathers, did some of them fly, are birds of today the living descendants of dinosaurs, how are dinosaurs named?

These are just a few of the questions that are answered by some of the best minds now working on these questions from the knowledge of the fossil remains found. You have to remember that the knowledge that is found here has been debated for years and may not be all conclusive, but the best quess is given from some of the most sensational finds.

We are given a remarkable tour of the 140-million-year reign of the dinosaur, a tour that covers some of the most exotic animals that ever walked the earth. This book is written for adults and is not a childrens book.

From the world's most prestigious science publication comes the definitive book, i.e., The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs
by Gregory s Paul (Editor) , on all things prehistoric & scaly.

As a former qualified diesel submarine Torpedoman in the '50s who made a WestPac run and who, in the '70s and '80s, was a civilian Special Agent with US Naval Intelligence assigned in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Iceland, in, I can say, that I have Been there, Done that!" The authors have apparently been there, and done that also. Many of the tales told, the events related, and the places mentioned (or at least similar ones) are all too real and still vivid in this reviewer's memory. On reading "Spindrift", they will become a part of yours also. Down to earth from the heart writing that "tells it like it is" (old memories not withstanding).

These stories are wonderful examples of real-life events seen by three brothers gifted with the ability to see humor and truth in everyday activity. They reflect the realism and intensity in extremely serious military situations that resolve into laughter in spite of all the pressure to "do it by the book." The stories are short and sweet, perfectly crafted, and they illustrate the great values and pleasures that come from a life in the service. Give yourself a treat and buy this book. At the end of it, you'll wish it was twice as long!

DAN BOB & PAUL THANKS FOR AN AMUSING BOOK OF SEA STORIES! AS ONE OF THE CHARACTERS, I FEEL HONORED TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT. DON COLYER U.S.M.C. RETIRED

Conrad is a real star, I'm rather fond of him. Under Western Eyes is about living in a time of revolutionary urgency, individual fragility in a delicate system, and personal honor.

To summarize; Razumov, the 'Hero' is a university student in Russia post 1905 but pre 1917 who keeps to himself and has no real family and no close friends. A fellow student and a revolutionary, Victor Haldin, assasinates a local oppressive Tsarist autocrat. He then takes a chance and takes momentary asylum with Razumov, asking him to help him get out of the city. Razumov is an evolutionary progressive, not a revolutionary. Not willing to risk association with a radical like Haldin and destroy his entire life, Razumov turns him in to the police, and Haldin is subsequently hung.

The rest of the novel deals with Razumov's struggle with himself- he betrayed, and he has to live with a lie. Complicating things, he falls in love with Haldin's sister in exile. Raz can't bear it though, and eventually he does the right thing, but things get messy.

Thats the general plot, but the real meat of the novel is in the characters and the ideas underlying the conversations between them. The idea of how you justify revolution, the chaos of revolution vs the order of gradual reform, the unwillingness and helplessness of the individual caught in it all. And there's a continual theme of the diference between East and West.

Razumov reminds me a bit of Crime and Punishment's Raskolnikov- an isolated university student waxing the time away in a single apartment, brooding over Big Ideas and being slowly crushed by a powerful conscience. The stuff of modernity. Dostoyevsky was a little bit better, so thats why Under Western Eyes only gets 4 stars.

If you are familiar enough with Conrad's writing you will know he has a few favorite words - like "inscrutable" and "destiny". They reflect I believe Conrad's literary outlook. He likes to take characters, give them a haunted past with some shameful secret, emphasize a fatal weakness, introduce some culminating stimulae, and watch the tragic unfold. I think he could have written a brilliant biography of Richard Nixon. But to the point..."Under Western Eyes" is a quintessentially Conradian book. But unlike many of his other novels - Lord Jim, Nostromo, Victory - "Under Western Eyes" treats of period politics (namely the revolutionary movement on the rise in Europe) as he weaves his tale of betrayal and tragedy. There are no heroes in this book (save perhaps one) but only a motley collection of victims, fools, and eccentrics. There is not much action, despite its subject matter. I don't want to give away too much. The story unfolds in Moscow and Geneva, not around political machinations but around the tragedy of the central character, a young Russian thrown into the revolutionary movement entirely against his will. The saga of the young man's anger, self-loathing, and attempts to extricate himself from his "situation" form one salient plot of the novel. The ultimate solution to his unsought conundrum also serves to redeem him in his own eyes, if not those of others.

"Under Western Eyes" is also an attempt by Conrad to explore the peculiarities of the "Russian character". This is another line of development in the work. I put this in partentheses because such notions of racial character are naturally not so well received now as in Conrad's day. Whether you agree or not, Conrad (who himself was Polish) offers some interesting personal insights into the nature of the "inscrutable" Russian soul - its ability to persevere, its mysticism, its ultimate radicalism. Such issues were particular relevent to the time the book was written (1908), as Russia was then already breaking out in revolutionary violence. The story's narrator - a retired English bachelor - are the "Western eyes" under which Russia is regarded.

I might label "Under Western Eyes" a comic-tragedy, in that the primary factor behind the story's tragic chain of events is a misunderstanding. It is ultimately for the book's central character a journey of personal redemtion. Within the context of this, however, Conrad details some of his views on Russia, its people, and the nature of the revolutionary movement. I did not find it as engaging as some of Conrad's other works but anyone interested in the Russian revolutionary movement, or radical politics of the period in general, or with a bent for stories of betrayal, tragedy, and love should take a look.

"Perhaps life is just that," reflected Razumov, pacing to and fro under the trees of the little island, all alone with the bronze statue of Rousseau. "A dream and a fear." It is on this small space of remote land that young Razumov finds what we all seek after--a place for quiet contemplation (reminds me of Hemingway's "A Clean Well-Lighted Place"). And in this very thought-provoking Rousseau-inspired environment Razumov stumbles upon the thesis that all of life is but a dream--a dream full of constant fear. The taciturn, exiled, young Razumov reminds us of Joyce's Stephen Dedalus, and even more so Dostoevsky's Raskolnikov. Indeed, Conrad attempted to continue the legacy of the great Russian novelists, by forcing an eclectic grasp on some of Dostoevsky's themes (like the need for, and final apparent conclusion of, man's suffering) whilst straying away from other Dostoevskyian qualities. All in all, Under Western Eyes is about ideas--as Conrad repeatedly suggests-an ideal gripping psychological tale of a young intellectual's suffering for choosing the path of the czarist leaders. If Razumov, like Stephen Dedalus, was more skeptical, more prone to the need for exile (not the exile he indeed does embark on to Geneva via the Councilor's strategic plan) would he have ultimately had his eardrums smashed by a revolutionary brute? Certainly, Razumov must confess for his betrayal of Haldin; Razumov realizes the intelligence, love, and raison d' étre of Haldin altogether too late. Razumov, who knowingly understands that because of his actions Haldin lost his life, gives up his own body for lifelong suffering. And by doing so, Razumov seems to willingly accept his punishment, and further he lives no longer in fear. Upon completion of this wonderful novel, we can bask in the warm sunny glow of Conrad's wit that shines upon us--"Peter Ivanovitch (or any person who opposes despotic cruelty) is an inspired man." Joseph Conrad is an inspired man.

In my oppinion, this book is one of the best books on alien abduction ever. I am just reading the Reference guide from the same author.... It is great too.

I was amazed at the content of this book. Not only did it provide details of the ET experience from an experiencer point of view, it sought to deal with the issues faced by individuals involved in a phenomenon about which there is little or no publicized objective data.

I would heartily recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand the nature of the abduction experience.

For those looking for practical solutions that will help them synthesize the nature of this labrinthine topic, it is an outstanding tool for their library.

It was not what I expected from ufo books. I found it refreshing and information. It is very good for reading about ufo occupants and what they are doing on abduction victims. I expected it to be of abduction much like Travis Walton or Betty Hill and that is all. It told more than just medical test. It told more than just scared people. It was very good to read.

Saj W.

This is actually pretty good Avengers reference book, for a reasonable price. You can get other episode guides, but if you're looking for one that is not a coffee table book, and you don't care if there are color pictures (B&W only in here), this is highly recommended. It has some nice essays/articles from the experts, and gives a summary of each season as a whole as well. The author gives an episode summary, then rates each one with a star system on wit, humour, 60's Concerns, "And a Young..." and kinkiness, which is really helpful if you're looking for the episodes with the most B&D in them to rent. Not that I would know, I mean, that's uhhh what I've heard anyway.

I like that this is the only book (that I know of) with a highly entertaining, critical analysis of each episode, as every other guide I've read only features boring, objective synopses. However, I have to question the judgement of anyone who gives "What the Butler Saw" anything short of a raving review, and who gives that lame Avengers movie (starring Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman) a positive review. I also have to ponder the heterosexuality (I hate sounding so un-PC, but let's face, Emma's name IS derived from the term "Man Appeal," and she is the MAIN reason I, as well as anyone else who's attracted to women, regardless of gender, love the show) of someone who can only describe Emma's sultry dance of the seven veils, from "Honey for the Prince," as "plodding." All that aside, the authors do share an overall appreciation for the show, and any fan of the Avengers is all right in my book (which, by the way, I'm sure THEY'D gleefully criticize).

Like two bookends they were. John Steed and Kathy Gale? John Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel? John Steed and Tara King? You decide. "The Avengers" was a popular 1960's British fantasy-adventure series that focused on the exploits of a male-female duo in the service of the British government. The series underwent several changes of its female lead but its one constant male lead was John Steed always portrayed by the debonair Patrick Macnee (Originally the John Steed had two male partners but that format eventually changed). Kathy Gale portrayed by Honor Blackman became Steed's first female partner. However, when Honor Blackman departed the series and Diana Rigg entered as Mrs. Emma Peel, the show became an international sensation. Rigg brought sophistication, wit, charm and beauty, which hid her lethal and highly visual judo and karate abilities. Macnee and Rigg complemented each other beautifully with their carefree witty and charming exchange of dialogue. The show distinguished itself with bizarre and futuristic villains and fantastic plots. Popular at the height of the James Bond craze, the show was able to distinguish itself with its simply over-the-top visual style. Laurie Johnson's catchy and sophisticated main title theme matched the visuals of the show and still conjures up an image of the series when listened to today. I can still see the distinctive main title. When Diana Rigg left the series, Linda Thorson entered as John Steed's new partner Tara King. The series soon went off the air in the United States. It was a shame because the episodes with Tara King were quite good. The King episodes seemed to be a little more down to earth and contained some very good writing and intricate plotting. In any event series definitely left its mark amongst the finest. The episode guide format of this book is very good. Well written. I am not that fond of "The New Avengers" or Sean Connery's weak Avengers movie (even though it did have a good score). This is a must-have book for your library if you are an "The Avengers" fan.

An exotic locale. An American couple with marital problems. A mysterious death. A friendship with a strange local couple. Sex. Drugs. Death. Very strange. Very well-crafted. Very good book. Very Bowles.

The first 100 pages of Up Above The World follows the travelings of Taylor and Day two Americans very reminiscent of Port and Kit of Sheltering Sky. In the last 150 pages after meeting a strange couple Taylor and Day are no longer in control of their lives but prisoners of the strange couple. Exactly how this imprisoning takes place and for what reasons only become clear in the very last pages. Only a minimal plot description can be given as the pleasure is in finding things out in the order they are meant to be found out. Having been a longtime fan of Sheltering Sky and all of his stories I hesitated reading any of his other novels as I heard they were not as good as his first. But reading this I find I am reminded not so much of the eerie and desolate majesty of Sheltering Sky which is a far better novel but of Bowles short stories, especially the ones which take place in South America as this novel does. This is not Sheltering Sky caliber fiction but it is a very competent novel and will appeal to those who admire Bowles very modern and often horrific short stories full of deviant psychologies and drugs and all sorts of sordid and often primitive "truths" about human nature. The novel reads like an extended short story really. Occasional details peculiar for being so precise stand out as always in Bowles writing. He describes the sound a cricket makes as coming from the back of its black throat. The Bowles vision is as bleak a vision as exists in serious modern fiction but it is immensely appealing as gothic things often are. I doubt many people really feel the world is as Bowles describes it. He grasps at only one side of human nature, the side the sun never reaches. Not a place you want to live but an intriguing place to travel through.

Bowles' work is not for the squeamish or the weak-minded. He knew that. He wrote for those of us capable of understanding and accepting the base nature of man and dealing with it in an intellectual capacity. This is a great work of literature for those intelligent enough, tough enough and honest enough to comprehend the big picture. The ideas may be harsh, but the storytelling is so eloquent and the conjuring of imagery creates such beautiful pictures in the mind amongst the psychological and physical carnage that it demands to be read. This is a GREAT work. It takes a Graham Greene vibe and extrapolates it in an admirably frightening way. READ THIS BOOK! Paul Bowles is one of the five greatest writers of the 20th century. Read him.

This book has some very good information about ADD. I don't think it was actually written for a person with ADD to read. For somebody who claims to know so much about ADD, he does not know how to write a book that a person with ADD to actually read through.

It may be full of great information but seems very hard for the average ADDer reader to stay focussed on.

The author has very negative view on ADD. There was not any mention of the positve aspects of ADD like Thom Hartman and Lynn Weiss have in their books. I was disapointed by this book.

There was very little mention of ADD with out hyperactivity or innatentive ADD.

There was very little mention of ways to manage ADD other than medication.

This book has helped me in writing useful psychological evaluations and understanding the ADHD in adults. It has a great deal of useful information. I particulalry like his method of what to look for in the childhood history and the checklist he provides to do this. However, there are other books that should be consulted too that provided an additonal perspective on making recommendations for a particular individual. It is a very useful book for the professional but cannot stand alone.

I have ADD and have been looking for a book which gives insights into the causes of ADD, in order to help me self-manage the condition effectively. This is a serious book, written for medical professionals, but with the aid of medical dictionary, I discovered valuable information I have found nowhere else. If you're not familiar with medical terminology, you (like me) will probably find it tough going, but its worth persisting. I have found the information useful in modifying diet, handling ignorant medical professionals, and reading other medical literature. If you have ADD, aren't getting enough from superficial self help books, want to know what's behind our condition and are ready to work to get through the occasional medical jargon, I recommend this book to you.