I am planning my first trip to Nova Scotia for October 2002 and have been haunting the book stores in Boston for good guides. Near the end of my book search, I came across the 2002 (4th) edition of the Frommer's guide and it has been a regular companion for me as I plan the details of my trip.

Let me make a few things clear here. Like the other Frommer's edition for this same place (2000), this guide also has NO good maps. And there are still NO nice sidebars filled with local tidbits. And there aren't a lot of website or email addresses either.

But then again, this is NOT that type of book. This Frommer's guide is the nitty-gritty, the essence of what you would want to know for each of the major areas in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The guide does a good job of giving you information on at least a few places to stay (if there are any in that area), places to eat, tours, and any major landmarks or places to visit in a number of cities and towns, even the smaller ones. And the price range is mostly for the budget to mid-range values. The book is also a smaller size, allowing for you to easily carry it around or stash it when you travel. The format is easy to read, and the layout is clean and uncluttered.

To get over the drawbacks I mentioned above, I suggest augmenting the Frommer's with the official Nova Scotia travel guide (a behemonth, comprehensive thing) that has great photos, maps, and the like; request it for free from the tourism office. There are also some other good guidebooks on the market that will fill in some of the (small) gaps of the Frommer's. And anyone with access to the Internet can easily do web searches for websites that have tons of info on Nova Scotia, including the official Nova Scotia website.

Give it a try. At the very least, if you get it and don't like it, you can return it. I look forward to making my trip and then verifying the info I've gotten from the Frommer's guidebook.

This guide was fun! The only things we knew about Nova Scotia we found in government tourist guides which were not always clear or easy to use. But Frommer's came through and gave us inside information and ideas about what authentically interesting things we should look for. The best thing, though, was the entertaining comments here and there. I found myself chuckling and then reading them aloud to my partner as we drove through the countryside. It was a good companion for our trip.

There are six wildflower stencils here, cut into heavy laminated paper. All are disconnected stencils, having separations between elements; I think this style is particularly effective in wall or furniture stencilling. The stencils are: jack-in-the-pulpit (5 inches high and 3 inches wide), lady's slipper (5 inches by 3.5 inches), black-eyed susan (5 inches by 3.5 inches), swamp rose mallow (4.5 inches by 3.5 inches), bluebell (5 inches by 2.5 inches) and Virginia creeper (4.5 by 3 inches). The jack-in-the-pulpit, swamp rose mallow and Virginia creeper are pictured on the cover, left to right. Depending on your project, you might want to shrink these basic designs, but you can't beat this price for getting some good basic stencils. They are also a nice size for preschooler art projects.

This sturdy little book from Dover contains six wildflower stencils. They're precut and easy to remove, and clearly labeled. I used them on some cupboards I put together, and they look fabulous. My favorite is the virginia creeper, though the exotic jack-in-the-pulpit runs a close second. Also included are a lady's slipper orchid, a black-eyed susan, a swamp rose mallow, and a stand of bluebells. One of the best books in this series.

When I first got this book through the mail I said UGH! It is the ugliest Pepto Bismol color you have ever seen...but luckily the cover is not why you read the book. Inside are the combined memoirs of two members of the yankee division(26th) during the fight across France and Germany. The book is not always exciting but does offer a very good glimpse into the mind and life of a frontline infantry soldier. The combination of the two is good in that it offers a Lt and a pfc\sgt's perspective on the war. That combination can also get a bit confusing because you have to keep two separate stories in your head as you are reading. The editor does try and keep you up to date with a daily comment as to what the company was doing overall, but a vague mention of a random french or german town does not always help develop a picture in your head of what is going on. That is why I deducted a star. But the book is very good and worth adding to your collection if you are interested in the ETO during WW2.

Among the mind numbing number of books on world war two, this book is in my top ten. Written from two perspectives within the same company, it is a lucid, real and above all believable account of what it was like on the sharp edge of combat. A real gem!

I picked up "Gathering Power" in the hope that it might be a prescription and prediction for progressives on how to take command of the country again, something like an update of Kevin Phillip's "The Emerging Republican Majority", only for the good guys. What Osterman lays on the table is something quite different.

Specifically, it's a handbook on how to do effective local political organizing, in the mode that was pioneered seven decades back by Saul Alinsky, and has continued ever since. It's kept the same basic shape but acquired a few bells and whistles (such as respect for women as leaders) along the way. Sticking to "write what you know", Osterman draws all the book's examples from his experiences with the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) in the American southwest, especially in the Rio Grande valley.

The principles behind this style of organizing are simple, hard headed, sometimes a little surprising. And the book makes a convincing case that they really do work. But there would seem to be two caveats.

The first is that it takes an awful lot of really hard work from an awful lot of people. And most of that hard work consists of trolling for and recruiting "leaders" (the volunteers who are the public face of the movement) and "organizers" (the paid staffers who provide training and continuity for the leaders). It feels a bit like those charities that end up spending 80% of their effort on fundraising. But (sigh!) no one's discovered a more efficient way to get to IAF's results - improved streets and schools on the unimproved side of the tracks, living wage laws and branch libraries. So we might as well grit our teeth and roll up our sleeves.

The second problem is that, cheerful as Osterman tries to be about it, it doesn't appear as if his model scales up any further than (at most) the state level. For one thing, the techniques have been around for a lifetime, and haven't hit the big leagues yet. In which case, all this work would have only a secondary effect at the national level: namely, the demonstrable fact that people who've been touched by local organizing get turned into voters.

Why no scale-up? As Osterman justly observes, the only sources of political power are "organized money" and "organized people". Organized money works from the top down, and exercises its influence through capitol lobbying and mass media. In the IAF system, organized people work from the bottom up, and exercise all their influence in face to face meetings - first with each other (with agenda items percolating from house meetings up through quarterly caucuses of the entire local membership), and secondly with politicians (who are supported if they commit to agenda items, then carefully tracked, and who lose support if they don't follow through.) It's unclear how agenda formation could add the needed couple of layers, and remain both coherent and genuinely bottom-up. And it's unclear how a membership too large to fit in a room and too dispersed to confront the politicos face to face could hold "responsibility sessions."

Still, there's indispensable wisdom here for anyone wanting to extend political power to the disenfranchised on local and regional levels, and plenty of food for thought if you're wondering how to re-engage the swollen ranks of nonvoters so as to gain some progressive traction on national issues.

Osterman's book makes an important contribution to developing a political base in the U.S. for more progressive economic policies. The book argues that such a political base must be developed locally. More importantly, the book then shows how such a local political base is being developed by a network of local community organizations, the Industrial Areas Foundation. In addition to describing IAF, Osterman goes beyond the organization's rhetoric and does some critical analysis of what makes the organization successful. The IAF and similar networks are succeeding by: building coalitions of local institutions, particularly churches; patiently engaging in conversations and meetings to find out what local residents want and develop local leaders, before engaging in political action; holding political leaders accountable for fulfilling the platform of these local coalitions; developing and presenting political positions that are compatible with American values, particularly values associated with religion; focusing on bread-and-butter issues of adequate public services for all neighborhoods, living wages, and access to training and jobs. The book will be of interest to anyone concerned with issues of economic justice, and seeking to get involved in local actions to promote economic justice.

Gary Nabhan and Stephen Trimble have penned a fine collection of essays on how children perceive and play in their environment. References are made to psychological studies that support a child's need for wild places, but the real value I see in this book comes from the authors' own anecdotal experiences with their children. If you are a parent of small children, you will especially enjoy the ideas you will get for places to take children to play and explore. Read this book and you will begin to learn why children need to experience wild places. And why, as adults, if we share the "hands-on" experiences with our kids, our own connection to the landscape becomes more deeply rooted.

At first glance, this book seems to be another in a long line of published material telling parents how to be good parents. But it really seemed like a personal reflection of what makes life great through a child's eyes. Instead of trying to raise a child through adult methods, this book shows that through simply remembering what being a child was and why it was fun is enough to help you understand what your child is thinking. Through this understanding, you will become a great parent. I was very pleased with my purchase and recommend this book to anyone that has had any contact with children.

A great book, about some of the coolest and most cutting edge theories out there. Certainly not for the layman though. Most of the chapters are filled with equation after equation however those with advanced math and a good math program will have lots of fun. This book is the real deal! Read it all and you just might fry your brain! It would get five stars if it was better organized. The best use of this book is for quick reference if you have a specific idea or question about the topics contained and don't or can't get to the internet. Not a must buy but worth the money.

This book makes the greatest mousepad I've ever had. Good book.

No, I did not buy this book. (I love my local library and I am old-fashoined) Yes, I was seduced by the subject matter and title photo of Gilligan and the skipper. 3 of the 4 stars I give this book is for the discussion and choice of the two comedy shows--Gilligan's Island and the Simpsons. Growing up with the castaways as a surrogate family, and then as a smart-aleck 30-something revelling in the magic of Springfield, I applaud Cantor's choice of these two shows for scrutiny. But his political conclusions seem forced, and reductionist. And his analysis of the two purported "dramas," Star Trek and the X-Files are soporific, lacking the bite of the comedy sections. The real message may not be political, but interpretive: TV is what we want and need it to be, both when it is first produced, and in the immortality of syndication. None of these shows will ever die. And moreover, Krusty the Clown and Thurston Howell III are permanent residents of my twisted psyche.
What I most crave are cogent analyses of the Andy Griffith Show and Green Acres. Both '60's shows dealing with rural life in the South, but from distinctly different vantages. Andy taught us all much about wisdom and fatherhood in the era of segregation. Oliver Douglas taught us that city smarts cut no ice in the land of down home zaniness. Who is crazier--a transplanted New York lawyer with a Hungarian wife who can't grow corn, or a man who consults his pig before making business decisions?

Every fan of the Simpsons or X-files should own this book. Paul Cantor is a true genius and perhaps the best at placing American pop culture in the context of our literary, historical, and political tradition.

good story but bit more descriptevive battle with pictures of it that caught more of the moment

Godzilla and Anguirus discover a strange white ball, which is what the monsters call it. In reality it is a giant cocoon! Mechagodzilla comes to get it! Godzilla defends it. I like it because of the plot and pictures. Godzilla looks ok--although his eyes seem too big.

I have been keeping mantellas for a number of years and aside from a few articles in various magazines have found no decent literature on these fabulous frogs. This book gave me in-depth knowledge on how to keep and breed these frogs and I thought the photo-diary on hatching eggs and rearing the tadpoles was wonderful. The centre-fold of the book also has some stunning colour plates of these frogs. My only gripe is that it is a little pricey, however having said that it is a limited edition book and good, solid information on any subject one is interested in is almost priceless. Can't wait for the next book Mark!

This is a must have for anyone that loves these tiny little jewels. Mantellas are often thought of as difficult creatures to keep. This book gives away all the secrets to keeping them in captivity, happy and healthy, for years. Thanks Marc!

The Gospel of Life is very informative, covering issues from fetal tissue research to abortion to euthanasia. It states clearly and concisely the Catholic Church's teachings on many of the life issues, and is helpful for understanding the reasoning behind them. Occasionally the wording makes it difficult to follow, but its message comes across loud and clear. Informative for Catholics and those of other religions alike.

Let me just say that I love this document. I read it with a highlighter in hand just so I could highlight every beautiful line--there are many. Never have I seen the Catholic standpoint on abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment so succinctly and beautifully presented. This book is a must read for all Christians of all denominations. I can't begin to convey how great and life changing this book is--even if you already agree with everything in it about the present culture of death in the modern world. Pope John Paul shows himself to not only be an adept moral and theological thinker, but somewhat of a poet as well.