My son (just six) has been crazy about dinosaurs for three years, and it has become increasingly difficult to find books with unfamiliar information that are also not too far beyond his comprehension. This book fills the bill beautifully, building on his existing knowledge and stretching him to see the dinosaurs in context. It combines the easy charm of a pop-up book with the sophistication of a geologic chart. We have also been thrilled with From Dinosaurs to Dodos by Lessem.

Here you will find the best available presentation, with
clear colorful diagrams, of everything about advancing and
delaying biological clocks. There are surprisingly simple
principles, though they are unexpected, being topologically
subtle. Plenty of examples are given in this and that species,
ending with the prediction that all the same will eventually
be found in Man. That actually happened a few years after this
1986 book circulated. There is a pretty good chapter on human
sleep/wake timing, too, some comments on jet-lag that should
help dispel rampant superstition on that subject, and some
chapters on biochemical and chemical oscillators.

None of it is outdated: it seems to be the last
word on these topics. But a big thing is missing. Nothing is
found here about the molecular genetics of the circadian clock.
That is because all that was discovered in the 1990s. For a timely
update see Chapter 19 in the same author's "Geometry of Biological
Time" published in 2001.

If you can get a copy of this out-of-print book (Scientific
American Library sold about 40,000 then went out of business)
it is well worth having just for the pictures in which the
principles of phase resetting are finally made clear, as done
nowhere else, in three-dimensional brilliant color codes.

I am the original editor who commissioned Titanic in its first, Irish, edition. I thought it would be interesting to share its origins with you.

As a children's book editor I had always wanted to publish a book on the Titanic as it was a story which fascinated me as a child. When the author, Arthur McKeown, ran some ideas past me for his next project, Titanic was amongst them and I lept at it! Arthur wrote a very good text, telling the story of Titanic, which was built in Belfast, in simple language.

The well-known Irish artist, Peter Hogan, was chosen because he is an avid sailor, one of the first Irishmen to sail around the world, single-handedly, in a Tahiti Ketch he built himself. He was, in fact, about to set sail on another world voyage when he completed the last illustrations for Titanic which are based on original photographs and drawings of the great ship.

Peter Hogan subsequently ship-wrecked in the Mediterranean. He was saved but his beloved boat, the Molly B, was lost. His much publicised shipwreck was surely one of the most dramatic PR stunts ever to sell a book!

Titanic sold very well in Ireland and in the Uk. It was on the bestseller list for months both before and after the film opened.

As an editor, I was proud to have worked on this book and wish it continued success in the US.

I am currently developing other "disaster" titles for a series for this age-range.

Excellent piece of work, this addition actually includes journal entries for Arthur Krause's treks up the Chilkat and Dyea (Taiya River) valleys, something the earlier additions lack. Arthur, unknown to many historians, was the first white man to write and describe the Taiya River (AKA. Chilkoot, Dyea) valley, which is now a national park. Anyone doing work on the Chilkoot Trail will find his Pre-Rush descriptions of his route up the valley and the natural history of the valley invaluable. Nice work. I do wonder however, if there is not more to his journal entries that has not been included in this addition? Also, some translational errors may have occurred, as the narratives don't alwats seem to make sense in following his route. Moreover, this work was translated from an unusual deutscher field shorthand, to german proper, to english. Neverthless, an excellent addition to the early Pre-Goldrush history of Southeast Alaska. Kudos.

SL Ferreira

This study of the life of the Breslover (Bratzlaver) Rebbe by Rabbi Arthur Green (Reconstructionist) is well-researched and very readable. Although some Breslover Chassidim did not like this academic approach to the life of their master, I found it to be quite good. Sometimes an "outsider" can see perspectives that the disciples have missed, and this is the case with "Tormented Master." It has interesting insights into the life and struggles of Rebbe Nachman, which, in turn, had a big influence on my own decision to become a Breslover. This book is also more accessible to the average non-Hasidic reader than some of the "official" Breslov materials, and can serve as an introduction to Hasidism in general. Rabbi Green (whom I have met in person), has a deep love of the Rebbe's teachings, which shines through in the pages of this book.

This book is a must-buy for all kids who need extra money. It teaches them how to best run a business, with easy to follow step by step instructions, and the games and quizzes are really fun. The areas on budgets and record keeping are also exceptional. For those who don't have an idea of what kind of business they can do, there are also some great ideas inside. It will help them to earn their own money instead of just asking for a larger allowance. We have found it to be an investment that paid for itself in no time!

Parents and others who are running a small business can also benefit from the many time saving tips and guides enclosed. The suggested ages here are close - it was a little above level in some areas for my 10 year old, but perfect for my 16 year old.

This is one of the great personal finance books of all time. So often, money managment books are written by wealthy people, so we can make them wealthier by trying to emulate them. Now come an eleven-year-old, wise beyond years to show us how to be comfortable, secure, and childlike, trusting ourselves, as we play the game of making money work for us. This is a definite "need to read" book

to limit, as you do, your review of Stephens irish fairy Tales to adolescent readers is a disservice to the book. While it is eminently readable, it does far more than many fairy tale compilations. Stephens presents a voice, a carefully chosen, well modulated voice, to present the web of tales which comprise the Irish tradition. As in Crock of Gold, he does this with beautiful natural imagery, and references to the bays and rivers and isles of Ireland. Moreover, unlike much of literature considered adolescent fare,he encompasses adult virtues and vices including lust, envy and pride. This book is written with a compelling sense of humor, aimed not at the cute, but at the failings which each of us possess. it is a book worthy of reading by a person of any age.

Just a cursory reading of Trails has its rewards. You might be on a trip almost anywhere in the US and pick it up to find a spot nearby of scenic or historic interest. But this book is unusual among travel and trail guides in that it is also a pleasure simply to read straight through at home in your comfy chair. The authors supply loads of information and are enthusiastic about their subjects without succumbing to the Everything Is Beautiful disease that travel writers are generally prone to.

The historic trail sections are especially strong. They link Mormon, Spanish, American Indian, English colonial, and pioneer history to the actual physical places where it occurred. For example, at the end of the Juan Bautista de Anza trail, the city of San Francisco was founded around the month of July, 1776. Another trail, the California National Historic Trail, is the route(s) of the English speaking pioneers who came in later years to take San Francisco and the rest of California away from the Spaniards and their descendents. On the Nez Perce and Trail of Tears historic trails you can see two of the routes followed by the aboriginal peoples who were driven from their homes by the dueling European powers, and also by poor pioneers who oftentimes had been themselves driven from their homes across the ocean.

The maps at the beginning of each chapter are clear and well-detailed. All in all, you could hardly ask for a better travelling companion if you're going on a car trip, particularly if you're going with children who have even the mildest interest in learning things.

Wonderful insights and solid information about an important subject; design that increases our comfort and our independence now and as we get older. James Pirkl has taken a complex and broad subject and made it easy to grasp(!) Color photographs of many user-friendly products illustrate his timely information about the various challenges we face as we age. We enjoyed his perspective on bathroom design and plan to expand his ideas into all aspects of home design. An excellent reference and source of inspiration; giving us tools to design products (and homes) that support independent living.