Suffering, suffering and more suffering on an unknown shore; cast onto the rocks just Northwest of the Horn these two friends, little more than children, must endure the terrible hardships of mariners unlucky enough to run aground half a world away from home. Jack and Toby are the best of friends in a time in human history when death was preferable to dishonor. Patrick O'Brian is the kind of writer that makes us care about these young men and their shipmates enough to read through an incredible ordeal. Yes we can see the blue print for the Aubrey and Maturin characters of later O'Brian books, but that is not what makes this a great work. O'Brian's writing depicting a cold and far off land filled with a unremitting savagery and a loneliness that would break the hardest heart is what kept me turning the pages of this wonderful book. If you enjoyed the Aubrey and Maturin books, you will love The Unknown Shore. If you have not read any Patrick O'Brian before, please start with this one. You will not be disappointed

I heartily agree with the other reviewer's praise of this wonderful book. I wish only to add that the final part is strikingly similar to - In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick. That account of an epic adventure suffered from what I'd call 'reportage'. I recall as I read that exciting book I found myself longing for the enthralling descriptive power of Patrick O'Brian marvelous prose. So imagine my joy in discovering this book! O'Brian's masterful capacity to evoke the verisimilitude of these sailors plight wonderfully enhanced my memory the Essex book. I was so pleased!

Here are Patrick O'Brian's prototypes for Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. Younger, less well developed, and not quite the same, but this pair, this Jack and Toby, are recognisably the forerunners of the more famous friend whose adventures span twenty books.

As a long-time fan of the Aubreyad, i can guarantee that any reader familiar with the later books will enjoy this one just as much. We see many of the same scenes, the same phrases, the same habits, the same minor characters as we see later, and it is a pleasure to realise that these are the first times that Patrick O'Brian used the same evocative words that he would re-use time and again in later books.

It is like meeting old friends afresh, and when I read these two books after putting down the twentieth and last in the Aubrey/Maturin series, it was as if I'd found another, a twenty-first.

The book opens with a homage to Jane Austen, as many of O'Brian's books do, and there is a considerable setting-up of the relationship on land before they join Commodore Anson's squadron. Tobias gets himself into a right pickle and Jack gets him out of it in the nick of time in a scene which is at once dramatic and comical.

At sea Tobias learns the ropes and makes the most of his opportunities for natural history, as Stephen Maturin does later. Jack is the young sea-dog, every bit the young Jack Aubrey, except he does not share Aubrey's grosser appetites.

After Cape Horn, well I'd be giving away too much of the plot if I mentioned what went on, but suffice to say that this is some of Patrick O'Brian's most powerful writing, and at one stage I felt tired and worn out just reading it. I almost had to check my hands to see if they were not rubbed raw from the oars.

But our heroes return home at last, and the story concludes with words which are pure O'Brian.

There is no doubt in my mind, no doubt at all. If you liked the Aubrey/Maturin series, you will like The Unknown Shore. And while you're at it, try the earlier Golden Ocean as well - they make a fine pair of prequels to the series.

Muench is the Master. This amazing book presents his vision of the Americas before the arrival of man. Stunning, masterful, etc. etc. Sure, I can pile on the adjectives, but simply stated, this is one of my favorite Muench books just because it is so uncompromised - not having to pander to a specific area, it is plain and simple magnificent nature.

David Muench is one of the best landscape photographers I've ever come across. If you can find this book the pictures will blow you away. It is worth the price. I'm an okay photographer, this guy is so good it's hard to believe. These are literally some of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen. If you see this book on one of the clearance racks at a book shop, get it quick

This book deserves more than five stars, and is clearly one of the finest color landscape photography books ever published. Go to whatever lengths you must to acquire this amazingly wonderful volume!

Ancient America "celebrates the ancient threads that connect our momentary existence to a universal continuum and bind us to larger meaning." Imagine yourself as one of the first people to arrive in the Americas, having traveled across the land bridge from Siberia or across the Pacific by raft or canoe. There is no smog. There are no buildings. You simply see the grandeur of nature in its most pristine and awesome form. The world is a cathedral to you. That is the vision that Mr. Muench shares with us in this great collection.

The book begins with several stunning photographs that capture the range of the whole book. There is a brief introduction about the photography, then a superb discussion of American anthropology by Brian Fagan that creates a poetic vision of the book's subject. You will learn much about the settling of the Americas in the process. Did you know that humans arrived here only around 12,000 years ago and that populations were quite small until 350 years ago when the European immigrants began to arrive in substantial numbers?

The photographs are subdivided into the following sections: light; earth, rock, water, trees, ruins, and growth. Mr. Muench has a few final words at the end. "Timeless moments of ancient light are for me an expansion of the spirit . . . ."

Mr. Muench has many skills as a photographer. Like Ansel Adams, he is brilliant in using dawn, dusk, and moonlight to capture unusual moments and moods. Also like Mr. Adams, he has an unerring sense of composition that captures the interconnections of nature's patterns in fascinating and rewarding ways. But he exceeds Mr. Adams in his ability to use color. And all of these images are in gorgeous color. The color creates an emotional climate of spiritual peacefulness that will help you regain your sense of wonder, as you shed the distractions of "civilization."

I was particularly impressed to find that many of the images came from parts of North America that I had never seen before. In many ways, this was like exploring a new land to me. That characteristic added to my ability to let go of my preconceptions and existing emotions, and simply drink in the visual manna here.

Here are my favorite images in the book:

Moonrise, Mono Lake, California; Ancient Spruce-Fir-Hemlock Forest, Eagle Creek Gorge, Oregon; White Sands Evening, White Sands, New Mexico; Oregon Seastacks Cannon Beach, Ecola State Park, Oregon; Autumn Dawn, Millpond State Park, North Carolina; Cadiz Valley, Mohave Desert, California; Cypress Dawn, Realfoot Lake State Park, Tennessee; White Canyon Sandstone Labyrinth, Utah; Mendocino Tidal Pool, California; Dead Horse Point, Utah; Delicate Arch, Moonrise, Arches National Park, Utah; Eagle Creek Punchbowl, Oregon Cascades; Atchafalaya, Louisiana; Pinus Aristata, White Mountains, California; Birth at Puu'loa, Hawaii; Anasazi Cliff Dwelling, Utah; Cahokia Mounds, Illinois; and Sand Reed, Minnesota.

Perhaps the phrase that best captures this book is that it contains "some harmony to contemplate in beauty and ancient light the measured pace of the universe."

Having seen what the proper light and setting can do for your spirit, I suggest that you launch a search for places that evoke similar emotions in you and times when you can experience those feelings in private. Then set a regular schedule of visitations, to add a "living meditation" to whatever else you do to get in touch with yourself and the universe.

Shed the unimportant to step into the permanent grandeur of nature, and be refreshed in your humanity!

A delightful book that can teach in a fun way. The animals' voices get all mixed up when a little bee comes around with a cold! Because the animals didn't listen to the rabbit, and cover their mouths when they sneezed, everyone on the farm caught the cold. A wonderful way to teach healthy habits, animal sounds, farm animals, listening skills, and more. But don't buy it for that reason alone. It is just plain enjoyable to read!

This is a GREAT book for children (and some adults for that matter). Not only is the story entertaining with great illustrations but it helps parents introduce the concept of germs and how they can spread when you don't cover your mouth or nose when you cough or sneeze. Its great fun to have the child help make the animal noises and of course, the A-CHOO.

I first checked out this book from the library for my 4 year old twins - they thought it was so hilarious that we had to buy it. It's a fun book to read using your best barnyard voices and the repetition makes it perfect for pre-schoolers. In a well-read family, this book has become one of our standard favorites.

A great book,cars from all round the world, not just european snob cars. We need a follow up please, there are many more classic Australian and american cars that could be written about, and some more european of course.

It seems Quentin Willson has made the ideal coffee table book. The Ultimate Classic Car Book groups together all shapes and sizes of classic cars from DeLoreans to Datsuns and Vegas to Volkswagens, and all with original and beautiful photographs wrapped in concise and precise text equavalent to about a page of novel. Willson does a very consistent job of presenting each car with basic facts and statistics along side special traits or other interesting items that make each car unique. One example of an interesting fact is the mention of the "Autronic Eye" available as an option on the 1959 cadillac convertible that would dim the headlights when an oncoming car approached. Willson also gives us insight into the cars by adding his own commentary. Examples of this can be found in his reference to the "Autronic Eye" as a mere marketing gimmick that never took off and his accusal that the stainless steel of the delorean was a "cynical marketing ploy." Even if you aren't interested in reading about the many classic cars of the world, this book is worth a purchase just for the full color meticulously crafted photographs and trivia. I would recommend The Ultimate Classic Car book to anyone interested in learning about automobiles of the past

What diferentiate this book from the others are the photos. We can see that all of them were taken exclusively to this book. For all the cars there are front/side/rear view photos. For some of them there are also top-views, that is hard to find in other sources.

The text is consice, yet informative, and includes summarised technical specifications.

Compared to books such as "Voluntary Simplicity" by Duane Elgin and similar books, one realises that many of these ideas are nothing new when one reads Walden by Thoreau. In fact, what strikes me is that we as a Western society have not overcome many of the issues pointed out by Thoreau 150 years ago. Thoreau left Concord MA "disdainful of America's growing commercialism and industrialism", the slavish materialism of that society then. One wonders what he'll say if he would see the extend today - in the post Coca-Cola society. But then Thoreau was a man who clearly stepped to his own drum. Becuase of slavery, he refused to support the state on moral grounds. How would his views have been tolerated today?

I am not luddite, but my favourite quote from the book is this: "We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing to communicate". Does this say something about the Internet, newsmedia and our contemporary information overload, or what?

I liked the introduction and footnotes of Meyer. Just enough to provide context and explanation, but never intrusive. This book is as relevant today as it was during Thoreau's lifetime. Highly recommended.

H.D. Thoreau is the first and most important figure in U.S. Radicalism. This collection provides the essential background for the latent radicalism inherent in American politics, especially as it was vocalized in the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements of the 1960's.

Disobedience is the shorter of the texts, but probably more important. It is an attempt to justify moral anarchism and a call to act on individual judgements about justice.

Walden can be interpreted as an important treatise against consumerism and the dangers of specialization, as well as an appreciation of the natural environment. Those interested in anti-globalization/anti-free trade movements would do well to read Walden to gain an understanding of where anti-consumerism came from and an examination of its ethical implications. However, it also pays to remember that Walden is a failed experiment and, in the end, Thoreau returns to Cambridge.

Thoreau, as political philosophy, has certain problems. Moral anarchy and denial of the social contract is difficult to replace in civil society--Thoreau makes no more than the most vague references as to what could replace it, seeming to rely on the fact that his personal sense of justice is universal.

Nevertheless, Thoreau's conscience has resonance and is as relevant today as ever. His rejection of consumerism as the basis for society and its stratification also teaches important lessons.

Thoreau represents that first step in understanding the other part of American political thought--extremely different from that of the Constitution and Federalist Papers--but with profound connections to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King.

I can only speak from experience on this one. This is one of the most remarkable books I've ever read. Thoreau influenced my views on liberty, justice, and integrity [following what is right, not merely that which is deemed law]. The inner journey Thoreau got me started on has continued throughout my life. I credit him for instilling within me the concept of "Teach me how to think, not what"--invaluable to the fledgling independent thinker and philosopher. I highly recommend Ralph Waldo Emerson, in conjunction with Thoreau.

The Nasa Mission Report series are FANTASTIC products. I cannot more highly recommend them. BUT: they only have one flaw. Getting the CD-Rom out of their tight package on the rear page runs the risk of badly damaging the back cover if you're not careful. And that's what I unfortunately did to my copy of Apollo 15. I suggest using a sharp letter-opener very carefully to pierce and open the seal at the top of the CD-Rom's plastic sleeve. What's this book/CD-Rom like? The range of documents and video clips is excellent and the photos are not too bad, but I've seen clearer versions of some of these pictures elsewhere. The video of "In The Mountains Of The Moon" is disappointingly fuzzy and pixelated, unlike the rest of the clips which are very good. Roll on Volume Two!!

From the press kit to the technical crew debriefing and everything in between, this book thoroughly describes the Apollo 15 mission. This mission was the first to use the Lunar Rover, the first to venture into a lunar mountain range, and the first to do major geologic work. This book uses the archives of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to document all aspects of the mission. The accompanying CD-ROM contains hundreds of images of the moon, hours of video of the moon walkers, and other interesting information about the mission. The press kit contains all the information given to reporters, including a step-by-step breakdown of the mission; this offers readers a complete, highly detailed study of the Apollo mission. Almost a third of the book is a transcript of the technical debriefing, interesting both because of the personal details of the mission rarely seen by the public and the interactions between the men who were on the mission. This book, along with the others in the series, forms an excellent technical history of the manned space program. General readers; lower-division undergraduates.

This book appears to have been released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 15 mission and contains a great deal of information about this extremely important lunar exploration mission. This mission was the first extended duration lunar exploration mission (3 days on the Moon's surface) and featured the lunar rover, which greatly extended the area that the two astronauts could explore. This Apollo mission is considered to be one of humanity's greatest voyages of exploration. David Scott commanded the Apollo 15 mission and contributes a few introductory pages.

The book opens with the usual NASA mission press kit. Unlike the earlier Apollo 14 press kit, this press kit is significantly larger, due to the increased emphasis on the scientific exploration of the Moon. The next portion of the book contains an excellent section titled "On the Moon With Apollo 15." This section focuses on the geology of the Hadley Rille/Apennine Mountains landing site, the science experiments that will be conducted on the surface and the equipment and tools that will be used to accomplish these tasks. This portion of the book was published separately by NASA in 1971 and a used copy now sells for around 25$. The next section of the book, the Pre-flight Mission Operations Report, presents an overview of planned timelines (work plan), while the next section, the Post-flight Mission Operations Report, presents the actual timelines, points out the discrepancies between the two timelines and describes any problems with the hardware

The crew debrief section, which is about 100 pages long, contains the crew comments and feelings about various parts of the mission and for the most part avoids the technical language that many of the NASA documents include; however there are several sections where the crew practically talks in acronyms. The crew debrief contains crew comments from the suiting up phase to the landing, plus comments about the training (did it or did not help the crew). Dave Scott and Jim Irwin dominate most of the crew debrief, since most of the questioning and mission focused on the lunar surface operations; however, Al Worden has a lot to say about his photographic survey of the moon and his deep space EVA (the first one ever conducted). I always find the crew debriefing quite enjoyable, because it is the closest thing to being there and you get two or three first had view points of various aspects of the mission.

The enclosed CD (be careful it is hard to get out) contains a lot of color and black and white photographs, several NASA films and an extremely interesting feature on the development of the Lunar Rover.

Some general information that might be useful.

1) These reports are just scanned-in documents from previously released NASA press kits, etc., In order to preserve the spirit of the original reports, all typographical and grammatical errors have NOT been fixed.

2) Proceeds from the book goes to "The Watch" an asteroid impact research project of the Space Frontier Foundation. In other words, Apogee Books is making very little off the sale of US government produced books.

3) Many people have asked why the post mission reports are not included. Since NASA has published many books with hundred of pages (The NASA SP series), and the data from these missions is still being analyzed, it would be impossible to do.

A good book for nearly anyone. There is plenty of excitement and it is full of sea knowledge. My only complaint is that there are dreary sections filled with the author's life philosophy that I found quite boring, and ended up skipping over.

Books should have a central theme, and the philosophy blurred whatever the theme was supposed to be. A good editor would have removed most of it.

I absolutely loved this book, and am looking forward to reading it again. Carlos' narrations combined with his twist on words paints a picture even the most land locked reader can imagine. As a marine enthusiast and student, it is wonderful to read works from hunters who also appreciate the undersea world and respect its power and importance.

The Blue Edge is Carlos Eyles latest book. It is a pseudo-diary of the authors sixty-five day journey aboard the Nirvana with his friends Jack and Pam. He journeys through the Sea of Cortez to the San Benedicto islands. The journey is on one level a journey from the once bountiful Sea of Cortez to near pristine San Benedicto islands. On another level it is a journey through man's impact on the ocean in the infinitesimal slice of geographic time that man has populated the planet. On an introspective level it is a journey through one man's search for balance and his link to the ocean, and to himself.

The word "mystical" has been used to describe the writing of the book. "Mystical" implies something apart from the human experience. The Blue Edge is experiential. It is about experiences that we all face. It is apropos that the boat is named Nirvana, which is the Buddhist term for "enlightenment." Some of the things that the Buddha realized on the road to enlightenment were, that the world is suffering, all things are impermanent, and that there is no Self. The Blue Edge takes us through part of that journey. It shows us the pain, and the joy, as one man struggles with finding his place in the world. As he tries to balance his love for the ocean, his love for his family, and his love for himself.

Carlos leads the reader through the fragile, and thus transitory, illusion of the permanence of job, family, possessions, and our natural resources. He describes how man's greed, and ego, has affected the balance of the once pristine waters of the Sea of Cortez, and how it also is taking its toll on the San Benedicto islands.

For the spearfishmen this is the journey that some of us go through in our diving careers. Our pictures of full stringers of fish on our desks and walls. Our attempts to give permanence to a moment in time. Our attempts to catch the "most" fish. As our diving careers progress we find we take fewer and fewer shots looking for the "right" fish. The contrast Carlos paints with Jack, who is struggling to find his place in his relationship with Pam and with the ocean, and the spearfishermen aboard the Ambar III that are dumping the carcasses of the filleted fish into the water, to Brian Yoshikawa not taking any shots waiting for the 200 pound tuna.

The Blue Edge may be difficult reading for people who have no ties to the ocean, since the sixty-five day journey is aboard a boat. It, however, is must reading for anyone who spends any time with the ocean. The book encapsulates our life journey in those sixty-five days. It gives us glimpses of Nirvana (enlightenment) through Carlos's eyes. It is this poignant glimpse which is what wraps us up page after page, because we feel from the very beginning of the book that Nirvana is not to be attained for Carlos at this time. The struggles through the grinding teeth of sharks, and lawnmowers, is something the ocean takes us through. The longing to play in the ocean, the longing for wealth, the longing for pleasure, the longing for the kill. The experiences Carlos goes through in The Blue Edge shows us that "Nirvana", on one level, or more simply the struggle to find balance with the ocean, on a lower level, is unattainable as long as we long to possess it.

My son really liked this colorful book. Especially the diverse group of characters like the rabbit in a wheelchair, the brother and sister cats, and of course BOPO the turtle. He is looking forward to future adventures with these characters.

Que lindo! What a beautiful book. My son loves it. Ever since the debut of bilingual singer Ricky Martin, my son has been interested in learning Spanish (he tries to mimic him). I read the book to my son in English and he reads the Spanish to me. This book also has a nice story and really bright pictures.

My sister gave this book to my daughter as a birthday present last week and my daughter can't seem to put it down. It has beautiful illustrations and a storyline that warms parents' hearts. I especially recommend it if you have ever heard your child say "I want to join the circus". I highly recommend this book.

I loved these stories growing up and missed them when I started reading to my sons. I'm glad they are still around. Lessons are hidden in many of the stories, but not as blatent as many new childrens books seem to be.

Great stuff. Came with a poster, too!

If you're thinking of buying this to be AFRICAN lore, don't. This is an adaptation of the Joel Chandler Harris Uncle Remus stories, focusing on those containing the Brer Rabbit character. The stories are delightful, and will be a joy to any (I also heartily recommend buying a complete set for reading aloud), but the tales are drawn directly from the heart and soul of America (there are no raccoons and bears in Africa, anyway...sheesh).

After visiting Disney World last year my 4 year old daughter kept after me to retell the story of Brer Rabbit and the tar baby, I was so pleased to find this book with its great illustrations. When we read this book before bed we just can't read one. My daughter likes all the stories not just the Tar Baby and the poster is great too.

This book is full of silly plays on words, like "Capt. Bug Rogers" and "The Bug in the Moon." Although my 4-year-old daughter doesn't get the references, she still asks me to read it again and again. Every page has a pop-up, a movable piece, or flap to open. She broke two of them, which I was able to glue back together, good as new. Personally I thought it was kind of hokey, but I rated it 5 stars because it certainly seems to reach its audience.

This is the first "Bug Book" by David Carter I have bought. It has wonderful illustrations and pop-ups. I thought it was a little young for my four-month old son when I bought it. However, I thought it was too cute to pass up. As it turns out the colors are so vivid and eye-catching and the pop-ups so entertaining, that he actually laughs when I read it to him. I highly recommend it for children of any age. I plan on buying many more of the "Bug Books".

Our five year-old son received this book as a gift and it was a delightful surprise! We laughed out loud through the whole book. It was very fun to read. Lots of interactive fun! This was our first book by David Carter but I would buy another. Very young children would like it too but I would be afraid of it holding up without getting ripped - not that it is too flimsy but that young hands would want to grab it.