Rick Bass's little oil book, originally published in 1989, is a good read for those who know something about oil production. But it is dated, very badly, by recent developments in the energy sector. One of his "notes" -- page 19 of the SMU edition -- states "I hate coal." This goes to two pages of nonsense written by someone years ago, like me, that could not have anticipated the significance of coalbed methane.

If you read this book, realise it is from a well-head mentality. This oil genius probably has never spent a day underground or a minute to understand why we must mine coal. Perhaps he could run his word processor off the crude pumped into a generator adjacent to his office. That's a patent I'd like to see.

Oddly enough, I was far from home doing field work in North Georgia when I found Oil Notes in a little bookstore. I am a geologist. However, unlike Rick Bass my job was to look for fresh drinking water, not oil. I found time to read his book between logging boreholes and setting wells. By the time I was finished I (with the book) I had a renewed interest and spirit in my profession and in the environment around me. Rick Bass found a way to express in words, the excitement and passions associated with being a field geologist, environmentalist and a man in love.

Oil Notes is a fantastic book, and Rick Bass is an equally outstanding author. I have since read everyone of his books. He vividly defines his feelings and passions in everything he writes about, be it drilling for oil or studing wolves.

Oil notes struck me not so much as a description of a mans first job and all it entails, but rather a young man beginning his adult life who was open to any and evry new expieriene life through at him. His optimism shown through in that he loved his work and he always felt something better was just around the corner. Underneath it all was also a man coming to grips with how to handle relationships, both personal and professional. He showed his failings as well as his triumhs. To me it is an adult version of a seperate peace. This is a writer that I will read for a long time because as he ages he will describe lifes changes with the same brilliance he has described his lifes beginning.

This is the greatest book, even if your not into mystical fantasy the romance and action is great.

A book which draws you in and holds you there. You don't just understand, you ARE the characters. The style is the in the ancient folktale style, which is fitting for the characterization. I was fourteen when I first read this book, and since then it has become my "teddy bear" book, brought with me everywere. It gives you a way out of your mundane reality.

For years I'd seen this book in the shelves of the public library, but I'd never given it more than a glance. But just recently I was browsing the shelves, after having found what I was looking for, and chanced upon Child of Faerie, Child of Earth. I read the inside cover for probably the 5th time in the past 3 years, thinking maybe I ought to read it, and see if it was any good.

So I checked it out, brought it home, and began to read... and I couldn't put it down! The story is so simple, and yet so enthralling all at once. I immediately liked Percinet, the green-eyed elf with a sweet sense of humor and such persistence. Me being the addictive reader that I am, finished the book in a day. I loved it not as one loves a flowering orchid awash in dew, but as one sees a white daisy in a field, and loves it for its simplicity and purity. If ever I am in a bad mood, I shall pick up this book and read my worries away.

I recommend it to any avid reader, any hopeless romantic, any believer of Faeries, any lover of adventures, any magically talented soul, anyone who enjoys a story, pure and lovely. Any reader, any age, will love this book. I did. Even as I was in the midst of A Clockwork Orange, Julius Caesar, and so many dark and serious and sorrowful books, Child of Faerie, Child of Earth was my beam of hopeful light, my life-saving beacon. It is a book like no other.

This is a nice way to start to learn "By the Phrase" Italian. Having just been to Italy, I can vouch for the generally friendly and helpful nature of most of the residents. Also, in most of the more popular tourist destinations, English is often spoken. So, if you were to work with this book and learn some of the useful, ordinary phrases, it would probably make a nice impression on the native Italians and would make you feel less like a clueless tourist. This book will not make you really fluent, nor will it teach you the real mechanics of the language. Keep in mind this a phrase based, quick start approach that is easy to read and should help the average tourist.

I purchased Rick Steve's Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary in preparation of my trip to Rome. Rick not only makes Italian easy, he makes it fun. This book spells out hundreds of everyday words and phrases, as well as the common phrases and words that will be used by a tourist. He gives helpful hints on how to speak with the locals and make the most of your experience. He also includes many words/phrases that many people would want to know how to say but would be embarrassed to ask someone to translate for them. His attention to detail is fantastic. Although this book will not teach you fluent Italian, it gives you a great foundational vocabulary to start you on your way. A must for anyone planning to travel to Italy! Buon viaggio!

A friend bought Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary for me last summer before I embarked on my first trip abroad. My Italian speaking friend had actually lived in Italy for a few years, and after careful consideration, felt that this phrase book/guide would be useful for me. He was absolutely right.

The book proved to be invaluable. It was compact enough that I could carry it around with me in a small purse/backpack that I carried with me throughout my entire trip. I did not speak any Italian whatsoever, and found the words and phrases in the book to be exactly what I needed to get around and communicate effectively. I especially appreciated the pronunciation guide to each Italian word in the book- that was extremely helpful. The practical advice given throughout the book proved to be invaluable, as well as humorous, and the menu decoder was also of particular help. I quickly got over any "qualms" I may have had over appearing too "touristy" on my trip and used the phrase book repeatedly as it proved to be a most definate asset. Thank you Rick Steves' for so accurately predicting the needs of the average beginning traveler. The book greatly enhanced a most wonderful traveling experience. In fact, I am still studying it in anticipation of my next trip to Italy.

I enjoyed this book, and read it in one day, pouring through the various chapters and one tragedy to the next. My only complaint is that many of the chapters were excerpts from other books, and the stories sometimes felt unfinished. Those excerpts would cover the hit (or near miss) of the summit, then cover some sort of trial to the participating climbers. The climbers may or may not survive the trial, and then that would be the end of it. I actually craved a little bit more of the post-expedition soul-searching.

This book is essentially a compilation of short stories from books written by world class mountaineers. Anyone who is well read in this genre will immediately recognize these short stories from the books they were taken. The stories are exceptionally well written and edited. Some are epic survival tales and others document the never ending string of tragedies that befall many mountaineering expeditions. The format works well even though the stories are in no particular time sequence. I highly recommend this book, and many of the other books from which the stories have been excerpted. Pick some of your favorite short stories from this book and follow up with the complete tomes. You will not be disappointed.

This book contains the greatest short stories about climbing that I have ever read. Each story is unique and as entertaining as the other.

This is a fun book to put in the bathroom, and I mean that in a good way. It is witty and a bit insightful, and you can read it in short or long bits and find something to make you laugh. Isn't that what one needs in the loo? A few samples:

Fashion -- Today's rage, tomorrow's chuckle.

Math Anxiety -- An intense lifelong fear of two trains approaching each other at speeds of 60 and 80 mph.

Science Fiction -- Fairy tales for nerds.

This book proves the phrase 'all good humor is based on truth'. It's so damn honest, clever and well-written... and uproariously funny.

This is a rare book in that it not only makes you laugh out loud, it also makes you think.

It's a book you'll want to share with friends.

I recently reread portions of this book and just had to comment on it again. This book never fails to make me laugh. I would liken Bayan's command of the English language to Edgar Allan Poe - he's that great. The pen is truly mightier than the sword. The way that he leads you down a path with a definition and then clobbers you with the last few words is sheer brilliance. Bayan proves that most writers today are merely hacks, and it is a sheer joy to read this book. If you love laughing hysterically, and if you love intelligent writing, this book is a perfect read. I can only hope that a sequel sees the light of day. EXCELLENT.

This book is not a comprehensive reference book for VFP. This book is not an instructional book for someone new to VFP. This book does not focus on any single aspect of VFP.

This book IS a smorgasbord of useful tips and information that helped me out immediately. Not all of the tips were new to me, but unless you're already a very accomplished VFP programmer, you're sure to find some real gems here, many of which are not addressed in other VFP books. The example code is very specific and detailed, particularly if you download the sample files. This book is a special niche kind of a book that is hard to categorize, but for my purposes it's been fantastic.

I baught all visual foxpro books available. "1001 things you wanted to know about visual foxpro" It Include more tips and tricks than all other books put together. Even there is some features that change the length of code dramtically, say 1 hour instead 1 week of work.

I note that one reviewer didn't like it because it spent too much time on showing the reader how to do things. Andy and Marcia (now husband and wife, by the way) have long been towers of strength in the CompuServe support Forums. This book shows their understanding, not only of VFP, but of us poor geeks out in the real world trying to figure out how to make it work.

Structured code, good programming habits, and incorporation of OOP is here with us now, here to stay. Andy and Marcia guide the user into the methods of using these resources with example after example. I've met some people who can sit down and read a book like this from cover to cover before touching the keyboard. They are theoretical learners, and more power to them. I'm the other kind of guy. I need to get my mitts on the keyboard as soon as possible and try things out.

This book is exactly what I need. At this moment it sits on my shelf with no less than 8 bookmarks in it. Andy and Marcia's influence may be seen through all my code.

Ultimately, this 67 year old geek must thank Andy and Marcia for the fact that, at an age when most old guys are retired, I am still gainfully employed, and generously paid.

This is the best kind of bargain!

The book may be useful for an extreme novice in bug collection and identification, or for helping youngsters. It superficially treats any given group of insects, with less detail than I had anticipated. Most of the insects illustrated are foreign, which was disappointing. This is a book that will sit on the shelf until I decide which nephew to give it to.

This book was the first one I ever bought and it was very helpful.It is just loaded with useful information, and helpful diagrams. However, if you like hands on experiences, its loaded with all kinds of easy to do experiments that are fun and educational. However, due to the amount of scientific words and phrases, I would not recommend this book to children under seven.

Back when I first began my fascination with insects, I picked up a copy of this book hoping it would help me with a project. I was impressed with the way it presents information order by order in true entomologist fashion. The pictures are great and the text informative. I would recommend this book to anyone who is just beginning in entomology and is looking for a great overview of insects and their lives.

When my father-in-law offered me the pick of his books this summer, I mustered enough cowgirl pride to say: "You should keep these for your grandchildren." (As the daughter-in-law who didn't reproduce, I find myself frequently spouting such gracious lines.) And when I spotted The Oxford Book of English Verse, I thought immediately of you, Bill and Vera: this anthology might appeal less to your learned sisters than to those of us who like to read our poetry in the woods while coffee brews on the Coleman stove. Remember to ask for it!

Once home, I bought my own copy--worth every penny--leaving your father's copy for you. I like the crazy chronological arrangement of the poems and slightly ditsy selection: Edward Lear next to Robert Browning! Charles Lamb followed by--get this--"Twinkle, twinkle, little star."

Here's a poem by Geoffrey Hill, hitherto unknown to me, "Ovid in the Third Reich":

I love my work and my children. God/ Is distant, difficult. Things happen./ Too near the ancient troughs of blood/ Innocence is no earthly weapon./

I have learned one thing: not to look down/ So much upon the damned. They, in their sphere,/ Harmonize strangely with the divine/ Love. I, in mine, celebrate the love-choir.

After having studied with Professor Ricks many years ago, it was a joy to find that he had been tapped for the new edition of this book, the Oxford book of English Verse. (The permissions must have been a bear.) As you might know if you've ever read John Mortimer, previous editions have been appreciated by countless readers, including Rumpole of the Bailey (the fictional barrister), who enjoyed the Quiller-Couch edition like he did his cigars, lamb chops and port wine. This new edition from Oxford, handsomely published with a ribbon for marking the pages and the traditional Oxford blue binding, contains most of the poets we first-year undergrads students at Boston University used to hear about from Ricks: there's Stevie Smith, Phillip Larkin, William Wordsworth, Samuel Beckett, William Empson, and many others. It's a thoughtfully collected array of English poetry, chosen by one of the most perceptive critics active today. I hope you enjoy it.

This is a wonderful gift, not only for others but yourself.
To have a significant fraction of western poetry in one book make this a timeless acquisition.
Not only are the aesthetics of the prose attractive but the binding has a tactile quality too!

No matter what your mood there is a poet waiting to speak to you in this book.

Okay, I confess: I was amused by this book, and since I suspect that that was most of its intention, perhaps I'm being too harsh in giving it only two stars. And yes, there were some legitimately thought-provoking ideas to be found...but only a few. If you can find this book used, cheap, as I did, it's definitely worthwhile for a lark. But there is DEFINITELY NOT enough book here to be worth list price. It is grossly overpriced to capitalize on the Star Trek market, and that's the source of my dissatisfaction.

If you enjoy Star Trek, and alternative viewpoints, give this one a try. Social commentary/words of wisdom from a Star Trek point of view. This book definitely made me laugh.

One does not have to be a "Trekker" to appreciate Marinaccio's book. It is filled with humorous comparisons between fantasy events of the Star Trek "world" with appropriate events in our day-to-day existence.

The book is an easy-read "primer" to introduce the uninitiated as to why millions follow the fictional exploits of the various inhabitants of one starship Enterprise.

Might not revolutionize the opinions that many have of "Trekkers" for the work is obviously written by someone who has analyzed and re-analyzed episode after episode of the series. But, that aside, the book is highly entertaining and reflective at the same time.

Rick Bass has written a plea that is at times elegant and at other times shrill. The best writing in the book are the stories of long-time valley residents (both human and animal) trying to exist in a habitat that is shrinking in the hands of indifferent government and corporate stewards. Every 30-40 pages there is the ripe whiff of the holier-than-thou that usually occurs when a gifted writer transplants himself to the West and somehow comes to believe he is the only one who can truly interpret its significance. But this is possibly a quibble based on the prejudices in my head as a longtime Wyoming rancher. In any case, it's good to know that each member of the Congressional delegation received a copy of this book, although it's doubtful that Conrad Burns or Craig Thomas ever cracked the thing.

I bought this book after visiting the Yaak. and loved the wonderful prose and the enormous feeling of the wilderness.

I loved the book, and recommend it highly -- it really focuses on the valuable resources we have but often don't appreciate.

A very well written glimpse of life in a wild valley in northwest Montana. Book is an account of some of author's experiences in the Yaak, but much of book focuses on author's lifelong struggle to fight against the destruction of his home. As other reviewers have noted, this book serves as a powerful motivator for activism in the service of our national forests and against the wasteful, short-sighted strategies of Forest Service timber management. Much of his points can be found in Sierra Club pamphlets (e.g., through the forest service, U.S. taxpayers lose millions of dollars annually to build roads to allow timber companies to clearcut forests, the profits go to stockholders and executives and local economies suffer, etc., etc.) but his prose makes it all seem fresh. I got as mad as the author. However, this book is far from an "eco-rant", it's a moving argument for the importance of a place and community and a call to end the disastrous economic practices of the timber industry. Bass argues for sensible logging that sustains communities.