I not only collect plants, I also collect books by Ken Druse. There are so many garden books out there today, and many are disappointing. Druse's books are the best. I read them over and over -- and the pictures are incredible. There could not be more inspirational and informational books onmy favorite hobby.

I just read that Ken Druse swept the Garden Book awards this year with The Collector's Garden. Best photography from The Garden Writers of America; Best book of the year from The American Horticultural Society. I have all his books -- this is the best one yet!

From my earliest years, I have devoured gardening books. Now in my wrinkly years and the owner of two gardens, one in the city and the other in Tasmania's beautiful countryside, I appreciate all the knowledge I have consumed over the years and I thank those garden writers that have helped to stir my creative juices and given aid when the inevitable mistakes have taken place. Through Internet, I have made the aquaintance of American gardeners and my interest in the revolution that is taking place in their gardens, has been aroused. The same movement is noticeably happening in the Australian gardening scene. Do you plant with only Australian native flora? Are you still homesick for the "old country" and religiously imitate the English country garden design? Perhaps the best is a blending of both styles? These are the questions that Australians are asking and American landscapers too. With interest aroused, I purchased American gardening books. I read serious tomes, the "this is what is happening in my garden" books and humerous offerings. This Christmas, as is my usual custom, I splashed out and bought myself two Kenneth Druse books: "The Collector's Garden: Designing with Extraordinary Plants" and "The Natural Garden". They were the best Christmas present ever, to be trite "A picture tells a Thousand Tales". The photographs are stunning, cream chocolates to be devoured over and over again with no weight gain! The script is concise and informative as it relates with gentle humour the drive that was used by these American gardeners to create their superb gardens. I would recommend both books to everyone, the beginner, the professional and the young at heart. There is nothing as exciting as beauty in pure form and in Kenneth Druse we find a genius who shares his love of beauty with us all, a luxury to be enjoyed and used time and time again.

As a woman reading this book, I got a close-up view of the struggle men have trying to bear the heavy armour of their masculinity. Kenneth Chance, in this incredibly honest and wise tale of Eric Crane's transformation, shows how one man learned to throw off that armour and open up to the possibilities of self-love and intimacy in relationships. Men are hurting because their rigid definition of masculinity-- strong, silent, independent, resourceful, even heroic-- is so difficult to measure up to. And divorce, loss of a job, or death of a loved one often finds them without the emotional tools to cope and heal. They end up angry, bitter, isolated, and confused. This book faces those issues head-on and lights the way on a path to Love. I gave my first copy to a dear man in my family who is in pain, and now I am re-reading my second copy. The insights are profound.

Some believe that the literal, infallible Word of God is an ongoing dialogue between The Supreme Being and each human. In Eric Crane's case, the conversation begins loudly with a wrenchingly dramatic opportunity to confront his own mortality. Once Eric's attention is focused, God then leads him on an epic journey of soul healing through manifestations of Divine Truth in the form of interesting and wise spirit guides.

Eric's struggle in overcoming misconceptions about power, control, dependency, and fear provides a raw look at the way most of us western cultured males have been conditioned to think. As Eric unlocks the shackles of male image, he becomes the creative spiritual human he was meant to be. The journey to freedom for Eric is far from a straight path. It has twists and turns, progressions and setbacks, all contained in a spellbinding plot.

I eagerly awaited the publication of this book. In 1996, I received my own "cosmic 2 by 4" in the form of diagnosed acute cancer for which there was no known cure. Pumped full of morphine, I was facing a choice of living less than a week or months of high risk experimental chemotherapy that had never been used on an adult human. As with Eric Crane, God sent a guide to assist me in making my decision to heal and live. My guide visited me often during those difficult months of chemo. Today, I'm not just surviving, but thriving, both on physical and spiritual levels. You should know that my guide is flesh and blood. He is also this book's author, Kenneth Byrd Chance.

If you're male, read this book for inspiration and personal growth. If you're female, read this book for understanding and insight. If you're not consciously seeking any of those things, read this book: It's a great story from an incredibly gifted author.

A spiritual crisis is what Ken's novel addresses and men typically face them alone. The compelling story of a man whose life falls apart gives readable, understandable insights that we see mirrored on shows about angels and spiritual guides but many men feel are only available to others. The book is a fast read but full of encounters and events to which we can all relate. Yet it's done so well that by the time the story ends, I was left feeling that I had just taken a course from a master teacher. For anyone feeling alone on the path, this is a good choice. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Reading CORPORATION LAW gives the Corporate Practitioner a whole new slant on the do's and dont's of today's corporate structure. A must for every corporate attorney, every corporate officer and every small business owner.

This book is well written and easily followed. It progresses in a logical manner making it easy for anyone interested in learning corporation law. The essays and review questions help make the topics understandable.

i am not the law school student but i can totaly understand the corporation law from this book. easy to read and easy to understand.

This is an Outstanding (and complete) work on the Covenants, it especially handles the Davidic Covenant accurately, if this is understood it Debunks Dispensationalism.

It is written in the Bible that the people of God perish for lack of knowledge. The knowledge that the Word is speaking of is not the knowledge of this world, or of science, but rather knowledge of the Word of the L-rd.

Reading this book, I can understand this scripture a little more deeply. In order to be a proper subject of the Kingdom of G-d, you must be familiar with the principles that the Kingdom operates by. Covenants should be the starting place because all of G-d's dealings with mankind is in the form of a Covenant.

This book is an excellent study into Covenants; what they are, who they are for, what they mean, and why I need to be concerned about Covenants as a Christian.

This book is for ministry and laity alike, and it should be read slowly and prayerfully. A fantastic resource for the Body of Christ.

You would search in vain for a better treatment of the covenants. All of the covenants are discussed with the ongoing themes of "the words of the covenant", "the blood of the covenant", and "the seal of the covenant." Bible students of all persuasions will appreciate the author's insight into these most important contracts with God Himself.

I have used this book for years in helping people understand the middle eastern context of the parable. Dr. Bailey's experience and insights bring the text alive in ways our western interpretation sorely misses. I would recommend this for anyone who is serious about understanding this parable. Unfortunately, it will whet your appetite for more middle eastern understandings of the other parables of Jesus. Hopefully, Dr. Bailey will write even more; and hopefully, this will come back into print!

This is one fantastic book -- an easy read -- great for a study -- adults or intergenerational. The graphics are simple yet stunning. The drama at the end makes for a great sermon at the close of the study. Members of the class can take the parts and learn them by heart or do it as a readers' theater. With bread at the center of the drama -- it is especially meaningful on a Communion Sunday or Maundy Thursday. The drama is a bit long -- but can be creatively edited without losing any of the impact to fit nicely within the context of worship.

This is a great book - especially if you have been interpreting Jesus' parables with western mindsets! Bailey is an expert in the area of studying the cultural context of Jesus' hearers.

Yes, the book is out of print, but more recently I have secured a copy from ACORN PRESS which has been given the right to reprint the title in Australia. It sells for under US$10!

The address is Acorn Press Ltd. P O Box 282, Brunswick East, VIC. 3057 Australia.

Tel: 613 9383 1266

It's a GREAT book! Give Acorn press a call!

Is the open society no more than a brief era of open spaces? West of the Mississipi a man without a society can and always has survived handily in the interstices of the system,freely availing himself of the services of major railroads, there to wander the open spaces of a civil arrangement in which he was never included. One of the strange subworlds of the Great American Economy has been the realm of that curious gremlin of the reserve army of the unemployed, the hobo and rider of the rails. If you pass by a freight yard, and wait long enough, you will see the phenomenon, briefly, as departure and arrival is not announced, and the passengers will appear from out of the bushes. Much of this is tacitly condoned due to the need for cheap labor in the agricultural circuit, from Arizona to Washington, and the lines are almost the official transportation for the labor force at some times of the year.
This work is a charming, and well documented, account of the whole history, not only of the hobo, but of the homeless in American history, and also gives an interesting chronicle of the skidrow world as it flourished and then passed away after the second world war. If you are ever unemployed, don't panic. Get west of the Mississipi, find a railroad yard,and wait. People will appear who can explain the ropes. May or may not be an open society. But there are still a lot of open spaces.

This is by far the best and most definitive (and perhaps the only) account of homelessness from a sociological/historical perspective. No drama here, no political agenda, no sensationalism. It is a very matter of fact documentation of the rise of homelessness in this country.

It begins simply enough with defining homelessness. Originally those we call homeless today were seen as social outcasts, called vagrants, beggars, bums, vagrants or tramps. Dr. Kusmer traces the origins of these words, something we often take for granted. The use of the word 'homeless' in the public vocabulary did not reach general use until the 1980s.

The overarching theme is that these are people and as such deserve respect no matter what they're situation. Even though it is a historical account there are many personal accounts noted and one gets a good feel for the humanity presented in this book.

As folks living in this situation, for whatever the reason and whatever the definition given, waxed and waned over time, so too did the perception of the public toward them. Factors such as wars affected this population, so too factors such as economic downturns and the rise of the train. Stereotypes are dispelled and this complex and diverse topic is laid out in a well-written style not overloaded with technical jargon.

The documentation on this book is a feast. I have literally spent hours following up on many of his footnotes, especially the accounts in the New York Times from the late 1800s. Fascinating stuff grounded in history. He has a grasp of his material and gives such a broad, though thorough, sweep of the issue that it will become the seminal resource for footnotes in years to come.

This book really opened my eyes to some common misconceptions about tramps and vagrants in American history. I found it to be erudite yet accessible. It is that rare example of a highly scholarly historical study that is as compelling as the latest mass market page turner.

I would suggest that Down & Out, On the Road is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand a fascinating, yet overlooked, piece of American social history.

I congratulate Dr. Kenneth Kusmer on this fine work. Add it to your library as soon as possible.

This is the best book on identity I've read yet, because it's in the words of people for whom the issue was truly life and death. Though the book is scholarly enough to be an academic work, it is very readable because it is almost entirely first person accounts.

Through absorbing biographies of Holocaust survivors, Embattled Selves explores issues of identity that transcend the Holocaust itself. Each of the fifteen individuals studied in the book underwent some challenge to their identity during the war. Some were Jewish, but disguised themselves as Christian. Others were half-Jewish and had to come to terms with, or reject, their part-Jewish heritage. Still others did not even know they were Jewish (or part-Jewish) until the war forced their lineage to the forefront. The manner in which these individuals dealt with their identities both during the war and afterwards is fascinating and thought-provoking.

The success of Embattled Selves results directly from the manner in which Jacobson presents these remarkable individuals. The author permits each survivor to relate his/her own story through oral testimony. Jacobson's impartial narrative introduces the separate topics, and explains certain terminology, but in no way seeks to dominate the accounts. The reader is allowed to explore and ponder the issues raised at his own pace with a trusted guide at his side. What makes people who they are? Why do certain inviduals embrace their heritage while others reject it? What effect does the attitudes of parents, friends, and loved ones have on an individual's sense of identity? Can a person ever really abandon an identity? Or does a repressed identity live on? What impact does the desire to belong have on an individual's attitude towards a "minority" identity?

To its credit, Embattled Selves does not seek to provide definitive answers to any of these questions. The final examination is left to the reader, who may discover previously ignored issues of identity in his/her own life.

We continue to read stories of the Jews who were rounded up and taken to the concentraion camps, and although most of us have thought "How awful" we have also probably thought "I'm glad it wasn't me." But, what if you awakened one morning to find the Gestapo at the front door and were told you were under arrest because you were a Jew. Your first thought would be "surely this is a case of mistaken identity! "

"Embattled Selves" by Kenneth Jacobson documents the lives of 15 people who during World War II discovered they were "Jewish" because the Nazis said so. Some of them had Jewish ancestors several generations removed they never knew existed. Some knew they had Jewish ancestors, but they or their parents had converted to Christianity. Some were born into religious Jewish families, but no longer practiced the religion.

Many of the more introspective of us spend our lives thinking about who we are, how we became who we are, or how we can become who we want to be. I have been working on my family geneology for some time. Since my mother was Dutch, after I read this book by a man named Jacobson who was Jewish, I took a closer look at the family tree. There are some interesting characters in the branches--with last names like Jacobson.

This work is the Gold Standard to which all other Exercise Physiology books are measured. I was introduced to the Second Edition of the book in an entry-level class in Graduate school. To this day I find it a necessary reference from my library.

Personally, the most useful information to me is on Energetics as it pertains to athletics, training adaptations, exercise testing and prescription. I use this information to help me decide how to train athletes from different sports. But, there is so much more than that in this book. Metabolism, Ventilation, Heart and Circulation (including CVD) is all covered thoroughly.

I especially like Brooks' approach to physiology. Brooks, likes to examine physiology by studying the rate-limiting processes. And to a coach, like me, finding weakness and improving that weakness is crucial to winning. Another topic I enjoy is Brooks' take on the misnomer of Anaerobic Threshold and Lactic Acid.

It's an extremely well-organized, well-written text. It's easy to read and a challenge at the same time. Brooks makes you think and delivers difficult information in a way that is easier to understand than other textbooks.

Eric Swannie, MA, ATC, CSCS

I received both my B.S., and M.S. in Exercise Biochemistry from Univ. of Mass, and Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, respectively. My former advisor studied under Brooks at Berkely (He received his Doctorate there). In any event the approach our department undertook towards exercise biochemistry/physiology was at the cell and molecular level. Brooks text was central to the program. What is great about the book, is that it explains complicated biochemical processes in easy to understand language and places it in the context of applied physiology. The book stacks up to classic texts like Molecular Biology of the Cell (Albert, Bray, Lewis), and many of the classic biochemistry texts. In my opinion it is far superior to texts by McArdle & Katch, or Textbook of Work Physiology (author escapes me, for now).

I would have to agree with most experts in this field, that Brooks did a smashing job when writing this text. His chapters on bioenergetics are superlatively done. Outstanding graphs, analogies ,coupled with an eazy to understand vennacular. The chapter on bioenergetics is extremly lucid when explaining the esoteric aspects of coupled energy metabolism and muscle performance. Brad Nindl from (Penn State University) and Dr. Paul Arciero (Skidmore College) still utlize his text, and often refere to his chapters on energy metabolism and exercise. Many of our lively discussions and research ideas were spurred by Brooks text. Not only does this text service as an outstanding learning tool, when learning the basic concepts of exercie physiology, but acts as a catalyst for innovative ideas for new research. The references are all up to date, providing eazy access to "cutting-edge" researchers. His chapters on cardiovascular physiology are well organized and follow the same lucid format of the previous chapters, however, i wish he included information on the newer developments in cardiovascular physiology and exercise, such as the work being currently conducted on signial transduction and on the dysregualtion of the sacroplasmic reticulum during CHF etc.. Overall i would recommand this textbook to any serious student, scholar, physician or allied health professional who is wishing to futher their understanding of this fastinating subject. I am currently using his text as a major ref. for preparing for part I of the USMLE!! Yours In Great Learning

This book is a great book. It is in wonderful detail of the mid 1800's and the western trails. I definitely recommend this book, but this book is more for older readers. If you love history and things about the westward trails you will love this book. These letters and diaries are great to read if you love history and geography like me.

I have read all 11 books in this series over and over, and I would recomend them all. It is like looking over the shoulder of the rugged pioneer women as they took time, almost every day, to document what would probably be the most important event in their lives. Tired,wet, and sometimes hungry, they brought stability to the west. I have also traveled and seen many sights that still remain as evidence of the Oregon Trail. We can't travel back in time, but this is the next best thing!

I got this book yesterday in the mail and it is already read. This book takes letters, diaries and other correspondence of women who shaped the frontier and gives the reader an insight into the hardships that their families faced making the long western crossing to the hope of a better future in Oregon and California.
The author has tapped many sources in libraries all across the west to get this information together. He makes a point in the introduction that this is information compiled nowhere else. He deals with lesser known narratives except he does include a journal from Virginia Reed a child travelling with the Donner Party and Tabitha Brown one of the top 10 figures in shaping Oregon history.
Very informative and educational! Can't wait to start the next book in the series.

I remember when Livan Hernandez was the World Series MVP when the Florida Marlins had their one year of glory and were the World Champions, that there was quite a few references to the pitcher's older brother who was supposedly even better. Even though it is an unauthorized biography, this juvenile biography of "El Duque: The Story of Orlando Hernandez" is pretty much the story that was put out for public consumption and ignores some of the major questions journalists have had about such things as the dangerous journey in the rickety boat through shark-infested waters, the four days shipwrecked on a deserted island, and Hernandez's real age. But this "Hollywood" version of his life story certainly lives up to its billing as being an inspirational story. Besides, whatever liberties there might be in the book's middle act, the happy ending is certainly true.

Even if details of Hernandez's escape are more the stuff of fiction that fact, Kenneth LaFreniere does give young readers a real sense of what Hernandez went through on Cuba. After this younger half-brother Livan defected, the Cuban government Orlando Hernandez from baseball for life because they feared he would defect as well. Of course, the great irony is that once they took away his livelihood, Hernandez had no reason to stay in Cuba. Whatever he was thinking before the ban, defecting became the only rational option. Consequently, young readers will learn something about the oppressive government in Cuba (not to mention the fact that as a universal rule governments tend to do stupid things).

Young readers will easily recognize this book's rags-to-riches formula, although all things considered it spends more time on the riches than the rags part of Hernandez's life. LaFreniere spends as much time on the pitcher's attempt to get to the United States and be allowed to play baseball as he does on the years Hernandez spent in Cuba becoming the celebrated "El Duque," and almost half the book is devoted to his rookie season with the New York Yankees with its story book ending as his team wins the World Series, giving the Hernandez family another World Championship to celebrate. LaFreniere tries to give a sense of Hernandez's deceptive pitching motion, but that is something you simply have to see for yourself on television or in person. I do like the idea that there is an inherent lesson in this story that there are more ways of beating a batter than just having to throw the high heat by them. Consequently the Hernandez story implicitly tells young readers that baseball takes brains as well as physical talent, and that might be as important a lesson as reading the inspirational story.

I may not be a Yanks fan (actually I'm sick of the Yanks) but Hernandez went on along path to freedom from communism. That's something all of us take for granted. You have read this book!

Being a die-hard Yanks fan living on the west coast, reading this book made me feel the pulse of the city where baseball is king (after Rudy G, of course). Mr. Lafreniere has done it again! Kudos Kenneth!