"The Friendly Stars-How to locate and identify them"is an excellent introduction to the joys and simple delights ofstargazing. It accomplishes this by helping the novice observer identify the brightest stars that first appear in the east and instilling each one with a certain character that reinforces its uniqueness in our minds. Indeed, throughout the book the author emphasizes developing a relationship with the stars, kindling a warmth that may develop (as it did in me) into a lifelong fascination with this area of nature study. Once the location of the brighter stars are fixed in ones mind, a foundation has been laid for the identification of the constellations: the ancient imaginative star patterns created by our Mesopotamian civilization builders. There is a sprinkling of mythology and a dash of astronomical facts about the stars and ancient patterns that enhances the star-learning experience with the added bonus of ennobling the mind. One joy I felt reading this classic was how Martha Evans Martin would engagingly write of her experience of not only seeing a certain star but also combining other areas of nature into the event- the blooming of certain flowers or the appearances of various birds- a point which makes the book a celebration of outdoor things. To be aware of the beautiful in this world can be an antidote to the modern world's ills, an ointment for a stressed out society. First written in 1907, this little gem has influenced countless people to become professional astronomers (as it did the reviser of this edition-Donald Menzel); amateur astronomers (as it did the late Leslie Peltier-Ohio amateur, author of Starlight Nights and discoverer of a dozen comets); or skilled observers of nature (AnnieDillard -Mornings Like This: Found Poems, among others). But, it is not a technical work. All it needs is a curious mind that wants to open a door to the wonders of astronomy. It has influenced boy scouts and girl guides, scientists and poets, the young and the old; it is, as the stars themselves, a timeless classic.

I came across this little paperback in a sailing store in Sausalito and had to buy it. The original edition was published in 1907. How often do you see books from that era reprinted in 1964 and still available nearly a century later? This book is obviously a classic.

It's charm is in the descriptions of the twenty or so brightest stars in the sky that can be seen from the northern hemisphere. Also described are the major constellations that these bright stars are in or near.

All the scientific details about each star or constellation are there along with some little comment about what makes each special. We see "golden Capella, rose-tinted Aldebaran, red-faced Betelguese, fair Rigel, the gentle Pollux, and Procyon, the smaller Dog star, all fresh and joyous and eager" in our mind's eye before going out of doors and seeking them in person.

The book aids observation of these stars in the sky by detailing the seasons of the year and time and place in the sky when each of the stars rise and set. The book's mention of the relative positions of stars and of constellations with each other and its maps make the process of finding things in the night sky even easier.

I know there are planetarium programs out there with all kinds of astronomical information, but none can match the writing style of this little tome. It reminds me very much of Henry David Thoreau's writings about the wild apple trees, the rivers, and other natural things in his neck of the woods.

Buy the book, get your binoculars or telescope and head outside for a night of wild magical viewing.

I have read few books, believing it to be more important to incorporate the ideas into daily living than be widely read. This book is one of those few. I always found it to be inspirational. Though Milarepa exhibits superhuman strength in his Sadhana, spiritual practice, it is nevertheless a lofty ideal to sustain spiritual aspirants. It is a truism, often neglected at great peril, that one is happiest when trying to live according to one's ideals. Ignoring the negative opinions and hidebound thoughts of the worldly environment one must forge ahead to manifest the ideals presented by the Great Yogis! It may be a terrific struggle, full of many setbacks, but Victory awaits those who never give up. For me Milarepa has been a beacon of a true example. may all who seek liberation from the dualities of this world find brotherhood with the Great Yogi Milarepa!

This book is translated from the original Tibetan biography of Milarepa. It is easy to read, and contains some wonderful explanatory notes. These go a long way in clearing up some of the more difficult statements found in the book, especially for those unfamiliar with Tibetan Buddhism. All round a wonderful book, one which you can read time and time again and every time get more out of it. And don't forget, the story itself is also pretty good!

The art world seems to cherish the large; large works, large personalities, large prices. That's why it's good to see the small celebrated, and in the work of Donald Evans, it is celebrated with such elan, that it's impossible to read this book without smiling and even laughing out loud.

Evans was an artist whose work is almost entirely made up of faux postage stamps (postoids, as they're known in mail art circles) celebrating not only fictional countries, but the small things of everyday life: fruit, chickens, garlic, plants and flowers. His postal ephemera is vivid and dryly funny, and conforms to an internal logic and order that is awesome. Leaf through the book and enjoy the stamps from Achterdijk celebrating windmills, or the block of four pesto stamps from Mangiare. During his short life his output was prodigious, his imagination remarkable.

If you like the work of Nick Bantock, Donald Evans will be just your style.

Donald Evans' world was an amazing artistic creation of fictional stamps, painted in watercolour (to scale), in painstaking detail often in the manner of the classic 19th century engraved stamps from the foreign lands he collected as a boy. Evans' tragic death in a fire in Amsterdam, robbed us of a blossoming talent. His legacy is still substantial - over 4,000 stamps, from which this book is compiled.

Evans' incredibly detailed, well-historied issues from his various "cinderella" countries are often so well rendered you'd think they were the real thing. If you were intrigued by the stamps on the letters and postcards in Nick Bantock's "Griffin and Sabine" trilogy, you're ready to enter the world of Donald Evans.

Mark Minasi wrote the book, The Complete PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide and it was a proven winner. Now we have the perfect addition to that book and hands-on lab manual that makes learning easier and fun and will help even the most experienced technician.

The manual includes 41 labs that have you working on memory, hard and floppy drives, modems, irq conflicts, troubleshooting, upgrading and everything in between. Also included are lab reports, which will help you, track your progress along the way.

The appendix included covers the four essential upgrades, the power supply, the hard drive, the floppy drive and the scsi card. Missing from this book is a cd-rom with utilities and questions. Also the book should have been tailored around the A+ Certification.

Overall a good value for the money and the authors are very complete and thorough in the lab they give you. As with any lab manual there is only so many ways to do things, you can substitute your own problems for those in the book if you need to. A handy book for computer schools as well.

As a primer to the state of immigrant children's health in America this book is highly useful, particularly in explaining the impact of welfare reform (PRWORA). Besides being well-researched and structured, the book is also written well.

Don Worster once again intertwines his artful use of words with the photographic mastery of Terry Evans to make The Inhabited Prairie a true masterpiece in landscape narrative. The writing, reminiscent of John McPhee, shows professor Worster's love of his native Kansas landscapes. Furthermore, the photography of Evans superbly depicts the Kansas landscape and prairie mixed with the marks of the modern world. From aerial shots of Stan Herd's monumental crop canvases to the ruins of days gone by, Evans & Worster collaborated to expose the natural beauty of a uniquely beautiful state. A pleasant read that should occupy sitting room tables across Kansas and the Great Plains.

when i first bought a harness horse this was the book that a friend told me i had to read. this is one of the most entertaining books i have ever read. it means more to a person who has raced horses as an owner than someone who has never been involved but anyone would enjoy it. it is the story of don eveans and how he became a horse racing nut,an owner, and a hall of fame harness writer.it is full of hilarious stories of the joys and heartbreaks of the sport that i also grew to love as an owner.

This is a translation of a text by the Buddhist Master Padmasambhava who lived a thousand years ago in India and Tibet. Excellent commentary by Evans-Wentz, who was an English Buddhist scholar, and who lived towards the end of his life on a mountain in California. Lots of notes and explanations.

These books where written in the following order by the same author. All the books contain a vast use of the English grammar because the books themselves are based on a vast grammar. That vast grammar is the grammar of mind which is vast. This vast use of grammar is used to help the student expand their own mind. Get a dictionary ready. Put the work in. Attain the goal. Then use the goal. It is not worth just attaining it. Nourish it by using it and encouraging it. It is all a lot easier than it looks.

(1)The Tibetan Book of the Dead or the After-Death Experiences on the Bardo Plane: Or, the After-Death Experiences on the Bardo Plane, According to Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup's English Rendering.

This book sets up the basic questions for attaining the goal of 'supreme wisdom'. 'Supreme wisdom' is universal and all knowing. It explains everything - past, present, future among all beings everywhere including man, gods, aliens and ghosts etc. You will be able to attain perfect mental health through it. It will also help you to become a perfect person. You can be whatever you want to be. You do this by letting go of some things that prevent you from understanding the truth. This first book sets up the basic questions for attaining these goals by explaining a Tibetan method of thinking that is scientific/psychological/occult/philosophical through understanding the life/death connecting force which will explain all other forces both positive and negative and transitory. It mainly teaches what the transitory is and where you can find the transitory. The goal of the student is to transcend the transitory. Do that and attain the goal.

(2) Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa: A Biography from the Tibetan ; Being the Jetsun-Kahbum or Biographical History of Jetsun-Milarepa, According to the Late Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup's.

This book expands on the first book, which is all you need to attain the goal. This book is a 'story' about a bad person who becomes a good person through learning various 'yogi' practices and studying various Tibetan 'Holy' teachings. It is Milerepa's life story - a great liberator. If you need to learn more about a person who goes through some of the teachings outlined in the first book then this book is an essential companion read to the first.

(3)Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines.

This book expands on some of the exercises outlined in the second book, which can also be used to achieve the goal outlined in the first book. Although this book may be considered a bit dangerous if used incorrectly because certain yogi practices require flexing the body and sitting still for long periods time - it is certainly one of the supreme books on practical yoga because of its age, authenticity and results. Get advice from someone who has done yoga first if are going ahead with this one. This book is a companion to the second book and the first. There are no yoga illustrations. It is all just described. Get another book on illustrations if you are looking for pictures or even better - get advice from someone who has done it. There is lots of text here that answer many questions that the yogi may have about the yoga.

(4)The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation: Or, the Method of Realizing Nirvana Through Knowing the Mind.

This is the final book in the series and expands on the concepts of the first, second and third books by using a type of 'instant enlightenment' mental yoga. Although the goals of the first, second and third books can be achieved by using this final book in the series the first, second and third books are 'instant companions' if you enjoy the results of this one.

As the writers set forth in the four books the goal of 'Super Wisdom' can be achieved by using these four books. The most important aspects of all four books in the series is the use of oneself alone to achieve the goals without any recourse to physical or mental aids. This is important. These books will "teach yourself everything you will ever need to know". Purely pure through the simply mundane.

It is a wise choice to buy these books. It is the opinion of the reviewer that it is one time that money is truly well spent in the quest for the wisdom of all wisdoms.

The meat of this book is the large print that floats above the footnotes from pages 202 to 240. It's more than worth its price for the small bit of text on those 38 pages. Forget the rest.

This is an interesting book that brings to life many of the teachings and beliefs of the Tibetan Bhuddists. This book is primarily about the migration of souls and the process of death and rebirth. I particularly liked the background information given by the author leading into the main text that discusses the basics of this flavor of Bhuddism and the evolution of its teachings. The author retranslates the title for the purposes of reading and after reading the text, I certainly agree with him. The two major teachings that I see are what to expect after death and how to prepare for death while still alive. Although I think the emphasis is on the latter. I think you'll find that the basic tenets of this faith are found in all major religious beliefs along with noticable differences the further one defines the system. Overall, this would be a good starter text for a student of religions as well as bridge for those whose preconceived notions of religions outside their own are faulty and ignorant.

With this translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, or Natural Liberation in the Between, Thurman fulfills the function of a Bodhisattva in helping others attain liberation. This is the most accessible, down-to-earth and learned rendering of this guide to spiritual liberation that I have encountered in modern American English. Thurman even manages to work in a little humor on the edges.

What this translation makes abundantly clear is just how many chances in the in-between we have for liberation. Apparently one has to be very non-aware to go through the in-between and miss the chance for stepping off the carousel. of samsara. (So why am I still here?)

It would be interesting to devote some time to a cross cultural/cross discipline study of death, dying and beyond. In particular, a study comparing Stan Grof's 3rd perinatal matrix; Sufi descriptions of the interworld (barzakh) and the world of Harqalya (see Corbin's Celestial Body); some schools of visualization/dream work; descriptions of the astral world (Robert Bruce's and Robert Monroe's works in particular); and shamanic traditions would be illuminating. Throw Dante in for good measure. There appear to be large areas of overlap and agreement as to what happens during death, and what happens next. (Get enough blind men together and compare their impressions of the elephant and a clearer picture may come to light.)

The best thing about this book, however, is that it invites the reader to learn the Tibetan death ritual for oneself. It helps that, as the book explains, our after-death mind is nine times more intelligent than our current mind. So just a little application now in learning these texts will go a long way later.

Face it. At some moment in the near future you will close your eyes for the last time on this world. Death is more certain than retirement - and longer. Like anything else, the more you learn about it and get acquainted with it, the less shocking and scary it will be.

First published in 1927. Translated by LAMA KAZI DAWA-SAMDUP. Edited by Dr. W.Y Evans-Wentz, formerly of Jesus College, Oxford who spent the rest of his life dedicating himself to following the teachings of this very translation. This writer is the one who first produced the teachings of 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' to occident man in the west. It still remains the definitive edition to this day. The book also has many footnotes and an important lengthy introduction by C.G. Jung to introduce the occident mind to the nature of the book. The footnotes are the helping hand in reading and understanding the text.

This is a book about the raw mind. It may take you many lifetimes to understand. You may understand it after the first reading. There are no devices, tools, sects, schools or Gods used to get you there. This is a book about your mind. The mind is the only device you should need along with the book to bring you to the understanding of - knowing the nature of reality. Then when you are done with the book pass it on and use the only tool that this book expounds on. The mind.

I have not even attempted to read anything else since I found this book. That is because it is definitive. The book only needs your mind. Nothing else. That is why this book is THE definitive book of the mind. Christians should not be afraid of this book in any way shape or form. It is good natured, good willing and does nothing more than help expand your goodness.

It is through the book of the dead that you will learn the book of life.

As the recently deceased Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, of Tiruvannamalai, South India, admonished Evans-Wentz when he sojourned in his ashram he said - "Each of you should ask yourself, 'who, or what, am I?' Why am I here incarnate? Whither I am destined? Why is there birth and why is there death?'"

This book has never been equaled by any other book. And I am not just talking about within the confines of theology.

This is THE book.

Good as far as it goes, but has some editing errors involving photos and subject matter that weaken it terribly. There are better books on A+ including the Myers Exam Guide, A+ Adaptive Exams, and the Schmidt Certification Self Study manual. If you have a large budget, this book has mostly worth while information.

This is actully my grandfathers book so i had to rate it 5 stars but I actully do mean it! It is a great book. He is a electronics teacher at Solono and knows his work!

Designed for use along with the A+ Complete Study Guide, the A+ Complete Lab Manual delivers student exercises and practical labs that build student ability and confidence for taking the CompTIA A+ exam. (Amazon.com)

Broken down into 43 hands-on labs, the lab manual now gives you every opportunity to pass the exam. You excuses have run out. Evans has taken a great deal of time in preparing this book.

Each lab has a procedure and a report, giving you a way to record what you have done. This will make a fine addition to the learning process and will simply some of the more complex issues with A+.

The book has three detailed appendices; each designed fro a specific purpose. One for Windows 95 commands, one for DOS commands and one for specific command breakdowns.