Each chapter is about a day's adventure of one of the animals (Weasel, Sierra Grouse, Chickaree, Black Bear, Lizard, Coyote, Deer Mouse, Stellar Jay & Mule Deer)on the rock and surrounding forests and meadows. Sally Carrighar compresses her observations into one day and weaves a fine tale of the hunts, escapes, games and imagined thoughts of each animal.

This book, written from the point of view of each of a series of animals living around Beetle Rock, follows the web of life and illustrates the beauty of the natural world. This is a book for anyone seeking to understand the natural world, and anyone who truly loves animals.

I was very dissapointed by David Suzuki and his biased view-points about killer whales and society. However the rest of the book, makes up for a sour start

I reckon it's the best i've ever seen, MAD

This book is an excellent compliation of articles written for mathematicians who want to understand quantum field theory. It is not surprising then that the articles are very formal and there is no attempt to give any physical intuition to the subject of quantum field theory. This does not mean however that aspiring physicists who want to specialize in quantum field theory should ont take a look at the contents. The two volumes are worth reading, even if every article cannot be read because of time constraints. All of the articles are written by the some of the major players in the mathematics of quantum field theory. Volume 1 starts off with a glossary of the terms used by physicists in quantum field theory and is nicely written. The next few hundred pages are devoted to supersymmetry and supermanifolds. A very abstract approach is given to these areas, with the emphasis not on computation but on the structure of supermanifolds as they would be studied mathematically. There is an article on classical field theory put in these pages, which is written by Pierre Deligne and Daniel Freed, and discussed in the framework of fiber bundles. The discussion of topological terms in the classical Lagrangian is especially well written. There is an introduction to smooth Deligne cohomology in this article, and this is nice because of the difficulty in finding understandable literature on this subject. Part Two of Volume 1 is devoted to the formal mathematical aspects of quantum field theory. After a short introduction to canonical quantization, the Wightman approach is discussed in an article by David Kazhdan. Most refreshing is that statement of Kazhdan that the Wightman approach does not work for gauge field theories. This article is packed with interesting insights, especially the section on scattering theory, wherein Kazdan explains how the constructions in scattering theory have no finite dimensional analogs. The article by Witten on the Dirac operator in finite dimensions is fascinating and a good introduction to how powerful concepts from quantum field theory can be used to prove important results in mathematics. A fairly large collection of problems (with solutions) ends Volume 1. The first part of Volume 2 is devoted entirely to the mathematics of string theory and conformal field theory. The article by D'Hoker stands out as one that is especially readable and informative. D. Gaitsgory has a well written article on vertex algebras and defines in a very rigorous manner the constructions that occur in the subject. The last part of Volume 2 discusses the dynamics of quantum field theory and uses as much mathematical rigor as possible. One gets the impression that it this is the area where it is most difficult to proceed in an entirely rigorous way. Path integrals, not yet defined mathematically and used throughout the discussion. The best article in Volume 2, indeed of the entire two volumes is the one on N = 2 Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions. It is here that the most fascinating constructions in all of mathematics find their place. These two volumes are definitely worth having on one's shelf, and the price is very reasonable considering the expertise of the authors and considering what one will take away after reading them.

These articles are great. Fills the ubiquitous need to retract the gap between then conceptual and rigorous framework of the subjects.

Physicists interested in the mathematical aspects of quantum field/string theory would do well to read these volumes as well.

Deserving, in my opinion, more than 5 stars -- many more!!

This is not a book for rockhounds -- there are no mineral lists, no collecting sites or things like that. It is aimed at a general reader with an interest in geophysical features and phenomena. I'd say it scores pretty well.

The authors focus on what can be seen along, and what underlies, many major Washington highways. They deal with both the surficial geology and the underlying basement rocks. There is an emphasis on relating what is right in front of you to "how it got that way" and how it continues to change today.

Their preface is an excellent description of plate tectonics, the engine that powers all the geologic activity. It would be easy for this description to lose the non-technical reader, but their writing makes it seem clear. Throughout the book they have a consistently light but careful prose style. More people would be interested in geology if introductory geology textbooks read like this one!

Geology has long been a hobby of mine. I own several of these books and thoroughly enjoy them all. The Washington roadside guide has the most meaning to me since I live in Washington State and have had reason to travel throughout the state for the last 12 plus years. I like the authors approach of using highways and cities as reference points. In addition, the pictures add realism. You can actually go to those places and look at the pictures in the book and see exactly what they are talking about.
I think this book is a valuable educational tool as well for people with children. What fun to drive from place to place and learn about what is really under the surface of the ground! Reading the geological story of a particular part of the state made me want to travel there as well. Great books, very easy to read.

Exhaustive and complete. Very informative for every bird-lover

This is an absolutely indispensable reference on sea birds, including penguins. It is the most complete book available on the subject and makes identifying the birds a breeze. It is truly fascinating book.

Detailed information on nearly 300 species is included. Detailed juvenile & adult descriptions are given for each bird. Facts about distribution & population are also provided.

There are over 800 photographs that are arranged from six to nine to a page. Many have never been published before. Usually there are at least two clear close-up photographs of each species.

Captions list the species, approximate age, & location. Photographic acknowledgments are listed in the back. The topography guide is a nice bonus. This is a beautiful and informative book for any bird lover.

As a 'student' of the High Sierra, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone with a love for the precious Sierra Nevada. Its only shortcoming (is it a shortcoming?) is that for anyone with little to no previous understanding of geologic processes, biology, botany, et al, they may feel slightly lost at times. Mr. Gilligan rarely gives a background to the process, event, or adaptation he is about to describe. Those who have studied the aforementioned subjects will appreciate that the author delves straight into a subject without prefacing it with general background.

A must for the collector of Sierra Nevada books.

Mr. Gilligan brings the reader as close to "The Range of Light" as one can get without being immersed in it. He is quite unapologetic for his subjective approach in studying the ecology of the Alpine Sierra Nevada, and rightfully so. The reverence for which Mr. Gilligan has for these mountains assists the reader in transcending the boredom of science into the exciting realm of the personal and graspable.

From landscape geography to the intricate workings of geological activity, Mr. Gilligan brings scientific concepts to the laypersons realm. If you want a book that brings both the forest and the trees to your doorstep, this is it. The only real drawback to this book is the sense of burning desire it leaves, which can only be extinguished by breathing the Sierra Nevada Alpine Air. Then, and only then, will the understanding that Mr. Gilligan has impartd to his reader be fully appreciated.

David Gilligan says it best, "Whether the Hindu and Buddhist ressurectionists have had it wrong or right all this time, I can conceive of no other way of living this precious life than as if it were the first and last time I will have to kiss the bones of the earth, shaken upward in a stone embrace with the alpine sky." I'm coming Heckle-Me Fiddle!!!

I served at one of the London police stations (Paddington Green) where David Powis did most of his early research for this book. Although the environment has changed since Powis' day, many of the attitudes and methods employed by thieves are still true today. As a field manual for today's police officer, this book still has some tips on human nature - it's also a glimpse into the past of some of London's criminal fraternity. All in all, a good read - for today's cop also a look back to yesteryear.

David Powis's post-war police career was one of the most notable in the UK, commencing in Portsmouth in the late 1940s after service in the Royal Marines and culminating at Scotland Yard as operational head of the CID. He retired in 1984 to take over as International Security Chief for Natwest Bank. His contribution to the modernisation of the CID in general and to the investigation of International Organized Crime through refined intelligence methodology in particular has, sadly, been mainly unsung. He has, so far, eschewed self-serving memoirs, thus allowing others to claim initiatives which were his. Signs of Crime is a down-to-earth manual of useful and universal timeless tips for patrolling policemen and detectives everywhere. Written in the 1970s by a gentleman of charming anachronistic manners, just before he took over all CID operations after the purge of corruption in the Met. by Sir Robert Mark, the Victorian prose adds to its charm and the photographic plates are historical gems. Every young cop should browse through this book on night duty and put into practice the tricks of the trade illuminated through it's pages of practical hints and wise advice. As one who benefitted immensely from his leadership, guidance and comradeship, I thoroughly recommend it.

As a college graduate in Botany, I have seen many field guides. I probably own of 30 in different categories, and this one is one of my favorites. It was the only one I carried on a trip to California to identify trees in the Bay area. The color illustrations make a huge difference as they are very accurate and easy to use a field guides. It does require you to have a little more than a basic knowledge of trees, as it does not start out with a dicotomous key.

The best book I found for understanding the classification of trees, and for getting clarifying the differences between the major tree families...

This book is great for people who want to learn the basics of different trees, their leaves, their twigs and bark of the trees around their area. If you don't know if the tree grows in your area, you can look at the maps in the book to see if it does. If you like trees and want to learn about them, you'll love this book. I loved this book because it built my foundation for knowledge in trees and their different families.

I love this little book. I've carried it on many hikes, dog walks, and through several years of walking to graduate school. It's easy to use, detailed enough to be helpful, and small enough (my aged copy, at any rate) to fit in your back pocket. Of all of the field guides that I own, I've used this one the most.

This book is very cool. Four feet long, unwrap layer by layer and find information each time. You can even hang up the mummy! I love it and so does my lil bro!

I've had this book since i was given it by my parents when i was 7, and even though it has an age title of 6-8 i still enjoy it and i'm now 14! But the whole book is cleverly written for children to understand so they learn while having fun. I would personally recommend this book to anyone who is hesitant to purchase it, for their children or even for themselves.