I bought this book after reading about Henry David Thoreau in my high school literature book. He writes about his love of nature and tries to show others how to enjoy it. This book brings out the beauty of all the surroundings that many people pass by every day. It also encouraged me to get out and live up my ocasional stroll around the neighborhood. I took this book to school and it even helped relieve me a little stress. I recommend this book to all nature lovers.

It is a perfect little book to carry with you for inspiration. It makes me want to take a walk... and the beautiful thing about this book is that it allows me to take a walk in my mind without ever leaving my office or room. I have and will continue to read it over and over.

This biography on the greatest German tank commander and arguably the greatest tank commander of WWII is a little lacking. His book, while interesting and insightful portrays a rather harsh picture of Rommel the man, if not the commander. While Fraser was a British general during the war, he understandably comes off judgemental and is not objective. A far better book on Rommel would be (Rommel, the Desert Fox) by Desmond Young. Young was also a British general, and unlike Fraser not only fought against Rommel, but was taken prisoner by him during Rommel's fighting in Africa. After the War Young visited Rommel's family and interviewed many of Rommel's fellow officers including his driver. In conclusion Young's book is a easier and more accurate read.

Fraser obviously did a lot of research for this work and it shows. To my knowledge, he's the one who best summed up Rommel's implication in the assassination attempt on Hitler. The books has, however, a number of failings. It sheds very little light on Rommel's early years and family life. Generally, I can't say this book made me feel 'acquainted' with Rommel, he remains a distant and mysterious figure. The author seems to be even handed in his discussion of Rommel and this is a merit. But the description of Rommel's campaigns is, in my opinion, not very good from a technical viewpoint. The author included too few maps, and they are of so poor quality that the reader can hardly follow the action. The description often is one-sided, focussing only on Rommel, so that you frquently do not get any thorough, balanced discussion of his opponent's options and behaviour. In short, this book is a well-researched biography, with little psychological insight, but it's worth very little as a military history of Rommelò's campaigns.

David Fraser's biography of Erwin Rommel, 'Knight's Cross,' is subtitled, 'A Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.' It should be subtitled, 'A Career of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.' While the great General's skillful campaigns in France, North Africa, and France again are nothing short of brilliant, quite a bit is left out of the overall picture of the man. Rommel's years before World War I and during the Weimar era are barely examined. Instead, author Fraser focuses on the general history of the time, leaving the portrait of Rommel somewhat incomplete. That said, Fraser also gives us a first rate look at the battlefield genius and basic goodness of the man that was Erwin Rommel. Fraser spends much of the work successfully dispelling the myth of Rommel's lack of strategic consideration by showing his constant worry over the battles in Russia and his own precarious situations in Tunisia and Normandy. Also brought to light are the circumstances surrounding Rommel's part in the July 20th bomb plot and his forced suicide. For anyone interested in World War Two or the methods of great leadership in general, Fraser's biography is sure to entertain and enlighten.

When I first read "The Book of Bamboo" many years ago, I thought it was brilliantly researched but simply too eccentric in organization and style to be representative of mainstream thought on the subject. Despite the wealth of information it contains, I hesitated to recommend it to people for fear its intensity would put people off rather than draw them in. However, after several years of growing bamboo in coastal northern California, I recently picked it up again and instantly recognized it for the classic it is. Fewer than 1 percent of 1 percent of all non-fiction books published are ever republished after they go out of print, especially by a prestigious national firm with major editorial capabilities. See for yourself why David Farrelly's "The Book of Bamboo" is one of those rare, wonderful books worthy of such investment and respect.

If you threw half the chapters in this book away, you would have a better book...It is very comprehensive on bamboo,I am glad I purchased it but too many paragraphs on "saving the world" (ecology comments)

This was the first book I read about bamboo many years ago when I first started planting bamboo. I guess the best way to describe it would be to call it "The Last Whole Earth Catalog of Bamboo". It covers all aspects of bamboo, facts and fiction, reality and myth. This book is for the true lover of bamboo.

Few books will change your campaign as much as the Book of Artifacts. If your characters have progressed to the degree of mastery that allows them to challenge the great powers of the multi-verse (demon lords, elder dragons, arch-devils, demigods, etc.), why not give them a REAL challenge? This book details the creation of artifacts (this in itself will launch your campaign into the world of legends), curses, creating non-artifact magical items (invaluable!), recharging magic items (finally), artifact powers, and more. The rest of the book gives full, elaborate details on a myriad of wondrous artifacts - their history, sage, powers, destruction, curses, and stories. Featured items include Baba Yaga's Hut, Eye and Hand of Vecna, Johydee's Mask, Mace of St. Cuthbert (beware Iuz!), Orbs of Dragonkind, Rod of Seven Parts, Sword of Kas, and much more. A lavish book that is filled with wonderful ideas - even if you don't want to introduce artifacts to your campaign, the evocative treatments will surely inspire you to create your own exciting new adventures based around the arcane magical items of your world. A classic!

I liked this book. You can use one artifact and structure a whole campaign around finding and/or destroying the thing. The rest of the book you can use as generic Bard's tales, provided your party's not so jaded that they interrupt your story to say, "Oh, he's talking about the Eye of Vecna (or is it Venca?)! Let's go find it."

I'm not quite sure why they kept the random powers for most of these artifacts. Is there some rule that says that if you're not rolling dice, you're not playing D&D? Most of these artifacts are centuries old. I would think that they would have powers that were more constant, not different every time someone new found them.

Fun book. Good items. Lots of room for abuse, but I don't feel the need to proselytize game balance right now. That could be because I'm being slowly dominated by the Dice of Mort the Mad PowerGamer.

Simply because bringing in an artifact means that of the party, probably 1 or 2 will remain. They rest will suffer the artifact curse, get assasinated, framed and beheaded, etc etc.

Why any sane fellow would even touch an artifact with a 10 foot pole, i cannot understand. Of course player characters are not sane people so, if the party is getting bored, just drop an artifact into some poor party member's hand, preferably the scepter of the gods (or some thereabouts) and watch the fun. Personally i find the jacinth of inestimatible beauty to be great fun.

I found this book a disappointment because the author allowed his personal issues and problems (e.g. family problems, illness, drug use) to interfere with the picture he was trying to paint. Henry Beston's THE OUTERMOST HOUSE, A YEAR OF LIFE ON THE GREAT BEACH OF CAPE COD, is much more to my liking, because of the beautiful prose and the full concentration of Mr. Beston on the topic at hand (i.e. the Cape, its history, its beauty, its wildness). I find it incongruous for this author, David Gessner, to make the effort to get in touch with nature by living out in the wilds by the ocean, and then to take the unnatural step of using drugs while doing so. It offends my senses almost as much as do the actions of people who play boomboxes at the beach while supposedly enjoying nature. I guess I like my nature natural and without the distractions of these other modern day intrusions. And I like my information and insights gleaned from my readings to be based on reality not drug induced fantasy. These personal issues (which in another context, might have been appropriately raised and interesting) seemed only to be undesired distractions in this context.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gessner at a bookstore he made an appearance at. I bought two of his books, "Wild Rank.." and "Return of the Osprey." I was almost unable to put down "Wild Rank." It was so moving...so touching...so brilliantly honest, I kept the pages open as I did mundane things so I could peek over occassionally and be mesmerized by his essay. The book is a mix of so many things -- there's a little "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" in his brutal honesty. Then there's a little Thoreau when he briefs us on what the marshes and the "Suet" mean to him. This book is a must read for anyone who understands or wants to understand that life on life's terms is the only way we can exist -- and one of life's terms is that we take care of the land. Another of those terms is that our parents, for whatever faults they have, shape us in ways we can neither forget nor sometimes identify. David, I'm so glad I met you -- the book has been one of those wonderful surprises in life that change you a little bit when you encounter them. Kudos!

Mr. Gessner has created a powerful memoir of his childhood on Cape Cod, the loss of his father and his love for the harsh Cape environment that is emblematic of personal struggles Gessner has faced and, with humor and intelligence, ultimately overcome. A thoughtful and thought-provoking work from a promising young author.

This book is one of the best I've been able to find on sharks, and I could not put it down! I must have read it over three times already just to remember all the information it contains!

It has detailed pictures and information on shark anatomy, favored myths about sharks, factual accounts of shark attacks, some information on other animals such as crocs and killer whales, and xavier puts forth several facts and theories about shark behavior. In the back it also contains an encyclopedia of sharks.

This is not a book for those with weak stomachs, since the pictures are very graphic of those attacked by sharks, even though most of which were only 'investigative bites'(and people get struck by lightning more often than attacked by sharks).

Since it was originally copyrighten in 1991, there are one or two new shark facts that are missing in this book(as opposed to the many facts that are usually missing in other shark books), but this is still the best for its time, and one of the best informative books for the present.

I would suggest this book for anyone deeply interested in sharks. It answers alot of questions and asks many other thought-provoking ones, keeping the reader hooked from cover to cover.

Although known as the swimming death of the seas Xavier Maniguet ties to explain the truth about sharks. He also tries to close a gap between this perfect fitted animal and its status of a killer-machine. Especially by facing the reader with some horrifying photographs of human shark-attack victims. But the book also shows in a scientific and breathtaking way the other strange side of these misunderstood animals and let sharks not look like a man-eating machine but also as an important member in our ecosystem. For those who are really interested in sharks this paper is a MUST! And for me who faced a real Great White once in South Africa it is even more than that.

Maniguet covers just about every aspect of sharks, and from a perspective of human contact. One long chapter covers shark attacks on humans, while the rest of the book covers anatomy, behaviour, and human interface, with some attacks interspersed. The book is technical in parts, but not too much so. I was looking for a factual book on sharks and shark attacks, not sensational but not boring, and this was perfect.

it doesn't explain it well. I can also use TAB and ? keys in the keyboard when I'm inside Cisco Router, better than using this book. What lacks here are sample configuration in a given situation or scenario, and more explanation of the commands and command options. What this book did was give the command and command options.

"Cisco Routers for IP Routing Little Black Book" by Innokenty Rudenko is still the best handbook, combine it with "Cisco Field Manual: Catalyst Switch Configuration" by Dave Hucaby, Stephen McQuerry, David Hucaby, and "Remote Access for Cisco Network" by Bill Burton, William Burton you are ready for the real-world task of configuring and troubleshooting Cisco Routers and Catalyst Switches.

The authors did a great job of presenting the relatively basic information on configuring Cisco routers. You will find quite a few useful IOS commands discussed in the book that will want to keep it as a handy reference. I would also suggest looking into getting "Cisco IOS for IP Routing" by Andrew Colton. That book would take you deeper into mechanics of modern routing protocols (EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP), along with a discussion of Cisco IOS commands.

This is a truly practical book. It features material most often configured on Cisco routers and gives the reader a step-by-step description of how to implement it. This is not a book for people seeking to learn networking, or the theory behind protocols and IOS features. It is just as the title says, a manual with "no nonsense" how-to's. A good quick reference when you don't have the Cisco documentation CD and need to implement something fast.

I usually prefer Fantasy novels; but David Weber's strong female heroine lured me into this series and his writing has kept me comming back for more. I have to admidt that this particular book is the only one in my adult life to have me in tears from early in the book until the end. As much as I hated the character's death that made me cry - it was not a gratuitous death. This person's death not only defined the course of this novel, but also had a profound effect on the heroine's life and career. This effect has continued on into later books. This is the only time I have seen the death of a lover depicted as a life-altering event. Honor does not morn and then continue her life as before. This death effects her actions in this book, changes the path of her career and contiues to echo into later books about her. I hate seeing such an important character die, but David Weber made his death a major pivital part of the book and Honor's life

While the previous three Honor novels are driven by battles and the PRH, Field of Dishonor is planted firmly in Manticore's political arena. The characters are the same, but the fighting takes on a different direction. This novel shows Honor finally growing up as a public person.

Honor is thrown in the deep end of the shark tank when her long term adversry Pavel Young is court martialed. His smallness and obsession to destroy Honor move the book forward. In contrast, Honor's people stand in the gap for her, in order to level the playing field. Class warfare is in definite evidence here.

This book, more than the previous ones has a strongly "British" flavor. At times, it is anachronistic, but somehow works.

As part of the series, it's a "must read". Some men may find it to be too much of a "Chick" book.

But, for all of us women who have screamed at the movie screen for the girl to kill the thug attacking her boyfriend, this book is a true validation of our full femininity. We can be powerful both professionally and physically. We can beat the ones that come after our loved ones. But we still bleed.

David Weber's books just keep getting better and better! Here's the fourth book of the series, and Honor Harrington must fight on a different battlefield.

Honor returns from Hancock Station (The Short Victorious War), transporting Captain Lord Pavel Young, who stands accused of cowardice in the face of the enemy. If found guilty, the sentence is death. However, through surprising twists and turns, someone else dies first.

Honor takes a sabbatical for a while, as her command, HMS Nike, is in the slips for major overhaul and refitting following the pounding she received at the hands of the Peeps. She returns to Grayson to take up her duties as Steadholder. When her former executive officer stops by, she receives news that causes her to hot-foot it back to Manticore. What happens next is the tale of her courageous fight for justice in the face of political intrigue and compromise, and how that same compromise winds up treating her even more unfairly than any enemy action.

Read it. Honor's legend keeps growing, and it is well justified. What keeps me reading, more than anything else, is that she continues to be a very real and sometimes vulnerable person, despite a record of achievement that is reaching mythic proportions. Did I say read it? No, absorb it, dwell in it. In an earlier review I said that, speaking as a sailor myself, Honor is the kind of CO I want to work for. I'll go farther - Honor's the kind of CO I'd kill for and die for. 'Nuff said.

Of all the books on training runners, this on book offers the most comprehensive explaination of what it take to get to the other level. Although its aim is for serious runners and coaches, it can be used as a reference guide for those 'tweener runners who are not weekend warriors but neither national class or better atheletes. This is a great book that I wished were around when I was in high school. If you ever wanted to run that sub 4:00 mile then this is where you would learn how to do it. Great book!

The purpose of the book is to be a comprehensive guide to training distance runners. If you are serious about your efforts in fulfilling your potential as a runner you will need to address all aspects of training. For some that may mean having a scientific fundamental understanding of how the body responds to training. I'm sorry that some of the reviewers may not appreciate the first 4 chapters of the book, which focuses on the physiology of running. Running, like any athletic activity, is about training the body's energy systems. Racing 100 meter requires a different energy system than racing a marathon. Thus training for 800 meters is different than training for 5000 meters. That is why in BTDR you get basic physiology first and training theory second. You can understand the book better if you start from this basic premise. You will understand why running 5 miles at certain speeds will have different effects or how to peak for a racing for a certain period of time. The science aspect makes the book a tough read, but the real value is Chapters 5-8. If the book were to contain only the last five chapters then it would still be valuable. Yes, a basic understanding of science is needed for the first four chapters. However, I find it hard to believe that concepts developed in the later chapters like periodization, total body fitness, race strategies, and training management were not of value to some of the reviewers. Newton give cursory treatment to these subjects, Jack Daniels does a better job in his 'Running Formula' (and would be the book that I would recommend to all high school distance runners), but it's BTDR that really breaks it down. BDTR will get you thinking in a whole new way about your approach to running.

I have to also say a word about the expectation that popular running books created for runner eager to learn more about training. Publications like Runner's World and the Running Times are known for their easy to understand training articles that outline how to get faster. Their publishers also publish books in this same vain. What is not questioned are the training philosophies behind the programs, its just a successful runner (active or retired) or coach giving the cliff notes version of their programs. I'm sorry, but a week in the life of Runner X does me no good if I can't understand where that week is in his/her training, why they are doing what they are doing (re: goals) and most importantly their training philosophy. I applaud the fact that they are reaching a vast audience of runner who really don't want to run a sub 4:00 mile (and that is needed), but I do. BTDR is not meant for them. Glover's book ' the Competitive Runners Guide...' is a good starting point but it is more useful to a beginner runner than a high school cross-country runner (different races different goals). This simplification has its drawbacks; it encourages the simple parroting of training programs without a full understanding of their impact. Do you peak for one racing period, two periods or cycle the program? How long should base training last? When do we introduce anaerobic capacity training? Important questions to a serious runner but a less focused runner could care less. BDTR is meant for those who wish to learn how to develop thier own training programs from scratch. Which means gaining a fundamental understanding of every aspect of training runners. It not enough to say run 10 miles on Sunday as your weekly long run. Why not 5 miles or 20 miles? Is it even worth doing one at all? These questions answered in BTDR and not answered in most other popular running books.

This book is not for every one. A high school runner may not want to know what the aerobic energy system is or how it works. Furthermore, s/he may not even care. Any one can tell some one to run 10 miles one day and 12x400m repeats the next, but if they can't tell you why you are doing that or what effect it will have on you then why would you want to give up your time and effort. For those that do have an interest and want to know what it takes to get to the next level then this book is gold.

Bottom line. If you are not serious about your running then this book is not for you.

A really comprehensive book on all aspects of running. I am sure it will become a reference book for all serious runners. The only book that can match "Better Training for Distance Runners" would be "Lore of Running".

I bought my copy of David's book from a store before I discovered Amazon.Com. As the clerk bagged the book for me she jokingly remarked "Well this looks like relaxing read for the weekend". This book is more fun to read then the title let's on. However, I don't think It was compiled as well as some other works like in the author's lost cities series. David's chapter on Einstein and unified field was good but the rest of the book looked a little thrown together. Even compulations should be well ordered. And, I am not saying this because my copy was bound with some extra duplicate pages either.

I appreciate the author's open mindedness on many issues. If this work were someones first read of this author they might be tempted to underestimate the rest of his work. I am saying this as fan.

Are you stuck in your thinking, or can you entertain new theories, new thoughts, a new approach to thinking? What we see is not all there is. We live amongst unseen (but not unfelt) waves and vibrations which impact us daily. Yet, we go about our lives in an unthinking way because we cannot actually "see" radio waves and their impact upon us. Yet, they do impact us. Is your mind open or closed to new ideas about who we are and the world around us? Einstein told us that energy and mass are interchangeable. If that doesn't blow you away, then you're a perfect candidate to read this book.

Childress, in his Anti-Gravity books, theorizes that Gravity can be controlled and warped into a field around us, providing propulsion for flying saucers and other aircraft. Apparently, he says, UFOs are already using a kind of technology like this, utilizing the Unified Field of Gravity, Magnetism and Electricity. A fun book on UFOs, suppressed technology, Nikola Tesa and more.