Drs Paesler and Moyer present a comprehensive overview of the research to date in near-field optics, including their own progress in the field. Clearly written and readable passages cover both the theory and applications of near-field microscopy, as well as a primer on the discipline's history. As the field is relatively young but quickly growing, having centralized access to seminal works is a real benefit. Having one of the authors (Moyer) as a graduate advisor, I was able to take first-hand advantage of his expertise in my own near-field research; for those who don't have the luxury of one-on-one interaction with the authors, their book is the next best thing.

While Christmas tree grower Mark Redmon is spraying his fields with a well-diluted and virtually harmless pesticide, ecology activist Hoxley is up to no good, sneaking onto the farm. But whatever Hoxley has been told to take care of, things don't turn out exactly as he had planned. Before he knows it, something toxic has knocked him for a loop and he is down for the count. Redmon finds the dead body and calls the cops. Now he has the EPA on his tail for using the illegal insecticide that killed Hoxley, a substance Redmon claims he never touched. An attractive reporter is on to Redmon, too, trying to catch him in a lie about his methods of getting rid of worms. In the meantime, a young immigrant farm worker, done for the season with Redmon, moves on--into involuntary servitude with men too dangerous for even the rural police to face.

Here's a book with lots of excitement and plot turns, written well by a man who knows his Christmas trees and his California underworld. A one-time investigative reporter, Milligan also operated a Christmas tree farm. So all the background in this book derives from information that is basically true (more or less).

The Pine Field Killing takes hold on page one and doesn't let go or stop its action until the end. This is one of the few male adventure type stories I've read of late, as the mainstream no longer publishes this crime subgenre much. Because of that, anyone who likes an action saga should find such stories where they turn up--more usually from the little press--such as here. Take a chance with the book, which you'll enjoy. G. Miki Hayden, author of Writing the Mystery-- a Macavity winner and Agatha and Anthony nomination

This highly readable historical narrative provides interesting and entertaining nuggets of information about the brilliant eccentrics who named the birds, mammals and plants of North America. It's a great prep for the birder and botanist seeking context for why, when and how North American flora and fauna got their names. This tidy little volume needs to be on the bookshelf of every vacation hideway whose charm is mostly linked to natural beauty nearby. Ever wonder who Baird, Brewer, Bewick, LeConte, Douglas, or Rafinesque were? It's all here. Thomas Jefferson, DeWitt Clinton, Lewis and Clark, too. It's a fascinating and highly enjoyable read.

Its a great book i needed it for a science fair project and it helped me out alot i had 1 day and it practically did it for me!!

The author and photographers are part time residents of the Monteverde area of Costa Rica. Many of the photos in this book also are displayed at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, near Santa Elena, in Central Costa Rica. Anyone who has been to a Central or South American rain forest or cloud forest will enjoy the ecological explanations -- similar to briefer explanations by guia naturalistas (guides) in the reserves -- and will especially enjoy the dramatic photos. Those who haven't visited the forest in person may be motivated to do so.

Having recently picked up shotgunning, I have been looking for books to provide a reference for my development as a shooter. "Positive Shooting" is the best I have found as a general introduction to the target sports. In this brief book, Yardley does not waste alot of time on equipment, loads, etc. Instead, he focuses on gunfit, handling, practice, and techniques. What I found especially useful was the recognition of other schools of thought -- he makes it clear what characterizes the Churchill, Stanbury, Bidwell, etc. methods and what he draws from them. An excellent book to orient the beginner, and useful for anyone wishing to apply greater discipline to their shooting technique.

This book is one of a few about assessment of psychological and physiological function in subjects/patients outside the laboratory or clinic, and it is by far the most comprehensive and up-to-date. It contains 35(!) chapters apparently written with great enthusiasm by the leaders in their respective fields. E.g., a chapter on electronic momentary assessment of patient experience co-authored by Saul Shiffman and Arther Stone; multi-channel accelerometry by Friedrich Foerster; ambulatory blood pressure monitoring by Andrew Steptoe; psychophysiological assessment of anxiety co-authored by Frank Wilhelm and Walton T. Roth; pilot in-flight monitoring by Glenn Wilson; electrodermal monitoring by Wolfram Boucsein; conceptual and methodological chapters by Jochen Fahrenberg, and much more. All this is of great relevance for the emerging field of telemedicine, and includes imaginative new applications such as long-term monitoring of menopausal hot flashes, asthma, sleep disturbance, hand tremor, or work stress. Several chapters focus on interactions of psychological and physiological processes during daily life. The breadth and depth of this book's content is truly amazing and can give medical and psychological researchers and clinicians an authoritative update on the state of the art in ambulatory assessment. Much of the new developments seem to emerge from European research groups, and it is time that ambulatory assessment methodology and applications are put on the mental map of a wider circle of researchers and clinicians, especially in the US.

Romancing Mary Jane: A Year In The Life Of A Failed Marijuana Grower is the memoir of Michael Pools, an unabashed, unashamed, self-professed Canadian marijuana cultivator who combined his love of the outdoors with his passion for psychoactive plants. Michael's daily life, his resistance to the pressures of Canadian anti-drug laws, as well as his travails and insights fill the pages of this eye-opening book, one which is emphatically not intended for those intolerant of recreational marijuana use, yet amusing in its own right and a thoroughly interesting and thought-provoking contribution to the national dialogue over a "cannabis culture".

This book provides some great information on seas serpents, giant squid, giant octopus and mystery creatures that are in the sea. My favorite chapeter is the one entiteld The Giant Blob, in this chapter he goes into totally unrecognizable creatures from eye witness reports.

The widespread fascination with tornadoes, particularly in North America, results in a high proportion of weather-topic books written on the subject for both children and adults. Few of those
really grab my attention as many are simply vehicles to publish dramatic tornado photographs and say little new about tornadoes.

"Tornadoes" by Michael Mogil is one book that grabs me from the first page. It very well illustrated with a large number of full-page-sized tornado photographs, but even more appealing are the top quality explanatory drawings. These are very attractive and yet convey much to-the-point information. The book's striking illustrations balance Mogil's well crafted text. His writing is strongly scientific yet clear enough to convey the complexities of the formation and life cycle of tornadoes and the thunderstorms which spawn them.

Mogil begins the book with a strong introduction to thunderstorms as a background for tornadic storms. In fact, the book could easily have been titled: "Thunderstorms and Tornadoes." The author then segues into the title topic through a discussion of the US National Weather Service Program for severe storm watches and warnings.

H. Michael Mogil's "Tornadoes" will be the benchmark to which I will compare future "children's books" on tornadoes and similar phenomena. It should be a part of every school or home weather
library. I also take the "and up" part of the recommended audience seriously. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to older audiences looking for a quick introduction to thunderstorms and tornadoes.