I met Rick Jolly during the Falklands war and have some knowledge of the goings on of the medical teams during the conflict. I believe this book to be a factual account of the events that took place, the authors style does not really convey the emotion of the whole affair. It is written in a very "matter-of-fact" manner. The real story is of course the men behind the facts and sadly this treasure is skimmed over. Overall it is a good read and although I read it some 18 years after having been there it made it all seem like yesterday. I particularly remember the author on during the "walk" across Ascension Island, borrowing an SLR to pose for a photo with some of the boys. He said and I quote "I want to look mean"....this for me sums up Rick Jolly pretty well. Credit to him he came out very well and of course in one piece.

Having spent the night in the refrigeration plant at Ajax bay (post 82), reading this book brings home the horrors of war. I read this book some eight years ago but it still sticks in my memory, the UXB and the EOD officer that slept with it, the death of people he knew, the compasion shown to Argentinian casualties also the British press trying to get photographs of our dead heros. Rick Jolly a unsung hero of our time.

I read the book a year before I left for Desert Storm. Our military can learn from the Brits. Many of our leaders suffer from CRS and NIH-Not invented here. Doctor Jolly and his men did an outstanding job. The photos in the book were fantastic.

Jolly ranks with Nick Vaux, Royal Marines in his first person style of reporting. Not professional authors, but men retelling their stories.

Having served with the RAF in'87 REFORGER, this book makes my appreciation for the British stronger. Okay, they made mistakes down there, show me a flawless operation. Can't? See, I told you.

This book is a must for any scuba diver venturing into the waters of Puget Sound, coastal British Columbia and Vancouver Island. It was a great resource during a recent 4 day diving trip to Barkley Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It provided us with hours of conversation about what we had seen and what to look for next.

This book has been very helpful in identifing the many different creatures I have seen while diving in Washinton State's Puget Sound as well as around Vancouver Island. It is perfect for any recreational diver because while it does list Phylum and Species, it also gives the commom name and even alternate common names if applicable. Each entry also gives the Size, Range, Habitat, Description and a brief comment about the entry. The photos are clear and sometimes include photos of the fishes egg mass. This book covers the most common of the marine life that you are likely to encounter while diving in the Pacific Northwest. I take it with me when I go diving and use it after the dive to show what I saw and for others to identify what they saw. It also helps me at home latter when I want to put a name to a photo I took while diving. I whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone slightly curious as to what that thing is called they saw on that last dive.

This book's easy-to-use key immediately helps visitors to Olympic's coast identify dozens and dozens of marine animals and plants. We bring it on ranger-led tide pool explorations because it complements our journeys so well. Each section provides structural, behavioral, and habitat information about the type of creatures. Then, many individual species are photographed and described, including known life cycles, predator-prey relationships, and other unique aspects. The book is particularly good because it includes several marine mammals, enhancing tide pool exploration with ocean discovery. This is a wonderful aid in introducing visitors to the intertidal zone, the marine sanctuary, and the abundant life thriving within.

This volume is a nice way to start getting interested in Native American rock symbols that can be found in the southwest. It's a convenient size for hiking trips, or just to carry around if you live in the region. But it's also small enough to lose in a pile of matches. It's slightly informative, you must remember that not a lot is actually known about the meaning of the rock symbols, and this volume is not the defining one when it comes to the intricacies of reading rock symbols. It is enough to get the basics down. There are better works out there for the serious enthusiast, but if you're just trying to enjoy a vacation more, then yeah, get this and throw it in your pocket.

This is an easy to digest beginners book on rock art of the Four Corners States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah). It is small enough to tuck in a backpack or jacket pocket to take along on your hike. The illustrations of the petroglyphs are bold and clear. Between the well written background information and the wonderful drawings this little 32 page book is a must for anyone who wants to begin to gain insight on the rock symbols that the ancient peoples have left behind.

This is indeed an ecyclopedic view of Buddhism in America, but I feel the author is a bit too uncritical in drawing from some of his sources. Or to put it another way, he's not drawing from enough sources.

There's a long section on Ms. Blavatsky. There's alot to be said here, but I can't help but get the feeling that the whole Spiritualist movement needs more criticism than he gives it.

Another, IMO, glaring deficiency is Field's introjected re-rendering of why Philip Kapleau came to break with Yasutani-roshi. It CAN'T be purely over "sutras in English or Japanese," and no doubt is much deeper culturally than merely an attempt to "Westernize" certain forms of services. What Fields doesn't quite come out and say - probably because he doesn't really know- is that the Chinese versions of sutras & dharanis are themselves translitterated from Sanskrit! (He does get it straight that the Japanse/Korean ones are translitterated from Chinese). What this all means is basically summed up by what my Chinese wife told me when we saw a video of Chinese monks chanting and I asked what they were chanting: she said "I don't know!"

Kapleau must have known this- or should have.

More stuff I'd like to know: why Sambokyodan broke from the Soto sect, and more up to date stuff. I will admit as of this time I haven't found out the stuff about Richard Baker.

My preference, as an American Buddhist, is to present the history of Buddhism in America warts and all. That might clash with more Eastern notions of Buddhism, but I do think more accuracy is needed in a history.

I've been interested in the history of Buddhism and zen in the west for a number of years and was fortunate to pick out "How the Swans Came to the Lake" from the library at Mt. Baldy Zen Center in March.

I found the work to be a well told story. The detail of the common threads and relationships is fascinating. I really think this book is an important piece for anyone interested in how this wonderful flowering of the Dharma in the West was planted and fed.

Though this book is currently out of print, I recommend it to all Buddhists; it is the best history book I've read about the Western Sangha and fills in alot of gaps between the centuries--Gassho All Beings!

Before our first visit to Hawaii I searched to find something that would serve as a useful guide for a trip that would permit only casual bird-watching. This book is really best for someone able to dedicate time to exploring the recommended hikes. Having said that, my main complaint about the book is that the illustrations are of little use to someone from the North American continent who is unfamiliar with Hawaii's birds, as the majority of readers probably are. After all, which would be more useful, good color photos of Northern Cardinals, or a photo of the 'Apapane? A photo of a Black-crowned Night Heron, or a photo of the 'I'iwi? The Birdwatchers Guide has very good photos of a male and a female cardinal and the heron, which are close to ubiquitous in the mainland USA, and none of the latter, which are totally unfamiliar to mainlanders. There are lots of black and white photos of things like people looking through binoculars, road signs, and trails, none of which are terribly useful to birdwatchers trying to ID unfamiliar species...

Rick Soehren knows Hawai'i and its birds, and this site guide is a great help to visitors. Soehren describes, island by island, where to find Hawai'i's birds, and in the process gives the reader some of Hawai'i's avian history. The book is illustrated with good black-and-white photographs. I have used the book on Hawai'i and Kaua'i and have found it clear, accurate, and very useful.

This is not a field guide with pictures to help you identify the birds. It is a wonderfully insightful reference to the diversity of birds that may be found within the state of Hawaii. It is far more than just a birdwatching guide. It gives one a feel for the plight of the native Hawaiian birds and the beauty of the state and its avifauna.

I'm a little disappointed with Glassman Roshi here. Its useful if you're considering a new endevour in business, but as far as personal practice it's not. It's more a bio on Glassman ans his successes, tooting of the horn , I feel. The "instructions" were vague an dalmost always applied only to business or corporate functioning. If you're not in this world, don't expect too much.

I liked this book because it combined Zen and activism, a rare combination in our culture (unfortunately). Almost as soon as he hit the streets of New York to set up his Zen Center, Glassman was intent on helping the homeless in a meaningful way. What I enjoyed the most is when he focused on Zen principles in doing his activism. When a dilemma arose, he recommended that people meditate to find a possible solution. In the bakery he set up to employ the unemployed and homeless, he erected a meditation center so that people could meditate, if so inclined. I think his merging of spiritual practice, hard work, and activism is probably a good reason why his projects were successful. He realized that business without "more" is not fulfilling, and that spirituality needs to help the community we all live in, as its purpose is not simply to help our individual souls. A most worthwhile book. The only criticism: although he discussed himself, I would have liked to have learned even more about his background, how he came to the place of combining Zen and activism.

Filled with inspiration and common sense wisdom, Glassman shows that caring can become compassion, and in turn can significantly alter our communities for the better. This is a message of hope for those who see government subsidies and the welfare system as our only way to deal with the unemployed or underemployed.

Business owners and community leaders could learn more from this book than from sitting through dozens of meetings filled with people who like to complain, rather than take action. I highly recommend this book both for the joy of seeing that there is light in the world, and as an example of how compassion can reap profits in so much more than dollars and cents.

After reading reviews that stated this book was simple to use and had specific examples, I couldn't wait to receive it. I really need time saving training methods and hoped this book would offer solutions. What I found was the usual confusing information on VO2 max, heart rate and other measurements that needed to be taken before you could move on to what you could do to train efficiently in less time. I tried to skip all that and move ahead to the meat of the book and found that pretty confusing too. If I had enough time to read and comprehend this book, I wouldn't need it...I would spend the time training. I am going to give Mark Allen's new book about the same topic a try.

While this material might not be ideal for most beginners, once you've been training for a while, it will be an invaluable addition to your training regimine.

The principles can be utilized and easily expanded to cover 1/2 and Full Ironman programs -- weekdays stay the same, just extend the long weekend workouts and you're all set!

There are better books for beginners (I used Triathlon 101 by John Mora, which I found perfect for my first race), but when you're ready to focus on improving performance instead of simply finishing, this book can help you get to that next level. He explains the technical details, but then generally summarizes in layman's terms. He encourages technical training aids like heart rate monitoring, but also proposes lower-tech ways of estimating. At the end of the day, however, if you want to improve and have a limited time budget, you've got to be organized and be willing to structure your training for greater intensity. It's not easy and it's not going to hold your hand; it is focused on performance

The photos are superb and the text interesting; if the title were "Common Garden Butterflies of the United States" I'd give it 5 stars. The existing title is very misleading, however. Only the most common U.S. butterflies are included and coverage of Canada is neglible.

bunt@duke.usask.ca

I checked out several books from the library to complete my research on a butterfly garden for my backyard. This one book was the best, most informative, easiest instructions I found. I had a small area to work with, and 2 years later my butterfly garden is a beautiful sight to behold, and my personal treasure to work in and with. It's design follows Mr. Mikula's basic instructions, and to date we have had several different types of butterflies visit our garden. What a joy. Thank you, Mr. Mikula!!

I first selected to read this book because I was on assignment to select and report on a book based on a subject convered in my college Agro-Ecology class. What I found was a new perspective of these amazing people known as "Okies" from the perspective of one among them in the fruit trees of America. The touching stories, informative history, and beautiful photography touched my heart. The book was well thoughtout, written, and developed. I am truely thankful for the enlightenment this book has brought to my mind and heart concerning this fasintating culture which is disappearing. I am grateful for this preservation of the thoughts and ideas of this people for future generations when the life syle of these people have finaly slipped into pure history.

Frank Wells, the Walt Disney exec, and Dick Bass, a top entrepreneur set out to climb the continent's seven highest summits in a logistical challenge of peak bagging. The writing doesn't really capture the magic of the mountains and envelop you in the high altitude mystique.

The book does have it's moments, like the challenging endurance journey of climbing Aconcagua, and the suspense of if they even climbed the right summit for Mt Vinson in Antarctica. Since it is a book about climbing mountains, it's a worthwhile read, but there are far better mountain climbing books out there..."Into Thin Air" by Krakauer...anything by Heinrich Harrer. Frank Wells died shortly after the book came out from a helicopter accident while heli-skiing. The movie "The Lion King" is a far better and moving tribute to a great man than this book. Skip this book and resist the urge to climb mountains above your head for the sake of peak bagging and go out and get "Into Thin Air" and be caught up in the altitude.

What happens when two wealthy, middle aged men with commanding, type A personalities get together? Why they decide to climb the seven summits, the highest mountain on each of the seven continents! Their attempts to snare their trophy mountains makes for a rip rollicking good read. What is most remarkable is that one of them actually manages to summit each and every one of the seven mountains in question.

The account of their adventure runs the gamut of the human experience: humor, pathos, joy, and ultimate success. Their achievement is incredible, considering that they were middle aged, novice climbers. Yet their grit and determination, coupled with a seemingly endless cash flow, allowed them to hob nob with the mountaineering elite and, ultimately, enables one of them to achieve their collective dream.

These are two men who, when looking back on their lives, will never find themselves in the position of saying "would've, could've, should've". They dared to live their dreams. Would that we were all so inclined. In any case, their adventures during their remarkable quest make for some very absorbing reading. Climbing enthusiasts will enjoy this book, as will as those who love a good adventure story.

Frank Wells and Dick Bass had a dream of summiting the highest peak in each of the seven continents. The good news was they were rich and very determined. The bad news was they were middle-aged and novice climbers.

The seven summits vary in difficulty. Australia's Koscuisko is only 7,310 feet and families regularly hike to the top. Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa is not a dangerous challenge. But there is also Mt. McKinley, known for its vicious storms; Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, mind-numbingly cold and a logistical nightmare, and then the one Dick Bass christened "The Big Mother," Mt. Everest.

This is their story, and it is inspiring. Before it is over, you feel as if Dick Bass is one of your best friends. He combines high good humor, tenacity and perseverance. The man is a modern miracle. Frank Wells is a more reserved, executive type, an excellent organizer with will power to spare.

Rick Ridgeway, a writer and world-class climber, tells the story. The pace is good while they are on the mountains, and the book has excellent descriptive sections on the difficulties of the ascents. Unfortunately, Mr. Ridgeway does not have an ear for dialogue. Direct conversations have all the informality of a voice mail menu. There are unbelievable frustrations and red tape when preparing and mounting an expedition. I could have done with fewer blow-by-blow accountings of each and every hurdle that had to be overcome before the expedition could take place. This was especially true of Everest and Mt. Vinson. The last chapter is the successful summiting of Mt. Everest by only one of the pair. It is beautifully written and very satisfying. "Seven Summits" is a motivating read.