I own several field guides to Texas wildflowers, and I find this one to be the best among them. There are books with bigger and better photographs, but none come close to having the nearly 400 color photos this one has. This one also has maps of growing areas for each plant identified and very clear descriptions of each plant. It even has sections on Texas' endangered species and landscaping with native plants.

The book divides the plants into five sections for easy use. The wildflowers are further divided into colors to help find and identify them quickly. The five sections are (1) herbaceous wildflowers, (2) vines, (3) trees and shrubs, (4) cacti, agaves, yuccas and other succulents, and (5) miscellaneous plants, weeds and growths on trees. These are followed by appendices on how to identify common plant families and "plant watching" as a hobby (collecting plants, how to make a plant press and save your specimens, and a sample wildflower documentation sheet). Finally, there are three glossaries and an index.

While some might complain that the plant photographs are not printed with the specimen entries (they are grouped together in the center of the book), this is really quite handy. Each photo is numbered identically with the entries, so matching the photo with the description is really very simple. Indeed, it is quite easy to find the flower by its photo and then look up the corresponding plant description by the photo number.

All in all, this is the only wildflower field guide Texans will need. If you want a desk reference, that's another matter.

First Lady Of The Senate: A Life Of Margaret Chase Smith is an outstanding biographical introduction to a truly remarkable woman whose wit, wisdom, compassion, practicality and idealism made a lasting impression on her contemporaries in Maine and in Washington. Alberta Gould's exceptional and informative text is enhanced with period photos and a bibliography. First Lady Of The Senate is highly recommended reading for students of American history, political science, and women's history.

Great book! Got a realistic picture of how royality lived back then. M.G. got totally into the mind of Henry and the notes by Will Somers were the un-biased observations that set the right tone and keep it from being self-rightous. So glad I found her books, can't wait for the next

This is a sweet book James Barrie wrote about his mother and it tells of his life with her up until her death. It's really nice and very descriptive and I would recomend it.

This is the book every post-graduate ought to read during residency days in pediatric ward. It helps boost clinical acumen by making diagnosis at the bedside with a very logical approach. It is excellent while describing the diseases of kidney, heart and nervous system. After going through the chapters in detail it infuses a kind of confidence in making diagnosis; and coming to differential diagnosis for a number of presentations of various illnesses. Sometimes, i feel it is a must not only for dealing with complicated and day to day problems but for passing examinations too.

I enjoyed reading this well researched biography of Sir John George Bourinot. I have used, on occasion, Bourinot's Rules of Order in meetings and this book brought to life for me the historical character behind the original rule book. The biography is well written, with extensive notes, and covers mainly the Victorian age. It was interesting to find he wrote some fiction and had a life outside of his duties as clerk of the House of Commons as a founder and long time secretary to the Royal Society of Canada.

The author is well versed in the various constitutional, historical and developmental aspects of Canada as a nation during the 19th century and wove these into the biography. She provided details on some of the constitutional problems that Bourinot was asked to solve and how he took an interest in procedure in other type meetings outside of parliament. Overall, a very satisfying and educational read.

Jim Lochrie

Our son has always been afraid of snakes - until he read SNAKE CAMP. Now, while he's not exactly a snake charmer yet, he is interested in overcoming his fear of snakes. This is a funny, very clever book that also has a very important message.

It's easy to see why Middlemarch is a classic. The theme of reality not living up to one's ideals is a thread that runs through the lives of most of the major characters, and is instantly recognizable and relevant nearly a century and a half after the book was written.

Idealism is most evident in Dorothea Brooke. She wants to lead a learned life of service to others, but Casaubon is not interested in teaching her much, and the great work she initially believes he is writing is an irrelevant, disorganized bunch of notes. Tertius Lydate is also an idealist whose ambition is to make contributions to the medical field. Before he marries Rosamund Vincy, he sees her as the feminine ideal, a woman who will provide unquestioning support and an emotional haven. Instead, she turns out to be a self-centered spendthrift who ennervates him. He ends up with no money or energy for his research, and must concentrate on making enough money to support his wife's extravagance. Interestingly, the characters who end up the happiest, Mary Garth and Fred Vincy, lack such lofty ideals.

One of Eliot's strengths is her sympathy and compassion for her characters, despite their faults. However, she is no stylist, and I found her prose to be awkward and stilted. The reader needs to be patient with this book, because Eliot's style makes it somewhat difficult to get through.

I am in awe of George Eliot. She has constructed a narrative that is uncommonly perceptive and literate about both the subtle and quirky level of individual motivation and the larger forces of society which form the arena in which human lives play themselves out. Middlemarch is a provincial English town during Victorian times and Eliot selects a broad range of characters from every level of society to illustrate her themes. Prominent among these themes are the way in which the ambitions of potentially extraordinary achievers can be constrained by a poor choice of affiliation, most notably bad marraiges. She also addresses the role of women, the way that wealthy landowners determine the quality of life for the poor, and presents insightful portraits of a number of personality types. It is often a very funny book as well, as she exposes the foibles of the pompous and self-deluded which subtle and unerring accuracy.

This is not a light read. This is a long, dense novel, but I found something fascinating on nearly every page.

I was extremely hesitant about reviewing George Eliot'sMiddlemarch, as it's been ten years or so since I've read it, but inthe end I couldn't resist adding my comments to those of others. Quite simply, it is the greatest novel yet written by an English author: Middlemarch is the fullest realisation of George Eliot's ideas on social philosophy combined with her utterly convincing characterisation and remarkable moral insight.

The novel's 'heroine' is Dorothea Brooke, a young woman of excellent virtue who is passionately idealistic about the good that can be achieved in life. The provincial setting of Middlemarch is the environment in which Dorothea's struggle to fulfil her ideals takes place, and the novel's central theme is how the petty politics of provincial 19th century England are largely accountable for her failure. In parallel with Dorothea's story is the story of Lydgate, an intelligent and ambitious doctor who also runs up against the obstructive forces of provincial life and finds them severely restrictive of his goals.

Eliot is supremely compassionate, yet never blind to the faults of her characters. Dorothea's ideas of social reform are naive, while her high opinion of Casaubon's work proves to be a major mistake. But Eliot is never cynical when the motives of her characters are pure, and does not censure them for failure. What she is critical of is the narrow minded self-seeking attitude which forces Dorothea and Lydgate to come to terms with the fact that often good does not win out over circumstance. The subtext to this is the fact that the high ideals and sense of responsibility intrinsic in both Dorothea and Lydgate means that there is no question of them ever finding love together. In essence, Middlemarch is simply about life and how things don't always work out, despite our best intentions, but are often the product of negative forces. In other novels Eliot's didacticism can sometimes jar, but it is impossible to ignore the depth of her wisdom in Middlemarch.

Middlemarch is the best novel of our greatest novelist - of the major Victorian writers only Tolstoy can really compare with her - and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I had very mixed feelings about this book, and it actually made it quite difficult to put "stars" on it. Looking at it as a novel it's quite good. Ms. George has obviously researched her subject well. I read the book through very rapidly, and given its rather intimidating bulk, that says a lot about the way it's written. It's entertaining. So, as a novel, I'd give it 5 stars.

On the other hand, I've been reading a lot of historical fiction lately, including books by Sharon Kaye Penman and Dorothy Dunnett. After reading those wonderfully rendered tales, Margaret George's book feels "flat." It seems to be missing a certain something - an air of authenticity, perhaps. I guess since it's called an "Autobiography," I expected to "hear" the tone of the book differently. As historical fiction, I'd rate the book 2 - 3 stars.

It's worth the read, and it does actually make you think about Henry VIII's character in a different light.

The cover of this book is what intrigued me, to begin with. And I have to admit--the girth did too. I have this bizarre thing about tackling huge books. At almost 1000 pages, this not daunting, especially considering I was in my last semester of law school and didn't have much time to read anything for fun. Fun doesn't even begin to describe this book. I was hooked from the first page. I can't even describe how good this is. George describes King Henry VIII and ALL six of his wives in lush detail that's so real, I cried when Anne Boleyn was beheaded. I would read this for hours at a time and forget that I wasn't actually listening to Henry himself tell the story. You just don't find books like this that often--a complete and utter escape. George's research is clearly thorough, but her vivid descriptions of Henry's thoughts lend a clear explanation to so many things that pure history simply cannot answer. I know it's fiction, but you leave this masterpiece believing every word! That's the best kind of historical fiction!

I don't see how this book can warrant less than five stars. While it may not be the most historically accurate book written about English King Henry VIII, it is certainly entertaining, insightful, and interesting. Don't let the length discourage you; 900 pages were up before I knew it and I didn't want it to end. I became so used to Margaret George's diary-style of writing through Henry that I almost felt as if he were my friend.
The book, written all through Henry's point of view (with clever inserts from his fool, Will) greatly improved my knowledge of Tudor England. Also, it really helped me to see Henry's life through his own eyes. Through much research, Margaret George has delved into his very personality and managed to write about every event of any significance in his life. She also showed how each wife and divorce/beheading came with a different justification for Henry VIII. As I came to understand his personality more and more, there were many times I felt sympathy and sorrow for the English monarch.
I highly suggest that anyone who has any interest in this subject read the book!

I have always been fascinated with Cleopatra, and when I was 13, I picked up this book and thought, I don't think I can get through this. Once I started reading, however, I began to think differently. This book keeps you on the egde, and puts you right there in ancient Alexandria. The book is written from the viewpoint of Cleopatra, whose voice is so rarely heard. She is one of the most discriminated women in history. Many think of her as a seductress that stole away married men from their true wives. This book shows a more human side to Cleopatra- a real person, with feelings and emotions. We go through her famous life, and on to her tragic death. People who think they know all about Cleopatra should read this book. They will find out so much more about her and her life. After reading this book, I searched for others, but none measured up. The writing quality Ms. George displays is amazing. When reading the detailed descriptions, you feel like you are right there. I loved this book, and you will too. If you love stories with strong female characters this book is for you. Cleopatra Ptolemy VII is my idol, and this book is a fitting tribute.

Since age 8, I was enchanted by the story of Cleopatra. I would get my hands on any book about her. Being the history freak that I am, I purchased this novel about 2 years ago. The book started out pretty slow, but eventually, it quickened its pace. With a whopping number of 964 pages, I was pretty intimidated when I found the book at the store. Other than those faults, this was a really great novel. It's one of the most detailed historical fictions I have ever read. You will probably get lazy like me and read a page (or two, or a chapter) a day. Hehe. Around the part where Cleopatra travelled to Rome is where things got interesting for me. With all of the extensive research, I salute Margaret George. I'm sure it took a lot of time and dedication (same with reading the book :P).

I'm happy with how the characters came out. George really portrayed all of them well. I loved the bitter rivalry between Cleopatra and Arsinoë, which grew by the day even as young adults. George made Cleopatra like how she's known to be: seductive, shrewd, strong, and an outstanding individual. Antony is somewhat a comical character in some parts. Olympos was made the loyal friend and intelligent physician that he was. There are even lesser known characters like the Kandake of Meroe.

All in all, this is a good novel.

I've done slight research on Cleopatra in the past so I'm easiy disappointed when she seems wrongly or sloppily portrayed in books or movies. If there's any author out there who is perfect for writing Cleopatra's biography (voiced as an autobiography) it's Margaret George. The story is beautifully and gracefully woven together from the first page and once I started I did not want to put it down. Of course I had to, many times, since the book is over 900 pages long, but that just made it better because there was more too read - I didn't want it to end. George pays immense attention to detail to give the reader a real view not only of who Cleopatra was, but what the culture and time period and location she lived in were really like. George also does an brilliant job of portraying Cleopatra as a real, albeit incredible, person that the reader attaches to throughout the book. I enjoyed the book all the way through and I recommend it to anyone, whether they know the story of Cleopatra or not, whether they like histories or romances or instructional pamphlets, they will love this book.