"The Southern Heirloom Garden" is a rich and instructive work.

At the start of the book, William C. Welch and Greg Grant tell us that "gardening is one of the oldest, and richest, of our Southern folk arts."

The authors divide the book into two sections. The first section refreshingly explores French, German, Spanish, Native American, and African-American contributions to Southern gardening.

The Spanish, for instance, intensely developed and utilized small garden spaces, while African-Americans used brightly-colored flowers in the front yard as a sign of welcome.

This section also has a commendable essay on historic garden restoration in the South.

The second section addresses the plants "our ancestors used to build and enrich their gardens."

There are nearly 200 full-color photographs here, along with dozens of rare vintage engravings. While some of the pictures are a bit small, they are still informative.

Southern gardeners and historians will particularly enjoy this fine volume.

This is a really great book. I loved the essays on each plant. Greg Grant is very humorous. This is not just a coffee table book, although the pictures are beautiful. It offers advise and inspiration to those of us who will never have the "Southern Living Landscape" look.

In these days of trying the "Western grass garden" or the "English perennial border" it's particularly refreshing to study a book devoted to plants that happily grow in the Southern humidity and heat. While the opening chapters on historical gardens in the new world (French, Spanish, etc.) were interesting, the later chapters on plants were the most informative. When reading I could hear my Grandmother using the same commonplace names, like "paw-paw" and how to make jelly from the fruit. The challenge will now be to find some of these plants. (The authors admit some plants are only available from old gardens in the South). It remains one of my favorite garden books for its affectionate commentary on one of the oldest southern pastimes - our gardens and the talking and sharing of plants with loved ones.

The best fiction, we are told, imitates reality. _Through the Heart_, however, imitates reality in a very oblique manner- disguisedly- and this reality is far more bleak, and poisoned, than our own. It is also the only novel of Grant's that truly qualifies as 'science fiction'- the others include too much fantasy, or mystery, or mainstream, or delicately drawn parody- and thereby are difficult for a publisher to categorize. As usual, Grant's writing is like a steady stream of lucid clarity; also as usual, he's taking on a theme from which a genre novelist would be expected to shy away. A word of warning- the theme of this novel is very grim: moreso than his other works. It's a profoundly affecting work on an emotional level- however, as a 'Science Fiction' novel, it falls a bit short of the mark (which is probably why it's out of print): there is less of the frantic energy of invention and 'what-if' that characterizes the genre than in any of the author's novels. Still- It's a Richard Grant novel, and nobody writes like Richard Grant.

Reviewer: Rich Barnett. Coming-of-age story set in a post-disaster USA, with good character detail and enough mystery to keep the pages turning. Great for Philip Dick or Harlan Ellison fans. I found a copy at the local library -- hurray for it! Contains sexual situations that may offend some

This is a terrific guide book. It's personal but thorough, and - like Maine - it has character and characters. It's written with an eye out for the personal experience and the hidden treasure. Maine is a beautiful place with a quirky side. Thanks to the Explorer's Guide for helping me get to know it.

This book is the best Ive seen. It reviews Inns, b&b's, campgrounds, places to stay with kids, or without. We vacation in Maine every year and use this book as our guide. It has never let us down.We try new places in Maine every year.

When we travel, we usually get several guide books for the area we are going to, and then hit the road. We used this book more than any other and found that we consistently agreed with the authors reviews . We had a terrific time exploring the area and became very confident that what we read in this book would actually be the way it was described.

Reading this book made me want to go out and buy new bikes for the whole family!

There's nothing quite like the pleasure of riding out of a beautiful bike showroom on a great bicycle! Yet within months, I always noticed that the feel was gone. Pretty soon, I wasn't riding as much.

Now from reading this book, I know that all bikes need regular maintenance to keep that top-performance feeling. And I know what to do. It's a wonder that my bikes and my children's bikes ran at all before reading this book!

My idea of bike repair was to patch a puncture, adjust the seat and handle bars, and get a new chain if it broke. That's about 3 percent of what you really need to know.

The book is also useful as a guide to what type of bike to buy in the first place. The pros and cons of various types of materials and structures are well developed.

For those who enjoy mastering physical tasks, this book also offers much potential pleasure. "Keeping your bike in tip-top shape is very satisfying -- and makes riding more enjoyable."

Although I am far from being a mechanical person, I could clearly do everything in the book. But I do need different tools. No problem! The book shows you just what to buy, with many choices (more kinds of bike stands than you ever knew existed, as an example). Not only that, it tells you which ones to take with you on a long touring ride. If you don't have the right tool, it shows you how to improvise with materials usually found along the side of any road. This was fascinating! In fact, the paperback is just the right size to take along on a ride, so you can figure out what to do if you bend a rim.

One of the real insights for me was to realize that all of the bearings are meant to be rebuilt once a year. And there are a lot of bearings on any bike.

Where a bike might have different types of equipment (such as for brakes and transmissions), you get descriptions of what to do with all the major types.

Many pictures show you what each part looks like, and the steps to go through for maintenance. This is the main drawback of such a compact book. Some of the images can be a little small. But I see no way around that if you are to have a truly portable guide to repair and maintenance.

Most people will decide to still get some maintenance and repair at the local bike shop. But this book can show you what's involved so you can figure out what it might cost in time and money to do the work yourself.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the Troubleshooting Chart to give you an idea from the symptom you have observed what is a likely cause, the solution, and where the information is found to implement that solution.

I suggest that you both get this book and try doing some of the maintenance. If you enjoy this, it could become a very satisfying hobby. You could also do maintenance for other people to help cover the cost of the tools. I suspect that less than 1 bike in 50 is properly maintained.

If you have children who like to learn to fix and maintain things, this could be a fun family activity. My dad was very good at such things when I was a wee lad, so good that I never learned how to fix anything. Be sure to pass along what you know and learn instead.

But whatever you do, be sure you get out and enjoy biking with loved ones! That's the ultimate payoff.

I have been able to take apart and repair all of the children's bikes. I has saved us a bundle as we have eight. At $40 a bike plus parts I have repaired and rebuild for the time and cost of parts and my children have learned to do for them selves as well. It's a great book to have.

Short and sweet! I'm a rookie to off road riding, and this book gave me a great understanding of whats happening between my legs! I can now fix a flat w/out help! YEA!!! Hey for $...bucks this book is the one to get.

It's a little deceiving to consider this book a mystery novel in the traditional sense; it's much more of an historical study. The topic itself is fascinating: was Richard III the murdering, amoral monster that Shakespeare made him out to be, or was he merely misunderstood? Tey makes a cogent and compelling argument that Richard did not, in fact, murder his young nephews in the Tower of London, nor possess the negative qualities so often ascribed to him. Her historical analysis is cleverly contained in a contemporary setting; Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard is laid up in hospital and sets his mind to figuring out the conundrum of Richard III while he recuperates. Grant enlists the help of a young American researcher; dialogues between the two and Grant's internal analysis form the "action" or "plot" of the story. If you are in the mood for a classic whodunit, a body in library-type mystery, this is not your cup of tea -- no one in Grant's time is murdered and his "solving" of the crime is only speculation. If you like history and have an open mind about Richard III, this is a well-written, well-researched and well-argued book. One thing I had trouble with was the author's assumption that the reader is familiar with much more of English history than I was, so at times, I was a bit overwhelmed by the names and references I didn't always get. If, after finishing "Daughter of Time," you're interested in learning more about Richard III, try "Royal Blood," by Bertram Fields as a good and thorough overview, with arguments both pro- and anti-Richard set forth.

This remarkable book deserves credit for not only being an intriguing story, but also a novel that is able to make the intricacies of history and medieval politics accessible to the reader. Instead of focusing on long and boring lists of sources, Tey goes into the whys of the mystery as well as the whats. Tey clearly challenges the long (and unfairly) established perception of Richard the III by asking one question: Why? Why would Richard have committed the crime? Why is he painted as villainous and grasping when all the evidence shows otherwise? Why did Tudor, who villified Richard mercilessly, never actually accuse Richard of the murder? Tey argues these points and backs them up superbly with evidence rather than hearsay from Tudor historians. She fully explores the motivations of the historians as well as Richard's supposed motives. Tey asks the questions which historians always ignore, such as Why the supposedly ruthless Richard would act with such restraint against proven enemies? These questions are every bit as valid as the traditional arguments, perhaps even more so, because they go into the very heart and nature of the deeds and the people involved

Incidentally, the title comes from the saying: "Truth is the daughter of time."

Inspector Grant of Scotland Yard is injured and laid up .... and bored out of his mind. A friend knows he is interested in faces and brings him a pile of portraits, one of which triggers his interest in the reputed murder of the Little Princes by their uncle Richard, the last Plantagenet to sit on the throne of England. Faced with a disparity between his perception of the man and his reported actions, Grant finds himself compelled to investigate the murders, albeit from a hospital bed four hundred years away.

I had heard about this book for years and finally got round to reading it. I am so glad I did. It is a fun armchair mystery about a fascinating subject, Tey introduces enough refutory information to make you want to learn more about Richard III, and all of the characters -- from protagonist Grant to affable walk-ons -- are vivid and memorable.

A real pleasure to read.

I bought this book because I was a fan Of Richard E. Grant and was not disappointed. It is fabulous. The author takes you through the enjoyments (Withnails and The Player)and the terrors(Hudson Hawk )of filmmaking and the everyday life that surrounds it. An unashamed name-dropper Grant puts you right in the middle of the backstage of the movies and does it with a style and wit that is unmatched and a real delight to read. Personlly enjoyable was reading about Age of Innocence, remembering when it was filmed in my area. Have read it three times already and have picked up something each time. If you enjoy it try Grant's novel, By Design, A Hollywood Novel.

What a treat this book is. For those of us who love him as an actor, he surprised us with a book all about his acting. It's witty, biting, and furiously funny, and what's more, involves people, scenes, movies and events that we can all relate to and identify with because they're real. It's not just a book for Richard E. Grant fans, it's a book for anyone who loves movies and likes to laugh. If you're in the least bit "Hollywood", it's a great read.

For as long as I can remember I have been aware of Richard E. Grant. He seemed like one of those perfect working actors. Always doing good work but in either small films or small roles, never quite becoming famous with a capital "F". This book, a diary of his work, chronicles Grant's career from the, relative, beginning. When he was "Swazi boy" (Grant was born and raised in Swaziland, not England) struggling through auditions, always that close to his "big break". Grant recalls his experiences with great insight and even more humour. He has something to say about everybody (I think he, not Kevin Bacon, is the hub of Hollywood. He seems to have worked with everyone). Grant is an insider but always on the fringe of the action, always aware of how ridiculous the business is. The book, which takes you from Withnail and I through Spice World and beyond, is hilarious. Particularly touching are the entries about his marriage and how it ha! s been affected by his career. Grant has written a brilliant, entirely entertaining book.

I'm a reader who happens to think Richard Grant is one of America's greatest living authors. I could go into raptures describing his other books, but this one falls short of the mark for me.

Sure, its full of Grant's amazingly language, stunning metaphors and brilliant descriptions. There are wonderful, groovy, pithy sentences everywhere in this book worthy of being put on a needlepoint pillow. But its also a confusing welter of language that leaves me loster than the book's lost hero. I'm guessing as this is an earlier work, Grant was still learning writerly junk like pacing and clarity. Honest to Gaia I try to follow the story here, but after a few paragraphs am lost again.

I have such high respect for Grant that I will try reading it again to see if it makes better sense a second time. Still, I'll still rate it a 3 because it is after all a Richard Grant book.

Richard Grant often teaches by example -- examples seldom drawn from slavishly literal rendition of the reality to which most of us subscribe. _the_Oldest_House_ is plausible; it is not hard to see it in our future, and our obligation to find it in these pages. A mountain, maybe; a maze of flora; a labyrinth in the finest style of Nabokov, Philip K. Dick; an illustration of the Organizing Principle that Dr. Hyata herself would be proud of: the picaresque messiah leading an improbable, contortedly subversive insurrection against the encroachment of the slick, authoritarian, mealy.

Classic Grant: powerful images, poetic language, attention to nuance, detail, sincerely reflexive, wryly astute. No potatoes yet, but we've just ordered his most recent; here's hoping Monksboa survives into Grailnet and beyond, at least in some form.

A nice easy to read and follow instruction regime for VFR pilots finding themselves in IFR conditions. Enough IFR information without overload. I'm glad I purchased this book and plan to review it from time to time for that one instance I find myself in IFR conditions. Even if you are thorough in your weather and pre flight briefings, it adds a bit of confidence knowing you have the tools to get you clear. The author covers the phases of flight under emergency IFR conditions up to landing safely.

Before I read this, I'd heard a lot of bad things about it, but I decided to try it anyways.

I loved it. It was something new and different, and kept me excited.

Once again, Lestat is the main character. He's getting tired of his immortality, so he decides to trade bodies with the Body Thief, Raglan James, for a few days. Lestat is so eager to be mortal again that he fails to see Raglan for what he really is: a clever, lying thief.

Lestat finally realizes how blessed he was to be immortal. As a mortal man, he gets very sick and almost dies (he's also haunted by Claudia, his dead vampire child, in his dreams).

With the help of his mortal friend David Talbot, Lestat attempts to get his immortal body back from Raglan.

The only thing that disappointed me was that it didn't have the same...feel...as the previous books. I seem to prefer the 1700's settings like there was in "Interview With the Vampire".

There is also a big part at the end, but I wouldn't want to spoil it for anybody. : )

Instead of filling the fourth installment in the Vampire Chronicles with various histories on ancient vampires and myths, this story takes place present-day. There's real action involved, no discussions of heroic or tragic battles. Lestat puts it best when he muses, "...I've been a man of action. Grief is a waste, and so is fear. And action is what you will get here, as soon as I get through this introduction." (2) This is entirely Lestat's story. The book is filled with his devilish plots and ideas, and there is little involvement from other vampires. He has always been a creature of impulse, and this story allows his character to really develop those ideas.
The setting is Miami, and Lestat has been troubled lately by disturbing dreams of Claudia and his mortal friend, David Talbot. Lestat is the same ancient, mischievous youth that he's always been; only now he has a body that can withstand any kind of torture he may put it through. So he becomes bored with his immortal life. He looks for a release. And he is soon in touch with the Body Thief, who has an interesting proposition.
Rice's story did not get weighed-down in lengthy passages discussing the history of the vampires, as some of the previous novels in the series had. I was completely captivated until the end, and I found the ending was remarkable, very true to the character of Lestat. This book was full of surprises, drama, and mystery. It answered so many questions about her characters, but asked so many about our own. I also really enjoyed some of Lestat's observations on every-day human life. When he finally gets what he thinks he wants (a day in the life of a mortal body), he finds it repulsive. The only reason Interview is better than this book is Interview is told by Louis. What can I say, Rice has convinced me to hate Lestat (but that's a good thing)!
If you're an avid reader of the Vampire Chronicles, I'm assuming you'll read this book without a prompt. If you've dabbled in the series, don't skip over this book! And if you're new to Anne Rice's world of the vampires, you can start here because you won't get bogged down with history. (But for your sake, eventually read Interview with a Vampire because you'll be doing yourself a disservice if you miss out!)

The gratification you get from reading a phanominally outstanding book comes to you again thanks to The Tale of the Body Thief, Anne Rice's fourth installment of the Vampire Chronicles. Anne Rice's words dance in your head as she vividly describes image after image in this fantastic book. Your appetite will be satisfied as she calms your cravings for action and intrigue. The whole cast of vampires are here along with a few fresh faces. The spotlight is once again on Lestat as he is faced with an overwhelming delima. The book begins a little drull, with the suicide attempt by Lestat, but but soon picks up the pace. It is a bit boring to be reintroduced to the same characters, but if this is your first Anne Rice book, you will be gratefull for this. Two- fourths through the story it begins to lag a bit due to Lestat seeming to be clueless. Then Anne Rice turns up the action when the body thief is introduced. Hang on, you are about to take a roller-coaster ride through the depths of excitement! The fun begins when Lestat... becomes human?! Yes, it is true! Now Lestat's only problem is trying to get back his vampiric body. There are some outstanding cliffhangers near the end of this story. Some will give you chills and some will leave you puzzled. I would love to go into further detail, but I do not want to spoil anything for those of you who have not read this book yet. Besides, I want you to experience this book for yourself. Just reading Anne Rice's name on the cover of this book should give you goosebumps from excitement. While there are some that disagree with reading this book, they are happier to watch T.V. rather than be open to an author's magnificent talents. As you can see, I am very pleased with this book and I highly recommend it. Look no further for what you crave.

This novel covers the last days of Ulysses S. Grant, interspersed with Grant's "flashbacks" to the Civil War. The author relies too heavily on exposition to tell his story (one chapter where Grant and his wife tell each other virtually his whole life story is particularly awkward,) and the ending somehow manages to be both flat and overly melodramatic. However, parts of the book (particularly the depiction of Shiloh) are genuinely moving. This is hardly a memorable novel--I doubt I'll read it twice--but it is not a complete waste of time, either.

All too often history is reduced to places, dates and endless names that we all recognize but have very little interest in what they accomplished. History is treated with an almost antiseptic approach that leaves a bad taste and kills any desire to explore a particular topic or person any further. "That Fateful Lightning" by Richard Parry gives a refreshing and entertaining look into the life of one of our sometimes forgotten presidents, Ulysses S Grant. It gives the reader a personal look into Grant's life, revealing his fears and frustrations. The book starts at the tail end of Grants life after his presidency. He is broke and ill from throat cancer but feels guilty that he will die and leave his wife Julia penniless with no means of support. Grant had long been swindled out of his money by unscrupulous business partners but desperately wanted to find a way to help his beloved wife before his approaching death. The famous Author, Mark Twain then offers to sell Grants memoirs and give Julia a large percentage of the royalties from the book.

I have read Grant's actual memoirs and found them to be suprisingly good. His book however is a little dry. It gives detailed troop movements, supply counts, descriptions of terrain and of course he discusses many of his battle strategies that any historian would find fascinating. The non-historian however, would find the book tedious and probably not get further than the first chapter. In contrast, Richard Parry reveals the more human side of Grant in "That fateful lightning". Grant is pictured as a dying man that is racing against time to finish his memoirs. As he is writing, he reflects on his experiences in the Civil war. He reveals his opinions of many of the civil wars' great generals and talks about his feelings of guilt at sending so many men to their deaths. Grant describes his great love for his wife Julia and talks about his loneliness when he is away from her. He turns to drinking to deal with some of his insecurities but in the end his dignity and integrity overcome any shortcomings in his character. His experiences with Lincoln, Sherman, Meade and Robert E. Lee are shown from his own personal point of view. Even though this is a work of fiction, it is not hard to imagine that Grant might have had these exact feelings and opinions. If you are a historian that is only interested in factual history, you might want to stay away from this book and stick to the mundane, cold and lengthy texts. If you are the type of person that is interested in historical figures from a personal and human perspective then I highly recommend this entertaining work of narrative history.

This is an excellent book of narrative history that brings Grant to life and puts him on your own front porch where you'd like to rock and have a conversation with him clear through to sunset.