What I wouldn't do to get this book published again. One of my ongoing personal tasks is visiting used book stores and grabbing every copy of this book I can find and loaning them out - I first read it 5 years ago, found it at some youth hostel in europe and couldn't put it down in my travels - I kept looking forward to train rides where I could just read non-stop!

If you're stateside - write down the author's name and keep it in your wallet - start searching used bookstores near you - good luck, and keep on sharing books!

.......especially if you are just starting out (your life that is) and things arent looking too good. I read this book about 14 years ago when I was 17 living in Kashmir and not in a very positive frame of mind. It was an amazingly inspirational experience reading this book. I still remember reading it very fast even though it was very big but towards the end I slowed down to savour this almost other life I was immersed in. It is an amazing epic that definitely has had an influence on my life, although I don't know what all to attribute to the book but certainly an impossible amount of positivity - that has even weathered and survived the market conditions during the current dotcom demise ;^) - comes to mind.

The Green King to this day remains my favorite book of all time, although Frank Herbert's Dune series comes in a close second. After chancing upon the book here on amazon and refreshing my memory of it I definitely want to get hold of a copy and read it again.

Aamir

Ever have that opprotunity to take a long read along on a vacation... The Green King is a story of a man and his dream, a dream to build a nation where there once was none. In his quest he faces Nazis and beuraucrats, two great evils and defies the first but not the latter. A reclusive Multi-millionaire/billionaire it brings to mind Howard Hughes eccentric legacy and crosses it with Broffman ambition. A book strikingly similar to a Archer or Clancy in it's ability to make the character and the idea come to life. If you see this book snatch it up. It may be a long read, but one of the most enjoyable and enticing of any I have ever had. A true treasure.

Martin Luther, Leonardo D'Vinci, Napoleon Bonaparte, Karl Marx. Ha. Who needs these puny little figures in history? Instead there should stand one man, a man so great that he can never find a piece of chalk. A man who can stare Doritos in the face and laugh. A man who's name means Prussian Nobility (well not really, there's a A instead of a O, but does it matter.) A man who worked in the fields for 12 hours a day. A man whose wardrobe matches that Calvin Klein guy. This man, strong, tall, kind-of-smart: Paul van Wie. Read his book and you shall see what a master piece is. Read it a second time and see what the masterpiece of time is. Read it backwards the third time and it will reveal the secret message "Why are you reading my book for the third time? Go study for the AP test!"

There is no one more informed on this topic than Paul Van Wie. He truly is a treasure. Anyone who has a remote interest in History and/or Politics must pick this book up. A must read!

As My two good friends Cimabue and Giotto would agree this is one of the greatest books ever on European coinage. Louis XIV would be pleased with this awesome display of knowledge by the Doctor. Even Industrial people such as Thomas Sadler enjoy this book. Here are some sample reviews from many of the great figures of history.

"Two Thumbs Up!"- Mahandis Ghandi
"A Masterpiece"- Bernini
"Just like back in da trecento"- Cimabue
"My fingers hurt"- Thomas Sadler
"Le Wow!"- Mazarin
"Zis is a good book"- Otto V(o,a)n Bismarck
"Es un libro fabuloso"- Juana of Spain
"Now That's a spicy meataball- and a good book"- Fra Angelico

As you can see the reviews are pouring in, so stop right now and buy this book! You will not be sorry.

I became acquainted with this compelling and moving story through an animation festival. Although the crowd of college students had been rowdy this film was the last shown and people all left the theater hushed. The story is not only about a man who plants trees, it is about how each of us can make a difference in the world by every small action of love. If we do not attach a need for recognition or money to our endeavors, they feed the spirit and health of the world. I have read this book over & over and seen the animated film 4 or 5 times, and I see and learn something different every time. What do you see?

This is a wonderful read. It makes a great bedtime story and it is also beautiful (the wood carvings) and inspiring. This is good for people tired of reading what is wrong with the environment. The Man Who Planted Trees is kind of like a sophisticated Lorax book. Anyway, buy this book and enjoy it!

The Man Who Planted Trees is the tale of Elzeard Bouffier, a man who, after his son and wife die, spends his life reforesting miles of barren land in southern France. Bouffier's planting of thousands and thousands of trees results in many wondrous things occurring, including water again flowing in brooks that had been dry for many years. The brooks are fed by rains and snows that are conserved by the forest that Bouffier planted. The harsh, barren land is now pleasant and full of life.

Written by Jean Giono, this popular story of inspiration and hope was originally published in 1954 in Vogue as "The Man Who Planted Hope and Grew Happiness." The story's opening paragraph is as follows:

"For a human character to reveal truly exceptional qualities, one must have the good fortune to be able to observe its performance over many years. If this performance is devoid of all egoism, if its guiding motive is unparalleled generosity, if it is absolutely certain that there is no thought of recompense and that, in addition, it has left its visible mark upon the earth, then there can be no mistake."

The Man Who Planted Trees has left a "visible mark upon the earth" having been translated into several languages. In the "Afterword" of the Chelsea Green Publishing Company's edition, Norma L. Goodrich wrote that Giono donated his story. According to Goodrich, "Giono believed he left his mark on earth when he wrote Elzeard Bouffier's story because he gave it away for the good of others, heedless of payment: 'It was one of my stories of which I am the proudest. It does not bring me in one single penny and that is why it has accomplished what it was written for.'"

This special edition is very informative. Not only does it contain Giono's inspirational story, which is complemented beautifully by Michael McCurdy's wood engraving illustrations and Goodrich's informative "Afterword" about Giono, but it also contains considerable information about how wood and paper can be conserved in the section "The WoodWise Consumer." Goodrich writes about Giono's effort to have people respect trees.

"Giono later wrote an American admirer of the tale that his purpose in creating Bouffier 'was to make people love the tree, or more precisely, to make them love planting trees.' Within a few years the story of Elzeard Bouffier swept around the world and was translated into at least a dozen languages. It has long since inspired reforestation efforts, worldwide."

The Man Who Planted Trees is not only a wonderful story, it will inspire you and your children to care for the natural world.

-Reviewed by N. Glenn Perrett

Janeway's Immunobiology is probably the best immunology book that someone really interested in immunology should take to the mythical desert island. One can enjoy it by its clarity from the basic graduate courses, and then keep reading it when doing research and pursuing hypothesis on the most advanced immunological topics. Many times I have found better organized and complete information on this book (even the old editions!) than on the latest reviews on specialized journals. The intense and careful work displayed to promote the real understanding on the concepts and the relations between immune components is impressive. Even more, the success in explanation is such that the authour takes the risk to have his book neglected as "too easy" by first time readers. However, immunology researchers in contact with the often chaotic and contradictory immunological literature can really appreciate the incredible amount of critical work invested and the intellectual gift of the author (authors) to abstract complex immune phenomena into nicely designed and biologically precise "cartoons". The focus on the evolutionary and functional consequences/origins of the immune mechanisms and structures makes Janeway's book one of the most refreshing and valuable voices in a sometimes too-technically oriented discipline. An impressive accomplishment never praised enough.

Janeway and his co-authors have prepared a masterful text with remarkably clear exposition of the myriad of details in this rapidly developing field. It is replete with illustrations, including cartoon-like diagrams, histological slides, and tables, each of which are used to illuminate the discussion as deemed helpful by the authors. They present an incredible amount of information, and the text, reflecting recent revision, is remarkably current. This volume is suitable as a text for a course in immunology for medical students, or as an introduction to the subject for graduate students requiring knowledge of the immune system. It is perhaps advanced for most undergraduate courses, although the text is sufficiently clear that undergraduates can comprehend the material. It is primarily a question of whether the undergraduate reader has received sufficient foundation in cell and molecular biology to possess the presumed foundational knowledge. This is no "brief" overview. It is stuffed with detail giving students a thorough foundation in this fascinating field. A real tour de force.

Janeway's immunobiology is beautifully written for both medical and basic biological studies. With the update of a new edition every two years, this textbook is moving closely with this rapid scientific field. The big improvement seen in this edition is its organization and writing style. Compared to the previous edition, the authors explain concept much more concisely and less verbosely. The pictures drawn ( in a simple, friendly cartoon formats)throughout the text are nice and helpful to understand. The references given at the end of each chapter are carefully chosen. Overall, this immunology textbook covers all we need to understand all major concepts in immunology.

Jeff Tamarkin,(who is a member of the Airplane list on the internet, 2400 Fulton Street, Editor for GOLDMINE MAGAZINE, and composer of linear notes for some twenty-one plus Jefferson Airplane related remasters/reissues), manages to excellently convey a story that is the equal of any television soap opera.

The personalities that comprised the Classic Jefferson Airplane lineup: Marty Balin, Paul Kantner, Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen, Grace Slick, and Spenser Dryden were a battling, creative engine,
producing some of the most compellingly enjoyable rock music
in the last 40 years.

Never pulling punches, creating multiple alliances within the band itself, the chronicle Jeff Tamarkin portrays of these individual's careers is a fascinating read. This, the first book to tell the story of the struggles of Jefferson Airplane is well worth the time to read. Thoroughly engrossing. I could not put it down!

I have been looking forward to the publication of an authoritative book on Jefferson Airplane for a long time! Ten years ago (in my review of 'Jefferson Airplane Loves You' in Holding Together #16 in fact), I urged Jeff Tamarkin to use the wealth of inteview material he had amassed in researching the Box booklet as the basis for a full-length biography of Jefferson Airplane. If I'd had the time and the contacts, it's a project I would love to have undertaken myself. Tamarkin did have those opportunities - and it would appear that he's made the best of them, for at long last the book that he's written is out in the world.

It runs to over 400 pages, including 16 pages of black and white photographs, some of which have not been published before. It has a foreword by Jan Wenner and an introduction by Paul Kantner. Tamarkin then proceeds, over the course of thirty five chapters, to tell the tale of the turbulent flight of the mighty airmachine - essentially from its inception in1965 until the Airplane re-union of 1989. In order to do this, he has interviewed most all of the (surviving) key participants in the turbulent tale - not only all the band members from the various incarnations of JA (and HT/JS) but many of the managers, producers, back-room staff and friends of the bands as well - and some of these he's interviewed more than once. (In fact, excerpts from some of the early interviews did appear in Relix magazine a few years ago.) He's taken all that information, some of it conflicting - as people's recollections and opinions inevitably differ - and has tried to make sense of it, forging it into a readable narrative of shape and substance.

But after all the hard work on Tamarkin's part and the eager awaiting on ours, what you want to know is: is it a good book (in terms of style, content, veracity and explication)?

The short answer is yes - at least on three and a half out of four counts; (I personally would have liked to read way much more analysis and interpretation - "the why of making music," as Kantner terms it in his introduction).

What Tamarkin has produced is in fact a very good book. It's a highly readable account of the life and times of the band. The story is built up chronologically by introducing the key players one at a time, in each case supplying enough background to explain how they got to the point where they founded/joined Jefferson Airplane and in some cases how they came to exit it as well. For anyone previously unfamiliar with the detailed history of JA's inception and early days, this will make fascinating reading. Coverage of the remaining five years of Jefferson Airplane gets a slightly less comprehensive treatment and the life and times of Hot Tuna, Jefferson Starship (then SVT, Vital Parts and so on) even less so - though Tamarkin obviously does hit the key events and seismic shifts in some detail.

What they did and what happened to them is entertainingly and faithfully narrated (the Matthew Katz legacy, the sexual pairings, the drug busts, the troubled relationship with RCA, the changes in personnel, the escalating craziness, the gradual emergence of Hot Tuna, Grace's alcohol intake, Marty's uncomfortable role in Jefferson Starship, the collapse of JS to Starship et cetera) and this is tied to the cultural and political events of the years as well (the rise of Hippie, the death of Hippie, assassinations, anti-war activities, the increasing polarisation of American society through the sixties, the long shadow of Republicanism, MTV and the rise of the global media jukebox). On the level of what happened it works well and there are many instances where Tamarkin is very insightful in relating external developments to what what was going down within Jefferson Airplane. He also provides many interesting details along the way: I did not know that Balin's submitted artwork for 'Surrealistic Pillow' was blue, not pink; that "Fat Angel" was inspired by Mama Cass Elliot; that Jorma was strung out on heroin during the Airplane reunion; who the inspiration was for Paul's song "Revolutionary Upstairs Maid." This is fascinating stuff. It also has a lot of very funny stories - Hot Tuna's Jamaican escapade and Reality D. Blipcrotch's vision for the 'One' album to name but two which actually had me laughing out loud. Naturally, there's also a wealth of great quotes; and generally these have been blocked out from the text for emphasis.

Of course, much of what is written will not be new to hardcore Airplane fans and obsessives; nonetheless it is very valuable to have the whole story laid out end-to-end like this and to read verbatim Paul's or Marty's or Jorma's or whoever's comment on a certain event or individual. I enjoyed it and I'm sure that for anyone less steeped in knowledge of Jefferson Airplane /Hot Tuna/ Starship, 'Got A Revolution' will be compulsive and enlightening reading.

Tamarkin rounds the whole saga out with a 'where are they now' section which is quite fascinating as it brings us up to date with what happened to over forty of the key and minor characters subsequent to 1989 (for the core crew) or whatever point they ceased to be directly involved in the flow. He then provides some useful reference sections at the end: a bibliography, a discography and a list of online sources/resources and an index.

Everyone who loves the music of JA will want to read it and will come away with a better understanding of how it all happened. So thank you, Jeff Tamarkin, for your devotion to your subject, for your love of Jefferson Airplane and for your perseverance in bringing this book to life. For too long there has existed a hole on the musical bookshelf between The Jam and Elton John - this book handsomely fills that gap. I'm off to read it for a second time.

I'll write a fuller review in the Airplane/Starship fanzine Holding Together.

For anyone interested in the history of pop music and/or culture during the last half of the 20th century, the story of Jefferson Airplane is a great one to be familiar with... With its roots in the early 60's and a hitmaking career that lasts into the 90's, to follow Airplane's storied career is to take a tour of decades of popular music eras that they themselves helped to define.

Many band biographies are merely chronologically arranged trivia books, with an appeal that ultimately does not extend far outside of a circle of hardcore fans. Tamarkin's extraordinarily well-researched book rises above this by painting a richly textured picture of the culture that Airplane (and its various offshoots) sprang from and contributed to.

Tamarkin also succeeds in bringing strong insights into the music with his critical assessments. Here, even the most casual reader can glean why the author would try to iron out such a sprawling, Wagnerian epic... The people who made such music MUST have a fascinating story to tell. They do, and Tamarkin conveys it brilliantly -- setting the bar a little bit higher for music journalism in the process.

More than anything, this book struck me as being a love story. Paul and Roger share a really warm, comfortable life...the kind most people hope to find with a partner. This makes the fact that Roger dies so young, of such a devestating illness, doubly tragic, because of all we know he is leaving behind. Paul Monette was a gifted writer, who showed a great deal of courage when he shared so personal a piece of his life with the world.

Nothing I have ever read has moved me like this book; even though the medical side of HIV is far better these days, those of us in the war are still going through the same emotions. I cannot believe how brave Monette was to share all this with us, yet I know stories like these need to be told. He does a creditable job of holding in his anger, as I'm sure even today he must still be very bitter towards those who made treatment so long in coming. This is an incredibly powerful book, a testament to love and a terrible indictment of our society and some of our values. Everyone should read this book; while it's a true emotional roller coaster, and ultimately heartbreaking, it's only through works like this that we can hope for a broader understanding of what HIV means for the patient and their family. My thanks to Paul Monette for sharing this ordeal.

Paul Monette in this book describes in harrowing detail the final months in the life of his lover Roger, and how Roger's deterioration affected both men and their relationship. The depth of feeling Monette conveys is remarkable; he writes with a candor and a beauty that bring tears to your eyes. We share Monette's sense of pain and loss. If you've ever known anyone with a terminal illness, this book is devastating, and even if you haven't, there's no way you can remain unmoved.

People sometimes ask how it felt to be a gay man in the 1980s while the spread of AIDS was running unchecked. This powerful book gives the best answer I can imagine.

"Cats for Dummies" is an honest, light-hearted, and informative guidebook.

Though authors Gina Spadafori and Paul D. Pion, DVM, focus on "the fun and easy way to find the kitten or cat who's right for you," they cover a variety of basic and enlightening feline information.

The chapters range from "Choosing Your Feline Companion" and "Feeding Your Cat" to "Solving Behavior Problems" and "Ten Common Household Dangers to Your Cat."

Two particularly eye-opening chapters are "Ten Cat Myths--Debunked" (e.g., All Callicos are Females) and "Understanding Your Cat" (cats, it turns out, aren't color blind).

Many of the illustrations and b&w photos could have been clearer. Otherwise, this primer and reference work is highly-recommended.

This book covers everything. As a brand new cat owner, it answered all my questions and made me feel informed before adopting my kittens. If you're looking for a great one-stop book on cats, this is for you.

I just received this book yesturday and i've already read half of it. Cats for dummies, 2nd ed., has helped me in choosing a cat companion and has many tips on health care, litter box problems, breeding, and more. If you have a cat or are considering a cat this is the book for you.

What motivates a person to give up their comfortable life in America to go to war torn Vietnam and care for the orphaned children? The answer to that question and lots of others are found in this amazing book. Cherie Clark is well known in the world of international adoption for all her humanitarian work. This book gives a glimpse into who she is as a person. From her childhood to her last minute departure from Vietnam, you can't put this book down. Page after page of remarkable accomplishments are mixed with the desperation of the people being cared for. There are many amazing people in this book, from Rosemary Taylor to Cherie's own family members. The adoption world has benefited greatly from those who sacrified during those days of war and desperation. Anyone who as adopted from Vietnam should really read this book! It is also a great story in human courage and compassion that anyone will appreciate. It is obvious that Cherie will continue her work for a long time to come. The two books to follow will recount her work in India and then back in Vietnam. The only downside to this book is that you want to know more, to find out what happened to all the people mentioned and to walk those streets of Vietnam yourself! The book really brings the people, places and events to life. I highly recommend this book!

After Sorrow Comes Joy is the incredible story of a woman who discovered her inner strength in war-torn Vietnam and directed that strength towards a resolute purpose: helping the smallest victims of the war. Facing hurdles and obstacles that would cause most people to quit and return home, Cherie Clark refused to give up hope for the children that had been entrusted to her care. I found the account of events leading up to the fall of Saigon impossible to put down once I started reading.

Cherie describes her experience in such a way that I feel as though I lived through it all with her. My emotions ran the gamut from despair to hope, anger to determination, exhaustion to joy. And in all cases there was an overwhelming awe that Cherie was able to stay so focused on her one purpose of saving children - and through that find peace.

I found myself sitting quietly as I finished reading and reflecting on the glimmers of hope from people like Cherie Clark that shine through the tragic consequences of war.

This book was a total sensory experience and I'm anxiously awaiting the next two books in the trilogy!

I've just finished After Sorrow Comes Joy and I still haven't caught my breath. I'm crying and gasping for air!

For most of us whose lives were, in a large part, dictated by events in Vietnam during the late 60's and early 70's, the Vietnam war remains a mystery. We didn't understand it then; all these years later, we still don't understand it.

This book does NOT de-mystify the war. It simply gives a day-to-day, blow-by-blow account of how it affected the smallest victims of that war--the children, and the least of these--the orphans.

Cherie Clark, a normal, middle-class housewife caught up in a decision to adopt a child from the war zone, lived this story and has written, not a political treatise, but a heart-wrenching, heart-stopping diary of what happened as the government and the very fabric of Vietnamese society unraveled in those last awful days. How she has managed to write this with such honesty and detail without seeming to sensationalize any of it, or appear as if she's nominating herself for sainthood, is an amazing accomplishment.

I can hardly wait to read the rest of the story, the next two in the trilogy, about her work in India and her return to Vietnam.

"Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue Sauces" is a must-have for anyone who's serious about creating great barbecue. The book contains much of the same information that Chef Paul teaches in his Pitmaster BBQ classes all over the U.S. Lots of flavorful recipes for sauces, rubs, and marinades that are easy to make, plus tips on creating your own signature sauce or rub. Your barbecue book library is not complete without this book!

I picked this book up a couple of years ago for the purpose of having a few sauce recipes on hand to lend variety to my BBQ. This book is all that and much, much more! The depth of explanation about seasoning, rubs, marinades, mops, & sauces gives one the power to create not just follow. It's got the recipes if you're a follower and the knowledge to create a masterpiece BBQ on your own. So what if he is alledged to omit "secret" ingredients - this book will give you the know-how and the encouragement to come up with your own (isn't that what "secret" ingredients and great BBQ are all about?).

This glorious paperback is a once-in-a-decade event in the world of cookbooks: somone who genuinely understands his subject clearly and succinctly explains it in a way that is easy for anyone to understand, even complete novices.

Several times, the author uses the term "master class". This term is usually reserved when an acknowledged master of the subject decides to transfer his skills and abilities to others via a special class. At first, I thought that the use of this term was a little overblown. How wrong I was.

He goes through these subjects: ingredients, rubs, marinades, mops, sauces, and other (salsa, relish, ketchup). Each subject is expertly covered, and tells you everything you need to know. He explains the principle and structure of each one, and then gives instructions on how to create it for yourself. Recipes are then presented for those who do not wish to do the experiments on their own. My only complaint is the table of contents: more detail would be a great help.

This book is the only one you really need when it comes to barcecue sauces. If you don't already have it, I suggest you get it and throw away the other barbecue books you have.

That's what the sticker says on my jacket cover, quoting Iris Johansen, who is another of my favorites. And, wow, has she nailed it with just those eight words. My only complaint with Bannerman's Ghosts is that I waited too long for it and devoured it too quickly. I can't remember when I felt so many emotions in the course of reading a single book. It had me laughing out loud and then crying real tears, sometimes within the same page. It had me horrified, scared and wanting to cheer. It made me fall in love with three different characters.

I hesitate, in fact, to refer to them as characters because they seem so utterly real and so human. It had me in awe of the research that Maxim must have done and wondering how he got his sources to talk to him. It made me wonder how Maxim knows Bannerman and his people so well. Especially Carla and Elizabeth Stride and my personal favorite, John Waldo. So, you know what I think? I think they are real. And I think that Maxim must be one of them.

What a great read. If you are a fan of John R. Maxim's work you will love this book. Great Character development, Great Dialouge and written in a style that keeps you glued to the pages. The best Bannerman book yet. This book brings out many characters and storylines from past books. This story has the Whistler's Angel story running in the background and makes for some interesting reading. I have read all his books and this 1 rates in the top 3. (Haven and Shadowbox recommended reads) I can't wait for the next Maxim book.

The definition of "neighborhood watch" takes on an entirely new meaning in this latest Bannerman thriller by John R. Maxim IV. Long time fans and first time readers will be pleased to see favorite characters from his early novels and those from recent endeavors gather together to wreck havoc and just a touch of personal vengeance on the villains so aptly created by Maxim.

As with other Bannerman novels, GHOSTS is impossible to lay aside until the highly emotional final chapter and epilogue leaves you wishfully hoping Bannerman's Prophecy is already on its way to the publisher.

A recommendation for Hollywood: Beat a path to John Maxim's door for the Bannerman movie rights!