The subtitle sounds daunting, doesn't it? But this clever little book is so well written, in a friendly, colloquial voice, that you'll turn the pages as quickly as you might while reading a frothy novel. At the same time, the book is jammed with information--about the basics of the Chinese language and how it has managed to survive without an alphabet; about various dynasties; about Chinese folklore and everyday life. If you're thinking of visiting China, if you're interested in languages, or if you've adopted a child from China, this book is a wonderful introduction to a land and culture that we Westerners tend to dismiss.

For people who just started learning Chinese and would like to have a wider background on the language. Chinese as a language is looked at from all possible directions : written, spoken, origin, calligraphy ...
Very easy to read, well explained, interesting examples, fascinating stories ...

The original "Stalking the wild..." editions went out of print some years ago and that was a shame. Nobody but a character like Euell Gibbons could write such a downhome book that passed on folk wisdom and botany in a delightful way.

I actually prefer this book to "Asparagus" because it is a bit more useful. For example, if you live nearly anywhere in middle America, violet leaves pop up in your lawn and garden. They're readily available and easy to find. And he gives uses for cucumber-scented borage, which you can actually plant from seeds. This herb now is a top seller for its healthful oil-rich seeds that contain linoleic acid. If borage doesn't grow in your fields, you can put it in your herb garden. He gives great ideas for violets, borage, mint and other herbs either readily found or available to grow.

Careful however; some of the wild herbs look alike; most dangerously hemlock and parsley, angelica and other members of the carrot family look alike with their feathery fronds. Best to take a course in plant identification at the local community college if you are collecting these.

I own the original. And am thrilled to see it reprinted. Gibbons was the virtuoso of the herbal heyday, and his stories of nature, and his naturalist outlook, will enthrall you as much as the herbs you'll learn about. He is, and will allways remain, part of this foragers life, even though I never knew him personaly.

By far the best surveying text available. It covers both basic concepts and more in-depth topics with equal clarity. This text is a must for surveying students, and practicing surveyors alike.

Good book and reference.Lots of examples and exercises with lilustrations and up to date theory. A great buy for the surveying student.

If you want to learn about the art of pewtering from a master craftsman, this is the book for you. If you're looking for ways to raise a large, talented, responsible family, you'll want to read these tales. If you want a book filled with interesting stories about a plethora of subjects, all warmly told with humor and intelligence, here's a book to try. Raymond Gibson has written a charming memoir about his double life as a Congregational minister in the winter and a pewter craftsman in the summers, where his children learn a craft that will help them all earn money for college, while spending valuable time together with this master story teller. This book is a must for the thoughtful person's library. You will love it.

This is the story of how a family can work together and create a business that takes on a life of its own. The creation of pewter items has a very long history. It has been used in many countries, and is still done today. This is the story of Ray Gibson and how he discovered that the passion that he has for living and his family could have an outlet in creating art. He was very lucky to find good teachers who were willing to share their knowledge and part of their soul with him. In return he shares this with his family and friends and customers. Ray is a talented author who is able to convey the excitement and sometimes the torture of having an artistic soul. He is able to explain the path of a developing artist/craftsman. It is also nice to hear of a family that was able to stay together and work on common interests. The development of craftsmanship brings with it the obligation to meet high standards, and these standards are applicable to "normal life" also. The story is charmingly told, the book was hard to put down, and it did convey some of the technical knowledge of the craft, but it is not a do-it-yourself book (unless the topic is how to lead a blessed life).

Wonderfull book, it has a summary table for each entity very useful for fast look, a lot of color images of great cuality and a text concise, precise and exact.

It took quite some time for me to choose a dermatopatholgy reference. Most of my fellow pathology residents have been using Lever's book, mainly because that's what we have available. I decided to go out on a limb and try this brand new book. I'm quite glad I did. This book is a pleasure to use. It is well written and beautifully illustrated. My only criticism is that the index and table of contents could be more helpful. By the way, my colleagues are also glad I purchased this book. I hardly get to see it anymore!

Raymond Smullyan, of whom I am a longtime reader, is probably best known as a creator of fiendishly brilliant logic puzzles. He's also a mathematical logician of high caliber (and a magician, and a pianist, and . . . )

But some of his lesser-known works have consisted of philosophical reflections on a wide range of subjects (which nevertheless include a common thread that is devilishly difficult to pin down). There was _The Tao Is Silent_ (for my money, still his best); there was _5000 B.C._ (currently out of print); and just recently he's published _Who Knows?_ (which I recommend too).

This is one from 1980, and it's one of few "older" Smullyan works currently available in print. It's not a collection of logic puzzles; it's a collection of essays and short reflections of very much the same "flavor" as _The Tao Is Silent_.

As always, Smullyan is a sheer delight to read. In his hands, philosophy becomes what it should always be: a form of intellectual play (and nonetheless "serious" for that, although it surely isn't solemn!).

Get this while it's available. And if you like Smullyan, also check out the titles I've already mentioned, as well as his autobiographical _Some Interesting Memories: A Paradoxical Life_. He's a gifted man as well as pleasant and stimulating intellectual company.

This is another great book of puzzles by Smullyan. If you liked Satan, Cantor, and Infinity, and What is the Name of this Book? then you will like this.

A reviewer of one of Smullyan's other works called him "a national treasure" and I have to agree. To Mock a Mockingbird is a fantastic book -- whether you're looking for fun logic puzzles or a lighter look at formal logic theory. This book is better than any college textbook, and right up there with any of Martin Gardner's best works. Highly recommended.

Various sets of increasingly sophisticated puzzles & scenarios in a combinatory forest where all the birds are combinators. Great way to understand interesting results from combinatory logic without cumbersome definitions. Mockingbirds are M, which is also YI, Curry bird's response to Identity bird... hilarious.

Ultramarine by Raymond Carver, a collection of his poetry, is a gem. With each of my moves I find myself discarding all of my books except for this one. This is the one I hold and keep returning to.

While Carver is better known for his short stories, I think it's his poems that communicates his silent emotions. The sparse language of Raymond Carver that is so effective in his short stories is even more powerful in his poetry.

If there is anything I would ever recommend, this is it.

I'm very surprized that no one has reviewed this book! I thought that it was fabulous! I love the way that the plot was on the sea, and its mysteries! I was totally caught up in the book! I read this book straight through, whithout talking to anyone. I hope that there are more books like this out there, and I hope that you will be the next to buy, read, and review this book!

Colette's Renee Nere is complex, her name alone tells us that (the last name is the first name spelled backwards, not to mentioned that Renee means "reborn"). This female protagonist would certainly fit in with the modern notion of being female, and in the early 20th century, this was not only rare, but not very-well understood. I adore this book because of the way it encourages women (by example) to carve out their own existence and not to rely upon men for security. It is also wonderfully written. However, you'll be in for a shocker if you read the sequel, "The Shackle".

Gigi may be the best known of her works, but 'The Vagabond' stands out in pure beauty from the rest. The plot (an actress on the stage who faces public scorn and problems in love) seems to be most autobiographical, and narrator and main character, Renee Nere, is a delight. Both beautiful and painful in spots, this book deserves to be read, as well as its sequel, 'The Shackle.'

Mom's & Dad's to be: Excellent Book.... Lot's of information that you'll never think to ask until you browse. Doc Poliakin delivered our Son, Edward in Thousand Oaks, CA. There's so many things in this book that are pratical, simple, common sense guidelines with general information to help influence confidence in parent(s) to be. Believe me, he's a down to earth doctor that speaks the truth and reflects it in his book.

David Norman

This is the best book! Everything you need to know but forgot to ask is in this book!