Highly recommended for anyone out there fascinated by fish and the marvellous public aquariums around the world. Enjoy it!

Powell took the first fish he caught as a kid and slept with it under his pillow. He maintained the lobster tank at a fancy Malibu restaurant. When he read Cousteau's first book, _The Silent World_, he knew he had to start diving. As he kept specimens in his home aquarium, he joined the Marine Aquarium Society of Los Angeles. A fellow member told him of a job opening as an aquarist at Marineland of the Pacific; it was just what he wanted to do, and from there he worked at various aquariums, directing the live exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium until retiring four years ago. He now seems to be the most frequently consulted consultant whenever towns or nations want to set up aquariums.

Powell writes with admiration and affection about the creatures he has to capture and then keep in as home-like an environment as possible, including the wonderfully named sarcastic fringehead, the "thumbsplitter" mantis shrimp with its faster-than-the-eye claw, and many more. He tells about the process of capturing samples in many different ways, but diving and capturing fish is the easy part. Transporting them is hard. There are different gadgets and containers that have to be used, including the truck transport named the "Tunabago." It is planning the displays of the fish that obviously has given Powell the most satisfaction in his career. His description, for instance, of the responsibilities of putting up the largest window in the world, a gigantic acrylic pane fifty-five by fifteen feet, thirteen inches thick, and weighing thirty-eight tons, is completely engrossing.

Powell's book, a mixture of autobiography, oceanography, ichthyology, museology, and funny stories, is a delight. In seemingly effortless style, he conveys the excitement even in the minor aspects of his career. He gives a final essay on the importance of aquariums (disdained by Cousteau as "fish prisons") in bringing people closer to nature and in promoting the conservation that could keep the oceans healthy. His book is a worthy summary of a lifetime's effort in that cause.

I found the reflections and stories appropriate for any human relationship, be it personal, professional or casual. As a senior manager in a government agency, the stories shared in the book reminded me of how I should and could relate to my managers and staff. They also provided me with "food for thought" on the important things in life. Upon the need to remain focused upon the value of human relationships and how we should nurture them; to focus upon the larger issues in life rather than be distracted with the small, insignificant items; upon those issues that we can influence and change rather than those about which we have little or no control.

Although very light reading, the book is full of inspiration and I would compare it to Ken Blanchard's "One Minute Manager" where a strong, optimistic philosophy comes through and the reader can take from it whatever is appropriate and meaningful. This is a book that would be appropriate for a variety of people to read. Teenagers seeking ways of adding meaning to their world and/or relationships with siblings, parents and friends; parents reading to their children to illustrate a point; managers seeking to add meaning to working relationships and their management style; members of workteams trying to strengthen their relationships and productivity; counselors seeking to clarify issues for clients; and anyone wanting to learn more about themselves.

It sounds like a panacea, however nothing is a panacea. What the author offers, is her shared experiences with her son and what they mean to her. It is the reader who adds meaning to the content, takes from it what they will and uses the information as they choose. The author has thrown the gauntlet out to the reader to develop meaningful partnerships in life, to grow together and create a positive environment in which to live and work. This partnership between mother and son is refreshing and opens up for all of us, a positive experience which we can access, if we wish to learn and grow.

It was definitely not the author's choice to end up as a single mom. The hurt and humiliation caused by a husband who deserted and left her pregnant could have resulted in such bitterness that we would have seen the familiar pattern of overcompensation with an overindulged, selfish child. Spicer chose to return to the small town in Indiana where she grew up and where her parents were still living. There she could have her own space with loving parents a few blocks away. After listening to the advice of friends and reading the current theories posed by child rearing experts, Spicer concluded that the best example she had was the loving home her parents had provided for her. She decided that the advantages to her child in this small town of her childhood outweighed the money and better career opportunities elsewhere.

Day by day, at each age of his life, her son was taught consideration for others, respect and love of God and responsibility for his own acts in such a loving way. Best of all, she never lost her sense of humor. Sometimes Zach seems more mature than his years, but he proves to be a testimony to the REAL values of the old fashioned principles exemplified by her parents.

In spite of the grief of losing both a beloved sister and mother the author's faith in God and reliance on a caring family restore her optimistic disposition. Zach lives up to the meaning of his name, "God's Gracious Gift." Reading the book from the perspective of a grandparent, I ended with the hope that my own children feel as positive about the loving home my husband and I tried to create.

other interesting books in this genre: "Reflections in a looking Glass" a centennial celebration of Lewis carroll. , "Photo Historica" landmarks in photography , "a new history of photography" edited by michel frizot.

Most notable is the series of images of Julia Jackson. (She also appears on the front and back covers.) One can see her life evolve over the time span of the photos. These images become even more interesting upon learning she was mother of Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf. So here at last is the real Mrs. Ramsey.

Each author's excitment and passion for the topic covered comes through the pages loud and clear. Cleverly colored boxes of strategically placed information capture your eye and your mind! Another example.. in Chapter 6 on Water and Electrolytes.. the percentage loss of body water and degree of disability associated with the same could not be made any more obvious.. and you just don't forget the message.

This resource covers everything from herbal therapies and rationale to heart transplant and all points in between. Over 1150 pages to get the new Millennium off to a smart start! I already know this book will be among the most used in my professional library. It is highly recommended.

- Miriam Erick, MSRD, CDE, ACOG educational affiliate author: No More Morning Sickness (New American Library/Plume), Boston, MA.

"This brilliant and beautifully wrought work deserves to become a classic." --The Texas Observer

"TIERRA DEL FUEGO has won two major Latin American awards, and justifiably so: Iparraguirre has crafted an entrancing novel from the skeleton of facts we know about this ghastly episode in English colonial history." --The Bloomsbury Review

"This tale is brilliantly told..." --National Hispanic News

"Iparraguirre has constructed a well-documented novel, with strong humanistic feeling, where personal traits and the twists and turns of the plot are skillfully woven through the genre of a novel blended with a historical chronicle. It is a fresh look at those barbarous ancestors who were destroyed by civilization."
--World Press Review

Button was later returned to Tierra del Fuego by FitzRoy (this time on the voyage of the Beagle that included a young naturalist named Charles Darwin). The Yamanas were left in Tierra del Fuego with materials to construct an English house, as well as utensils and other items of European domestic life; and with the expectation that these properly instructed savages would serve as a vanguard for the expansion of British civilization in their remote land.

Instead, the house-building materials quickly fell to ruin, and the "civilized" Yamanas eventually became involved in an armed conflict with English missionaries. The resulting trial of Button in the Falkland Islands serves as the focus of this story, which is told through the eyes of a fictional Argentine, John William Guevara - a man who carries the name of his criolla mother, rather than his English father.

The distinguished Argentine writer Sylvia Iparraguirre has done far more than weave an interesting historical novel - she has constructed a moving story of the ambiguities of a son's love for his father, of a second-generation immigrant's doomed attraction to the plains of Patagonia, and of the inevitable and irreconcilable conflict between cultures, not merely between those of the Yamana and the British, but also between those cultures and the Argentine.

I highly recommend this book. I read it in the original Spanish. If you want to read the English translation, you should be very careful to order that version. Those who are interested in the topic may also wish to read Chapter 10 of Darwin's "Voyage of the Beagle," and Bruce Chatwin's "In Patagonia," as well as "Savage: the Life and Times of Jemmy Button," by Nick Hazelwood.

The book describes the antics of the frogs and they hop all over the pharaoh's rooms, swim in his bath, and even sit on his throne, with the Pharaoh all the while chasing them with a broom: "There were frogs n the curtains and in the fruit bowls./ There were frogs peeking out from papyrus scrolls./ He saw frogs on the ceiling and frogs on the wall./ He saw frogs in each room and down every hall." But one frog - the littlest - is afraid of all the commotion and has hidden under the bed. The Pharaoh, feeling all powerful and fearless, is sure he has taken care of the frog problem. But the little frog eventually emerges from his hiding place, hops onto the Pharaoh and utters a loud croak, causing Pharaoh to have a change of heart. "Perhaps Moses was right, the Jews should be free./ Maybe that's why this is happening to me."

The colorful and action-packed illustrations ably convey the Pharaoh's frustration and captures the frogs' playfulness. A glossary at the beginning of the book is quite helpful in defining words that may be unknown to a child, such as scepter, papyrus, or hieroglyphics. A welcome addition to a home or school library and a highly relevant book for the Pesach Seder. Ages 3-7.

Rena E. Rotenberg is coordinator of the Early Childhood Education Center for Jewish Education in Baltimore Maryland.

Marshal Tucker Burnett would rather remain free to engage a gunfight than to give up the town to outlaws. He's the Burnett man with the fastest draw and associates raising a family with the loss of freedom and ties to responsibility. That's why he left in the night three years ago, rather than remaining in the arms of the only woman who could make him forget his vows of freedom. His hasty departure ensured he destroyed a long time friendship with Dr. Sarah James.

When Tucker goes to the stage to pick up his mother's package, he's shocked to find Sarah and her two-year-old son getting off the stage. Sarah is equally outraged to learn the telegram Eugenia sent regarding her grandfather's ill health was a ploy to bring Tucker and her together. She fears that Tucker will realize that he's her son's father. She also vows to thwart Eugenia's matchmaking schemes, eventually even allow Tucker to fix her up with other men. But dating other men simply backfires on them both.

The road to marriage is filled with bumps and challenges in this final edition of the Burnett Brides Trilogy. The simple matchmaking premise results in character driven conflict that keeps the pages turning. Sylvia McDaniel's delightful characters that refuse to acknowledge the truth of their hearts result in an utterly witty, charming tale. With a nice twist of plot that turns the table on the matchmaker, THE MARSHAL TAKES A WIFE comes highly recommended.

Dr. Sarah James practiced in Tombstone. Her father ran a hotel in Fort Worth. When she was notified by Eugenia that he had been sick, she grabbed her two-year-old son, Lucas, and hurried to her father. Turned out he was much better. She would have returned to Tombstone but Doc Wilson turned ill. She promised to stay a month and tend to his patients. Problem was Tucker was in town. She never told him about Lucas since he made it very clear he wanted no attachments. Besides, it was not as if she ever knew where he was. He never stayed anywhere for long.

Marshal Tucker Burnett had known Sarah since they were little. Yet a couple of years ago their desire for each other consumed them for one night. He left Sarah in the middle of the night, without warning. He never knew that one night had resulted in Lucas. Now she was in town for a short while. She had married, had a son, and widowed quickly. He knew his mother was trying to push them together, but he would not allow her to set him up with a wife as she had with his brothers!

*** Here is one to make readers sit up and take notice! This author has an incredible talent of latching onto the reader immediately and never letting them go. I loved every single minute! Recommended reading! ***

Mama Burnett has one more unwed son to coax into marriage!

Dr Sarah James arrives in Fort Worth worried about her elderly grandfather's health. It is not long before she realizes things are not as they seemed. And seeing Tucker Burnett again is an unexpected surprise. Even though they had been childhood friends, their one night of passion three years ago has changed everything, especially when Sarah knows the last thing he wants is a commitment.

I read this great story in less than a day! I enjoyed visiting the whole Burnett family again and the conclusion of this Texas saga was wonderful. By the end of the story I really felt bonded with all the Burnett family members especially the youngest and newest. I hate to see the saga end but it was fantastic!!