The book contains mostly historical material -- photos and text. I was looking for a book about contemporary Central Valley. A one-page graph shows dollar-value of products and the percentage of U.S. production. One photo, of the planting of asparagus in a dust-storm, shows mostly dust.

I bought the book mainly to see the work of photographer Stephen Johnson, and his work truly delivered. These pictures are a must study for landscape photographers. His photographs capture a simple beauty and are a heartfelt display of the region. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by the work of photographer Robert Dawson, and by the amount of information contained within the pages of "The Great Central Valley". If you enjoy photography or are interested in California history, you will highly enjoy this book.

The usual authorized biography is worthy but not worthwhile; the author has traded access for freedom to write what he damned well pleases. In this case, Foster, though not writing an "approved" or subsidized book, has given up nothing -- he knew and genuinely liked his subject, despite having worked for him. Robert Wood Johnson, NOT the Johnson who just bought himself a professional foootball team, was both a gentleman and a rebel but he did establish for one of the premier American companies a credo which helped to build it and, even after his death, to keep it on the right course during the Tylenol crisis, a triumph of responsible capitalism -- and not incidentally of well-handled public relations . The author minimizes his own role in handling this potentially widespread and dangerous situation. The book is rare in its genre -- well written, humane, interesting, and valuable to anyone interested in top drawer American companies, the economy, public health, public service, the lives of the rich, and more.

The impact of the Johnson family -- and particularly the "gentleman rebel" at the center of Larry Foster's book -- on the community, the health care industry and society at large has been documented in a way that is illuminating, satisfying and inspiring. Attention to detail, the providing of context and respect for the subject, along with graceful writing, make this book a joy to read.

Thunderbolt! is ace pilot Major Robert S. Johnson's own account of his days with the celebrated 56th Fighter Group over Europe during World War Two. Johnson's very personable narrative takes the reader from his boyhood days in Lawton, Oklahoma, where his fascination with aviation first developed, through flying lessons, his enlistment and training with the air force, and his many missions over Germany behind the stick of a P-47 Thunderbolt.

The cockpit of the large, sturdy and power Republic P-47 is the setting for a large portion of the book. Missions flown over Germany against the deadly Luftwaffe pilots and their superb planes are covered in the first person in gripping fashion. Though his recollection of events after ten years cannot be completely accurate, the author nonetheless describes tense battles in remarkable detail, down to the combat technique of each adversary. Besides his own experiences, the author also relates hair raising stories of colleagues who ditched at sea, bailed out over enemy territory, suffered catastrophic equipment failures or were in fact killed.

Though military pilots are often categorized as arrogant and self-centred (necessary traits as the split-second demands of aerial combat require the pilot to be unhindered by self-doubt), Johnson's storytelling is uniquely free of pretense and self-adulation. In fact, using his easy and informal writing style, Johnson has included his misfortunes and blunders for the reader's amusement. It should be said however, that Johnson's descriptions of battle are a little too fond, and he sounds entertained by killing. A disappointment is that Johnson does not tell curious readers what personal qualities, habits, or techniques he thinks caused his spectacular twenty-eight vietories with zero planes lost. The book also lacks the technical content which a nostalgic reader would enjoy.

Thunderbolt! is an enjoyable autobiography of an otherwise ordinary boy who, despite failures, went on to become a very gifted pilot. Perhaps Johnson's story says what kinds of fellows a large number of Air Force youths were, and so gives a more personal description of the military pilot to supplement one's historical knowledge.

Bob Johnson describes more than the P-47, he describes the men who flew them and the things they did to get into battle. Johnson, a top scoring ace, in the league with Dick Bong and Eddie Rickenbacher failed the gunnery test at the end of fighter school with a score of 4.7 percent but was sent to battle with his unit. In his first battle he pulled off, thinking his plane had a problem because he had never fired all six of the guns on the plane at one time. He tells of how men died when the P-47 went into compressibility dives, a condition unknown before and how they met the ME-109 and FW-190 fighters, head to head and won. He tells how he came to love the fighter that could bring him back, with hundreds of bullet holes and some cannon shells imbedded in the seat armor, certain death for the pilot in most planes. But not in the heavy P-47.

Bering Sea Escort: Life Aboard a Coast Guard Cutter in World War II, details the author's experiences on board the USCGC Haida from July 1941 until March 1944. The 240 foot Haida, Robert Johnson's first duty station, was primarily employed escorting convoys across the Gulf of Alaska and westward to the Aleutian Islands. The author briefly details the Haida's whole career, but the focus is the period of his almost three year tour. Johnson makes it clear that Haida, which was commissioned in 1921, was not the optimum sub hunter. Her WWI vintage armament and lack of radar greatly impeded her combat effectiveness, but it certainly didn't dampen her resolve. Having traveled the same area on a 30+ year old Coast Guard Cutter I can confirm that Johnson's geography, weather and general shipboard experience are true to life. From his first bout of seasickness to his rather sentimental departure, he also captures the lot of the average seaman and the bond that grows between a sailor and his ship. This isn't a fast paced war novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover. Except for storm damage the Haida didn't see any actual combat action during the period covered in the book. What the narrative does offer is a view of normal men doing an important job that was essential to the war effort. Their tasks were often boring, and they received little recognition, but they did their part to the very best of their ability. For an accurate glimpse of the common sailor's life during WWII this is a great book. Also has a great center section of photos.

You've got to love a book with comics in it. The actual text was pretty good too. The book covers several psychological experiments, which were interesting. Works well for general reading as well as a text book if you are interested in psychology.

"First Cases" is a collection of the first short stories by classic private eye writers featuring their heros (or heroines). That should be the book's caveat, as many of the protagonists had already appeared in full length novel form before these stories were published. The lineup includes such luminaries as Loren Estlemen's Amos Walker, Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder, Bill Pronzini's "Nameless" and Editor Robert J. Randisi's own Miles Jacoby. All of the series characters featured are currently ongoing (or at least were as of 1996, when the book was published). Editor Randisi knows his stuff, having been the founder of the Private Eye Writers of America.

All that said, the quality of the stories varies. Some of the writers had yet to really find their voice and some (especially the older) stories are somewhat by-the-numbers. Nevertheless, the book is an inetersting historical artifactfor those who want insight on how their heros developed. My personal favorites are Block's and Estlemen's. They show again why they are, for my money, the two best and most consistent private eye writers currently working in the genre.

Dr. Leichtman and Mr. Japikse's approach to Astrology is a refreshing, thought-provoking change-of-pace to life predictions as mapped by the stars. "Forces of the Zodiac" is meant to be a reference book for understanding astrological energies and applying them to our everyday lives. One need not be an expert on astrology to find the book useful. Dr. Leichtman and Mr. Japikse provide an in-depth introduction and explanation of their philosophy about life energies as reflected in the Zodiac. The commentaries for each sign lead you through a series of prayers, symbols and thoughts that help the reader search his or her own mind and emotions to make the best decisions about how to cooperate with Zodiacal forces in any given sign or season. I have found it most helpful to read through the commentaries slowly and to carefully study the message for the current sign as a cycle is changing. The information in "Forces of the Zodiac" has helped me to make sense of many of the activities and interactions in any given cycle, and it has given me a road map for how to take advantage of opportunities at specific times in life.

I wish I had found this book when I made my decision to join the Coast Guard. It answers a wide range of questions on everything from why Coast Guard vessels are called "cutters" to why members of the service wear the present-day blue uniform. From the first chapter, concerning the formation of the Coast Guard through the merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service, to the final chapter describing the rescue of 319 passengers from the burning liner Prinsendam in 1979, this book holds the reader's attention throughout. It also deals with the mistakes as well, such as the Simas Kudirka incident, in which a Lithuaninan seaman tryig to defect was allowed to be taken back to his ship, and the collisions which sank the cutters Cuyahoga and Blackthorn. Anyone considering joining the service, or anyone who just wants to know more about our smallest branch of the armed forces, should read this book. It has helped me to understand more about the work I do in the Coast Guard than any other source of information.

I am an ear, nose, and throat surgeon in Indonesia. May I know the first volume of Head and Neck Surgery Book by Byron J. Bailey ? I want to know about the prizes of it. How do I get the first volume ? I have just had the second volume. Thank you.

A very good introduction to all major legal issues presented in what is called Health Care Law. Topics covered include: contractual aspects of the doctor-patient relationship (duty to treat, termination of relations); the legal nature of health care organizations; ERISA preemption; medical malpractice and informed consent; anti-trust; and ethical considerations.