I have spent many years reading books, talking to counselors, and talking to friends about relationships. Reading Johnson's book was a real eye opener, to put it very mildly. I have enjoyed the author's style in his other books where he presents a myth and discusses it's psychological meaning. This book is no exception, except that it's relevance is way off the charts. Before reading "We" I had all but thrown my hands in the air in frustration regarding relationships. The author's beautiful style drills deep and answers the many questions I had. Johnson's use of the Tristan myth told me what I did not want to hear, but the pain I have experience in relationship told me that Johnson was right on the money. The author's analysis of romantic love and the distinction he makes between passion and true love (which is more low key and may even come across as boring sometimes) spoke loud and clear. He made me realize that I have been searching out there in vain for so many years for lady soul, because lady soul lurked within my unconscious mind. Since reading this book I was able to connect with lady soul and have that symbolic marriage that Johnson talks about.

I highly recommend this book to each person who has a lot of questions about why relationships in our cultures are in a state of epidepic crisis. The author's answers may not be what you want to hear if you are a "zealous" romantic. If you are willing to stretch yourself and change, then Johnson's words are an excellent catalyst for changing your ways and heading in the right direction.

I consider "We" among the most relevant books by Robert Johnson, and among the most relevantt books by any author!

This classic work gives us a simple story and model for how men think, what they secretly want, and how men can see what it is they really need.

I've incorporated a lot of this book in my own work (a hidden resource that I don't really mention or credit).

At only about 100 pages and less than [$$], how could anyone miss out on buying this book.

I found this volume almost impossible to put down once I started reading it.
Author Robert A. Johnson has a very fluid writing style, and does a superb job
of exposing the archetypal aspect of romance and love relationships by discussing the implications of
the myth of Tristan and Iseult. I found myself strongly moved
by this volume, and it helped me work through some live and
at the time previously unexplored aspects of my own psyche.

This book doesn't leave you feeling torn apart as many analytical
works on love do. It analyzes the emotions and expectations of
lovers in such a way as to allow one to re-examine one's own
love relationships and ultimately one's understanding of what
a love relationship should be. This is a timeless volume, which
transcends the stereotypical types of responses one has to love and love relationships. Western media and folklore have so thoroughly dwelt on this topic that I find it remarkable that this Jungian philosopher is able to significantly add to the tradition, by allowing one to consciously break down the archetypal influences that seem to so powerfully motivate us when we are in love. I found this book illuminating enough that after finishing it I had to purchase a copy for a close friend.

Be aware that this type of progress doesn't happen in a vacuum, so this book may be somewhat troubling if you are a person who has
long cherished views that you do not want to question about love and romance. But if you are willing to subscribe to the author's thesis that love and love relationships can be improved by understanding their core motivations as reflected in myth and allegory, you will absolutely love this book as I did and possibly this book will change the way you look at love and life. Definitely a must-read if you are someone like me who is always falling in love and not knowing why.

Robert Johnson was my first introduction to Jungian psychology. His simple, yet profound little books (He, She, We, Ecstasy, et al.) impacted my life deeply. In this his memoirs, Johnson relates a moving account of a life and all that it encompasses. The suffering, joy, and those wonderful "grail castle" experiences. If you are aquianted with Johnson's previous work, then this book will be all the more enjoyable. However, it may be a good starting point into learning more about Johnson's previous, more scholarly work on Jungian psychology.

....insightful, humbling, stated simply, an eloquent autobiographical piece by the well-known Jungian analyst. Memorable items include his clash with Jolanda Jacobe and his frustration with Krishnamurti.

My soul (as my mind percieves it) has not yet found the thread of enlightenment. I accept the path to stumble, fall, rise up and down and to reach into the oblivion of understanding. I have seventeen short years behind my eyes, and strive to become an old woman. I thank Robert Johnson and his writings in "Balancing Heaven and Earth", as it is of great comfort to known although I am alone in my personal journey, I am not alone in my attempt to find a middle path between the extremes of human despair and joy, and the truths behind it. I have often gazed upon the world in realization that I do not, in fact, understand it in the least! I cannot comprehend the forces behind the companies which constructed the buildings and the societies that mesh and become urban life (although the boundaries between urban and sub-urban, country, city, town and household have been blurred beyond recognition). Yet it is of comfort to me to have the opportunity to read Robert Johnson's biographical writings...as I have great respect for him. I shall further indulge in his other works!

I first owned this volume of poetry in 1978. That book simply fell apart after more than 20 years of reading and handling (sometimes roughly by my children). I replace this book with a new one just last year.
The old favorites are all here; Fireflies in the Garden, The Road Not Taken, Fire and Ice, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, and a hundred more. In my opinion this is the definitive volume on Frost.
I have always been awed by the number of poems Frost wrote about the stars. A Star on a Stoneboat, The Star Spitter, Stars, Canis Major and many others. Truly Robert Frost is the astronomers poet.
Also in this volume is perhaps my favorite Frost poem, Brown's Descent.
If you love reading Frost on a crispy fall evening, then you'll love reading him when the crickets chirp. You'll need to own this book.

Robert Frost was and is America's greatest poet. Excepting, perhaps, W. B. Yeats, he may be the greatest poet to write English in the twentieth century. (To me, it's a toss-up.) To read this volume systematically or desultorily is to become convinced of that. But Frost is, above all, accessible, so the casual reader may not appreciate the difficulty of what he does. Like much of the greatest art his looks easy, even inevitable.

All of Frost's poems are here, plus his two dramatic Masques. When this book first appeared (in 1969) it caused a furor: the editor, it was angrily asserted, presumed too much. He dared to clarify - inserting a hyphen here, excising a comma there. That furor has since died down, as people realize that he did not do away with the sacred texts (any emendation was noted), but simply performed his job as editor. He regularized spelling and the use of single and double quotes (though not Capitalization, which can legitimately be thought of as integral to the poet's expression (think of e.e. cummings!)), and corrected other obvious errors. The notes give the published variants for each poem, so if you wish you may make your own call on some of these finicky issues.

I cannot emphasize enough: BUY THE HARDCOVER! After all, you will be reading this book for the rest of your life. It is a beautifully-built volume, of an easy size and heft for use, with understated appealing typefaces and an exemplary design. Put out by Frost's long-time publisher, this is one of the few essential books of American literature.

"It is absurd to think that the only way to tell if a poem is lasting is to wait and see if it lasts, The reader of good poem can tell the moment it strikes him that he has taken an immortal wound-that he will never get over it...The proof of a poem is not that we have never forgotten it, but we knew at sight we would never forget it."

Robert Frost

I have to admit it! When I first met Robert Frost's poetry in Freshman English class I took an immortal wound-that I will never get over it. Perhaps the then recent memory of the white haired poet who inaugurated Camelot that cold, January day conditioned me to receive the wound. Maybe Fr. Sheridan's teaching opened these poems for me. Most of all, I think that it is the words themselves which have made the poetry of Robert Frost such an important part of my life for almost 35 years.

This complete collection complemented the high school text book to which I had so often referred over the years. Here is the source of lines which I have often quoted. Many family vacations have begun with: "I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep" (Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening).

When my son tries to silence his sister's singing he is reminded that "Of course there must be something wrong In wanting to silence any song" (A Minor Bird).

Here we find philosophical reflections. "Good walls make good neighbors" counters "Something there is that doesn't like a wall" (Mending Wall).

Here "The Death of a Hired Man" challenges us to reflect upon how we value and treat others while "Christmas Trees" reminds us that not all things have prices. Here we are invited to follow the road of the poet who wrote "I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference" (The Road Not Taken).

I have writen just a sampling of the treasures to be found in this collection, but I have written enough. It is now time to indulge again with words I have never forgotten. "I shan't be gone long-You come too." (The Pasture).

The Walls of Jericho offers a riveting, close-up and personal review of the political struggles of the Civil Rights movement, seen through the eyes of three is its major protagonists. Author Robert Mann carries us to know and understand southerner, racist Richard Russell, southerner human rights supporter Lyndon Johnson, and northerner firebrand liberal Hubert Humphrey. We agree with them, or disagree with them, Mann allows us to understand where they are coming from. In the end, they are good men trying to do good things, as they see them to be good. I was emotionally struck in reading about the personal, political, and social interplay.

This is a clear discussion of the process whereby civil rights legislation passed the Senate in the late 1950's and the 1960's, despite the filibusters threatened and actual of the Southern Democratic senators. It could easily have been a book about political re-alignment as well, but it would probably need to be twice as long. Many of the trends that dictated the course of American politics in the 1960's are seen in microcosm in this book - Would the South bolt the Democratic Party? Would the Democrats capture the African-American vote from the party of Lincoln? Could a Southern Democrat win the Whitehouse? Would the Dixiecrats throw the presidency to the GOP? It is an extremely clear narrative, that occasionally looks at the bigger picture of American politics, and records the force of personality in parliamentary politics. It clearly records the seismic changes that the wily and calculating LBJ, as an otherwise unelectable Southern Democrat, wrought to the Democratic Party after President Kennedy's death, in the search for a personal victory in the 1964 presidential election.

Having grown up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Hubert Humphrey is remembered and revered, and then living in Atlanta, Georgia for 14 years, the land of Martin Luther King and Richard Russell (and the region of LBJ), I was very intrigued by the subject of this book. I also found it refreshingly evenhanded, yet an intimate and personal view into one of the most important periods of American history, written about a subject that not only is in the forefront of out collective attention, but has been so since before our nation was founded. Not only that, it was a good read, with as much excitement and plot twists as the latest from Grisham.

If you are at all interested in Civil Rights, or you just like reading about politics, this is a very good place to start.

Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Struggle Intensifies is the second installment of a four volume set about the Civil War written by eyewitnesses to the battles described. This series opened with "The Opening Battles," this volume is "The Struggle Intensifies," next is "The Tide Shifts," and the final volume is "Retreat with Honor." As with the first volume, the second has well written accounts of the battles fought as it opens with the capture of Fort Pulaski, Georgia and next with New Orleans.

We begin to see the strategy emerge as point and counterpoint in these battles play out. There is a summary of why there were operations in the far Southwest along with accounts of the Virginia battles of Yorktown and Williamsburg, but there is more as the Peninsular Campaign intensifies. The second battle of Bull Run is well represented here and there are excellent maps, charts, and engravings by the most prominent artists of that era. This said, you'll find that reading these very interesting accounts will bring emotions to the forefront, just as these men were experiencing them first hand. Acoounts of both view points are presented... South and North are fairly represented.

I found that Brigadier-General John D. Imboden, C.S.A. as he relates Stonewall Jackson's accounts in the Shenandoah to be priceless giving this volume balance. And of course there is Lee's campaign opposing Pope which is enlightening to say the least.

If you read about the Civil War, this series of books is a must for your library and is ideal for reference when reading other works about this tumultuous time in our history. These volumes are recognized as an outstanding account of the history of this war that writer use for reference... now you can read what that person wrote about his account first hand.

This volume (#2) is one of a four volume set - and each is invaluable to understanding what really happened during the various campaigns. The books are a compilation of articles and letters first published in "Century" magazine in the 1870's and 1880's by the editors of that same magazine. In addition, there are numerous DETAILED maps - even down to the placement of individual artillery batteries, photographs, and sketches from the time. Further, the editors have numerous footnotes, which are extremely helpful in presenting evidence and/or additional information concerning events. The articles were all written by men, generals and privates alike, who were there, who took part. This is source material, the unvarnished truth as they saw it. It is sometimes serious, sometimes poetic, sometimes even humorous, yet always extremely interesting. One caution: Ned Bradford's book of the same name is a CONDENSED version of these 4 volumes and is a very poor substitute for this 4-volume set. As a Civil War "buff" of 25 years, I consider this some of the best reading I have ever come across. (If you ever visit a particular battlefield, these books are the only ones you will need to bring along.) This series of 4 books is something that you will read with delight - and refer to again and again.

I have the 1956 version of this book called, "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: North to Antietam" - one of the most captivating books on the Civil War that I have ever read. This book is simply the lastest publication of the same book. The book, one of a 4-volume set, is composed of articles and letters published in "The Century Magazine" from 1865 to about 1885 - all by Civil War participants (mostly generals, with the occasional private, colonel, major mixed in). Through their eyes you get the battle as they saw it: "close up and personal". The editors (who were also the editors of "The Century Magazine" in the 1880's) have extensive footnotes to clarify and/or correct information in the authors' articles, plus numerous maps and photographs of the scenes (in the 1860's and 1880's). The maps are invaluable to the reader, showing in great detail the positions of even regiments and artillary batteries. This information proved most useful when I recently visited the South Mountain and Antietam battlefields in person. Using the maps I could pinpoint and follow troop movements with little or no guess-work. This book is a great reference and a fun read. It is full of "what happened", not "what should/might/could have happened"; and, as such, it is most refreshing. (I might add that some parts are actually entertaining and often very amusing.) I recommmend it most highly. P.S.S, Millbury, Mass.

It is difficult to imagine how powerful this small book is. Granted, it is probably most appealing to intuitives and introverts, like myself, but for us, it is like manna from heaven. Johnson has such a gift for putting things simply. The book can be read quickly but may well take a lifetime to permeate your consciousness. As a professional astrologer, VisionCoach and expert Tarot symbolist, one of the most frequent questions I am asked by old and new clients is this: "I had this dream, Nancy. What does it mean?" In spite of ongoing research on my part, personally leading dream groups and reading the new books that come out each year, I always return to Johnson's classic. He's said it all. I think "Inner Work" is, quite simply, the best book ever written about dream interpretation. Each of our dreams is as personal as our fingerprints. If you are an extravert, you may not dream often or you may dream the kind of dreams that are just processing the minute business of the day. At least once in awhile, though, even the most extraverted of us has a Major Dream, a dream that wakes us with a cold sweat or a warm pulse. What does this mean? What is communicating here? Why to you? And why NOW? Johnson's book puts all these questions squarely back on your own shoulders for answerung, for ... inner work!! But don't worry, he doesn't just drop you off in the middle of the nowhere without a map. This book contains all the information you need to become an expert at interpreting your own dreams. This is important because, as the great Swiss transcendental psychologist Carl Jung wrote, "God speaks in dream."

Everyone, I'm told, has dreams during sleep whether they are remembered or not. Some people dream in color (I do), others in black and white only. Robert Johnson's book on Inner Work is just that, a book that is a guide to finding and communicating with the inner self - the true you. Our lives are so fragmented today, we are all encouraged to "multi-task" - housewives frequently talk on the phone while doing the dishes, busy executives shave while driving; other people type on laptop computers while flying to a destination. I believe that some of our time-saving measures are cheating us out of living in reality - of enjoying this present moment.

Robert Johnson encourages his readers to take the time to establish communication with the inner self, to find out what obstacles exist to accomplishing life-goals; to discover the steps that must be taken; to deal with underlying fears; to strengthen foundations and build new bridges to deeper levels of the unconscious self,and then release the energy that needs expression. It truly is a journey of Inner Work.

I am still in the process of reading and working through this book. I'm sure it'll take a while longer, but it's been worth every bit of the time I've spent on it. I am changed, I am different, the quality of my life is richer, and I am definitely more in touch with who I am, with my current existence and presence.

This book is a must for anyone whose life has whirled into the outer limits. Take the time and do it properly. You have everything to gain.

Before "Inner Work" I had read a few other dream interpretation books all of which basically described certain recurring dream images and labelled them with a limited definition: basically they were the "Teacher's Edition" to understanding your dreams with the answers in the back. I never understood how an image, say a snake or falling, could be interpreted in basically the same way by so many different people. Johnson explains why you can't. Images are personal and have to be interpreted by the dreamer and Johnson describes how to use "active imagination" to not only figure out what your dreams mean but how they can help along your life journey. This book really helped me tap into the "invisible" part of my consciousness and make practical, healthy changes in my life and prayer. His comparison of archetypes (universally shared images) and personal symbols was most appreciated. Complex ideas are explained in a way that any neophyte to dream analysis can understand and apply to your own life. Johnson explains how to make practical and physical changes by conversing with your dreams.

Lacking knowledge of the Architectural issues involved, I had to approach "Athena and Eden" with my experience of ancient and classical Greek literature. I was shocked by the strength and cogency of Mr. Johnson's arguments. Though not yet fully convinced of all of the conclusions Mr. Johnson has reached, "Athena and Eden" has definitely given me some ideas to chew on while Mr. Johnson writes his second volume.

Many near eastern/mediteraenean cultures exhibit shared memories of a common prehistory. From Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia to early tales of Osiris in Egypt, echoes of the Genesis and Flood stories abound. If Mr. Johnson is correct, than Greek mythology is a very twisted (possibly Satanic) retelling of the fall of Man.

As far as particulars--

I found his arguments about the true identity of the Zeus figure extremely compelling. Yet the Athena/Hera division is still a little muddled in my mind (probably more my fault than the author's).

Overall, "Athena and Eden" is a very intriguing book that deserves a lot of attention. It gets my recommendation.

The focus of Greek civilization, the Parthenon captures viewers imaginations even as it conceals its true meaning. In his ground breaking work, Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. author of ATHENA AND EDEN: THE HIDDEN MEANING OF THE PARTHENON'S EAST FACADE demonstrates that when Athena is seen to be Eve, then Greek mythology becomes narrative art. Consequently, the marble sculptures on the east pediment of the Parthenon relate the story of the origin of mankind, matching the Genesis account in detail.

Johnson asserts that scholars have previously been unsuccessful in identifying most of the figures in the east pediment because they have failed to connect Athena with Even and the story of Eden in the Book of Genesis. Through careful research, Johnson demonstrates that we do have the literature and art to serve as a source of reconstruction. Painstaking comparison demonstrates shows that the sculptures of the eastern pediment depict the Garden of Eden, the birth of Eve, the Great Flood. Furthermore, the goddess Athena, whom the Greeks worshipped as the one who brought the serpent's wisdom, is the same person the Book of Genesis calls Eve.

Johnson, a West Point graduate, author, teacher and public speaker based his research on surviving sculptures, the ancient writings of Homer, Hesiod, Pindar and others, plus myths, vase art and the work of numerous experts. His controversial approach will certainly garner attention from all who are interested in the classics, religion, art, and mythology. Indeed, Johnson's unique perspective will provoke avid discussion among academics for years to come, yet is easily approachable by any who hold an interest in our origins.

Athena And Eden: The Hidden Meaning Of The Parthenon's East Facade by author and educator Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. offers the non-specialist general reader a unique, accessible, and provocative look at classical artwork and human spirituality. Athena And Eden focuses on the majesty of the Parthenon and its mystical connection to the Book of Genesis. Illustrated with numerous black-and-white photographs of Greek artistic treasures, sculptures, and pottery, Athena And Eden is an original, seminal, ground breaking, unforgettable, and highly recommended perspective that will be of particular interest to students of Hellenic art, architecture, mythology, and religion.

What a glorious romp! Imagine Thoreau and Thucydides building a communal fire in the woods, drunk on Thunderbird and the ancient sky. (Just my impression, but imagine them anyway.) Now add in a damn good dog that will go for any stick, anytime and (almost) anywhere, no matter the consequences. Then consider trucks that won't start without a gravity-fed "bump," generations of criminals examining the fates, a mystical pyramid, bad food, mildewed marijuana, a single shadow that costs a whole day, weird logistics on land and on water and the phases of our moons that make it quite beneficial, for some, to trade bootie for booty. And there's much more. If you love nature even when its damn harsh, if you love people when they're impossible but still completely loveable, if you've ever used a shovel with no handle, and if you love a story well told that includes these things--and a leaking tipi--buy this book. (Then go Out There.)

This is one of my favorite books!
I have started re-reading it about once a year now. [up to this point the only other book i have ever bothered to reread was Catch 22]

This is one of those books that you will end up buying copies of in multiples!.
This is because you will find yourself loaning your copy to a friend and never getting it back again. [i have personally gone through 4 copies this way -- no joke -- not to mention the copies i have given away as gifts]

The back jacket of this book does not do it justice.
It is more about the people that Robert Johnson met while staying in his teepee. They are the most interesting bunch or romantic outcast criminal philosophers who are brought together by living in the wilderness. Some are there to escape the law, some are there to find gold, and others are their to find themselves.

I have never read a book like this before, but it is hard to describe. Not to sound cheesy, but it is entertaining and inspiring.

ENTERTAINING: in its characters and crazy stories. While this is a true memoir, it is so entertaining it could be pure fiction [but it is not]

INSPIRING: in that if you have ever wanted to do something unique you will soon be inspired to do it. And to quote the book "Completion is vital."

If you do not read any other books this year, read this one.

I really enjoyed Thirteen Moons by Robert Johnson. I felt like I was there with him sitting around the campfire in the Sierras. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys camping and the outdoors...and the idea of spending a year alone!

It's difficult to find original material in most security books. "Hack Proofing Your Network, 2nd Edition" (HPYN2E) breaks that trend. Responding to feedback on the first edition, the authors have made numerous improvements in the second edition. If you're looking for relatively novel content in a security book, read the sections of HPYN2E I discuss next.

HPYN2E shines in many respects. The "laws of security" in chapter 2 are accurate and enlightening. Chapter 4 helps teach secure programming techniques by comparing insecure and secure code snippets. Chapter 4 also demonstrates debugging and disassembling code, usually not seen in security texts. Chapter 8 probably contains the most advanced coverage of buffer overflows I've read in a book. By actually showing and explaining stack traces, the authors share a level of detail sufficient to satisfy all but the most elite coders. Chapters on "diffing" (5) and format strings (9) are robust. Hardware hacking, thoroughly described in chapter 14, is fascinating. The author cared enough to include numerous clear photographs of disassembled equipment, and mentioned many helpful external web references.

While these great chapters comprise more than half of HPYN2E, the remainder is not exceptional. I was not happy with the rambling, wordy chapters on spoofing (12) and tunneling (13). Spare us the quotes from Dante's "Divine Comedy"! Still, this material is easily skimmed.

Because HPYN2E is written more from an intruder's point of view, the title doesn't seem to reflect the material. The book isn't exactly a "how to hack" manual, but it expertly illuminates many facets of compromising information resources.

When I read the first edition of this book, was truly disappointed. I was wondering how such people could have written such book. Not that the book was worthless, but too 'standard' to met the expectations I had from these guys.
Still the idea was very interesting (information directly from the real experts), and I kept waiting for a new edition.
Well the second edition is now out, and not only fulfills, but exceeds all my original expectations !!

Let's take a look:

The Approach:

Understanding attacks and vulnerabilities, by understanding 'how to hack' (good hacking of course. . . .ahem )

The Book:

Rewritten, expanded and improved, the book consists of 800+ pages well structured into 18 chapters (against 450+ pages and 15 chapters of the first edition).
Well written, well presented, with a real fancy table of contents, the chapters include url's, a FAQ section and a SOLUTIONS FAST TRACK one.
A lot of CLEVER code is included as well as helpful 'Tool & Traps' and 'Notes from the Underground. . . ' outlines.

The new sections (all outstanding) include:
- Hardware Hacking (otherwise only found in papers)
- Tunneling (excellent)
- IDS evasion (very easily explained)
- Format strings attacks

The Intended Audience:

People willing to become network security pros.

Contents:

- Introduction to Security, Attacks and related Methodologies.
- Cryptography.
- Unexpected Input, Buffer Overflow, Format Strings.
- Sniffing, Hijacking and Spoofing.
- Tunneling, Hardware Hacking, Viruses (et al.).
- IDS Evasion.
- Automated Tools.
- Reporting Security Problems.

The Bottom Line:

It is not just a good book, it is the best book among high level network security books, and the only that compares with specialized papers. Only quite easier.
I got more than 60 papers on buffer overflows. None compares with the classical 'Smashing The Stack For Fun And Profit' by Aleph One. IMHO, however, the corresponding chapter from this book, does compare and is really easier to understand.
Finally, the 'piece de resistance' of the book, is the chapter about Spoofing. Really enjoyed it, and by the way got surprised reading the innovative (to me) technique to 'Spoof Connectivity Through Asymmetric Firewalls'. Good Job Dan ;-)
As an added bonus, as an owner of this book, you'll find a lot of code files, applications and links...

I have the first edition of this book also, and I was really glad to see the second edition come out. There are some great hacking books out now, but I really think these ones are the best. I found in depth coverage on a lot of stuff you just can't find any place else. Some very cool info. on administering hosts locked behind a firewall and tips for making a "poor man's VPN". I also like that a lot of big names wrote the book, and their personalities really come through. A lot of tech. books can be a little dry even if they are well written. This one is actually entertaining also.

This book is many books in one. It is a history of wine making throughout the world. It is a guide to selecting and using wine for it's many occasions. It is also a technical book that describes the making of the wine, and how and why certain soils, with their various compositions produce certain kinds of wine. It also explains how and why the climate in certain areas affects the production of the different types of wine. Every vintage and type of wine is slightly different from any other wine, even if it was grown and produced on the very same farm. The production of the wine is not even the same from year to year. The difference of the weather from year to year is not exactly the same. Despite this, the same farms, with the better soil, and climate consistently produce the better wines when compared with the type of wine. If you enjoy wine you must have this book, and keep it where you can read it when needed. Roger Dowiat.

Hugh Johnson is my kind of wine writer - he obviously possesses a great deal of knowledge about wine, how it is made, where it comes from, etc. But he also understands that the great majority of people who might drink a bottle of wine, or who might pick up his book, are not quite as knowledgable and familiar with various vinicultural terms. Accordingly, he has written a comprehensive, true "encyclopedia" of wine that has something for everyone.

If you are like me, you keep a book like this, and periodically pick it up after buying a few bottles at your local shop to read his tasting notes, or some information about the winery. The book is perfect for that, he included small profiles and/or tasting notes for thousands of wineries in virtually all major wine-producing countries. The list of California wineries alone, and Johnson's personal observations about their varietals, is staggering. He doesn't simply profile the big, million case producers but has notes about small, "boutique" wineries like Groth, etc. And aside from tasting notes, the book has a whole lot more to offer.

Johnson explains how various types of wine are made (port and champagne, for example), includes maps as well as biographical profiles of some leading personalities in the wine world (like Robert Mondavi), and explains in layman's terms which glasses to use, when some "experts" like to decant, etc. This is a book to have lingering around, not for a sit down, cover to cover reading but as a source of information, that can be supplemented every couple of years by purchasing Johnson's excellent annual pocket encyclopedias (with more up to date tasting and winery info). I find myself picking up the book to look up something specific, and unable to put it down for a half hour or more while I browse. Pick it up, for the price of a single bottle of Montrachet, you will enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of wine considerably.

It contains lots of helpful information about wine in genera