As a novice houseplant keeper, I rely heavily on the books I read for information I need to keep my plants healthy. This book helped me identify ALL the plants I own, which was no small feat in that most were given to me by others who didn't know the variety. It has easy to read information on caring for plants, and I am able to understand the language used. Some other encyclopedia type books make it difficult to get the info needed, and are geared toward professional horticulturists, rather than laymen like myself. I found this book to be very useful, and would highly recommend it to others who have "hobby" plants. The pictures are great, too! They provide a good explanation for the written description of problems common to houseplants, and are a great guide to diagnosing ailments.

The photography and text of this beautiful book are well-done and easy to follow. The authors cover most aspects of plant care, from basic watering and lighting to reproduction and pest control to extensive entries on houseplant varieties. Every plant entry seems unique, breaking from the dull template of information that the more encyclopedia-like plant books have. This engaging style is a strength of the book, but it is also a weakness because the style lends itself to inconsistency. For example, the entry on Saintpaulias (African Violets) specifies the height at which artificial lights should be placed above the plants, but many of the other entries do not give such information. Another complaint is that the secondary plant list in the back does not feature a photograph of every plant. For the price I paid, I would have willingly give up a few of the extra photos in the front if it would result in a more comprehensive photo collection in the back. Identifying p! lants without pictures is very difficult. Nonetheless, no plant book is perfect, and this one comes very close. It combines two types of books -- the coffee-table book and the reference text. All too often plant books do one at the expense of the other.

I used to cook a lot, but got away from it for many years -- eating out in restaurants while I pursued a career. I read an article about Anne Willan in our local paper, and had to try one of her books. I'm not ready to make the fancy French dishes (although I would like to eat them) so I decided to buy a simple book and practice the basics again.

Ms. Willan explains many basic recipes in this volume. This is a nice cook book to give a new cook, or it might be a housewarming or bridal gift. I gave it to myself. I especially like the photos that show how things should look. There are photos of how things shouldn't look too, with explanations about why you got the results you did. I recommend this book if you're beginning for the first time, or beginning again.

This book is unique in that the pictures show different states of properly cooked, under or over cooked foods. Also gives tips how to salvage any mistakes that have been made. I have been cooking for years, and learned alot just from flipping through the pages.

I thought this book is pretty good except for the kissing. The person telling the story is Valerie Moran. The other characters are Basil Harris (who is a newcomer). Bob Short who is only in the book for a short time. A music teacher by the name of Mrs. Gottsman. A history teacher, his name is Mr. Kramer. A subsitute named Ms. Walters. Troublemakers Jim Argus and Dennie Plover. And one more character Jan Draper.

The Power of the Rose, the sequel to The Haunting of Hawthorne, is a very good book about a girl named Valerie. Valerie likes this really cute "jock" at shcool, but she had a first love, Basil Haris. This boy gave Valerie a flower and the next day he was gone. The flower started to fall apart, but Valerie kept one of the pedals from the flower. Every night she stared at it and got a warm felling inside that Basil would be coming back someday. To find out if Basil comes back you'll have to read the book.

I think this book is great.I'm in 7th grade and this book is great for all ages.It is about a girl named Valerie. Who falls in love with this guy named Basil who is actually the ghost of Hawthorne and comes back becauses his school is being distoryed and he does not want that to happen.so I think anybody will love this book.

This book is without a doubt the best non-technical description you will find on the geologic/tectonic evolution of the North Cascades of Washington State, and I am certain it will remain so for several years. The information presented in this book is synthesized from more than a century of field work conducted by numerous investigators, not least of which include the authors. I would recommend purchasing two copies (as I have): one for your library bookshelf and another for the rough-and-tumble environment of a backpack...

This superb book is a guide to the geology and natural history of the North Cascades-a wild, nearly roadless mountain range in northern Washington State. The book is not only an indispensable visitors' guide that describes key viewpoints and outcrop features along roads and trails in the region, but also explains to the novice, how the North Cascades came into being in wonderfully lucid language. It explains the ongoing geologic processes that presently shape this rugged country as well as the long history of tectonic processes that assembled the underpinnings of the range and led to the distribution of the varied rock units exposed on the peaks and gorge walls. The book is exceptionally well illustrated with dozens of exquisite, annotated sketches as well as colored photographs. This is simply the most authoritative and accessible resource available on the geologic story of this unique and beautiful region written by scientists that have spent decades walking and mapping the terrain and puzzling over how it evolved to its present state. It is a peerless quide to the area.

If you're the parent of a preschool age child (3-5) and aren't totally comfortable with the idea of trusting these early learning years to a stranger, I'd strongly recommend this book. It is packed with encouragement for parents and tons of fun activities to do with kids. Although the authors advocate beginning (or joining) a co-op preschool at home, it's suitable for homeschoolers too. A co-op preschool may be something I consider at a later time, but right now we're just getting our feet wet with learning. I always thought I'd send my precious little one off to a swanky preschool when the time came, but he's 4 now and the time is here, and neither one of us are ready for anything like that. We're having so much fun playing and learning together. I always thought learning at home would be frustrating (for me) and boring (for him), but it's really not if you take it in stride and follow your child's lead for the most part. The first part of this book "exposes" the history of preschool and why it ever came into being (whereas kids used to start school in 1st grade), and why it may not be the best thing for your child. It's really sad the way we parents compete with the Joneses...we want our child to talk first, spell first, add first, read first...etc. And so many of us are afraid that not sending them to preschool will cause them to be "behind" when the time for actual school (or homeschool) comes. How many of us have felt like wanting to crawl under the carpet when caught up in a group of of mothers who incessantly brag about their children's accomplishments ("My Mary could read when she was 4"..."My Johnny could add when he was 4 and a half"...My Sarah already knows all the names of the planets, and she's only in kindergarten"...) This book deals with all of those questions and insecurities quite well. Hope you find it as helpful as I have!

As a homeschooling family, we have chosen to bypass day care, preschool, and traditional school. This book reinforced our views on maintaining the special parent-child bond in childhood while incorporating the stimulating environment our children need for their mental, physical, social, and emotional development. This book won't sit on the shelf.

I enjoyed reading this well organized and informative book. This book has helped me to provide educational activities that teach my child with fun play in a loving home. It has allowed us to introduce him to "school" in a positive nurturing environment. He is learning independence and social interactions without going into a daycare situation. We (several other moms and I) are now organizing a cooperative pre-school for our children in our own homes. The book provides background research, example lesson plans, general themes, and a Bibliography.

This is a great book in a small package. Graphic icons convey useful information that is understandable at a glance. Excellent illlustrations. Good for beginner or intermediate fern student. I use it as a supplement to text-heavy fern guides.

Among flowering plants, the flowers are often a crucial feature in identifying them. But then there are non-flowering plants, such as the Pteridiophytes, which include ferns. Those who know a lot about flowering plants can still be at a loss when it comes to identifying ferns. Some of the best books about wildflowers feature colorful pictures, and those can be a major aid to identification. But when it comes to ferns, with their tinier reproductive structures that are less showy than all but the smallest flowers, pictures alone are much less of a vital key to identification. Instead, one needs to observe details like clumped or scattered growth patterns, scaly or smooth stipes (the stems of fern fronds), and arrangement and shape of the sori (clusters of spore-bearing parts). This small but useful book is an excellent introduction to these and other features important in fern identification. Once you learn them, the book provides a key for sorting out what fern one is observing, using those features. This book best covers the ferns of the eastern and central U.S. and Canada. As shown on this site, there is also a Pacific Coast version of this book for those observing and hoping to identify ferns there.

This is my all time favorite cookbook. Anyone can use it and get terrific results. It's laid out in a very organized fashion making it easy to read and follow. My favorite recipes? Ashram lentil soup, and the Zucchini Pinenut Tamales!!

I own about 45 Vegan and Vegetarian cookbooks and this one is the best! Head and shoulders above the rest. It's recipes are easy to make. They are also incredibly delicious and nutritious! No need to sacrifice taste for good health when you have this gem in your library. The Indian breakfast cereal is now a staple in our house. If you don't own this book do yourself a favor and purchase it. You won't be sorry!

EASILY READ,EASY TO USE!

Even if I were not a runner, there is a lot to take away from this book. This is one of the most inspiring stories of my generation. A tale of courage, love, and beating the odds. Annie's heart is uncommon alright -- both biologically and emotionally. You can't help but be moved to "just do it!"

As a runner myself I was looking for those "pearls of wisdom" on what makes one succeed. Well, I found it in this book...desire! I walked away from this book learning that success comes from a strong desire and from patience.
I think that anyone looking for an insight into the world of track and field will find this book very enjoyable. Unfortunately, in our country running is often equated to a four letter word and it is not looked at as a sport. Well, Anne shows us that of all sports running is challenging, exciting and very rewarding.
Congratulations Anne on such a moving story.

I lived through a lot of Anne's experiences and was there to see many of her victories and the struggle it took to achieve her many successes. The book is true to the real experience and portrays not only Anne's history but the history of road racing and its great expansion in the 70's and 80's. It was the "Golden Age" of the sport and Anne and her cowriter, John Parker, do an excellent job of capturing that era. I've read a lot of sport biographies and this is one of the best I've come across. Well written and an interesting story, John and Anne have captured the essence of the time in a great biography.

I am a graduate of Clemson Univeristy's Horticulture curriculum and have had Dr. Halfacre as a professor for plant materials and landscape design. This book is ESSENTIAL to any person interested in designing or becoming familiar with the plants in the Southeast. I use it almost every day, and the information is very well laid out...it is easy to find what you need and identifying plants using this book is very simple. YOU MUST GET THIS BOOK!

This is an outstanding book for any one needing to identify shrubs, plants,trees,and flowers. Also gives concise instructions on planting. Lovely color photos on each page. Lots of helpful tips. Many thanks to Mr. Halfacre!

Anne Bronte, the most underappreciated of the Bronte sisters, is a brilliantly talented author and storyteller. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a masterpiece of romance, suspense and simply a darned good read! Helen Huntingdon and Gilbert Markham are multi-dimensional characters. Bronte descriptions of the setting are moving as well. I can't say enough about this book, yet mere words don't do it justice. If you loved Jane Eyre (which I did), than the Tenant will be a novel you hold in high esteem. Read it, and then read it again. Enjoy!!

'Sick of mankind and its disgusting ways' Anne Bronte once scribbled on the back of her prayer book. Her evident harsh view of life, coupled with her moral strength as a woman, are beautifully interwoven to produce this novel; her masterpiece. Although never enjoying the popularity and success of 'Jane Eyre' and 'Wuthering Heights' - her sisters' books - 'Wildfell Hall' is quite fit to join any bookshelf of classic English literature. The themes include utter despair and the tragic consequences of a young woman's naivety; Helen felt that, although she could see Arthur's faults, she would be able to somehow change him once they were married. In reality, her marital experience was a disaster.

Anne Bronte creates a world in which the drunken, immoral behaviour of men becomes the norm and this may have been startling to contemporary readers - perhaps a reason for the book's panning at the critics. The narrative is built up delicately; first Gilbert; and then the racier, more gripping diary of Helen as she guides us through her married life; before returning again to Gilbert, whose tale by this time has become far more exciting as we know of Helen's past. Helen's realisation of the awful truth and her desperate attempts to escape her husband, are forever imprinted in the mind of the reader as passages of perfect prose.

One of the earliest feminist novels, the underrated Anne Bronte writes in this a classic, and - defying the views of her early (male) critics - a claim to the position of one of England's finest ever female writers.

I read "The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Bronte for my review of personal reading in English last year and I thought it was really gripping. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

It tells the story of a young woman's struggle for independence, against law and a society which defined a married woman as her husband's property. The novel, which uses extracts from her diary and narration from her neighbour, is very interesting and quite realistic.

It seems to me that the most interesting thing about the novel, is the build up of tension Bronte uses to sustain the reader's attention. It is stimulating and creates a little excitement in the book.

Helen Graham moves into Wildfell Hall with her son. She is a single mother and earns her living as a painter. Her neighbour, Gilbert Markham, takes a sudden interest in her and wants to find out everything about her. Although she is quite content being friends with him, she wants nothing more. As soon as he becomes too personal, she reminds him that friendship is the principal of their relationship. As they spend more time together, though, she learns to trust him and reveals the truth about her past. She is living at Wildfell Hall under a false surname, hiding from her husband who is an adulterer. The only other person who knows of this is her landlord, who Gilbert learns late in the novel, is in fact, her brother.

One thing which I found gripping about this story, was the build up of tension Bronte used. She took her time, revealing one thing, building up the tension again, then revealing another. She continued to do this throughout the story, and this is what kept me interested. It is a story, in which two people who love one another, are prevented from being together by society and their own natural reticence. We know romance often has this, but Bronte creates a strong desire in the reader for them to be together. She puts real obstacles in the way of their love for each other, such as the fact that Helen is already married and has a child to her husband. This therefore, causes the reader to understand the story more.