I feel in love with this book. Bought it as a gift and had much trouble giving it up. What a beautiful testimony to the earthly process of life and death in which we all participate. Logan's cross-disciplinary commentary was heartfelt and informative. I have told everyone I know to read it. It is magnificent.

Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth by William Bryant Logan is an enlightening and heartening read for anyone who studies the earth in science or daily living. Although a few of the factoids are not quite correct (watch that logarithmic scale!), this book is full of fascinating science of the soil, surrounded by heartfelt prose. Logan makes earth-centered philosophy accessible to anyone who has ever had a gut feeling that the land is good. The religion of the soil he presents is unobtrusive, yet all-pervading. Read it and feel good.

Book Review "Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth" William Bryant Logan Riverhead Books © 1995 The Berkley Publishing Group New York Available in Paperback William Bryant Logan writes about a substance that most take for granted and choose not to learn about. Soil is all around and is the life sustaining substance. It should be treated with care and respect. Readers at once will feel at ease with the writing style employed by Logan. Technical terminology is seemingly hidden within the prose. Disguised so that it is does not intimidate the casual reader, yet it informs. The style makes this effort a must read for those who appreciate quality writing. One might not expect to find references to Jefferson, Emerson, Mary Magdalene, and Roger Williams along with a description of the efforts of the dung beetle and the earthworm. Yet, Logan is able to introduce us to "Compost Man" and George Perkins Marsh with equal ease and skill. Logan explains the origin of the word "dirt" [excrement from the Old Norse] and introduces us to the teeming vat of bacteria living within the soil. In the chapter titled The Soil of Graves, Logan describes in morbid detail the negative effects of embalming humans. This book would make a wonderful read for anyone interested in Geography, Earth Science or Environmental Science. I would encourage you to copy [with permission] portions for your class to read. All manner of resources on planet Earth are destined to become recycled: dirt to dirt. Money Back Guarantee: 1] Buy and read the book "Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth". 2] After reading the book, if you are not pleased with your purchase, return to the bookstore and ask for a full refund. 3] I don't guarantee that you will receive a refund, just that you have the right to ask.

Whether you have children or not Buy this book. If you have children read them the landscape poetry in here. They will sing them in their sleep. It will take them on magical journeys to happy places and you also.

I just started browsing through a book of his poems in spanish one day and loved them, but my spanish is marginal. This has the spanish poems side by side with english translations, many of which I don't really like because they do things like switch words and lines and take a little too much freedom and change the spirit of the poem, but that's okay. You can read the spanish, read the english, and see exactly what has been changed, but the beauty is in the spanish ones, and though his vocabulary is large, yours doesn't really have to be to appreciate the sound and sight of these poems in spanish. I love many of the sonnets, plus the king of harlem, which reminds me of HCE from Finnegans Wake, this character that becomes the landscape itself, "after walking", and many others from the poet in new york. I've just been getting into some spanish poets after reading some st john of the cross and seeing what types of flows and life can be infused into words in this language, and these dark, bloody grimy oozes of language have had me high for weeks.

Brilliant, emotions of positive and negative are tasted in this work

If you are a beginning gardener and don't know the difference between a shovel and a spade, or what to use them for, this book is immensely useful. It is certainly worth the price and the time it takes to browse through it to find and understand the exact tools you will need for your individual garden before you go out shopping. In addition to pages of full color pictures of each tool, it contains historic accounts regarding the tools and some nice quotes about gardening. After reading this book I felt like I understood garden tools, whereas prior to reading it, I just used tools in a haphazard way without understanding their purpose and how they could help me in the garden.

A piece of art, fits the coffee table and yet is packed with valuable information

This is a very impressive and timely book on Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) by 74 contributors in the field of pediatrics and child health from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Holland and Italy.
The term EBM was developed by Sackett and colleagues from the McMaster University (Sackett DL et al. Evidence based medicine. BMJ 1996;312:71-2) as "the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients" or in other words, good medical practice based on as much facts as possible for the benefit of your patient. Since 1991 this field has been incooporated into many medical schools around the work, textbooks published and now we see it reaching pediatrics and child health.
This superbly edited book (updates will be regularly posted on www.evidbasedpediatrics.com) is devided into three sections: "Finding, evaluating and applying the evidence"; "Evidence for routine practices: screening/prevention" and finally "Common pediatrics conditions" with a good and comprehensive index.
The steps in the practice of Evidence Based Pediatrics (EBP) are: to evaluate the clinical situation (by history, by examination and laboratory tests), identify information needs and structure clinical questions, search for relevant information from the literature, evaluate the evidence found or identify lack of evidence and finally apply the evidence to your patients.
You will find many useful and structured entries in this book from the issue of the "well child" to the common pediatric problems of otitis media, constipation, short stature or croup.
We believe that this important book should find its way to the desks of the practicing pediatrician, the lecturer in child health and the researcher in pediatrics.

Professor Joav Merrick, MD
Medical director, Division for Mental Retardation, Box 1260, IL-91012 Jerusalem, Israel, email: jmerrick@aquanet.co.il

Mohammed Morad, MD
Family physician, Division for Community Health, Ben Gurion University, Box 653, IL-84105 Beer-Sheva, Israel, email: morad-62@barak-online.net

Ok, confession time. I am a huuuuge fan of this trilogy. I first read the first book back in the mid '70's. Having begun to read sf/f when I was about 8, I was ready at 14 to read more 'adult' stuff. [{This was a couple of years before the movie came out. If I had seen the movie before I read the book, I probably wouldn't have picked up the book. It wasn't that bad a movie, on it's own terms, but, I think they took the concept & ran with it.} {Ok, ok, ok, I'm sorry, alright, but, I just haaaaaad to get THAAAAAT off my chest. Thank you. I have been waiting 25{?!} years to do that!}] I have read the book so many times that I have lost count. It still holds up as fresh as when it was written. Although very '60's in style & atmosphere it is still very timely & thought-provoking in it's narrative. Add to that a bright, tough, brainy, female protagonist (Those who saw the movie &/or telly series will be stunned at Jessica's portrail here, she can more than take care of herself, & she pulls our hero's ass out of the fire a couple of times), an interesting 'love-on-the-run' story, & action than never lets up to the last page. It's a breathless, rollarcoaster/thrillride that & the very interesting chapter pagination helps. I got my hardcover copy about 10 years ago at Minicon, {a science-fiction convention} & I have treasured it ever since! {I have a soft-cover reading copy.} Also, there are gorgeous black & white illistrations by William F. Nolan! This book belongs on EVERY fan's shelf! I can't reccommend it highly enough! More, Mr. Nolan, More!

Williams is doing a marvelous job of illuminating the history of Washington DC's neighborhoods (first title was the Dupont Circle neighborhood & forthcoming 'Greater U Street'). Discriminating eye for the photographs that illustrate architectural history, social history & the portraits of those who shaped neighborhood development.

The trilogy is out of print, but if you are able to track down a copy, you won't regret the effort. William F. Nolan's style is lean, clean and reminiscent in many ways of Asimov -- and if you enjoy science fiction, I don't have to tell you how good that is. These stories (originally published separately) are a welcome throw-back to the early days of science fiction, when readers didn't need a degree in astrophysics to make sense of a good plot. Many of today's science fiction "masters" could benefit by emulating Nolan's simple but highly-effective style.

(...) I'd classify Nolan's writing style as lean and concise. Pulp sci-fi just doesn't get any better than this. The amazing thing is that Nolan and George Clayton-Johnson wrote the first draft of "Logan's Run" in three weeks!

While there's a special place in my heart for the 1976 movie, the book is so much better (as is often the case). The universe that the authors created is bigger, more challenging. And the ending is very cool (and TOTALLY different from the movie, which really disappoints in this regard).

Also worth searching out is "Impact 20", a collection of Nolan's early short stories. I believe a small publisher is putting out a collection that contains some of these stories in 2002.

This book is really well written for it's time. A bit confusing trying to place the surroundings but a must to read.

Horace Logan was the emcee and program director for the famed "Louisiana Hayride," a nationally broadcast weekly radio show that for the better part of the 1950s was the main competitor of the "Grand Ole Opry." Known as "the cradle of the stars," the Hayride had a reputation for developing hot new talent, and has long been an object of fascination for me since it was here that Webb Pierce got his start. As the main creative director of the Hayride, Logan's path intersected those of many top-flight hick musicians, including Webb, Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, Kitty Wells, Jim Reeves and a slew of others whose careers took off when they became regulars on the show. This book concentrates the bulk of its effort towards two oft-mythologized stars whose lives are amply documented elsewhere - Hank Williams and Elvis Presley -- and while it's cool to get insights from a person who helped start both their careers, in a sense the book feels like a missed opportunity, since Logan must have had plenty more to say about the "early" days when country music made the transition from rinky-dink local operations into a major industry with a nationwide scope. He broke into the business at the tail end of a period when all the action was on local radio stations, and helped usher in the era when things became increasingly professionalized and big-league. While the book is very readable, it's unfortunate that Logan and his ghost-writer, Bill Sloan, didn't see fit to explore "the old days" a little bit more, and bring out more of the flavor of what the hick music business was like back when. It's understandable that they would emphasize the bankable big boys like Elvis and Hank, but considering how much has already been written about them, the "witness to history" approach doesn't add as much to the historical lore as more under-the-radar observations might have. In short, it would've been cool if the story had been more about Logan himself, and the world he saw, and not simply about the stars that lived in it. Still, Hayride enthusiasts should definitely check this one out!

I grew up in east Texas, and listening to country music during the late 40's and 50's ,along with rock and roll.We would listen to the radio and the Louisiana Hayride was one of several saturday night music programs that we listened to. this book "Elvis Hank and Me" was a plesant suprise, I found the book to be easy and informative reading. 'Hoss' Logan,gives you a warm and personal glimse into the everyday lives of some of the biggest stars to ever come along. Thanks 'Hoss'. If you start this book , you'll finish it.

Being a country music disc jockey for almost a half-century as well as a song-writer and columnist, I found Horace Logan's "Elvis, Hank and Me" a genuine "refresher", a work of true art that not only informs but captures the attention of the reader by revealing the raw facts pertaining to the entertainment industry and the rough and rowdy trails many of the super-stars blazed in order to make the marquees of big-time show business. Horace mentions in this book the fact we toiled together for awhile at a radio station in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. He always had a most-interesting story to tell on the air. Now, many of those true, interesting and oft-times sad tales have been put into print for true enjoyment. -Bill Mack (Grammy winning songwriter of LeAnn Rimes', "BLUE"; Radio's "Midnight Cowboy", heard nightly on the "Bill Mack Trucking Network", and host on "Country Crossroads", syndicated nationally each week on radio & television.)

Ask Ed : Marijuana Law : Don't Get Busted is a beautifully written book filled with common and uncommon questions about medicinal marijuana. The book is a useful tool for activists for medicinal marijuana or even the common person who wants to know about the subject. The book is written by one of the top writers on the subject of medicinal marijuana. I loved this book and found it helpful for statistical reports I have done on the subject, and even to improve my knowledge of the matter. I found it easy to read, and I keep at as a refrence guide for my own personal use. I recommend this to all who wish to have a better understanding of medicinal marijuana.

If you've ever been in the wrong place at the wrong time or don't understand your rights, read this book! All the info you need on dealing with the cops wether you smoke pot or not. Don't let an incident become an accident...know your rights. Stay free. This books tells you all about marijuana law in America in an easy to understand format. The most valuable yet affordable gift I gave for Christmas last year. I can't say enough good things about it...I had no idea how much I didn't know.

William Boyd's latest novel, ANY HUMAN HEART, focuses on the life of Logan Mountstuart --- a writer, friend, lover and world traveler. His fascinating story is revealed through daily journal entries; his personal day-to-day writings relate his movements, thoughts and whereabouts.

The journals begin with Mountstuart's boyhood in Uruguay and then move to Oxford and the publication of his first book. We next travel with him to Paris --- where he rubs shoulders with the likes of Hemingway, Picasso and Joyce --- and Spain, where he covers its civil war.

During World War II, Mountstuart becomes a naval intelligence officer and befriends the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (though this eventually turns sour). Following the war, he goes to New York as an art dealer, to Africa as a literature professor, to London and finally to France, where he lives out the rest of his days. All the while, we watch him grow up through his musings and his rich life, which is characterized by friends, family, drugs, lovers, artists, booze, military men, fiends and foes, happiness and sadness, triumphs and personal tragedies. It is, journal entry after entry, the entire makeup of a life fully lived.

Logan Mountstuart is like Forrest Gump in a way. He is able to meet some extraordinary people and be embroiled in a number of important events. But this does not happen because of a goal or a determination to get someplace --- he just happens to be there at the time. Oh! There's Virginia Woolf again. Oh! Jackson Pollack is a charlatan. The Duchess is vindictive! Poor Hemingway, why did he have to shoot himself? Boyd brings all of these people and events into sharp focus, using a fictional character that you swear is real.

Boyd does throw events and people at Mountstuart with a bit too much gusto at times. The writer thinks to himself: How can I make his life a little more interesting right now? The story is beginning to drag. Yes, okay, I'll ship him off to Nigeria during its Civil War. Hmmm, the writer muses, what funny thing can happen to an old man who has traveled the world? Of course, have him fall in with some sort of terrorist cell.

All in all, however, ANY HUMAN HEART is an accomplished piece. It brings together those small, seemingly insignificant details of one's life (breakfasts, vacations, weather reports), puts them up against world events and shows how one's life slowly, perhaps imperceptibly, changes from one day to the next. I'm hungry so I'll end here. Perhaps I'll cook up some scallops and eat them outside. It's bright and sunny but a bit cold. I'll have to wear a hat.

--- Reviewed by Jonathan Shipley

William Boyd's 'Brazzaville Beach' is one of my favorite books, and so I thought I'd give is long-awaited 'Any Human Heart' a try. And despite some apprehension in the early parts I thought it was a very accomplished effort.

'Any Human Heart' is the memoirs of a fictitious British writer (Logan Mountstuart). As the author dances through the 20th century at an uneven pace (some years are given hardly any reference) we are given a history lesson and travelogue along with our lead character's life story. Logan is not a particularly nice person, especially in his early years when he behaves like a spoiled brat. But as he matures, and the author is extremely talented in portraying this increasing maturity in very subtle ways, I began to feel compassion ... especially when he reflected on his life's successes, failures, and mistakes. I was sorry when I reached the last page.

But all is not wonderful with this book. In a very gimmicky fashion the author has the leading character as a Forrest Gump-like ubiquity amongst the 20th century great and good. He rubs elbows with the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Picasso and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. All this exploitation of these deceased famous/notorious characters becomes tiresome. William Boyd should realize he is quality writer not needing to resort to such cheap tricks. However while not adding much to the story all these cute entrances/exits of celebrities did not ruin my overall enjoyment with the novel.

Bottom line: well done Mr Boyd.

Once again William Boyd has produced a jewel. His ability to bring true history into a novel is totally unmatched. But even Boyd has outdone his last few publications with "Any Human Heart," not since "Brazzaville Beach" has he written such a page turner. This book flows effortlessly from cracking good tale to tragic reflection. His creation of this heroic character Logan Mountstuart left me crying at certain points in the book, and I can assure you I have never done that while reading a book before. Boyd uses a diary as a vehicle to detail the facts and emotions of Logan's life, and this adds to the drama, suspense and pain of his story.

If you have the time and you are looking for a summer assignment, go to the book store and purchase William Boyd's library. Read them in any order you like. But if you are looking for one excellent example of this writer's genius, then Any Human Heart is a great place to start. I cannot recommend any book more highly.