Natural selection is a powerful force, but I have long suspected that other factors were involved in the evolution of life. One of these factors is the tendency for organisms to form partnerships (symbiotic relationships that may benefit both). Often this starts as parasitism, but may become (through natural selection perhaps) a mutual dependency. Wakeford has eloquently summarized the growing evidence in this area. Lichens are one notable example which were ignored by most 19th Century researchers. Indeed, as Wakeford points out the Swiss botanist Simon Schwendener and the well-known children's book writer Beatrix Potter had shown that lichens are composite organisms, consisting of both fungus and alga. Both Schwendener and Potter were ridiculed by the scientific society of the day, but were later shown to be essentially correct in their views. Since then other scientists, including Lynn Margulis, have produced solid evidence that all multicellular organisms are essentially composite organisms, containing organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts that were once independent organisms in their own right.

Together with new developments in genomic research involving the switching on and switching off of genes these ideas will certainly alter our thinking about biology. Because of this I think we will soon have a totally revolutionary view of how life originated and evolved. Not all of Darwin's ideas will survive and many if not most may be modified (as some already have been), but I think that Darwin, who was the ultimate in curious scientists, would have approved!

I recommend this book as a well-written very good introduction to the idea of symbiotic evolution.

This book is a delightful tour through the realm of symbiosis at the microbial level. The author describes one incredible symbiotic relationship after another, in creatures ranging from bivalves to wild orchids.

Even though it appears to be aimed at the average reader, he does not 'dumb down' the text. (This is why I gave it the 5th star.) Latin species names are often used and words like 'oligotrich' and 'mycorrhizae' are strewn throughout the book, yet are explained well enough to make any science-phobe feel at home.

The book really focuses on describing symbiosis by example, and the non-trivial role of the microbial partners in those relationships. He also casts off the simplistic and anthropomorphic idea of "competition" in nature for a more natural, inclusive view. There is not much mention of Gaia (which is fine by me), and the latter part of the book relating to microbial symbiosis and evolution seems to pretty much recapitulate Lynn Margulis' theory of symbiogenesis.

(If symbiosis intrigues you, also see Lynn Margulis' "Acquiring Genomes" book for a more complete description of the intriguing theory of symbiogenesis, or Gerald Tannock's books for a professional-level description of all those hundreds of bacterial critters that occupy the human intestinal tract.)

This book is about symbiosis and how prevalent it is. It is also about how politicized the concept has been historically. From the experience of nineteenth-century biologist and illustrator Beatrix Potter whose identification of lichen as symbionts went against the established dogma as filtered through the ideas of Pasteur, to "anti-communist" biology as practiced by some Western scientists who saw symbiosis as supporting the collective, it is amazing how purely political ideas successfully censored the scientific. Symbiosis has even been thought of as "feminine" and contrary to the noble interpretation of Darwinism as the survival of the fittest.

But Wakeford is able (after a fashion) to go beyond the politics and demonstrate in a most convincing manner that the symbiotic way of life is vastly more important and enormously more widespread than is usually imagined. Most of us know that legumes work symbiotically with rhizobia bacteria to fix nitrogen in the soil so that it is available to the plant, but what surprised me is to learn that 90 percent of plants host mycorrhizal fungi (p. 167) and are therefore symbionts. As Wakeford asks on the same page, "Can we continue to simply call them plants without acknowledging their fungal dimension? Is a cow an animal or a microbial fermentation vessel, when without the microbes, the cow would not exist?"

Good questions, and indeed, what about humans who have microbes in our guts that help us to digest our food? Are we in symbiosis with those microbes? Without the beneficial bacteria in our guts, the harmful bacteria would run rampant and we would be led to disease. Ants are not merely ants, they are farmers who harvest fungi gardens. They and the fungi are in symbiosis, living together, dependent upon one another for their survival. And what about termites, creatures who harbor microbes to digest the wood they eat? The broad, general message of this book is that cooperation between species is at least as important in evolution as is competition.

Reading this made me think that perhaps the idea of competition in evolution is merely an anthropomorphic delusion. Certainly Wakeford shows that our notions about parasites and who is feeding on whom, may be in error. He writes, "Rather than discrete categories, the terms _mutualist_, _parasite_, and _pathogen_ are better seen as fuzzy points on a continuum, along the length of which an association between two organisms may fluctuate. For many associations, the point they occupy on this continuum is as difficult to assess as it is to say who gains more...in a marriage between two human partners." (p. 184)

There is an old saying, that I got from somewhere years ago. It is, "Everything works toward a symbiosis." This book not only supports that idea, it even, taken further, supports the idea of Gaia, namely that all the living creatures on this planet form a single organism. I don't necessary believe this, the "strong" Gaia hypothesis, but I think the distinction between a planet that harbors organisms and a planet that is itself part organism, may be more a semantic distinction than anything else.

Because of all we have learned about microbial life in recent decades, it is becoming clearer and clearer that no organism is an island, and indeed, all of life is in symbiosis with the microorganisms that constitute the largest, most viable life form on this planet. Realizing this while reading Wakeford's fascinating arguments, I had a thought: the little green men from outer space are probably symbionts themselves, but more fully realized ones, like lichen, part "animal" and part "plant," deriving their energy directly through photosynthesis. And suddenly I had a vision of beings all seated as in meditation, taking a break to open the top of their heads, filled not with brains, but with cells capable of turning light into nourishment. How primitive and clumsy we might appear by comparison!

Finally, a book written by insiders in regard to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Certainly a rare find. This book is actually a compilation of papers/essays/letters written by numerous authors all of Israeli Jewish decent. Noted authors include Uri Avnery who fought in the '48 war and served in the Knesset, Ishai Menuchin who is a Major the Israel Defense Forces reserves, Dr. Yigal Shochat who served as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force during the War of Attrition, as well as numerous well-known and published professors of Political Science, all of whom teach at universities across Israel.

The book subverts many myths about Israeli politics in the OPT, but it does not do so in a black and white manner as so many other books do. It is a critical analyses of how certain decisions by those in power are creating a threat not only to Israeli citizens within Israel proper, but also a to Israel's democracy itself. This book criticizes key flaws in Israeli politics in regard to the Palestinian issue and provides solutions in their place; rather than simply attack Israel for all it's worth.

In addition to the logical, critical, thought-provoking, Jewish-perspective information this book provides, it also serves to effectively undermine anti-Semitic attitudes towards Israel. Many other books simply criticize Israel without providing alternate solutions given from Israeli Jewish perspectives.. those types of books end up in the hands of some anti-Semites who use the text (most often taken out of context) as metaphorical ammunition. This book is no such source for such idiocy.

To criticize one's own government is nothing new, but to do so in such a well-articulated manner, without ostracizing 1000s of years of Jewish culture, and all the while defending democracy while putting your public reputation on the line is not only genius; it's heroic. Read this book!

A book that challenges so much that one hears about the "justice" of Israel occupying Palestinian land is an important, necessary book. Although the title makes somewhat grandiloquent claims on the part of its individual writers (there is no risk whatsoever to these people, in terms of social position or even income, in writing these articles), it is important for Americans to hear other perspectives coming from Israel. Most of the articles are worth reading, although Anthony Lewis's contribution to the volume unfortunately shows his characteristic clunky prose and banality of polemic. But that is a minor quibble to make. This is a fine book.

I have read many great books that adequately cover the Israel-Palestine conflict, but this is one that achieves a high position on my list of books for those who also want an intro to the topic. Besides the fact that it thoroughly covers and exposes many myths, it also does it from an Israeli perspective, hence perhaps removing discomfort of anyone who might be tempted to read some truth but question it's source.

The book absoutely redefines Pro-Israel as something that is tied together with Pro-Palestine. The two are intertwined. What the American media projects as "Pro-Israeli" is really in the worst interest of both the Palestinians AND the Israelis and the book covers this quite well.

The book is split up into sections dealing with the rise of the conflict, escalation and so on. For example, a section is dedicated to purely military dissidents (very brave men) who speak out against crimes that they may have been forced to help once.

All in all, this book is recommended to the nth degree.

This has got to be the best publication on P-47 air to ground work. The author details information such that you feel that you are right in the middle of the action. A very well put together piece of work. well worth the expense of purchasing and reading, for those interested in this type of action and history of the WW II Air War. I did.

Ihave the good fortune to know someone who flew with Mr. Glen, who wrote this book. I have read the book over and over. It makes you feel as though you are right there in the cockpit with them, which is something I have dreamed about doing since I was a child. These men truly were a breed apart. This book is time well invested for the Thunderbolt enthusiast.

Tom Glenn tells an exceptional story exceptionally well. Glenn brings you into his cockpit and his muddy tent. There you can inhale the horrifying, glorifying experiences of these air warriors. In their Thunderbolts, the fighter bomber pilots soar beyond incredible and dive to the brink of impossible. The book is insightful, riveting and an eye-opener. If you only have room for one book in your current time/money budget--pick this one. Sadly, the missions, the contributions, the victories (& the staggering casualty rate) of the fighter bomber pilot is barely mentioned or omitted entirely from most WWII chronicles. My thanks to Tom Glenn for not letting this bit of history disappear and to he and his fellow pilots who risked all for us.

Folks aspiring to write Final Cut Pro books are probably pretty intimidated by Apple's whopping 1400 page manual. "What's left to be said?" right? Tom Wolsky has found plenty to say and presents it with a clear, conversational style that's easy to follow. Lots of examples of how to accomplish specific effects, like the Brady Bunch opening. It takes a while to get started. I could have done without the first sections of how to get your camera to talk to your computer, for example. I would have left that to the manual since we all use different cameras and setups, etc. But once he gets going, he rolls. And I appreciate his frankness. He loves the program, obviously, but he's no Apple cheerleader and when he believes something could have/should have been better implemented, he'll tell you frankly. Book is highly recommended! Accompanying CD is very helpful!

I love this book. It's a robust mix of exercises and software how-to, unique among all the FCP books I've read. I'm very glad to have it in my library.

The author is candid in his discussion about editing with Final Cut Pro. The most valuable information to me was his numerious comparisons between FCP and other editing software. For example, he points out those areas where other programs might be stronger in certain areas than FCP and specifies those programs. I read the book cover to cover and continually refer back to it as a guide and inspiratoin when editing.

In his highly praised short story collection, POACHERS, Alabama native Tom Franklin mined a neglected topic --- the modern South --- for narrative gold. He created vivid, visceral stories of present-day losers and rabble-rousers, and presented them as both regular frustrated humans and red-dirt legends.

Although his follow-up novel, HELL AT THE BREECH, is set more than 100 years in the past, Franklin's sensibility for gritty Southern realism remains in tact and in fact has become one of his defining traits as a regional author. Much like its predecessor, HELL AT THE BREECH refuses to romanticize the South, its inhabitants, or the violence they perpetrate, yet Franklin holds up his male characters as examples and exemplars of various strains of Southern masculinity, examining the morality of bloodshed in all its muscular complexity.

So many things work so well in this novel about a real-life gang war in rural Alabama that it's difficult to know which to praise first or foremost. Franklin's grasp of history is strong and confident; he ably recreates not just the language and the customs of turn-of-the-century Alabama, but also its lost landscape, a terrain that seems foreign at the turn of this century: "The woods were high all around, so green it felt almost cloudy, thrashers noisy in the bracken and sparrows flitting overhead, the ground slashed like paintbrush work with the shadow of pine needles."

Evoked in patient, sculpted sentences, the rough, unforgiving woods --- especially the impenetrable Bear Thicket that separates the city of Oak Grove from the uncivilized agrarian community of Mitcham Beat --- lend the story a sense of menace and mystery, and suggest an ever-changing world that seems impossibly vast. Introducing one of his main characters, a teenager named Mack Burke, Franklin writes that "the earth redefined itself around him, same as it had the day before and the day before that and as far back as his memory went, as if this dawn were no different than any other."

That dawn, however, is different for Mack: it's the first sunlight he sees after becoming a murderer, having accidentally shot a store owner named Arch Bedsole during a botched robbery. Arch was a prominent storeowner in Mitcham Beat, and his murder is locally assumed to be the work of city people trying to exert political power over the poor country farmers. In reaction, a group of Mitcham Beat farmers organize a gang called Hell-at-the-Breech to overthrow the city businessmen who hold liens on every crop in the area. Leading Hell-at-the-Breech is Quincy "Tooch" Bedsole, Arch's cousin and a deeply devious man who takes over Arch's store and indentures Mack to work as a stock boy.

As the Hell-at-the-Breech gang lash out at the farmers who won't join up and the city people who oppose them, Sheriff Billy Waite --- pushing 70 and nearing retirement --- tries to investigate, but finds only farmers too scared or too angry to take the law's side. Because he doesn't take immediate action, the townspeople see him as ineffectual, and because he drinks openly, they see him as a washed-up sot. But for Franklin, Waite's hesitation is a form of levelheaded mercy that few people in the novel possess or even recognize.

Waite's steady lawfulness and Tooch's manipulative lawlessness provide enough friction to ignite the forest between them, but for Franklin they represent nothing as simple as good and evil or right and wrong. HELL AT THE BREECH possesses a more complex morality: Franklin implies that hostility can be a useful tool but becomes evil when it is thoughtless and pointless, when men commit violence for its own sake. Both sides are depicted as righteous in their causes --- the Hell-at-the-Breech gang justified in its own push for independence, the city people merely protecting themselves from a threat --- but their violent actions are morally unpardonable. So many lives are lost, so many homes burned, so many farms destroyed, but nothing is won.

With HELL AT THE BREECH, Franklin lives up to the promise of POACHERS and establishes himself as an imaginative, intelligent, and important Southern writer. More importantly, he looks history dead in the eye and reveals how the Old South became the New South.

--- Reviewed by Stephen M. Deusner

Graceful and gritty writing from one of our best, young fiction writers. Already praised by Richard Ford and Philip Roth, Franklin's writing will remind some people of Cormac McCarthy and Larry Brown. But, Hell at the Breech, is all his own, and is warm and wise and bloody, all at once. It portends a great career.

POACHERS, Franklin's first book, was highly regarded, with good reason, in critical circles. When I finished reading POACHERS, I knew Tom Franklin had the potential to become one of the strongest voices in contemporary American Fiction. After reading HELL AT THE BREECH, Franklin's debut novel, my conviction stands. This is a truly fine piece of work and is worthy of the highest praise. If you're not familiar with Tom Franklin's work, please acquaint yourself with it. You won't be sorry.

Although this wonderful book is long out of print, the excellent Hutchinson Treasury of Children's Literature includes it with many of the pictures. The rest of the Hutchinson Treasury's not bad, either, my six-year-old's favorite book.

It's not available in the US, but you can order it from amazon.co.uk ...

The first time our family set eyes on this book was when we borrowed it from the mobile library that visits our village. It became a classic when the kids were young, and we went on to borrow it a number of times. Phrases from it became part of our everyday language such as lets do some "high up fooling around and low down fooling around", lets play "sneedball", and I think I'll go and "learn the nautical almanac". When our younger son reached 18 years of age we decided to buy him a copy as a joke present.... We wrapped it and presented it to him at our local pub where we were having a celebratory drink on his birthday. It was a present to be savoured. We ended up having a ceremonial reading in the pub, much to our great amusement. All the other customers wondered what all the laughter was about. Had they known they would have been as hysterical as we were. Whenever the family recalls great examples of children's books this is always at the top of the list. Its a cracking read for grown ups as well. I defy anybody not to laugh. We still have the book and still refer to it....

From the comments of other parents and various children's bookstore owners, as well as the fact that the rare used copies sell seemingly seconds after they become available, it is incredible that the two Capt. Najork books have been out of print for so long. (I once tried to put my name on a waiting list at a Toronto children's bookstore, and the clerk just laughed at me). The brilliantly innovative language -- try saying "Aunt Fidgit Wonkham-Strong Najork" and see if your palate isn't pleased -- sloppily perfect illustrations, and wonderful stories make for instant classics -- delightful for children and adults alike.

Wake up, publishers! There are a lot of very hungry Capt. Najork customers out there.

I like to call this book an "Adult picture book" because of the easy read and scrapbook of great pictures. I only wish it was written a few years later so Mario could tell us about his plans to save the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is one athlete that has never been arrested, has never done drugs, has been happily married to his wife (and he has only had one wife), and he's not going to go bankrupt anytime soon. Hats off to a great athlete and an awesome man.

This book is the best book I've ever read on an athlete. It gives plenty of information throughout his career and really shows you what a class act Mario is. Not only is it detailed well, but the pictures are awesome. If you doubt Mario as being one of the best athletes out there, read this book. You'll see why he earned the name Super Mario.

GREAT PICTURES

I've tried to get started with numerology several times, but I found other texts assume too much. This text starts from the very beginning and goes on from there. With defined "modules" or chapters, the reader starts to understand techniques and meanings via fun little exercises. After the reader completes a few of the chapters or "modules" he/she begins to realize some real understanding of basic principles is coming through!

The book is easy and quick to read. The exercises are fun and create a desire to learn more. If you are just starting, this is a great book. If you know the basics, move on to a more advanced text.

I just absolutely love this book. As a teacher and professional numerologist, I recommend it to all my students. In fact, it is a required book in my classes. I consider it the best book on the subject, and I ought to know. I own more than 50 numerology books. The book is full of insight and reveals aspects of numerology I have never found in any other book. The authors have done a fantastic job.

It might be of interest to know that Decoz and Monte also created some of the best numerology software programs on the market.

My life-long interest in the occult, and specifically in numerology has inspired me to read pretty much every book ever published on this subject. There is no doubt in my mind that Numerology; Key To Your Inner Self, by Hans Decoz with Tom Monte, is by far the most thorough, concise, and insightful book on numerology available. The book is very well written and a pleasure to read. The authors have done a great job in explaining all aspects of numerology in considerable depth and with remarkable clarity.

I offer numerology classes and workshops and this is the book we use. My students love it as much as I do. I can recommend this book to anyone, whether you are an experienced numerologist or an aspiring novice, you will find valuable insight and spiritual gems throughout this book. I have used Decoz's famous numerology software for many years and between the book and the software, I have been able to help many people. I also want to mention that Decoz offers free chart calculator software to anyone from his web site at decoz.com. So, for those of us who are perhaps a bit lazy, we can let the computer do the math.

This is a superb book because it goes beyond being a great sports book. Terry Pluto's weaving of his relationship with his father into his lifetime love of the Cleveland Indians makes it a book that readers will think about long after they've finished reading it. It's not necessary to be a Tribe fan to enjoy this book. I'd even go as far to say that a reader need not be a baseball fan to feel empathy and self-reflection on his or her parent-child relationship, regardless of whether the person is the parent or the child. I've also read the author's "Loose Balls", a wonderful look back at the American Basketball Association, and recommend that to those who remember the ABA (go Oakland Oaks!) and to those who weren't around to enjoy those years.

I am definitely not a fan of the Indians,but I loved the book. If you are a fan of any team, you should enjoy this. Pluto drops fun anecdotes of Indians history and trivia throughout Our Tribe. He also comes to grips with his relationship with his father. An enjoyable read.

If you went to the baseball game with your Father, this book will strike a chord in your heart. Beside reactivating some old memories (fortunately they become better with time), this book also illustrates why Indians fans are Indians fans, by birth-right. We are fans becouse most of us were born near Cleveland and went to the stadium with our dad's, neighborhood friends, college friends, clients, and yes our kids.

This book reminds you why Indians fans are so special. We didn't pick the Indians, they were given to us. In a day where the team was yours for life. When every spring you got excited at the chance that a miracle just might happen this year. When you didn't dare like the Yankees even if it seamed to be an easy way out to happiness. Being an Indians is more valuable than that. Thanks Terry.

Being an avid reader of German WWII books, I was told to read this book just for fun, and that is exactly what it is.

It is pure fiction, but after reading so many serious books about German equipment this was a nice change of pace.

The book is corny, and you will never look at the Jagdpanther the same way again. Like I was told, "its stupid, but entertaining"

Having read this book several times I find that each time I read it something more shows that I seemed to miss before. I recommend this book to everyone.

The story keeps you on the edge of your seat. No moments of slowness but it urges you to keep reading until you have it finished. I would love to see the author do more books like this.

World War II has always facinated me and the author know what he is talking about.

And Bay Can I tell you, Its like the bible in the way that every time you read it you find something new about it that you diddn't see before.