Most guidebooks for birders are very general in their descriptions of birds. "Birds of Bhutan" tells you when and where in the country you can view them. Includes endangered, endemic and vagrant species. Beautifully detailed showing all local varieties, this book is Written very specifically about Bhutan Birds but, still gives information about where in Asia these birds range. This Book is a must have!

This is a great book, with beautiful illustrations (way better than photographs), and just about all the data one would need to go birding in Nepal. I highly recommend it.

The Routledge reference book "Companion To Contemporary Musical Thought" is a must for anyone who takes music seriously wether they be a performer, composer, musicologist or simply a lover of art and sound. Brought together by an editorial team consisting of John Payntor and other members of York University, the Companion is perhaps the first reference book which aims to present, in a clear and scholarly manner, the developement of contemporary music as well as the many facets of musical science and thought. The fifty-seven articles include a vast number of topics such as music appreciation, including the ability to understand differences in musical style, past and present; the reason behind the exploration of new musical resources; performers attitudes towards interpretation; in depth surveys of the possibilities concerning creative processes in composition;and the investigations and general critical writings of various music scholars. Contributers consist of various internationally respected composers, musicologists, performers, sociologists, educators and music analysts. The "Companion" presents a comprehensive survey of current thinking within the framework of culture, technological, structural and interpretational viewpoints. The topics discussed are of particular importance to the international music community today, offering possibilities for debate, discussion and stimulating study with the aim of promoting a richer understanding of music. Contributers include Jonathan Harvey, Lou Harrison,Ellen T. Harris, Bruce Pennycook, Jean-Claude Risset, Philip Wilby, Klaus Neumann, Peter Holman, John Bryan, Graham Dixon, R. Murray Schafer,James Fulkerson,Alison Wray, David Kershaw, Istvan Anhalt, John Payntor,Joel Chadabe,Richard Orton, Richard More, Curtis Roads and many others. Of course many of the seminal figures of twentieth century music are discussed accordingly throughout(i.e. Xenakis, Stockhausen, Cage, Varese, Webern etc.). The "Companion to Contemporary Musical Thought" comes in two beutifully bound volumes,consists of 1208 pages and includes an introduction by distiguished composer and writer Wilfred Mellers.

Danielle STeel is a wonderful author and Her marvolous talent is shown in the three book value pack

Anyone who thinks Britain is dull will have their minds changed by this colorful guide book. Shorter but livelier than Folder's more traditional guide to Britain ("Fodor's 2000 Great Britain"), "Exploring Britain" has a color picture or two on every page, clear maps of every region of Britain plus larger cities, and dozens of marginal notes on every topic, from "Waterway Vacations" to "Mountain Safety." The main text opens with a number of introductory topics, such as "The Pub" and "Kings and Queens," and then goes on to provide easy-to-follow touring guides to 10 British regions, including London, Scotland and Wales, as well as England. The information is provided in a brisker, more personal style than the traditional Fodor's Guides, which tend to be encyclopedic but dry. Most tourism sites described in the book are given ratings, from one to three stars, a time-saver when you have to pick and choose. A condensed guide to accommodations and restaurants rounds out the book, making it a guide that could stand alone, although the traveller needing more information in depth really needs "Fodor's 2000 Great Britain" as well. In short, 'Fodor's Exploring Britain" is compact, colorful, and easy to use, and a good way to whet your appetite for travel to Britain.

Coming out of RazorBlade Press, Hideous Progeny is one monstrously beautiful anthology that explores the world as it would have been if Dr. Victor Frankenstein's gruesome experiments had not gone awry. Writers such as Tim Lebbon, Peter Crowther, Steven Volk, Steve Rasnic Tem, and Rhys Hughes (to name just a few) each donate a small literary organ to the mix, and everything is skilfully stitched together into a marvellous book by first-time editor Brian Willis.

Cosmetically, the book is a two-face: while cover design by Chris Nurse is nothing short of outstanding, the internal layout is not without blemish. For example, outside margins are too wide, story titles are not always at the same height in the page, and the author's name is italicised in some but not all of the instances. Another gripe I have is that page numbers on the right-hand pages are left-aligned; plus, headers have no indication about the stories presented below them: these will give you a bad time if you want to riffle through the book to look up a specific something. There are a few extra typesetting warts and moles as well, as I noticed some characters showing up in a different size than the rest of the text, uneven spacing between words, typos derived from bad OCR, and so on. I sincerely encourage RazorBlade Press to pay more attention to internal design in the future, and run a few spell checks as well. Still, don't let appearances fool you, because the writing on these pages is top-notch.

In the whole, I was not in the least disappointed by Hideous Progeny while expecting quality work. Many short stories surprised me by their original angles, and all are very well written. The subjects are quite varied too, although some do overlap a little - it seems inevitable given the limitations inherent to their collective premise. I have my favourites, of course: Peter Crowther's piece is shocking yet touching at the same time, and the idea behind "Mad Jack" is a simple but nevertheless brilliant one. "The Banker of Ingolstadt" is perhaps the funniest in the book, and I found Steven Volk's "Blitzenstein" to rank among the best.

Whatever shortcomings the book has, they're quickly overwhelmed by the superb fiction it it, not to mention a downright gorgeous cover. For £6.99, it's well worth getting Hideous Progeny: not only will you be adding a fine specimen of a book to your library, you'll also be helping small press business to thrive. Because I want to see more from RazorBlade Press. Oh yeah.

Although the the stories are short in Letters To Francesca, I was amazed at the depth at which they made me think. I noticed how often the first comments made at the start of the story are tied up neatly at the end with good purpose. Richards illustrates clear ideas and thought processes which almost everyone can relate to. The events are wacky and uncanny, yet totally believable. I've read this collection of short stories a number of times in the last few weeks. I am truly amazed at how simple yet intricate writing can be made. the postmodernism used is fresh and inticing. i would give it 10 out of 5 if i could.

All the poetry and quotes within show a love of language, or one might say, a love affair of words... and a depth of feeling. Excellent emotions and not too mushy... The art may be a little risque but it really does do the poetry more than justice...

This book gave me an education and help me to make an informed decision on how to deal with a difficult situation.

This is a must have for any Petty fan, and for any stock car fan out there they would really like it as well.