This is a selection of reactions to the encounter of self and wilderness by contemporary (living) writers, poets, educators, philosophers, theologians, boatmen, healers, and a hunter (Ted Kerasote). As a hunter I review it. There's no dearth of intelligence here, of reflection, of solid writing and even the occasional glint of humor, as in Doug Elliot's "Night of the Living Skunk" or Heilig's "A Walk with the King." The book stands at the beginning of an axiological recovery effort. If you look at Daniel Quinn's "The Story of B," you are presented with the philosophical underpinnings of an ecologically-based discontent, an alienation, a dissatisfaction with the place we've reached after 15Ky of totalitarian agriculture, property rights, scientific nature-penetration, and human-centered, gods-replacing decisions. Quinn sees the birth of a paradigm, a world-order, but he sees few details, he offers very little prescience about what's going to have to arise. I see most of the selections in this book as first efforts toward roughing out that new order. The writers are joining a conversation, debate, or exploration of the shape of what must come if we are to be here to see it. Thus a lot of this book is centrifugal. Strength/weakness: you don't get a lot of unmediated experience here: Judith Minty's dense and disturbing short-story "Killing the Bear" with its foiled-rape suggestions, Ted Kerasote's tale of killing a female elk from Bloodties, a couple of anecdotes from Rod Nash. What you do get is intellection, a kind of centrifugal direction of the prose. Time and again, writers in this anthology start with an incident, and mediate it through quotations from Thoreau, Muir, van der Post, Abbey, Lopez or Roszak. When these writers experience, they describe first, but then almost gratefully retreat into opening the intellect, the collective intellect of 19-20th century nature writers; they enter the great conversation about wilderness as soon as they want to understand. So a lot of these writings start in immersion, and abstract themselves a little nervously into thought. It's a lion, but somehow not really a lion until van der Post and Barry Lopez get cited about lions and the reverence-fear for lions. Or maybe it's too real as a lion until we raise the wordscreen. Again, weakness/strength, mine as well as some of the writers: even when pleased or delighted by a selection, I found myself muttering "Thus I refute Berkeley" and thinking about gutting a moose.

I love this book. It's all about the link between ourselves and nature. I find its well-crafted essays deeply inspiring and eye-opening. Read this book and go on a wilderness trip in your armchair.

Ruth is much like many books of it's time. It often seems overwritten and contrived, and it is full of cliches and melodrama. It fails to question many sterotypes. However, it is not without redeeming value. It does have some interesting if not groundbreaking social commentary. Unless you know really love literature from this period don't bother to read Ruth. The bottom line is that there is a reason it is not a considered a great classic of literature.

Elizabeth Gaskell is often referred to as the forgotten classic author and "Ruth" is a prime introduction into this obviously complex and passionate woman. "Ruth" is a truly brilliant novel dealing with the issue of a fallen woman due to an illicit affair and subsequent birth of a bastard child. This, due to the societal assumptions of morality and righteousness, lead the main character into a series of deceptions and tribulations in an attempt at redemption. Gaskell's eloquent prose engrosses the reader into the lives of the multiple characters and as it is in three volumes, much time is spent developing each individual. This allows for a true feeling and understanding of the motives and meanings behind every action. The character of Ruth is obviously the most important and Gaskell allows her to develop into an almost Christ-like figure in her beliefs, faith and actions. "Ruth" is a novel that tackles incredibly sensitive and deep subject matter and reaffirms ones belief in a higher power. This is a novel that should be introduced back into the mainstream to achieve the stature that it deserves as a classic of literature.

I just finished reading Ruth last night. I could never seem to find it anywhere before, but I did and I'm glad, having now read all of Mrs Gaskells novels. Before I started reading I had a look over the chapter titles and after reading the first few chapters I had an idea of what would happen. There is a chapter called 'Nursing Mr Bellingham' and I began to suspect the story would be simialr to that of 'Sylvia's Lovers'. Mr Bellingham would have some proper excuse (being sick maybe?), then Ruth would meet up with him again after years of seperation. He would die, and then she. Of course I was wrong. We've had single motherhood in the 19th century before, with Adam Bede and Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but in neither of these cases did we see the children surviving. Although Ruth is hidden behind a widow's identity we know how people would disown her if her secret was revealed. And when it is we see the hypocrisy of those condemning her. And Mr Donne disappears without any of our sympathy.

If you are looking for a book that will teach and train you in the concepts and mechanics of biostatistics, don't buy this one. The lay-out of the text is too cramped. The definitions and explanations are often poorly worded. The sections within a chapter seem to be presented in an anti-logical manner. If you really want to learn biostatistics, try Rosner's Fundamentals of Biostatistics. Check out this one from your college library (if you really want to look at it) but please don't spend your money on it.

A hard plus if your looking for pregrad. introductory clinical biostatistics. However I agree with other reviews that the layout or format could be arranged more powerfully, and the mechanics explained with more and better examples with a little more detail. Some of the examples in the book are excellent. I, especially, liked the Methods for Analyzing Survival. I disliked the explanations on statististical power as well as calculating sample populations necessary (n=?)to obtain clinical significance. This book is a good bone to start knawing on, however, the meat is found in other supplemental texts; therefore, reference footnotes are needed which- nowadays- should include, reference books, journals and webpages.

1. Huge breadth: covers topics of interest to clinicians and plenty of material (see below) for aspiring researchers. Algorithms and lay-out keeps the big picture easily in view. 2. Solved problems: methodical answers, clear, instructive. 3. Appropriate depth: is mathematically correct -- not oversimiplified at the cost of accuracy -- while introducing the key formulas and concepts. Much explanatory text makes the ideas clear rather than esoteric derivations. 4. Includes statistics software: menu-driven so "user friendly," has basic and advanced functions. 5. Practical approach: sample problems and exercises are modelled around cases rather than just theory. These cases have data-base directly on the accompanying software so readers may 'learn' and then 'do' immediately. 6. I learned a lot from this book :-)

another guidebook such as Rick Steves book. Recommend.

I tried desperatly to purchase any other guidebook on Ireland other than Frommer's and Fodor's. But after an exhausting search Frommer's wins again: It has information found only in Frommer's. Reviews more variety of lodging and dining. Helps with ideas on side trips and day trips. Gives just enough inside information to help you make an informed decision on where to go stay and do. For an overview of Ireland, you can't go wrong with Frommer's. For more in depth on a single area.....You will need to do more research. Likewise, if you have a specific reason for the trip i.e. windsurfing or gaelic music a different format may help you. But for basic advice on travel Frommer's is hard to beat.

During an extended stay in Ireland I've used the guide a great deal for many different parts of the island, with an emphasis on the Dublin area. The maps of city centers are wonderful, the highlighted attractions are always as advertised, and the restaurant listings have been very reliable. It offers a great deal of depth, and the format makes it easy to find day trips from various cities you may be staying in.

It's well worth noting that the hotel rates listed are generally rack rates, and you will frequently find them much lower when you call.

Friends I've loaned the book to have agreed that it's the best one for the area that they've used. I'd recommend it highly to anyone considering a visit. Just don't forget your rain gear.

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ROSES is probably one of the best survey book about roses available. I'd give it 5-stars but it was written by a German for a German market and has been translated for American gardeners. Most of the factoids translate well, but I can help looking at the photos of Schneewittchen and remembering a tale I heard at a garden lecture about how this rose was named "Snow White" in Germany, and became "Iceberg" when it crossed the Atlantic. I don't know if the story is true, but my husband speaks German and when the white fluffy stuff falls he calls it "schnee."

ROSES contains a 20-page introduction on the history of the rose--a long history that could probably not be covered adequately in 500 pages. Markley provides a good synopsis with the ususal mention of the Apothecary Rose, the Wars of the Roses--with quotes from some of Shakespeare's plays, and a box insert on Malmaison and Josephine's love of roses. I knew the rose was symbolic of Mary, and that rosery beads where first made of rolled rose petals, but it's nice to be reminded.

The remaining 200 or so pages are devoted to the botony, horticulture, and growing needs of roses as well as a nice index filled with an annotated rose list consisting of those specimins Markley prefers. The information Markely provides about container growing, winter protection, planting and maintenance is extremely useful and detailed.

The photographs are pretty, but they have been doctored--the color intensified via a wash which makes the flowers appear out-of-focus. This is an unnecessary ammendment given the beauty of the roses--it appears the photos were in color to begin with. I don't know whether this is the result of inferior photography (in Germany??) or German pandering to stupid Americans who can't tell the difference, but it reminds me of the unscrupulous garden catalogs Allen Lacy complains about that alter the photographs of their stock to fool the consumer. Experienced gardeners know when they are looking at the real thing.

The book contains a listing of gardens in Germany where roses are grown, either as a featured plant or the main event. Not surprisingly, the author recommends you tour these gardens in summer. If you collect good garden books this is a useful addition for your collection. If you're an American gardener and can afford only one book, better stick to Taylor's Rose Book which contains useful information without obviously altered photos.

Beautiful pictures! A lot of information which was very well organized. I can't wait to put all this info to use in my garden!

"Jingle Bells, Wedding Bells" is a great read, containing 4 stories of Christmas wishes and true love. Each story is full of holiday cheer and is sure to lift your spirits any time of the year!

First is Nora Roberts' "All I Want for Christmas", my favorite story of the four. Zack and Zeke Taylor, twins just starting first grade, decide to ask Santa Claus for a mom this Christmas. Nell, the new high school music teacher in Taylor Grove seems to fit the bill. Luckily enough, Zeke and Zack's father, Mac, can't stop thinking about Nell. Nell and Mac's relationship is passionate and tender and full of ups and downs. This story is fabulous, and will surely please readers.

Next is "A Very Merry Step-Christmas" by Barbara Boswell and it is great! Natalie and Brian meet in detention for being late to school and soon discover their lives are remarkably similar. The two 14-year-olds each have a single parent and three younger siblings. The two schemers decide that Brian's dad, Police Chief Zack Ritter, and Natalie's mom, Claudia Nolan would be perfect for each other. When Claudia and Zack meet, the sparks immediately fly, but Zack refuses to date women with children, and that makes Claudia completely off limits. But fate keeps pulling them together and happiness is within reach, if only they can find the courage to take a risk! This is a lovely, uplifting tale, and my second favorite story in this anthology.

"Jack's Ornament" by Myrna Temte is an entertaining read. Jack Zorn's life is all about work on the Bar Z Ranch, until beautiful Elizabeth Davies-Smythe arrives to drop off his niece and nephew for a visit. Elizabeth gets snowed in for some time, and has a wonderful time flirting with the ruggedly handsome Jack. The longer Elizabeth stays, the more powerful her feelings for Jack become. Jack too begins falling in love, but he stubbornly believes that the glamorous Elizabeth could never be happy with a simple rancher like him. Will true love triumph? Or will Jack's inflexible views prevent him from finding happiness with Elizabeth?

Finally is "The Forever Gift" by Elizabeth August. Abigail Jones has been hiding from her past for years, and has finally settled in a tiny out of the way town called Blye's Stand. When she picks up a young hitchhiker on the way home, she soon discovers that the girl, Rose, is the niece of Abigail's sexy neighbour, Kane Courtland. Two years of avoiding each other is brought to an end for Kane and Abigail, as Rose befriends Abby. Abigail has a powerful reaction to Kane's presence, which she knows will only get her into trouble, but is incredibly hard to ignore. Kane and Abigail become cautious friends, but Abigail knows that before they can take their relationship any further, she must tell Kane about her dark past. Will Kane stand by Abigail? Or will he turn from her like all of her friends before him? This is a truly touching and enjoyable story.

Overall, this anthology is lots of fun. It contains 4 well-written stories that capture the magic of Christmas. This book is well worth the read if you can find it. Enjoy!

Mischief and mayhem ensue when the Taylor twins decide they want a mom for Christmas in NORA ROBERTS-ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS. And there are more merry complications when children plot to get thier single parents married in BARBARA BOSWELL'S-A VERY MERRY STEP-CHRISTMAS. For lonely rancher Jack Zorn, work always comes first-until he gets a hankerin' for marryin' sparkling Elizabeth Davies-Smith in MYRNA TEMTE'S-JACK'S ORNAMENT. And in ELIZABETH AUGEST'S-THE FOREVER GIFT the holidays can be hard when your alone like Abigail Jones. But Kane Courtland is about to give her the greatest gift of all-love.

If you're looking for a Movie of the Week book, or a Jerry Springer-type mother-daughter turmoil book, look elsewhere. Although there is a disquieting edge of menace in Amy and Isabelle, including a murder and an unethical teacher, it's not an action story and it's not overwrought or overdone.

This is a story about the secrets we keep from ourselves and others, about the fictions we create and believe -- sincerely or otherwise -- to protect our images and illusions in others' eyes. In quiet, lucid prose, Strout captures the hesitating, awkward moments of friendship, crushes, life at work and at home. The changes undergone by the characters are mostly subtle, but rewarding.

Our book club argued over this book for hours -- but even those who found one of the characters maddening and prim had to admit that the book truly captured the ambivalence of the mother-daughter relationship: those moments when love, embarrassment, fear, anger all exist at once. Ultimately, it's about the freedom and power gained when one finally accepts oneself, one's mistakes and the things we actually did right. Which makes it sound a lot more trite than it is. Read it.

"Amy and Isabelle" is the well-crafted story of a single mother Isabelle and her beautiful shy daughter Amy. The story takes place during a sweltering summer in mythical Shirley Falls. (Which reminded me of both Bedford Falls, the setting for "It's a Wonderful Life", and Seneca Falls, the upper New York State town where the first Women's Rights convention was held.) A river passing through Shirley Falls divides it into the "haves" and the "have-nots", and Isabelle has attempted to plant roots on the side with the "haves." After 14 years of trying to fit in, it's time for Isabelle to be honest about herself. Meanwhile, Amy is learning about her sexuality, and her need for love. By the end of the summer when the weather finally breaks, both Isabelle and Amy have had a kind of an awakening. Plenty of other small-town characters, from creepy Mr. Robertson to friendly Fat Bev, Avery Clark and all the church wives, and Amy's pregnant friend Stacy provide color and counterpoint to the main story.

If you're a mother or a daughter or both, like me, you will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

This novel is exceptional. Elizabeth Strout manages to take a simple, almost mundane story about a mother and her teenage daughter amd make it something special. The story takes place in a year in the life of Isabelle, a single mother, and her daughter Amy. Amy falls in love with her math teacher, and mother and daughter are, at least for a while, torn apart.

What makes this novel so special is the incredible evocative powers Strout has. She is able to, with very few words, bring you to a time and a place, and you are there. That is not to say that the writing is in anyway "spare". Quite the contrary, this is a rich novel, but without any excess weight. Amy and Isabelle, as characters are completely real, completely believable.

Although I do give this novel 5 stars, it does have a few, minor flaws. Amy never wonders about her father, which I found a little hard to accept. Additionally, sometimes, Strout's involvement of the minor characters seemed a little forced. As a whole, however, this is an outstanding first novel and I look forward to her future works. I also think this would make a great book club book as in it there are many topics for discussion--mother/daughter relationships, parenting, youth, to name a few.

I buy a lot of books. In general I average about $600/year in books. I hold an MSEE and an MBA. So I buy a lot of business and technical books.
This is the first time that I feel that a book I baught was so worthless that I felt it my duty to write about it.
Sometimes it is hard to keep voluminous books about a particular area. So I thought I could buy a condensé that just reminds me what I need to remember if need be.
Well, I got the wrong book. This is the lowest level book I have come across and I am surprised it's writen by so called "eminent" professors and endorsed by so called "Harvard business school" professors.
A blunt breach of credibility for those who wrote this leaflet and those who endorsed it.

This is a good BASIC LEVEL reference book for MBA studies. It shows the basic theories e.g. in strategy, finance, accounting etc. If you need deeper & focused knowledge of any of those areas, maybe you should buy another book (e.g. Portable MBA in Stretegy).

During the tech boom in 2000 I snared a job with a Fortune 500 technology company. I was bright but as a history major my business knowledge was limited to what I had in econ 101 and CNN MoneyWatch. Needless to say I needed some help. Boom this book was recommended and I went from lost to in command in a matter of months. Written by the professors at UVA's highly regarded Darden School of Business this book covers all aspects of an MBA from Marketing to finance and then some. For all you who want to be a VP someday I hardily endorse this book.

That was my impression of the life of the Queen. Very indulgent lifestyle she leads as do her children. Surprised to learn of a different story to Diana's funeral arrangements. That Charles wasn't the supposed "leader" in getting things arranged. Still dissapointed in the Queen for not doing her duty during that time. She seemed jealous of Diana and still seems that way. Disheartened to read that William and Harry distanced themselves from their mother during her relationship with Dodi. Seems Charles didn't have that sort of treatment with his dowdy mistress. So I find that pretty questionable, but who knows. I put it in a category of sensationalism on Lacey's part to try to persuade the reader to find fault in all of Diana's doing. Sad that this sort of criticism still has to happen just to find praise for a very boring, and uninspiring figure and her brood. Her time sitting on the throne is her only 'merit' to her dull reign. She has had to do nothing more and hasn't.

This book was written to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee and was written with the cooperation of the palace, so there are no new startling revelations about the Queen. She is a person who has zealously guarded her privacy in spite of having to make rather recent concessions, several in connection with the tragic death of Diana, the Princess of Wales, to the media and the public. In fact, one of the major themes is the Queen's and the Royal Family's relationship with and use of the media. MONARCH tends to start off slowly, filling over 80 pages with information about past monarchs like Queen Victoria, and tends to be pretty plodding and dry in parts. It appears to be written for a British audience and the same book is apparently titled ROYAL in Britain...

This is not your usual tell all from an anonymous source - this is history. While she has little real power, she is a woman who has had a remarkable life and many varied prime ministers from Churchill to Thatcher to Blair - very different people who all came to respect her and I think surprised by her knowledge of the government and country and how it all works. It also provides some insight into her children's lives and how she was as a parent. This is a very enjoyable book to read and a great follow up to Majesty which I also recommend strongly.

this book disapointed me as a therapist because the knoledge in this book is interpreted to the recommandation of around the r.d.a wich is an old sad joke. there are however a certain thing in the term of knoledge that are basically fine, but in the overall recommandation is alternativly concervative=not practical in dealing with serious diseases

This book is concise, well written, and addresses many nutritional issues with a seemingly unbiased and scientific perspective. Another book that is really good is Total Nutrition.

Even though the title suggests that this book is a "reference", I found the chapters on macro and micronutrients to be a comprehensive starting point for learning more about nutrition. Easy to follow with many references to clinical studies, this book offers a lot for the lay person trying to decipher the recent flood of health advice regarding diet. Special chapters on how specific diseases relate to diet might have been more extensive, but otherwise the book was excellent.