The cover photo and the title is what caught my eye. And we are a horse loving, horse riding family going back generations. And the book is small. A tad bigger than 5X7 but it is so full of wisdom. And until I read it I never had thought of the Zen aspect of horses. Their stillness and power and the way they just "are".

The way she speaks of Ducie and the other horses she rode, the reader feels like they are there almost as an eavesdropper or horse voyeur. In chapter four A Portion Of Genius I could almost smell the stables when she writes "several girls were mucking out the stables when I arrived. Piles of dirty straw littered the cobbles, and two horses were drinking from a stone trough at one end." And when she speaks of Johnny as being camp and how he was slight, dainty and balding in a lavender shirt and salmon pink carvat I had to chuckle thinking of a man this reminds me of.

Chapter Twelve Surrender and Trust was enchanting. The way she writes of Jade the horse and practicing her dressage and how animals (page 99) have much to teach us about acceptance and how riding is really a Zen like state of mind. Where you become one with the animal and the rest of the world seems to fade away.

How horse therapy with children as well as adults helps bridge the gap of fear into a world where this large animal that so many see as a power force can become the trusted friend that rather than hurt will instead with its rocking motion as you ride, will soothe and calm and take the fear away.

I am not going to tell anymore about the book because it is so special and I simply want you to read it and treasure it and be better for it.

Well written and easy to read accounting of the race to decipher the Human Genome. However the book is only suitable for readers who have not read any other books regarding the race between commercial interests (Craig Venter of Celera Inc.) and the US Government in the form of the National Institute of Health under Francis Collins. Most of the books contents have already been written about in Kevin Davies' Cracking The Genome. However The Gene Masters does give some additional information regarding Kari Stefannson in Iceland and his goal to databank all genomic information regarding Icelandic citizens.
Redaers looking for a little more substance to their genomic information may be interested in "Transducing The Genome" by Gary Zweiger.

Gene Masters is a rare combination: a page-turner that teaches science and the process of science. I knew something about the human genome project before I read this book, but I was royally entertained by the personalities that contributed to sequencing the genome. Both non-scientists and scientists in other disciplines will painlessly learn the rudiments of genomics. The most interesting aspect of this book is that it shows how the personalities of the scientists influenced the science. Wickelgren shows that there is more than one way to approach a scientific problem; there is not one "right way". She shows that the approach chosen by each scientist is influenced by his or her personality. One person may choose a safe but slow method, another a riskier but potentially faster method. She also illustrates the complexities of scientists as humans. Scientists want to be first and famous, but they also want to do something important, something that will improve the human condition. Sometimes these complex mixtures of motivations work synchronously; sometimes they clash. In this book, science becomes accessible and scientists become human. I highly recommend it.

It is rare to find a book that explains hard science so clearly and articulately. I remember reading in the papers about the discovery of the human genome, but never was able to understand the entire importance -- and DRAMA -- of what was going on until I read The Gene Masters. The author masterfully weaves the scientific with the personal: it's exciting stuff that comes at a fast clip! This is a great read.

The Art of being you came out just after the death of the talented Gianni Versace. I own all of his books which I highly recommend. Different in this installment are the images of modern art which Versace so incorporated into his work. Evident is the work of Julien Schnabel (broken plate painter) and Andy Warhol. The presence of photographer Richard Avedon's work makes the 100$Canadian worth it. If your into fashion especially Versace, check out Vanitas for Gianni's renderings. Nobody does it like Versace. Lets hope his sister continues the same tradition.

This book shows the private art collection that the versace family have collected. Great book with great pictures.

In the world of Art books, This has got to be the best posthumous release ever. Abbeville Press has outdone themselves with this masterpiece. I own Mr. Versace's previous 5 books, Signatures, Vanitas, Do not disturb, Rock and Royalty and Men w/o ties which I highly recommend. In this edition, Versace shows us that until his untimely death, the wheels never stopped turning. With the help of Thierry Perez, Steven Meisel, Julian Schnabel and other fabulous artists, This book truly defines the artifice and uncompromising couturier called Gianni Versace.

Ingrid Newkirk is a crazy person with a lack of any value for human kind. The ALF is a terrist grope who bomb and hurt people in the name of animals. Its one big money making dream dreamed up by yours truly Ingrid Newkirk . They should lock them all up and through the key away ! Please check out some of the FBI reports about these people before you support them in buying there book..... This grope has been in the news for bombing labs and raiding animal farmers around the world. One of Ingrid Newkirk sayings is the life of an ant and that of a child has the same value. These are sick....sick people.

Before I read this book, I knew very little about the ALF (Animal Liberation Front). I assumed that they must have been a radical, "terrorist-like" organization. After reading this book, however, I gained a much greater understanding and appreciation for what the ALF is, and what they do for animals. This fast-paced book (I could hardly put it down!) tells the story of how ordinary people wanted to make a difference in the lives of many helpless and defenseless animals who have been imprisoned in our country's laboratories. I felt a deep connection to the founder of the American ALF, Valerie. She, and her associates (Josh, Bear, and Edna) are truly American heroes. They all had the courage to stand up to the many shameless institutions that support needless animal suffering. This book could change your life...

Only through respect for all creatures can we have true respect for ourselves. This book gave me a new insight into what goes on in the animal liberation front and in the labrotories. The people in this book are heros to the animals. I was glad that "Valorie" realized violent direct action was wrong and did not get involved with it. "I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection from man, from the cruelties of man."-Ghandi

I must admit some degree of skepticism when I heard about this book. There are already so many good network reference books on the market why would I be interested in one from Microsoft? It's surely going to be biased right?

However, Mitch Tulloch is a respected contributor to the myITforum.com web-site, so, casting caution to the wind, I dove in.

What I discovered is a reference book that is very different than the others gathering dust on my shelf. The language is clear and concise. The graphs are superb. It is well organized. Moreover it it's actually a delight - no, FUN - to read!

While there is a slight Microsoft "bent" to the content it is only to answer the reader's question in a practical way if they are engaged in Microsoft Networking. For example it will define "grep", give you a UNIX example and then explain how to layer in and use grep in a Windows NT/2000/.NET setting.

I have shown this book to my colleagues at work and they are equally impressed with it. It's a "keeper"!

You may have other computer reference books but I would rate this book as one of the few "gotta haves".

If you're looking for information on network types, architectures, hardware, technologies, protocols, concepts, tools, services and/or software, you have to run right out and purchase this book.

This is probably the most comprehensive book on the market today that covers the A-Z of Microsoft networking. This book is a great addition to any technical school library or any administrator's bookshelf. Would-be MCSE's will greatly benefit from this book.

Not only is it easy to navigate, filled with diagrams, tables and great screenshots, each entry in the encyclopedia has an abundance of easy to read in-depth technical information as well as references to other relevant entries.

I particularly appreciate the CD-ROM that I can take with me when I travel and search when I'm in a hurry.

What is an Active Directory structure? What does a cookie do? What is DMS? How does an Ethernet Switch work? Why is FAT 16 different from FAT32? What RFC covers ICMP? How does the NetBIOS name work? These are but a small portion of what you'll find in the best networking encyclopedia on the market today.

From A to Z and everything in between this mountain of networking information is just what every network technician, help desk technician, LAN administrator and network engineer need at their side. Over 1400 pages give you the most complete listing of terms, definitions and explanations on the market today.

Microsoft Press has gone to great lengths to make sure you have the information right at your fingertips. Covering topics like NT Workstation, NT Server, protocols, DNS, WINS, gateway operations, configurations and installations. Everything and I mean everything has been included.

Microsoft Press left nothing out as they included an electronic version of the book on cd...For those serious about networking, from the beginner to the expert, you now have the definitive Microsoft Networking Reference manual - excellent job!

Although I have been vegetarian my entire life - now vegan for 5 years - I figured I could use some help in the creativity department. As a full time college student, I wanted recipes that were fast, easy, unique, good, and healthy.

There are more than a handful in this book that fulfill the above criteria. The Applesauce-Bran Breakfast Cake was fabulous!... I hate eggplant as a general rule, until I tried the Baba Ganoush recipe, now I'm hooked. The Avocado Chili Soup didn't work out too well with my blender - it was too whipped, but it had tons of potential. Overall there are some awesome recipes in here that I will forever continue to use (inspiring lifelong devotion is no small feat for a recipe!).

Several of the recipes have at least one uneccessary ingredient -stuff like sherry, sugar, oil, vegetable shortening, etc. Also, tofu use is way over done (as if vegetarians absolutely need tofu! Personally I can't stand the stuff - tempeh either.).

In addition, I didn't see anywhere that mentions what kind of sugar, margerine, oil, etc. to use. This may not seem important to some people, but ostensibly the people who use this book most will be new vegans (the book is put out by PETA), so it seems that it would be rather relevant to suggest the kinds of sugar/margerine/oil to use. Regular white sugar, for example, is bleached using bone char. In addition, most kinds of regular margerine use animal by-products as coloring and flavor enhancers (a.g. whey)... IMO this was a massive oversight.

Some of the recipes could easily have been made with more healthful ingredients. The aforementioned Applesauce-Bran Breakfast Cake calls for 1 cup (!!!) of sugar. About half a cup of organic maple syrup easily does away with that requirement and the cake tastes infinately better.

I would reccomend this book for the great recipes it does contain, but don't be suprised if you end up with just a few favorites and the rest of the book unused. Also, don't be afraid to make substitutions!

I have been vegan for 14 years and have had this book for most of it. To this day, I use it all the time!

I recommend this book to any new veggie *or* a parent who doesn't know what to cook for their newly veggie kid! Here are a few reasons why:

1. This is family-friendly food. There are vegan versions of favorites like pancakes, birthday cake, chili, etc.
2. None of the recipes are difficult, so they work fine for a young cook.
3. They only require ingredients that you can find at a regular grocery store (except a few things in the small asian section, and also powdered egg replacer, which can be found at any health food store, in some regular grocery stores these days, or ordered online).
4. All of the recipes are vegan.

I wish you well on your veggie journey! :)

Ever felt like a vegetarian diet was too difficult to keep up? That there is not enough variety or taste in a vegan diet? This book proves that not only is it easy to eat delicious food, but that animals do not have to suffer in any way shape or form in order for us to eat. A lot of the recipes in this book take less than 1/2 hour to prepare. They produce better food than the average restaurant. They use fresh vegetables and soy products in some of the most delicious and healthy recipies available. This book provides excellent substitutions (try the "cheesy" macaroni!). It also opens the door for those new to a cruelty free diet by illustrating & utilizing the many different types of foods available to vegetarians/vegans. It changes harmful food attitudes & patterns painlessly!

I have a huge assortment of plant/gardening books, and often do alot of cross-referencing w/my hobby. This book is one of the first that I always pick up. It's "plain speak" approach (i.e. author will say, "I have always found..." etc.) is just terrific; I often find myself wondering how "Ingrid can help me with this?!" The tips are a wonderful "sidebar" feature, both highly informative, and just interesting! The descriptions the author provides of each plant is a true DESCRIPTION....detailed, and geared to educate the reader. They're not just a bullet-point listing of a few of the essentials on the plant, with questions left unanswered.

I went to my library over and over again, consulting this book on a number of plants questions and issues, until finally, I got my own precious copy!!

100% worth the investment of time and money for your gardening needs, both indoors and (gosh, what a bonus!) outdoors as well.

This is the greatest book for a house plant hobbyist I have been able to find! All the most common (and many not so common) house plants are included, with good instructions - I have some 80 different house plants, and all of them are there!

I checked all my local bookstores for the right book to give to a friend who is always asking me for "horticultural advice" on his collection of houseplants. I grew up in a family of wholesale flower growers, and have 30 years of experience with my own houseplants. This book is the best I've seen. It has a very complete (about 125 pages) section on cultivation, light, water, placement in the house, patio, or balcony, containers, re-potting, nutrients, overwintering. It's wonderful for neophyte houseplant enthusiasts, and has much to teach me as well. I especially liked the extensive pests & problems section, which had actually recognizable pictures of plant symptoms, and charts of how to solve the problem. A unique addition are very useful non-chemical alternatives, including herbal concoctions, to getting rid of pests & diseases, (essential for pet lovers like me who love their animals as much as their plants). After all of this, there are the photographs! Not just the usual plants for beginners, but also a separate section of 150 "Specialties & Rarities". Each picture has info on flowering time, placement, care, propagation, pests, & uses. Throughout the book are prominently placed concise "TIPS" for quick & easy reading both in the general info section and amongst all the photos. Now that I've got one for my friend, I need a copy for myself. An incredible book for the price!

Stunningly designed - this book is a great introduction to vegan cuisine. There is a great assortment of recipes, many of which are easy to prepare. While I enjoyed the flashy design - I wonder if the amount of recipes inside makes it worth the price. A better choice might be PETA's earlier cookbook "The Compassionate Cook" - it doesn't have pictures but there are far more recipes which are easy to prepare and it's sure to become a book that you'll rely on daily.

Looking for a good vegan cookbook and totally loving PETA, I jumped at this book as soon as I found it. It arrived and I was very excited to get it! However, I also was very disappointed. There are great pictures in here and I loved the quotes and quick facts, but as for being an everyday cookbook that I'd use...not so sure about that. The ingredient lists are very long and I just couldn't imagine my family eating this food. But I would imagine it being a good cookbook for a fancy get together. So it really just depends on what you're looking for.

The PETA Celebrity Cookbook is more than a collection of recipes, it is an entertaining cookbook filled with color photographs of various actors, musicians, and other well-known people, along with their recipes. Featured throughout the book are interesting and informative "Did you know?" facts about vegetarianism, health, and the environment.

Some of the celebrity recipes featured include: Tiffani Thiessen's Mediterranean Muesli, Jackie Chan's Eggplant "Steaks," Chrissie Hynde's Zesty Blueberry Poppyseed Cupcakes, Sir Paul McCartney's "All You Need is Avocado" Soup, Bob Barker's Savory Italian Bruschetta, Alicia Silverstone's Steamy, Creamy Artichoke Dip, and Montel Williams's Heart-Healthy Wild Rice with Walnuts and Raisins. Recipes are divided into sections for breakfasts, lunches, appetizers, side dishes, entrees, and desserts.

This book also doubles as a book of quotations. An introduction by James Cromwell, and sections on "How This Book May Save Your Life" by Dr. Neal Barnard and "Animal-Friendly Grocery Shopping" complement the recipes, facts, and quotations. The PETA Celebrity Cookbook is a fun book with compassionate, nutritious recipes and more. --reviewed by N. Glenn Perrett

Newkirk combines rare qualities: true passion and the ability to communicate that passion thoughtfully and inspiringly. Put simply, Newkirk takes the viewpoint that it's cruel and immoral to treat animals as though they feel no pain and have no needs or desires outside of what humans wish for them. That such an idea is even controversial is pretty sad. But whenever someone believes something strongly and unquestioningly, cynics spring up. Here, in the face of overwhelming proof that many animals suffer needlessly and extravagantly, the arguments of those who disagree seem particularly weak and ill-informed. Happily, Newkirk here manages to convey her considerable intensity without bogging down in theory or rhetoric. The book is peppered with lots of simple, real-world things that animal lovers can do -- avoiding pet stores that sell animals, for example -- though most seem sadly unlikely to make more than a whisker of difference. Better are the many heartbreaking real-life stories of people who have suddenly realized that animals can reflect the best of what it means to be alive. One hunter shoots a buck and approaches, wondering why the doe hasn't run off. He discovers that the doe is blind. Examining the dead buck more closely, he notices a worn-away patch on his hip and a corresponding patch on the doe's shoulder -- obviously, the buck had lead the doe through the forest. And chose not to run, rather than abandon his blind mate.

At least hunters and anglers have the courage to confront the animals they encounter. Newkirk's at her outraged best when cataloguing the unspeakable conditions endured by animals most of us never see, and thus never consider. The cheeseburger that looks so harmless in its polystyrene box probably represents a nightmare life of confinement and terror. What others dismiss as "preachy" or "dogmatic" doesn't come off that way in the face of the overwhelming evidence Newkirk presents that animals are consistently treated horribly by the food, fur and medical industries.

Hey, I know from experience that people hate hearing this stuff, and react angrily and defensively from the mere suggestion that they put some thought into their behavior and its consequences. So I don't expect this book to win many friends or convert many carnivores. But that doesn't mean I'm not thrilled and moved and sad and inflamed and delighted and inspired by a book that, I hope, will be better understood and more widely acted on in the future.

This excellent book summarises ways in which we can help stop animal abuse, which pervades all aspects of out lives. As a physician, I sought out the chapter on animals experimentation. While many people have been programmed to believe that experimenting on animals is necessary to improve human health, in fact quite the opposite is true. Not only is animal experimentation not good for human health, it may even be instrumental in delaying progress. Unfortunately, there are many who make a liveing out of this particular kind of exploitation (experimenters, pharmaceutical mega-companies, etc.), who have a vested interest in persuading the public that the practice should be continued. Ms. Newkirk's excellent book will help people begin to understand how they can help stop this cruel and unneccessary practice.

This book is a must read. I just got it in the mail last night and by this morning, I have already read half of it. I have turned my life into a vegan eating practice and I strive to maintain this same state in all I do. Always having a soft spot for animals, this book reminded me of that and opened my eyes even wider to countless and thoughtless acts of cruelty against our fellow animals. There were some points, in what I have read already, where I had to stop for a moment and get my composure after reading how some of the animals are treated. I will recommened this book to anyone who expresses concern and wants to help our friends as well as carry this knowledge with me.

Thanks for a great book.

Veils of Time is similar to most anthologies. At least most that I've read. Two of the stories are painfully average, one is good with the final being outstanding. Few authors can create a full fledged love story in less than 100 pages and as a result most of these left me feeling less than satisfied with the too rushed outcome.

Lynn Kurland's "And The Groom Wore Tulle" is a good story if you're looking for a laugh. It's about a 1313 Scotsman who time-travels to 1999 (just don't ask me how because I still can't figure it out). He meets the heroine who immediately takes him home (hey, this is a short story so things have to move unbelievably *fast*). The heroine is of the doormat variety and the story is light on logic and romance development but nonetheless it's still a fun read.

The Con & the Crusader by Maggie Shayne doesn't fare quite so well. It's about a con man who gets flung back in time (this time at least it's explained!) and saved from life in the slammer when the heroine rescues him by offering her hand in marriage. She quickly proceeds to turn this criminal into a hardworking family man. Sorry, I just didn't buy his quick reformation and Jack was just too smarmy to fit my idea of a hero. This one is my least favorite of the anthology because of its predictability and over-the-top sweetness.

A Bride Most Common by Angie Ray starts out great but peters out by the end because it becomes overstuffed with plot threads. Lucy gets sent back in time by her kindly old boss to correct an error. She awakens holding the hand of a regency hunk and quickly discovers that she's no longer in her own body and is married to the dude! Like I said, this one starts out great with lots of wit and charm but quickly becomes bogged down with other less interesting stuff and I lost interest.

Conyn's Bride by Ingrid Weaver is my favorite. The heroine, an antiquities dealer, finds a gorgeous Celtic bracelet in one of her shipments and can't resist slipping it on her wrist and, boy, does her life ever change for the better! Suddenly a gorgeous man appears professing his undying to love to her. He insists he's been traveling far and wide to find her and that she is long lost bride. She's excited (who wouldn't be?) but soon learns that he's only bumped his head _really_ hard and is more than a little bit confused. Or is he? This story works on all levels and is simply charming. It's very romantic, super funny, sensual and may even evoke a tear from a few readers.

And the Groom Wore Tulle - Lynn Kurland -This short story follows Ian MacLeod from the Scottish Highlands dungeon of his arch enemy William Ferguson in 1313 to the backroom of a bridal boutique in New York city 1999. Ian MacLeod was thought to be dead and in disposing of his body, the knaves dropped him off in just the right forest that contained the portal to the future and his kinsman, Jamie MacLeod - only geographically he ended up thousands of miles off the mark but thankfully with a young woman who after her initial shock, took him in and would help him find his way home - somewhat the same way he would find his way into her heart. Fast, and amusing tale, highly entertaining. 4*

The Con and The Crusader - Maggie Shayne - This was a real cute story of a consummate con man, Jack McCain, about to be blown away by the mob, jumps into a well, and swears if he gets one last chance to mend his ways, he will 'work' as hard as he can for a living. Naturally, this is a 'time machine' well and he ends up 100 years in the past where 'hard work' is a way of life. He is picked up by the local sheriff and herded along with a prison work gang until the widow Hawkins, needing a handyman and not able to hire one, uses a little used rule where a woman could save a man from prison if he wanted to marry her. Well, getting married was not in this con man's agenda but it sure beats prison and before he new it his heart was captured! 3-1/2*

A Bride Most Common - Angie Ray - I really liked this one, where the time travel was planned with a unique way of transporting a person's consciousness into a person on the verge of dying in another time, namely Regency England. The plain, short, but quite intelligent Lucy Taylor was hurtled back into the beautiful but impoverished Lady Cynthia's body just as she was about to take her wedding vows! Not quite revived from the transformation, she found herself agreeing to be married. Now she had a month to build an antique radio, right a mistake that could change environmental hazards, and put off consummating a marriage to a perfectly handsome studmuffin that was her husband! 4*

Conyn's Bride - Ingrid Weaver - On the eve of her wedding, Alanna Moore, museum curator, slips on an old bracelet she is cataloging, and is trying to get some last minute details completed when the lights go out and out of nowhere appears this handsome hunk, dressed in little more than leather pants, and a cloak who calls her by name and knows everything there is to know about her. He is Conan ap Rhys and he is back to wed her. - This was a delight and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved the poetically sensual dialog Conan uses as he tries to convince Alanna of their past love. Great story. 5*

AND THE GROOM WORE TULLE BY Lynn Kurland is about Ian Mc'Cloud, cousin to Jamie. Having found himself in his enemy's dungeon waiting to die, Ian is transported 700 into the future. THE CON AND THE CRUSADER BY Maggie Shayne is about a con man who jumps down a well when he is being chased by some people who want to kill him. He promises to work as hard as he can if he can get away from them. After he jumps down the well he wakes to find himself in the past. A BRIDE MOST COMMON BY Angie Ray is about Lucy who is sent back in time by her empolyer and finds herself in the body of Cynthia Randal and about to be married to Kieran Walcott. She is sent back in time to correct a mistake that will have a devistating effect on the wildlife of the future. CONYN'S BRIDE BY Ingrid Weaver is about a man who has traveled hundreds of years in the future to find his long- lost bride. When he does find her she is about to marry another man. These four stories are all wonderfull if a little on the short side. They could all have been given there own book each. Well done.