I was very pleased by the large number of high-quality reproductions. Still, as far as I'm concerned there should have been *more*. The book contains (a rough count) about 280 pages containing text or mostly text, out of about 630 total pages. However, I'm very happy with the book.

Best book, I have ever bought

The problem with art books is that they go out of print too quickly. This is a beautifully presented book on Rauschenberg that was released with the big retrospective at the Guggenheim in 97/98. Barnes and Noble still had copies avaiable as of Sept. 99, so check there -- they were even discounted!

I read the book nearly cover to cover and was disappointed at how little direct help I found for vegetable gardening in my small Seattle back yard. Since the majority of folks living "West of the Cascades" don't garden on the acreage the author enjoys, I felt a little duped by the title. I know I'd appreciate a chapter in the book dedicated to those of us who garden in 200 square feet or less.

I loved this book! I knew very little about growing vegetables and needed step by step instructions and confidence. I even ordered the lettuce from Territorial Seed Co. on the last page and they grew well! If you live in the Northwest and want to grow vegies organically and as a bonus, harvest year round, and don't want to spend alot of money on a book, buy this book!

Gardening in the Pacific Northwest has its own challenges; it's not just a matter of adjusting planting dates, and choosing varieties with the fewest days to maturity, and praying like Joshua for the sun to stand still when it's 75 and sunny. I do nothing in my garden without first consulting this book. The author, Steve Solomon, appears to have tested every technique out there, and he explains not just what has succeeded but why other methods have not succeeded as well--particularly those methods championed by gardeners in other parts of the country. It's a little like sitting in on a courteous but energetic debate.

You will learn: how to manage your soil and keep it fertile the organic way; how to plan your garden, whether you only want to grow summertime favorites or aim for year-round self-sufficiency; which varieties do best, and how to cultivate them; what an experienced seedman has to say about seeds; and how to irrigate--or how not to, if you want to experiment with dry-gardening (yes, dry-gardening in the Northwest!).

Solomon writes clearly and cuts through a lot of complexity--or to put it better, illustrates that there is a certain style of simplicity that produces a fuller and richer complexity.

Steve Solomon's "Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades" is a truly wonderful book and a must for anyone gardening west of the Cascades. "Composting" is a very good book, but is variable. It feels as if Solomon is getting a little crotchety as he ages, and the book would have profited from an editor with a strong pen since the writing style occasionally gets annoying.

Solomon's explanation of Carbon Nitrogen ratios is excellent. I now understand better why my compost does what it does at different speeds different times of the year. He is realistic about the benefits of compost and does not uncritically accept the Rodale "Organic" party line. However, I think he goes too far in rejecting it. Solomon has clearly seen many people overcompost and damage their soil's ecology. Yes, too much of anything can be bad and one can increase humus content irrationally, but I think he is too negative. Most of the gardens I see have been neglected and one really can "build the soil" to improve fertility, moisture retention, etc. I would prefer the message to be "It takes time. Don't try build your soil too fast. Do soil tests regularly." not "only try replace the humus you take out". He ends one section with "I conclude that organic matter is somewhat dangerous stuff whose use should be limited...". On this I disagree strongly. In my experience it is a rare case when someone overcomposts. However, I must strongly agree with Solomon on the advantages of using soil testing and using a good organic fertilizer mixture in addition to applying compost on your garden. He gives his famous recipe for complete organic fertilizer (I originally saw it in "Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades") and I can vouch for its efficacy.

Solomon raves about poor nutrient value of vegetables caused by over composting. I only partially buy his nutrition arguments. Yes, poor soil can grow veggies with poor nutrition. But the argument does not follow not to build your soil. If veggies grow well and taste great, I trust that measure of nutrition. On the nutrition arguments he is doing what he accuses other of, making an assertion and providing no evidence to back it up.

If you are interesting on composting the book is well worth reading. In fact, it is probably more fun because of the flaws I have just complained about.

Steve Solomon's work in producing the Organic Gardener's Composting is second to none. His research standards are those of a true academic, yet his writing and general presentation of the material is accessible, non formulaic and for a book of this nature, subtly novelesque.
I headed straight for the chapter on Sir Albert Howard's composting methods at Indore in the 1930's and wasn't disappointed - fascinating reading. Also especially interesting was the chapter on vermicomposting. Steve doesn't seem to add material just for the sake of it unless it meets his rigorous criteria. Could only get hold of a 2nd hand copy at a premium price, but have no regrets - it's a gem!

The idea is good. But the writing is bad. If Perry is indeed a writer of children's books he should work a little on his style and choice of words. I do not speak of the dialogs, but I think the colloquialisms and wrong grammar of the descriptive parts are no good, not even in a low quality paperback written to entertain and nothing else. Surprising events and twists in the story make the novel a good read, though. Some of the events do not have a motivation (why would the battleships destroy the earth?) and it is not really explained psychologically why Jay actually joins the MiB. But, nevertheless, a good book for a not too long journey on a plane.

If you like humans vs. alien creature stories, then you will enjoy reading this book. The book Men in Black is a novel based on the popular major motion picture of the same name, from Columbia Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. Written by Steve Perry, the book Men in Black is a science fiction adventure based on the screen story and screenplay by Ed Solomon. The author, Steve Perry, is known for writing children's fiction, fantasy fiction, and science fiction stories about aliens and their quest to conquer other life forms. Having seen the movie version several times, I found this book to be exactly the same as the movie. Steve Perry did not seem to change, enhance, or add to the screenplay at all. The story is about two men, named James Edwards and Agent Kay, who work for a top secret organization known as ...Men In Black. While most of the world watches the skies for signs of aliens, these two men know the truth that alien beings are here on earth disguised as humans. James Edwards, a streetwise NYPD cop, is recruited by Agent Kay of the MIB. Agent Kay is a calm middle aged man who is the brains of the outfit. Edwards is a younger man who has a smart mouth and never shuts up. Together, they fight aliens. They have dedicated their lives to tracking and policing the movements of these aliens. Their job is to protect the earth from the alien scum of the universe who threaten to make Earth the battleground for two warring alien races. One of the most appealing things about this story is the unpredictable series of events that leads to a surprising ending. Jay and Kay have good luck one moment and then bad luck the next. Like a good suspense novel, most of the unpredictable events happen in the ending. If you haven't seen the movie, you wouldn't have had any idea what was going to happen next. This book will appeal to young readers and adults.

If you saw and enjoyed this movie, you should certainly read the book. There are a lot of fun background items. The writing isn't good though. In the movie, there are a few lines that were awkward. I noticed that all of those lines were in this book. Most of the other lines were altered, and were significantly better in the movie. Much of the dialog here is just, well, banal is all I can think of. But, that doesn't stop the story from being hilarious. Especially since you can picture the awesome Smith/Jones team in all the scenes. I'm certainly glad they improved or ad-libbed for the movie. Some of the scenes would have been downright embarassing with more dialog from this book.

While the horticultural information is minimally valuable, the communist anti-capitalist quackery contained herein is worthless and wrong. Much better books are available such as the Vegetable Gardeners Bible by Edward C. Smith expanding on the deep wide bed philosophy of the French Intensive Method and Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew which replaces commercial techniques with one based on providing food for a single family. Add a Rodale book on organic gardening and you will have all the information you need without the moralistic communist anti-profit preaching of Mr. Solomon.

In composing a review of a book we've used constantly & incessantly over the years, my husband murmured that I should describe our copy. Wherever we've found a portion that pertains to our patch of earth in a valley on the edges of a National Forest, I've stashed a marker. Sometimes it's an emery board, a letter from England, pages from scratchpads with recipes for slug bait or maps of our raised bed plantings for a year, postcards from friends warning us about their impending visit. This book is now double in thickness yet these markers allow me easy access to what I need most often. We have enjoyed every penny we invested in Steve Solomon's Complete Guide to Natural Gardening. When we've got a problem, there's usually an answer right in there. When we're wondering about our climate, or our soil or our expectations for a harvest, given our climate, Steve Solomon's got an answer. Really useful, just wish it had more illustrations!

If you are a gardener west of the Cascades you'll definitely find useful and readable information in this book. It includes an introduction to soil science, when to plant, what varieties grow well here, which seed companies are reliable and trustworthy, information on dealing with pests, and a section on the cultivation of each vegetable. Steve Solomon started the Territorial seed company, though he's no longer associated with it, and was growing most of his own food when he wrote this book. His approach is primarily organic, though not evangellically so. This is a good book for both the "corn and tomato" gardeners as well as somebody who is aspiring to grow a significant fraction of their own food. This is a regional book--probably one of its strongest points, since gardening is different in different bioregions. The regions include the Willamette Valley, SW Washington, Oregon coast and Southern Oregon, Puget Sound, Washington foothills, Yoncalla Valley, along the Umpqua, and northern California, with probably the most emphasis on the Willamette Valley and SW Washington. This is the book I begin every planting season (or seed purchasing season) with!