I bought this book at the Museum of Appalachia (also founded by the author) on my first visit to Tennessee. The book is almost entirely a transcript of a dialogue/interview between the author and Alex Stewart. At first, I thought this would be a strange format, but as I read on, I discovered that this would be the only way to authentically capture the mind and spirit of Alex on paper.

If you're not from the South, you might find Alex's dialect charminging unusual. A few times I had to read a passage over and over again to fully understand what words Alex was saying. Here is an example where it took me a while to realize that Alex meant "Lord" when kept saying "Law":

"They didn't have no men folks, but they had several children. Making liquor was the only way they had of making a living. Law, they had it hard."

The author cleverly asks questions to get Alex to reveal his pioneer wisdom. More than that, though, the author's selections and chapter arrangements helped to organize the sprawling encyclopedia of Alex's mind.

By the time I reached the end, I was sad to have the "conversation" over. I felt I had known Alex a bit personally, and I mourned at his passing. It was joyous reading while it lasted and my heart ached to know more of Alex.

This is a fabulous book I can't recommend enough. 10 STARS.

One reason I bought this book is because my Greatgrandmother was Alex's Aunt. I visited Alex as a child with my Parents and Grandmother. Alex was always sending my Grandmother items , such as walking canes. He made my mother a rolling pin, which she still has. Most of all the book gave me many names of my relatives that ive been searhing for.

I have read this book and it is all true. Alex was my great uncle. I remember as a child going to his house and striping cane for molasses. They would start early in the morning and work all day. Before uncle Alex died my father took me to see him. I'll never forget a small wooden carving he had of a racoon in a tree with two or three dogs at the base of the tree. He was a very gentle man with a lot of heart. I am very honored to have known this man and loved this man.

This is an excellent book (mostly) about the use of spinorial methods in GR. However it is quite difficult, and the author recommends that you try Chandrasekhar or Hawking & Israel first. There is an introductory chapter on the basics of differential geometry which is good but no great shakes, and a lovely short chapter on spinors, Goldman-Sachs, Robinson's theorem, and the NP formalism etc. After that it only gets better. The third chapter is an extraordinarily careful treatment of asymptotics and the fourth is on the *characteristic* initial value problem (ie. on null hypersurfaces---*not* the general cauchy problem!). If you think either of these topics comprises what you've read in MTW, prepare for a surprise!A word of warning, Stewart is a mathematician and it shows. The rigour is splendid---this is real scholarship. The author also edits Clas. & Q. Grav.

It seems to me that there are far too many in number, and far too few in quality, books on on general relativity.

John Stewart, rather than waste time on the hordes of cute little cartoon models apt for a tourist rather than physicist, gets straight to the heart of the matter and presents amazingly powerful results (on differential geometry/ Spinors/ Asymptopia/Initial Value Problem). He doesn't skip any steps in his proofs and doesn't try to appeal to science fiction intuition.

As someone who hasn't encountered spinors before reading this book, I'm grateful for the helpful appendi on the matter. Unfortuneately however I've found in different books the notation for spinors can vary wildly. The result is that I must refigure out all the basic properties to understand the notation. My complaint is that Stewart doesn't seem* (perhaps it's my ignorance) to use the most common notation, but on the other hand, he also provides the most easily used and referenced appendix.

In summary, if reading most of that relativity tripe make you a tourist, Stewart makes you a citizen.

John Stewart has written a beautiful book that does indeed face many of the advanced subjects of General Relativity. Following an introduction that will prove useful to readers with no knowledge of GR, the author includes detailed but affordable discussions of advanced subjects including: 1. the Newman Penrose formalism and classification of exact vacuum solutions, 2. physical and mathematical concerns of asymptotic behaviors which are particularly appropriate for workers interested in gravitation wave observations, 3. spinors in general, and 4. the quasi linear PDE of Einstein's equation. In short, every relativist or researcher interested in relativistic results should find the time to review this text.

"Listen to the Trees" is some of the most beautiful photography I've ever seen. While he worked with Ansel Adams and chose similar subjects and locations (aspens, Yosemite, etc.) he has a very distinct vision... a very powerful one at that. I'd say there's a more "romantic" conception - in the musical or literary sense - in Sexton photographs in contrast to Ansel Adams more formalist approach. Some of Sexton's photo's might even be called "gothic" in that literary sense. The photography is technically virtuosic and dazzlingly so. It makes me want to buy a view camera and head out to the woods every time I look at this book. I look a this book often and share it with anybody who would care to look at it. Worth every penny.

I LOVE IT! This book is absolutely amazing. My all time favorite. The prints are amazing. I love these prints almost more then those of Ansel Adams. I dare to say John will be held up next to Ansel not too far down the road. This book shows why I feel this way. The work is . . . undescribable! The next step beyond the "Zone System."

Well printed on glossy paper, this book contains pictures of Aspens, Redwoods, Cottonwoods, etc. in grand locations like Yosemite, Zion, and others, all done using 4x5 camera (with notes on lenses and film used). Some pictures are tack sharp and contrasty, seeing the new white buds on fir trees, or white star-like leaves behind a black stream. Some are eerily grey, or shot on misty mornings. Nice to see a collection on one topic and using the large format negative. Could use even more pictures, or a "Listen to Trees" in color, but a great inspiration for nature photographers and black and white dark-room enthusiasts. Great coffee table book too!

This is simply an excellent reference work -- but also a
wonderful general reading work -- filled with the detail
and chronology -- and flow of American history. It is
difficult to try to convey what the experience of using
this work is like. The "history" of the United States is
presented in crisp, clear, but meaningful style and
point. Each year of the history of the United States
(starting with the 1st section of the CHRONOLOGY, cited
as 1010-1013, but actually beginning with the date of 986:
"Norse navigator Bjorn Herjulfson is blown off course
while searching for Eric the Red's coastal Greenland
settlement, founded in 986." [There is a bit more to
this citation -- the delightful irony, of course, is
the subtle inference that the discovery of "America"
has always been a sort of accident, or unintentional
error...]is filled with the citations of events for
that year arranged in chronological order.
Though there are numerous citations, by day-month-year,
in the work, concerning not just what is happening in
the English colonies, but also in the surrounding land
adjacent to the colonies, the main thrust after 1607,
is to concentrate the citations on the events within
the colonies, and later states. But still, the flow
of the work is what is so amazing -- for one sees the
events unfolding before one's mind on a day to day
basis (instead of reading a clipped general sentence
or two in a general American history book).
This work is divided into 5 major sections -- each
introduced by a noted writer. The "Introduction" is
by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., the General Editor.
Schlesinger beings his "Introduction" in a very
provocative fashion: "'In the beginning,' wrote John
Locke in the _Second Treatise on Civil Government_, 'all
the world was America.' Locke intended only a metaphor
for the state of nature that preceded the establishment
of civil society. But his metaphor evokes much more.

It implies a way America was first seen in Europe -- as
a new beginning, a break in the long, sad continuities
of history, a fresh chance for fallen humanity."
From there, Schlesinger writes of the major sources of
paradox which he sees in American history. The first
paradox, he says, is that though Americans seem to live
by experiment (William James's "pragmatic tinkering"),
they also show a recurrent weakness (Schlesinger's term)
for ideology. The second paradox lies in the antagonism
between the American affirmation of equality and the
American tolerance of inequality. The third paradox
is the continuing tension between order and violence
in American life. The fourth paradox lies in the question
of conformity versus diversity. And the final paradox
has to do with the nature of the American experiment
itself -- how Americans, themselves, have seen their
vision, or mission, or goal.
Schlesinger discusses each of these sources of paradox
in the "Introduction." The 5 sections of the work are:
Founding a Nation (986-1787), introduced by Gordon S.
Wood -- Testing a Union (1788-1865), introduced by
Marcus Cunliffe -- Forging a Nation (1866-1900),
introduced by S. L. Mayer -- Expanding Resources
(1901-1945), introduced by Richard C. Wade --and
Emerging as a World Power (1946- ), introduced by
Robert H. Ferrell.
An example of the sort of detail which is available
in this marvelous reference/general reading treasure
is this set of citations -- under the year 1762:
3 November 1762 War: In the secret Treaty of

Fontainebleau, French monarch Louis XV deeds to Spain
all French territory west of the Missisppi River and
the Isle of Orleans in Louisiana to compensate Spain
for her losses at the hands of the British [in the
French and Indian War/Seven Years War]. The French
are anxious to bring an early end to the Seven Years
War. (p. 97)
Then on p. 174, under the year 1800, comes the citation:
1 October 1800 International: In the secret Treaty of San
Ildefonso, Spain cedes Louisiana to France at the command
of Napoleon Bonaparte, who envisions a French colonial
empire on the North American continent. [This ownership,
of course, allows him to sell it to the Jefferson
led government, as the Louisiana Purchase (1803), when
Napoleon's dreams of empire die in Haiti at the
hands of Touissant L'Ouverture.]
There is also an excellent Index in the back to
find people, places, and events in the CHRONOLOGY.

This is a great book packed with useful information. It is a useful book for people who study United States history as well as fo those who want to have a history reference book.

I must agree with the other reader who insisted you ignore the Kirkus review. I found this book to be incredibly moving and fascinating in its exploration, not of various conspiracy theories (as the Kirkus reviewer wrongly says), but of the different ways the Kennedy assasination myth affects Americans, even those of us who were not alive when it happened.

As far as I'm concerned, who ever wrote the Kirkus review above is even more of a hack than the worst potboiler scribblers, of which Mr. Thomas is definitely not one. Come to think of it, who else but the lowliest hack would review for Kirkus? Forget the dumb, ad hominem Kirkus attack and read the book. It's well worth your time.

My group of friends, who had all travelled Greece in our backpacking days, benefited greatly from this book. As our trip in July 2002 progressed, we relied more and more heavily on the book. The recommendations from sites to food to hotels proved to be excellent every time. I particularly liked that the lodging and restaurant recommendations had inexpensive through expensive listings, which we used as our budget-mindedness changed during the trip. For anyone beyond backpacking and Lonely Planet, this book is a must.

I found this book very useful. I used it mostly as a guide on a walking tour of Athens. I only had three days in Athens and wanted to see as much as possible. I spent a few hours browsing through the pertinent section and made my plan of action. Everything was as described. I also referred to it when making my hotel reservation and when looking for good restaurants. I stayed at the Hotel Philippos near the Acropolis - a great little place. Eating I went through great troubles one night to find the Taverna Sigalas in the Monasteraki area (because of subway construction,) but it was well worth the effort. I still drool at the thought of the wonderful Greek salad I had and the very best moussaka I've ever eaten. Going to Rome this year and I plan to buy a Frommer's for Rome because I only have three days there and I know I can depend on this book.

A great book that takes a unique angle - what its like to be a slug. Himmelman and Stewart don't just tell us about slugs, they shows us their real-life danger and adventure story (you'd be surprised).

Really neat book, appeals to all. Can even convert those of us once grossed out by these slimy creatures.

This book was great! I learned a lot about slugs, more than I thought I wanted to know. I never knew they were hermaphrodites. The author managed to write a suspensful book about a slug!! The kids in my class (and I) all said, "whew!" when the slug escaped danger! I also like Mr. Himmelman's dedications. We are learning how to write dedications in our class and I show these to my students. The illustrations are fantastic. They show point of view, detail and are accurate. The close up of a slug's face is a sight to behold. The books in this series are the best non-fiction books for young children I have ever seen...and teachers, too. Mr. Himmelman teaches respect for nature because he allows the reader to get caught up in the life of his characters...from now on, when I see them in my garden, I will think of them in a whole new way....This is a tribute to Mr. Himmelman!

Please let me know the title of page 887-888

This is a remarkable work by a young man who was held captive for several years by a tribe of Native Americans on the coast of Vancouver Island during a time when European vessels visited these shores only once every few years. As a result, the account provides a unique insight into the lifestyle of these people prior to European intervention.

I read the work while visiting the area and found it irresistable. The natives have many surprising habits, including a preference for rotting rather than fresh whale blubber (this creates many difficulties for our protagonist) and a penchant for midnight raids on slumbering neighbors. Jewitt is a good writer and his dated prose has a tendancy to amuse the reader. He does a good job both of mentioning the details of every day existence and of capturing the emotional bonds he develops with other members of the tribe. The end of Jewitt's adventure leaves the reader deeply saddened, sharing the conflicting emotions that he himself was torn by.

As it is no longer out of print, I intend to give copies to a variety of friends with interests in anthropology, Native Americans, and adventure in general.

In life Amon G Carter was all for getting the American plane industry off the ground. In fact, he flew the first airplane to Ft Worth, Texas, in 1911. With his death, in 1955, he hoped to open up the arts to all. So, by his will, a museum was set up to house as many works as possible by Frederic Remington and Charles M Russell.

His museum more than meets that goal. Its catalogue shows it to be the place to go for the art of both American frontier artists. For example, the museum has A dash for the timber. This oil on canvas made Remington a major painter, in 1889. The museum also has The fall of the cowboy. Two cowboys with their horses about to pass through gate rails, under a gray sky, in a wintry landscape, are painted so close in tones that you know a way of life's in its twilight years. Also, the museum has The outlaw. The bronze freezes in time the realistic folds in the rider's hat and his shifting weight against his pitching horse.

The catalogue also shows the museum to be the place to go for American drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures and watercolors. The staff sees as landmark additions American Indian symbols by painter Marsden Hartley and Barber shop, Bass rocks #2, Blips and ifs, Chinatown, and Egg beater #2 by lithographer and painter Stuart Davis. John Singer Sargent's portrait of Alice Vanderbilt Shepard, too, is seen as a catch. It contrasts the girl's carefully worked face with the thinly painted rest. Who can forget the brilliant white with blue and pink in her jacket and folds of her blouse?

Pride of ownership also goes out to sculptures by Alexander Calder and David Smith. There's Lunar landscape by Louise Nevelson, on painted wood. It goes out also to photographs. In fact, the museum's photography collection now swells at over 250,000 objects. For example, there's Berthoud by Robert Adams. There's Great gallery, Horseshoe Canyon, Utah, by Linda Connor. There's Music - a sequence of 10 cloud photographs by Alfred Stieglitz.

There are even daguerreotypes by Josiah Hawes and Albert Southworth. Two women posed with a chair has quite a range of clear tones, because of an extra layer of silver having been electroplated to copper plate. The smallest detail in their lace collars is caught. The light from the ceiling skylight also catches both women, in a Rembrandt-like highlighting.

Patricia Junker et al have come up with nicely arranged illustrations and clearly thought out write-ups for each item in the exhibition. AN AMERICAN COLLECTION's a keeper. It works well, too, with Junker's JOHN STEUART CURRY: INVENTING THE MIDDLE WEST and WINSLOW HOMER: ARTIST AND ANGLER.