I picked up this book after a professor read excerpts from it out loud in a class. I was taken with the author's wit and writing skill. This is an absolutely essential guide to meditation, great for beginners, advanced students, and folks like me who are just interested. Very clear, entertaining, lots of antecdotes. Not a dry tome by any means, but not a frivelous book either. It does get to be a bit repetitive at times, but otherwise, well done!

I can't agree more with the other reviewers, and rather than rehash what they wrote, I'll simply say this: This book opened my eyes to a very simple, very painless way of meditating. I had no idea that insightful breathing could be so easy! Rosenberg has a great writing style and a wonderful sense of humor, making his book a delight to read. HIGHLY recommended.

A must read for anyone who wants to take their meditation practice further. Larry explains indepth how to use the breath to be in the moment. Humor and real life stories help convey this wonderful technique. Whether a bigger, like me, or a meditator of many years, you will benefit by reading this book.

Very similar in content and structure to Ortho's Complete Guide to Vegtables. The difference comes in the experience the writer has growing and maitaining the various plants. I find using both books gives different perspectives for growing and caretaking of plants but conatins the same basic information. For instance the Ortho book has better Garden Setup and maintenance data, and raw data on the various gardening aspects like fertilizer and pest eradiction. The Burpee book focuses on plant and cultivar details a little better. The book is filled with plenty high quality pictures of plants and their fruits using multiple pictures of various cultivars within plant families.
The book is geared for both beginners in gardening and the handy do it yourselfer types. Chapters progress you through the steps from site selection and plant selection to harvesting, crop rotating and soil conditioning over winter and indoor greenhouse seed starting. The book also contains references to various cultivars within vegtable species, so a beginner gardener could not only successfully select and grow well know vegtables, but could also grow and use the odd often hard to find fresh herbs.
I consistently flip between both this book and Ortho's book. I find using them in this manner makes the information extracted complimentary and thorough.

This book could easily be worth $50 and it would be worth the investment. I've been a gardener for a number of years, and out of the entire bookshelf of gardening books that i own, this book, hands down, is far more comprehensive than all of them put together. The first section of the book, a complete book in intself, will teach you just about everything you ever wanted to know about almost every aspect of gardening, and is comprehensive enough that if you learned it all you would be well on your way to becoming a master gardener. The second section, the plant portraits, gives you more information about each vegatable and herb in your garden than you could ever dream of knowing about, and more information than you would even be able to find. Like tomatoes? there are almost eight pages dedicated to them alone. The entire book is filled with beautiful color photographs, and it is packed with tons of hard-core information. Not like the "fluff" and tons of meaningless words without any content that practically all the other books are filled with. Recently i have moved to all hydroponics, and most of the rest of my gardening books are now about worthless to me, however this book is still prooving to be an invaluable source of information. The only thing this book does not cover very well is insects and plant diseases, although it still does quite a bit better than most gardening books do. Of course, if it did, this book would probably be over 700 pages long, "complete vegatable and herb gardener" style. The book "The organic gardeners handbook of natural insect and disease control" is a very good book on this subject. Spend the money and get both of these books. You wont need anything else.

This was my first gardening book purchase and 40+ gardening books later, I still LOVE it. Ever since I my first Burpee catalog came in the mail I've fallen in love with the company and their product. This book will help the novice to the experienced gardener care and harvest a complete range of vegetables. I feel guilty if I drag it out to the garden since this almost a "coffee table" book. The descriptions and pictures give great hope to what your garden can and will be with guidence from this book.

My local library just got in the Seafort Saga, and without really knowing what I picked Midshipman's Hope up and started reading it. Wow! I was hit with an awesome look at the future and really felt like I knew and could relate to the book's main character, Nick Seafort. Since then I couldn't put the books down. Now, six books later, I think that Children of Hope is an awesome volume in the continuing saga, but it also stands out uniquely on it's own. With a new main character, fourteen-year-old Randy Carr who is in desperate need of a father, Nick Seafort and his cast of familiar characters are not put on the back-burner, but rather closely intigrated into this young boy's fresh persective to make for some interesting plot twists and very realistic characters. This is a must-read for any fan of science-fiction or military novels!

Well, overall I loved this book. I loved every book in the series, but this one is better than most. I rank it up there with "Fisherman's Hope" (my personal favorite). The action is non-stop and you really care about the characters. There is very little quality science fiction out there with a military theme to it, but this series makes up for lost time! The only negative I saw was that Randy was a little bit to much like Nick. I thought Fientuch trod over some old ground in some of Randy's character traits. Other than that though it was great! I loved finally seeing Nick the way others see him. Most of the books in the series are from his perspective and this is the first time we really get a good look at him through other eyes. I found myself saying "I bet I know what is going through his mind right now!" as I read the book. I wonder if we are seeing Nick mellow in his older days or if its just the perspective. I also love the way Fientuch pulls characters in from books waAAAAy back in the series. Just when you think you'll never see a character again they pop up out of nowhere. You you havn't read this series start at the beginning, but if you have GET THIS BOOK!!

This is an excellant sequel in this particular series; I find it a return to the roots of the series and a distinct step up from the past couple of books. After leaving the world of Hope for the last few books in this series we return to there and to various colonial issues. Here too for the first time the role of the church as it plays in politics is brought into the main themes. We again see Seafort's rather particular sense of honor put to the test in various ways along with the newest of his child "projects" Randy Carr who provides the POV for most of this novel.

This is a very busy book; plots and sub-plots abound. You need a scorecard to keep track of who is playing what roles as the story unfolds. It is also very fast paced, not an easy book to put down. For serious readers of this series elements (and characters) of the other novels are presented, and occasional loose ends tied up.

If you love Disneyland and its history,you will LOVE this book. It features every postcard that has been published by Disneyland. What makes this book special is that they feature other photos to flesh out the full story. You relive every trip you've made to the park. If you do have a collection of the postcards, a checklist is also featured.This book was everything I had hoped for and more!

We're just glad this book is back in print for all to enjoy! With first editions now selling for over $200, it's great to see the 2nd edition just in time for Disneyland's 45th Anniversary. The story of Walt Disney and Disneyland is told through the history of Disneyland souvenir postcards from 1955 thru the present. Bruce Gordon and David Mumford are to be commended for this true labor of love. The book is jam packed with hundreds of color and black & white photos (as well as images of the original Disneyland postcards); and the accompanying text accurately tells the story of Walt Disney's creative vision for a new form of family entertainment. Beautifully bound and printed with quality materials. A fascinating read from cover to cover! Bravo!

If you're a fan of Disneyland and it's history, then this book is a must! I was astounded by the scope of this work, and the attention to detail. It covers Disneyland from it's beginnings in the early 50's to the present day with individual "stories" about the different aspects of the park. Accompaning these "stories" are hundreds of rare photos and artwork along with the postcards the book is named after. This is a definite must have book for fans of the California park.

This book and the one preceding it("The Moon's a Balloon") just might be my two favorite books, EVER. I practically insist every friend I make read them. Niven had a very unique life, and had a rare gift for story-telling that makes these books real treasures. They are laugh-out-loud, effortlessly funny stories that tell us of his entry into Hollywood (an unusual career path, it involved prohibition, fish and polo) as well as his checkered career in the military in England. I guarantee you'll read these two books over and over again. I just wish he'd written more of them!

I READ THIS BOOK WHILE ON HOLIDAY IN MADERIA AND COULD'NT PUT IT DOWN. IT TELLS THE TRUE STORY OF HOLLYWOOD.YOU WILL LAUGH & CRY .YOU WILL FEEL SADNESS FOR PEOPLE YOU THOUGHT HAD IT ALL. THE WRITER TELLS IT AS IT IS. IF YOU LIKED THE MOONS A BALLOON YOU WILL LOVE THIS.DAVID NIVEN WILL BE REMBERED FOR HIS ACTING,WRITING & MOST OF ALL HIS COMPASSION .AN OLD BOOK BUT A MUST READ.

This book is one of the best books about Hollywood I have ever read. Many books of this kind are written in a bitter, sometimes nasty voice as an attack on the people involved, but Niven does not stoop to that level. Not only do you get an excellent first-hand history of the golden studio days of filmmaking, but you get to see a more personal depiction of many of the stars of the era. His style is so charming, and dare I say "witty", that I couldn't help but laugh aloud at many of his observations. Finally, a book about Hollywood that doesn't leave a bad aftertaste!

David Henry Sterry packed a lot into his nine month stint as a male prostitute in California. For all those guys who wished they could have been Richard Gere in American Gigolo, you should pick up a copy of this book; it will dash your indulgent fantasies.

"Chicken" tells Sterry's story of family dejection and his fast leap into the freakish world of prostitution. On the journey, he mentions various strange meetings and requests of his "clients"--but don't be too anxious to believe these vignettes will tantalize. It's obvious Sterry is speaking from the heart and instead of exciting me (I didn't expect it to) this well-written book made my stomach turn. Even with all the mentioning of orgies and sexual conduct, you can still sense the young boy whose life is being destroyed.

The prose is beautifully, albeit aggressively, written. And other than a few anachronisms (were there really pagers in the seventies?) you can't help but love this book. One of the best I have read this year.

And as you read Sterry's book--and I highly suggest you do--you can't help but hear the echo of what the author calls instruction #8: If something seems weird, it probably is.

Chicken is impossible to put down, even, no, especially when the sky is falling. It is a true story of survival, of a teenaged boy on the brink of adulthood doing what he has to do. In turns vulnerable, tough, innocent and wise, the author tells the story of his time as a 'chicken' - a male prostitute in 70's Hollywood. Young David strives for normalcy, tries to break the patterns of his double-life, but cannot shake the feeling that he belongs with 'the freaks': those whose existence is outside the realm of acceptability. Tempered with hilarious characters and situations and a fast-paced jazzy writing style, this book has all the qualities that make a good read.

Not since I read The Catcher in the Rye 20 years ago have I been so glued to a book. I bought this book on a Friday afternoon and couldn't put it down til I finished it Saturday afternoon. But this compelling coming-of-age story gripped me squarely in the vise of "gunna"--I had to know what was "gunna" happen next. David Henry Sterry's sculpted language creates a visceral intensity, a three-dimensional roller coaster ride through the shocking, sad, and sometimes funny world of teenage prostitution. His childhood flashbacks add a richness to the story, capturing the family backstory in Super-8 sprocketed vignettes. The book was in equal parts gritty, enlightening, and engrossing. Sterry has exploded onto the literary landscape and may well be the voice of a generation of disenfranchised youth. Don't miss it.

When "Crash" was due for release in the UK, a national tabloid carried the headline "BAN THIS SICK FILM". Although overblown, it was a statement that was indicative of the popular misunderstanding of Cronenberg's dark genius. He has been in need of a complex study since "Videodrome", his films being such immediately shocking studies of the more disturbing side of human nature. It's an exhaustive study, with depth and scope, that successfully penetrates both his character and his work so brilliantly, that some moments of this book are unforgettable, even hilarious. There's an extensive account of Cronenberg's involvement in the early stages of "Total Recall" (from which he was later withdrawn), plus coverage from the making of all his films up to 1996's "Crash". A fascinating book, about a fascinating man.

David Cronenberg--what do we do with him? Is he a horror filmmaker? A Canadian who makes art films? A schlockmeister? Cronenberg bucks all categories and trends because so many of his films cannot be placed in any genre. You'll not find any tough-talking hipsters a la "Pulp Fiction"; you'll find no romantic cliches a la "Chasing Amy"; you'll find no staid, genteel period pieces a la Merchant-Ivory. With Cronenberg what you get is sui generis, an auteur in the true sense of the word, a man whose perverse, atheistic, disturbing visions are realized on-screen in a wholly uncompromising manner. In this book of interviews you get to hear this brilliant, highly articulate man talk about his films, production, story ideas, influences (Burroughs & Nabokov, how about that!), diseases and viruses, social mores, the responsibiblities of the artist, and more. Personally I find Cronenberg a more interesting thinker than other filmmakers, even ones I like a bit better (Woody Allen, Scorsese), because he's primarily an intellectual who is not afraid to look at the non-human aspect of his films--the insect, the parasite, the video image--and postulate its unique existence. Recent films like "Crash" and "Naked Lunch" are difficult, rewarding works, although I know many people who hate these films. Film fans are notoriously divided on where Cronenberg stands--some called "eXistenZ" a wooden bore, others one of the great SF films of recent years. Some say "Videodrome" is a mashmash of half-thought ideas, or that "Crash" is pretentious and ridiculous. Some men can't watch "Dead Ringers," while many film critics consider it Jeremy Irons' greatest performance. I think these films are oddly brilliant and exciting. And I'd rather watch a mediocre Cronenberg film than just about any independent or Hollywood film--Cronenberg always gives you something to think about. Well, make up your own mind by reading "Cronenberg on Cronenberg." Hopefully this will be the first of many books on the man and his work.

This book is quite simply fascinating. When I was first introduced to Cronenberg's films I was immediately struck by how perverse, disgusting, intelligent and touching they are. What interests me about this book is how articulate Cronenberg is, how the thought processes behind many of his disgusting or "out there" images come from a real sense of purity and clarity. He is a fascinating specimen, and more than deserving of the 256 pages devoted to him. I wish critics, feminists and film historians who have dismissed Cronenberg, based on limited theories, should read this book and learn the workings of a true artist. In my opinion it is hard to criticize something you've never embraced in some way.

This is certainly the most memorable sci-fi novel I have read in the past few years (and one of the best novels in all categories). The plot-as described in the critics' reviews above follows the adventures of one Danlo on his journey to become a Pilot in the city of Neverness and his subsequent quest to find the truth about his father but it is the other detail in this book which rises it far above almost all other science fiction books I have read. (The only one I can think of which comes close is Dune). A fantastic cast of alien and human characters all wonderfully developed and different, whole new worlds described in great detail and an astonishing imagination as well as a wonderful intermingling of mathematical ideas into the story. Awesome. However for me the single most wonderful thing about this book (and its two sequels) is the quality of prose with which David Zindell writes. It is simply mesmerising and a sheer joy to read, something science-fiction is not noted for. Such beautiful language and a classical Homeric oddysey combined in one book. A must read!

David Zindel's The Broken God is a novel light years ahead of it's time. I read this novel first over a few wonderful weeks two or so years ago. Since then I have read the prequel 'Neverness' and the following two books in the trilogy 'The Wild' and 'War in Heaven' While all four are excellent novels, 'The Broken God' stands above. The city of Neverness holds a special place in Science Fiction writing. It is one of the most beautiful, well realised cities ever imagined. Zindel's philosophical insight, broad reaching imagination, and poetic prose combine for a fantastic reading experience. It is a novel that you will always want nearby for a quick visit to Neverness. I am reading it now for the fourth time, and it is the only book that I have read multiple times in the past five years.

I tend to think of this book as the first of a trilogy consisting of The Broken God, The Wild and War in Heaven, with Neverness being the "prequel" (visa vis George Lucas, thank you). This trilogy is one of the greatest works of science fiction ever! Zindell is profound, intellectual and poetic with far reaching philosophical insight, and incredibly imaginative storytelling ability. This book is basically the tale of the realization of Nietzsche's Ubermensch and the ultimate evolvment of mankind to a higher level of being. It's rich with philosophical influences from all major religions as well as the likes of Nietzsche, Hesse and Crowley. It's an intense read with elegantly interwoven plot's and subplot's that mesh to create a truly visionary peace of work that really conveys a deep, clear and beautiful message. This book, along with the rest of the trilogy is a must read for all true fans of the genre as well as for any fans of philosophy and deep thinking. A true classic.

When David Mas Masumoto describes how his "old-fashioned" Sun Crest peaches look and taste, the reader's mouth waters and the grocery store peaches of today become flavorless by comparison. When Masumoto is unable to find buyers for his peaches he describes them as "homeless" and the reader's heart grieves. This book strongly conveys the small family farmer's ties to the land and his crops, his lack of control before the forces of nature and the whims of market dynamics. It also taught me a few things about the hard work involved in farming. However, when I look back for a "soundbite" impression of this book, I get a series of poetic pictures: Masumoto's obaachan (grandmother) walking through the farm at sunset, cruel bulldozers ripping out an orchard, graceful egrets fishing in the irrigation canals. A great read for a taste of connection to the land!

Lush, fragrant peaches dangling from the branches in David Mas Masumoto's orchard long to be picked and enjoyed for the burst of nector that surrounds your tastebuds. The prose is as delicious as the organic fruit that this farm struggles to produce as we read of the everyday joys and hardships of saving a farm and a way of life. And yes, I even ran out and bought Sun Crest peaches at the Farmer's Market after reading this book!

It is rare to read a book where the author works miracles with his hands and his words. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys non-fiction but finds it dry, without humanity. David Mas Masumoto is anything but dry. His land may be at times, but his poetic prose is anything but. His relationship with his family, his family's farm and nature is a rare combination. I highly recommend this read.

In "Evolutionary Psychology -- The New Science of Mind," David M. Buss delivers a comprehensive, well-detailed, and illustrative presentation of evolved psychological mechanisms that have become universal across the human species while detailing the biology necessary to understand evolutionary theory and how it applies to human psychology. Organizationally-sound, the textbook reads like a novel, clearly providing theoretical and empirical information requisite for a fundamental understanding of Evolutionary Psychology. Buss' volume is essential reading for students of Evolutionary Psychology and very suitable reading for those of us interested in why we are the way we are. For more advanced readers, "The Adapted Mind," edited by Barkow, Cosmides, and Tooby is an ideal choice.

David Buss has touched all the bases when it comes to explaining human behavior. Written as a textbook, it reads like a mystery novel. The central mystery being: Why do humans behave the way they do? And, can we do anything to change? The primary tenet of psychology is: bringing into awareness the reasons why we act in certain ways, gives us the power to act differently, i.e. to change. Buss argues, using empirical as well as analogous evidence, that we behave as we do because in our ancestral past, specific behaviors prevailed because they solved specific problems; and that these behaviors now come programed in the brain, activated by situational cues. That's the short version, which if you take exception to, read the long version and then let the debate begin. The truly intriguing aspect of this theory is: if it is correct, then perhaps we can stop doing what we have always done and move towards a more peaceful existence in a more non-violent way. This theory, and this book, should become a part of all high school curriculum and let all students debate, study, and test its hypotheses.

Professor Buss has taken upon himself the formidable challenge of producing the first evolutionary psychology textbook, a milestone that is long overdue. In his endeavor he has succeeded magnificently. In 411 pages he manages a sterling job of covering the most important topics in evolutionary psychology, bringing to bear the most up to date literature in a simple to read yet academically compelling format. He begins with a complete and intelligent introduction to both evolutionary theory and the events leading to the development of an evolutionary psychology. Thereafter, he covers broad branches of human behavior - kin relations, cooperative relationships, warfare, aggression, status-seeking, parenting and, of course, human mating strategies. This last topic is covered in several different chapters and highlights the author¹s own valuable, ground-breaking work done in the area. His book provides a miraculous combination of both utterly fascinating and effortless reading, rare qualities in textbooks.No review can be complete without mention of a few blemishes, however minor and in this case it is particularly tempting to simply omit them entirely. However, Dr. Buss occasionally relies heavily, too heavily perhaps, on secondary or general sources of information (i.e., Dawkins, de Waal, Pinker) when more research oriented sources are available. No doubt this stems, at least in part, from the fact that there is simply not as much primary literature on the subject as one could hope for (at least where humans are concerned). This will undoubtedly be improved by the time the next edition rolls off the press. Too, one would greatly hope that future editions of this text might include a section on foraging/hunting and food adaptations since they are so fundamental to survival and because so many other primate species display overt and well-studied feeding adaptations.However, such minor details are utterly dwarfed by the magnitude, importance and quality of this work. The breadth, depth and timeliness of this textbook cannot be overstated. If you are planning on teaching an undergraduate course on evolutionary psychology or are simply interested in learning more about the subject, this is, without question, the most authoritative and comprehensive vehicle available, eclipsing even the extraordinary Adapted Mind.