This book contains interviews, essays, and art from some of the most cutting edge body artists, authors, and fringe culture critics from around the world. Stelarc, Franko B, Ron Athey, and Orlan all give their take on why they do what they do. Sex, cyborgs, freaks, and the eroticism of destruction are all examined. This is a book for those who think without boundaries. Only a few selections which drag or seem out of place keep this from being a 5 star work. For more content like this, also refer to 'Suture : The Arts Journal', edited by Jack Sargeant (also a contributor to this work).

"Body Probe" goes beyond grotesque. This isn't about mere critiques of Stelarc's, Orlan's or Marina Abramovic's work. This isn't a book for the kind of people who'd wonder whether this is art or not, this isn't a book for the average reader. You have to seriously consider the human body as the most complex and beautiful art subject to enjoy this. You have to believe that the mutant flesh is about to become the next trend. After reading "Body Probe", you'll be sure the cyber culture is here for good and it has the most intimate ralationship with the flesh, an aesthetic revolution that has no turning back.

Body Probe is an amazing collection of interviews and essays of radical performance art, s & m culture, cyborgs, and the films of David Cronenberg, among many other interesting things. The color and b/w pictures are well arranged. Stand-out features of the book include an interview with Mark van Saper, a leading fetish clothing designer, and an intriguing essay about sex in space, which includes some David Bowie lyrics. For those who dare to venture to the boundaries of free expression and the use of the body as an art form, then this book is highly recommended.

I have been reading stories to Head Start pre-schoolers for four years and children LOVE this book! The sentences are easy for them to repeat and the three dimensional figure that pops out at the end of the book thrills the children every time!

I teach first grade and my students couldn't get enough of this book! It's very short, and just a tiny bit scary...especially in the dark! It's a cute story, one your kids will surely love!

My 5 year old's entire Kindergarten class has wanted to hear this story over and over. The class was so enthralled by this wonderfully spooky little story with a big surprize at the end, that the teacher used the storyline as a Halloween craft project. The story is very quick to read, and so easy that a pre-schooler can have it memorized in no time. Your little ones will be thrilled when they can "read" it to you complete with the "scary" ending.
Perfect for 3 to 6 year olds.

This book covers more than just the lumber. It explains how trees grow, how forests are managed, how lumber is cut, and some basic woodworking techniques. Endangered trees are discussed and marked throughout the book. Traditional woodworking woods, plywood, and man-made woods are covered with characteristics, common uses, workability, and finishing tips for each. There are many beautiful pictures and drawings throughout.

A few things could be improved. The wood descriptions are arranged by scientific name so a better index is needed to help locate common names. For example "Walnut" and "Black Walnut" are not in the index, but "American Walnut" is. A section of the book shows pictures of each tree species (20 per page) but instead of having the name by each picture there is a "from left to right" list in a small box at the bottom of each page.

This seems pretty close to an ideal introduction to the world of wood and woods. After the succes of the British version of this book ("Collins_Good_Wood_Guide") there now are US, French and German versions (and perhaps some more in other languages?).

The great thing about the book is the quality of the illustrations which convey a very great deal of information very effectively. I am not entirely sure of the quality of the text, which dips into a very wide range of topics, but owing to the quick-in quick-out style the authors certainly manage to avoid saying anything stupid.

My favorite part is the 74 individually photographed wood samples (also including a bit of end-grain and a bit of side-grain, occasionally including the bark) which are faithfully reproduced at an ample size and in glorious color.

This 128-page book may not completely satify the wood buff, but it is pretty close to an ideal introduction to woods for anyone starting out doing anything with wood. Great value for money!

This audiobook is an excellent addition to the U.S. history-buff's glove compartment. There are basically four tapes of interviews by Roger Mudd done for the History Channel. Mudd asks questions to the featured historians and they respond with stories and factoids to keep you thinking. I can listen to them many times and still learn things that I didn't catch the last time around. This is also a great way to brush up on your U.S. history while enriching what you already know.

This is the very best audio tape I've ever listened to. While some interviews are better (Stephen Ambrose) than others (Richard White), each one offers important insight and perspective on the most important events of our time. Through the eyes of these men, our nation's history is told so clearly and succinctly, and with such passion, that you can't help but be changed and moved by the experience. I guarantee you'll come away with a better grasp of who we are and where we're headed as a nation.

I don't know how to explain about that but this book's really the best.

Let me recommend this book to you, if you are interested in soil mechanics, numerical modelling, and if you try to understand soils well.
Critical states soil mechanics is a popular framework for the recent developement of many soil constitutive models. This book is a step by step exploration of this framework, especially Modified Cam Clay model, both conceptually and numerically. The stress-strain-strength behaviors of cohesive and cohesionless soils under drained or undrained condition can be quantitively determined using this simple model. More sophisticated models in the current research front, for example, MIT S2 model, bounding surface models, are all shadowed within critical state concepts.
Overall, it is a book about a very useful elasto-plastic soil mechanics model. It uses some fundamentals of elasticity and plasticity. You may meet a little bit mathematics there, but that is almost trivial compared with that used in solid mechanics and theory of plasticity.

I found myself, overall, agreeing with one of the reviewers when he stated specifically that "Walden" is not a book to be read purely for enjoyment, it is not a thrilling read or even a very deep one in general but then one must remember in which time we live and the style used by Thoreau is one of the mid 19th Century which was prone to the type of writing he uses. Anyone who has read other novels of the time or rather written in that period will find similar styles eg James Fenimoore Cooper, Charles Dickens etc. In addition this is not a novel but rather a retelling of experiences of one man in his own adventure as he would put it.

That is not to say that Thoreau does not illuminate or at times give remarkable insights especially when it came to some of the people he met who had fascinating ways of life eg the woodcutter. The book varies from downright mundane and tedious to being very insightful and beautiful. Its amazing how someone can do this as he writes, verging from one extreme to the other. But then it was written from journal notes as he lived his life in the woods over two years experience and during that time a person changes as he adapts to his new way of life. At first its very exciting and new, any new experience is always full of a kind of life shock whether it be painful or joyful, the thinking mind, the mind absorbed in everyday "safe" tasks which define the "normal" life are absent in this new environment which requires new creative energies to survive, after a while this way of life becomes the accepted one and starts to be drained of the vitality it possessed at the beginning as one is fully acclimatised to it and it becomes the norm, after this stage comes the usual safety associated with the walls created to keep life ordinary rather than really being alive. This is hard to do when living in the woods by yourself where you need constant awareness to survive unless its a little too close to civilisation which provides the safety net which Thoreau always had available to him. But still during the period where he was very much alive and aware, life is lived without need for too much unnecessary thought, and this is the place from where insights and great creativity burst forth.

If one wants to know what it is like to be really truly alive in the moment and you are afraid to try it yourself and would rather read about it then try the books "Abstract Wild" by Jack Turner or "Grizzly Years" by Peacock. Am I wrong to criticise Thoreau so much ? Yes and no, eg Yes:see the comments by John Ralston Saul on exactly this aspect of Thoreau's writing, No: look at your own life or mine for example, in each case we do not escape this ordinary life we ourselves create. For the purely lived life expressed in poetry look at the poems by Basho, no clearer or more beautiful expression of life has yet been written. I say written not lived, lived can't be written down in full only a brief glimpse or shadow of it is possible even with Basho.

As regards what is said it often betrays Thoreau's astonishingly well read mind, quotes from the Baghvad Gita or other Hindu texts surprise because in Throeau's day very few people would ever have bothered to read the Indian works, the average American thought his own life and European works to be far superior. Thoreau often quotes Latin, often without reference, and the notes at the end of the book are very helpful. Thoreau's experience becomes the one Americans want to live at least without being in too much danger as he would have been in the true wild still available at that time in the lives of say the trappers or mountain men of the Rockies or any native American. As such it is an in between way of living wild.

So Thoreau's work is definitely worth reading even for only the historical value or the literature it represents. It stands by itself.

If anyone can describe what life is really about it is Thoreau. Even in the 1830's he gave relevant advice that can tie into everything in today's world. Every sitting a new and exciting idea to ponder over. Thoreau reminds us all of the confusing yet wonderful world we live in. Most of all Thoreau in Walden makes a tribute to the indivdual and tells us to follow our dreams, because they are just that ours. The best book I've read by far!

I took only one book (Walden) recently when I packed light for a trip 240 miles down the Haul Road along the Trans Alaska Pipeline to the farthest north truck stop at Coldfoot. We live in Barrow, Alaska and wanted to get away to a simpler life for a bit.
The tundra colors were spectacular and when we finally got to trees they were all gold and red. And there were caribou, dall sheep and musk ox.
Our room at Coldfoot was very basic --two small beds, a chair and small closet ---that was it. No data ports, no TV, radio or phone.
So we read a lot and I felt fortunate to have Thoreau with us.
Even when it rained heavily and we had to shorten our daily hike, Walden Pond was there to recharge me, hopefully help me get out from under in this heavily consumer society.
I love this man's insights, and am sorry he died at the early age of 45. This book is so current today. Please read it and share the ideas.
Oops, now I am communicating about "Walden" over the Internet on a fairly new computer. Well, maybe will have to read the book again. Enjoy friends!!
Earl

This book might look good on a coffee table, but that's about all. It gives little information on how to build treehouses and lacks the genearal knowledge of other treehouse authors. If you want the best book on treehouses, check-out the original, The Treehouse Book, by David Stiles. His book gives detailed designs on how to build many different treehouses and helps you decide which one is best for you. Mr Stiles has written on the subject for over thirty years and has published several other books on treehouses, including, Tree Houses You Can Actually Build. These books enlighten and inform, rather than just visually stimulate. Anyone interested in learning about or building a treehouse would do well to pass on this book and go straight to the source--Mr Stiles--the treehouse guru.

What a delightful book filled with mystical wonder and beautiful photography. We generally associate treehouses with children and the exuberance of youth, but....I want one! My own space, a private place to recapture lost youth, a place to dream, recollect thoughts, be at one with the stars and the universe - how magical life could be. There is no question my talented husband could build one; though not a professional, he truly is talented at that sort of thing as a hobby. But, there is a chance I would appear in the backyard on a bright summer's morn, only to hear him exclaim, "Treehouse? You wanted a treehouse? I thought you said "birdhouse," and then I do have a problem because how would I ever fit through that that tiny little round hole in the centre? Even if he did get the plans right, there is also the off-chance my family would insist on building a safety net around the treehouse, just in case dear old granny fell OUT of her tree! Possibly, they would insist the resident counsellor also have her own "branches checked out," just in case she was missing a few twigs off the upper branch.

Well, whether you are simply dreaming or actually making a treehouse a reality, this is a wonderful book filled with beautiful photography and treehouses galore of every description. The authors have put extensive research into this intriguing and attractive book, so if you are fascinated by treehouses, this is a book you are sure to enjoy.

I have read every one of Peter Nelson's books, and he is not only a beautiful writer, but also a gifted craftsman. If you want to dream about living in the trees or even make it a reality...each of these books will give you a wonder-filled ride through the pages as well as technical information and all the motivation you might need to build your own. The stories and photographs are breath taking and alive. I have been lucky enough to witness Peter Nelson's craftsmanship in person, but it also comes alive through the pages of all three of his books. Go buy each one of the books right away and see for yourself the wonder of "living out on a limb". Fantastic!

I came across this book at the local library and was intrigued by it's Walden like premise. The first half of the book, which dealt more with the building and moving to the cabin and talked about his earlier experiences in the woods, was fairly entertaining. The rest of the book was a chore to complete. It grew difficult to listen to this grown man whine and complain about his life: how he lost touch with his wife (it always seemed to be her fault), how work was interfering with his spirit, and how he shares his feelings (constantly) with his circle of friends. The chapters describing his experiences in nature in the second half of the book tended to be pedantic ("I did this. I saw that."). ."). Overall, I agree with the first reviewer. There are much better books to be read that cover these topics.

This book proved to be a major disappointment to me. There are far better modern day books on building a cabin in the woods and surviving (see Coming out of the Woods-Kaufman). There is Bryson's Walk in the Woods for humour and environmental insight. And as far as coming to terms with the ending of marriage grief ,stick to Heat-Moon's Blue Highways. What Brill accomplishes here is very little new ground and I don't think he has a very good way of saying it. The first 90% of this book is about how awful his wife is- reducing her to someone who dislikes him because he didn't provide her with a large home, big car and country club membership- hard to believe she would be that shallow. He wishes only to be with his kids during the good times and gets his best revelations at drunken Halloween parties. He selfishly builds a cabin in the woods and doesn't unserstand her aloofness. Maybe he should have asked her. Than after forty years he finds religion- just when its convient because he needs forgiveness. If Brill spent as much time talking and communicating with his wife and kids as much as he sits on the Rock Of Contemplation he might not have had to written this mess. This tale is too little naturalist story("We saw Foam flowers"): too one sided divorce tale( she stopped this, she did that) and too little on cabin life (I had to split the logs for the fire) to be helpful to anyone. The only thing keeping this from one star or less review is he does come to some realization of his transgressions in the end(while repairing a riding tractor no less a condescending sexist swipe at his wife again). Take my advice... read the books mentioned in the beginning of review first. If you've done that go outside and enjoy what you have learned from the masters and leave Brill to himself, I think he likes it that way.

Like many people, the idea of settling in the wooded mountains has always held a fascination to me. For that reason, I breezed through the book soon after it arrived and found it to be a fairly thorough summary of the author's experience. He recounts in some detail how he arrived at the decision to build, settling on a location, finding a builder and his excitement at seeing this hope realized. Many of us toy with the idea; he made it happen which I find immensely admirable. And I couldn't get enough of Brill's description of rural, East Tennessee!

That said, his frequent departures relaying the pain of his failed marriage gave the book a dismal tone that was, to me, a little tedious. To be fair, his divorce was obviously a monumental event, marking this season in his life and shaping his decision to retreat to the woods; it warrants more than just a fleeting reference, I suppose.

All in all, a very well-written and engaging book. Certainly worth reading. Four stars.

An extraordinary thriller centring around the heroine, Elise Andrioli, who has been left blind, mute and quadriplegic as a result of an IRA bomb in Northern Ireland.
Back home in France, Elise leads a sedentary and solitary life and when a number of murders of boys take place, she is befriended by a little girl, Virginie, who confides that she has witnessed the murders. This sets the scene for an unusual and intriguing whodunnit. Elise, a very different heroine, is fabulously witty and sarcastic in the manner she relates to the reader her thoughts and opinions on the characters she comes into contact with.
Its a creepy, spine-chilling, roller-coaster of a book and one which I enjoyed immensely. This book is highly recommended.

Brigitte Aubert's first book to be translated into English, "Death from the Woods" has received critical acclaim. Among the books many fine points is its protagonist, Elise Andrioli, who has been hailed as a brilliantly original character. Actually, Elise's situation - paralayzed, blind and mute - is similar to the heroine of Patricia Carlon's "The Whispering Wall", who is left paralyzed and mute after a stroke. That said, "Death from the Woods" is a brilliant read and a wonderful study in suspense.

We "see" all the action from Elise's point of view and the story unfolds in a highly entertaining mixture of suspense, terror and wonderfully black humor. A self-described "living vegetable", Elise tries to figure out who "Death from the Woods" - a serial killer who's been murdering young boys in her Paris suburb - could be. The cast of suspects includes Virginie, the young girl who first tells Elise that she saw "Death from the Woods" come for the boys, Virginie's father Paul, the local police captain, and virtually every character that Elise comes into contact with. Hampered by her inability to communicate - she can only raise an index finger in response to "yes/no" questions - or move, Elise must find a way around her handicap. Naturally, the book builds to a confrontation between Elise and the killer which is superbly done and full of suspense.

Some readers have criticized the book's overly convoluted plot - some have even called it contrived - that requires a great deal of explaining at the end. To some extent, I can understand their frustration as this is a whodunnit with a very complex plot and the unfamiliarity of French names for an American audience may require some backtracking to reacquire a lost thread or two. But at the end of the day, it's all worth it because Elise is a wonderful character who paves over all the little cracks and flaws in the novel. Funny, bitter, courageous and quirky, she is a character that readers can really fall in love with. Aubert is said to be working on a sequel and I for one can hardly wait - I might even have to start brushing up on my French again!

The talented Brigitte Aubert has written this thriller in a style that immerses the reader into the body and mind of Elise, a mute and blind quadriplegic woman who has been told shocking and secret information about recent murders and disappearances of several young boys. The reader struggles to solve the murders with the same limitations Elise has, especially being mute and blind. The only descriptions of scene and characters from Elise's point of view are through the senses of touch and hearing.

Aubert has created a psychologically strong Elise who has a quick wit, keen mind, and clever sense of humor which help her overcome physical impairment so severe she is limited to raising her index finger as her only way of answering questions in the affirmative. Her strong mind helps her survive situations that would methodically drive a weaker person into incapacitating despair.

For a first rate mystery from a truly unique perspective portraying the resiliency of the human spirit, this is a highly recommended thriller.

A collection of few chapters with the authors own ideas and thoughts thrown in too liberally, it is more of the author's view of Tiger Woods. Does not qualify as an biography, just a bunch of articles. Does has a few gems which make it worthwhile.

This is a good book for any Tiger fan. It can be read by kids who have achieved this reading level, on up to any adult. If you're a Tiger fan, read this one.

Over the past century golf has produced some of the greatest players of all times. None, however, have reached the caliber of skill and magnitude of Eldrick "Tiger" Woods. In such a short time and at an early age Tiger has raised the sport of golf to a higher level. Who is this young man who has broken golf records, establishes new ones and inspires a new generation to seriously take up the sport of golf?

David Owen deals with that question in this well written and concise book about Tiger Woods and his impact upon golf. He examines Woods' training, his place in history, his impact on the sport and the public's fascination with him. As a contributing editor of Golf Digest, our author doesn't inundate you with Woods' golf statistics. Nor does he give you an in depth expose of Tiger's life. Owen gives a positive even handed treatment of Woods life and career. He is just as fascinated with this young phenomenon of golf as we are but doesn't worship Woods. He respects and admires this young sportsman.

I enjoyed this book because it enlighten me about the development of Woods' career. Tiger comes across as a disciplined young man who is highly competitive, focused and has high expectations of himself and for those around him. His aura and the way he has carried himself forces his opponents to improve their game. Tiger's impact upon golf is immense as Owen has shown throughout the story.

This is an excellent book for fans of Woods, golf enthusiasts and those who love sports in general. I am not a sports fan but I picked up this book in passing. I was impressed by Woods' character, discipline and commitment. I highly recommend this book which has given us a snap shot of a true sportsman that adults and young people can admire and emulate. Woods has made himself one of the greatest golf players of all time but he has transcended the game. He serves as an example of excellence for life whose lessons we can certainly take to heart.