I am a Colorado Plateau freak who probably has better than 50 books on the area, and who has taken at least a dozen vacations to the area. Of all of my own books and some I don't own, but have read on the area, this is one of the very best.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was created in 1996. It was long overdue. The monument (And it should be a full-fledged National Park, IMHO.), preserves the most single significant block of Cretaceous strata in the world, numerous exquisite arches and slot canyons of exceptional size and beauty, tremendous geological faults, colorful, spectacular rock formations, fossilized animals and plants, and irreplaceable Native American relics and structures. The area is still being explored and more of these and other wonders are being located each year.

This excellent book covers all of these matters and more in considerable written detail. Magnificent color photography follows the text and lays open this wonderful country for all to see. The text is carefully drafted, and the photos follow the text very well.

If you never have the good fortune to visit this area, this book will give a very fine glimpse into the need for its preservation. If you have visited it, as I have, the book will evoke countless pleasant memories. IF YOU ARE GOING TO VISIT IT, for the first time, or on a repeat basis, read this book thoroughly to make intelligent decision about what to see and do, since you can't possibly see it all in one trip.

This book receives the highest recommendation.

Heart of the Desert Wild, first book by author Greer Chesher and first complete book for photographer Liz Hymans, won the nonfiction category at the Utah State Book Awards in November 2001! Last year Terry Tempest Williams won that award, and the competition was excellent this year - the third year Utah has participated in the Library of Congress, Center for the Book's program. In addition to the usual information found in interpretive books, "Heart of the Desert Wild" features an opening chapter that describes the importance of public lands in general and this monument in particular. Ms. Hymans, one of the leading professional panoramic photographers in the US, illuminates the text with 135 magnificent photos, and Ms. Chesher's text is both informative and a pleasure to read.

This is an excellent book. If you've never been to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument -- and few have -- you'll want to see this book. It's like a voyage to another planet. And if you have been there, you'll certainly want to have this book. It's a memorable summary of an unforgetable place. The photographs of panoramic photographer Liz Hymans are spectacular -- breath-takingly beautiful. And the text by Greer Chesher graphically captures the amazing details of this exotic land. My words, however glowing, can't do justice to the scope and wonder of this book. So I'll just save my effort -- and save you reading more of this dull review -- to say: Go look at the book itself! You won't be disappointed.

Excellent book for use during any medieval or knight study. Fourth grade boys in particular would love this book, however, any student in elementary would enjoy the book. The illustrations are very good. Younger students may need the book read to them. Goes along with King Arthur studies and tales.

I am a hardcore Trina Schart Hyman fan, so this book is just another in my collection of her art work. The pictures are stunning. My kids spend hours looking at the pictures. The Red night, blue night, black night theme does get a little old though. The story is about a strange man who comes to King Arthur to ask three favors. After a year, the stranger sets off to free a princess trapped in a tower. He has to face many knights along the way and proves his worthyness in doing so.

The illustrations are wonderful, and if you like sweet, honest Sir Gareth, as I do, you will enjoy this story, even though it's a kids' book. :)

While there isn't a lot of overwhelming published evidence that aspartame is horribly bad for you, there is a lot of empirical evidence from many people that it can cause headaches, temporary memory loss and other sypmtoms. Just like MSG, many clinical studies have been done to show that it DOESN'T have any effect, but a negative study proves only that THAT study revealed nothing. However, I know several people who, when they eat these substances unawares, get plenty sick. So it can't be all imagination.

Along with Russell Blaylock's book Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, this book is very useful to read for you to decide if you want to consume this artificial sweetner. There is even some evidence afloat that substituting diet sweetners doesn't actually lead to any appreciable weight loss, and that the mere taste of sweetness is interpreted by the brain as having EATEN a real sweet, and weight gain can occur. There are other concerns that aspartame and MSG have neurological effects.

Aspartame has crept into so many commercially prepared foods; even foods with sucrose sometimes have added aspartame. It's also found in vitamin drinks, gums and many other products. In fact it is getting darn hard to avoid.

In any case, there are fine alternatives to aspartame: if you are diabetic, you of course must limit carbohydrates, especially sweets. If you just substituting something for sugar because you are dieting, try substituting stevia extract (a sweet tasting herb found in some healthfood stores) or using a small amount of raw sugar or honey and just limiting your sweet intake. The less sweets you eat, the less you'll want, and you'll start to notice and enjoy the natural sweetness of fruits and even vegetables.

If you read this book, you'll also get a lot out of Blaylock's book on Excitotoxins. Both are essential reading to anyone who is concerned about their diet.

Just how safe is the artificial sweetener aspartame (more commonly known as NutraSweet), currently used in many thousands of products and consumed by hundreds of millions of people? Readers may be surprised to learn that a number of common medical problems are actually adverse reactions to products containing aspartame. Author H. J. Roberts, MD, a board-certified internist with impressive credentials, first became suspicious of aspartame when he encountered an increasing number of patients with a wide variety of symptoms, like headaches, mood swings, memory loss, dizziness, depression, insomnia, diarrhea and anxiety, among others. Based in hundreds of case studies, Roberts concluded that these unexplained symptoms were actually reactions to products containing aspartame. The book not only looks at the clinical picture of aspartame, but describes how it received FDA approval without undergoing testing in humans and how the U.S. Senate allowed this well-financed chemical additive to receive government approval.

Reading this book informed me about the health problems associated with aspartame. Most people conclude that headaches are the only side effect, but there are many more immediate and longer lasting effects. If you or anyone you love is suffering from unexplanable health problems,read this book and become informed about the real dangers that come with ingesting aspartame.

This is an excellent book. It really does a number on superstition! I can't imagine anyone reading this book would still be superstitious. And since far too many people waste time and money on superstition (I couldn't believe one of our PRESIDENTS would change his schedule based on superstition), putting the axe in this kind of thinking at a young age, would benefit everybody (as the book so well explains).

My 8 year old was very curious about this book. I could let her read some of it, but since she has not yet learned division and multiplication, the section on probability would be completely lost on her, which is a shame, since the probability theory so well explains unusual events. This is important, since so many superstitious people would attribute the unusual events to something superstitious; using probability to explain these events defuses their so-called "proofs".

My daughter will have to wait for a while, but she will definitely read it when she is older (and so will my other - younger - daughters). This is a must for every schoolkid 10 or older (actually, it's a must for just about anybody with any superstitious tendencies, including those who believe in horoscopes).

This is a wonderful book about scientific thinking for kids older than 10. Warning to parents: this book does a number on Santa! My son (younger and not yet de-mythed) enjoyed the book immensely. I read it to him and skipped the offending paragraphs. Had the author skipped the Santa stuff this book would be great for gifted/talented kids who are much younger -- the writing is that clear and engaging!

Excellent introductory book on the acquisition of knowledge, with special emphasis on the reliability and utility of the scientific method. A must read for children. I would also recommend it to older adults who are lacking in knowledge concerning the scientific method and how sound logic and reasoning is applied.

As someone who has self injured for over 25 years (since age 5), this was THE book that helped me to start coming out of my denial and being able to seek help. While it can be triggering, it is outweighed by the number of "ahhhh haaa's" one get's from reading it. It was very enlightening and helped me to reduce the shame I'd experienced, enough that I could finally seek help. One thing ESPECIALLY unique about this book is that it does not limit itself to cutting and burning - it deals with all forms of self injury - something that FEW books on the topic of self injury do. If you are looking to buy just one book on the topic, let this be it...

This book has been a very healing guide for me. Not only from reading it, but also from being one of the 15 who participated in its writing. Reading back now on my own words has given me continued encouragement and hope. Jane did such a wonderful job of being a voice for me and the 14 others who interviewed. I didn't feel like I was ever heard when I expressed my emotions, and when I expressed them through self-injury, I usually got negative feedback. I feel Jane has allowed me to be heard, but this time it is through feedback that has contributed to the healthy lifestyle I live with today. God bless you Jane.

I respect what the previous reviewer wrote about triggering. But for me, the possibility of triggering is outweighed by the realization that I am not alone in dealing with this issue in my life. I saw real hope in the words of women who have to a greater or lesser degree found ways to creatively deal with lessening or eliminating self-injury in their lives. I spent decades believing I was alone in this struggle.

If you use self-injury in your life, you will find yourself saying "She's just like me!" countless times. Being able to do this is a great relief.

I learned that self-injury is in fact a creative method of dealing with intolerable situations, and I realized that it in fact served a valuable, LIFE SAVING purpose in my life. I know this sounds absurd to people who cannot imagine self-injury at all, but believe me, please, it is true. I also learned that its value to me properly diminished as I acquired new, safer ways to deal with the overwhelming memories of my past. This book, in combination with therapy, gave me ideas and tools for retiring my old, dangerous, yet valuable ways of dealing with my feelings.

Thanks to Jane Wegscheider Hyman and the fifteen women she interviewed.

This is a fine reference! It asks the hard questions, and the workbook exercises are designed to help everyone over the tough answers. Readable, practical, most helpful.

"Don't merge without it!"

This book is invaluable when your nonprofit is going through any form of strategic restructuing, up to and including mergers. As someone who has participated in nonprofit merger negotiations--both as a consultant and a board member representing a nonprofit--I believe this book can make the difference between success and failure.

Not only does David La Piana talk the talk in this book, he has also walked the walk. As an Executive Director of a nonprofit for many years--and having successfully led that organization through several mergers--La Piana understands the realities facing nonprofit managers and board members. His approach to strategic restructuring is pragmatic, and has enabled his consulting firm to become THE experts on nonprofit mergers in the country.

Even if you're just thinking about restructuring your nonprofit, buy this book!! You will save your nonprofit time, money, and energy, as well as protect your own sanity during the process.

Shawn Reifsteck (Masters in Nonprofit Administration)
CEO, Philanthropy Associates

I wrote this book because there was no other resource available to nonprofit leaders that provided a thorough, easily understandable road map to negotiating and executing a merger. As both an executive and a consultant I have been involved with more than 60 nonprofit mergers and have learned what works and what does not in these difficult, emotional undertakings. This workbook provides all the tools you need: decision trees, worksheets, and special tips, to make your merger work. Check it out!

As far as I know, this is the first major anthology on Tu B'Shevat, which is the "Birthday of the Trees" on the Jewish calendar. The book begins with an excellent essay called "The Living Tree: A Festival's Growth through History" by Arthur Waskow. His essay traces the development of Tu B'Shevat from an agricultural tax-date associated with tithing in biblical times, to a mystical meal to renew the Tree of Life in the Middle Ages, to it's current focus on ecology and global survival.

Waskow's essay becomes the framework for arranging the rest of the book like a growing tree. After all, the Torah is called a "Tree of Life"! The "roots" of Tu B'Shevat are found in biblical Judaism, the strong "trunk" was formed in rabbinical Judaism, and the "branches" are various post-Talmudic movements such as Kabbalah and Hasidism, Zionism and the Land of Israel, modern Eco-Judaism, etc. Finally, there is a section on the Festival itself, which includes a variety of essays, songs, and other resources for celebrating the holiday.

Parts of this book are heavy on the "Jewish Renewal" POV, which is not surprising, since the "eco-kosher" movement began in that circle. Some of the material, such as the "Olamama" love song to Mother Earth by Hannah Tiferet, is a bit too neo-pagan for my Orthodox tastes. And while "The Bear in Me" is a nice idea for a song about nature waking up in the spring, the words "There's a bear hibernating in the crook of a tree" are not true to life -- unless the tree is meant to be a metaphor for Tu B'Shevat. Real bears do not hibernate in trees!

On the other hand, there's quite a bit of traditional material, too -- some of it never before published in English. Of special interest to me are a translation of the Ari's 16th-century kabbalistic version of the Tu B'Shevat seder, and a translation of a "lost" medieval poem called "Shemona Esrei of the Trees." The latter was unknown in modern times until it was re-discovered among the manuscripts that Solomon Schechter brought back from the Cairo genizah in 1896. It continued to languish in the obscurity of academe until Joyce Galaski fell in love with it and did this translation. The poem, which is believed to date to around the 10th or 11th century, is the oldest known liturgical piece based on this festival. Not only that, it's beautiful! (The Hebrew text of the poem is also included.)

The rabbinical "trunk" section has two excellent pieces on the halachic principle of "bal taschit" ("you shall not destroy") and how it was expanded from a biblical prohibition against cutting down fruit trees in times of war (Deut. 20:19-20) into a general prohibition against vandalism, wastefulness, conspicuous consumption, and any unnecessary destruction of resources.

These examples are only a tiny nibble of the many gourmet tastes of Torah to be sampled in "Trees, Earth, and Torah." Like all such anthologies, it's definitely a mixed bowl of fruit, some sweeter than others. Taken as a whole, however, the book is a wonderful feast! It should be in every Jewish library.

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Since Tu B'Shvat is arguably the most vegetarian of Jewish holidays because of its many connections to vegetarian themes and concepts, vegetarians should joyfully welcome the publication of this anthology with its abundance of material that should contribute to the increasing popularity of this mid-winter holiday. All who are looking for ways to apply new, creative approaches to ancient festivals should also be pleased.

Among the following valuable and interesting features the book contains are:
1) An introductory essay by Arthur Waskow that traces Tu B'Shvat's growth throughout history from its original status as a day that separated trees in terms of when tithings were due, through the establishment of the Tu B'Shvat seder by the kabbalists of Sefat in the sixteenth century, through the associations with tree-planting of nineteenth century Zionists, to recent adaptations by modern environmentalists;
2) Quotations related to trees and other Tu B'Shvat-related concepts from the Torah and other Jewish sources;
3) Material related to rabbinic dicussions related to Tu B'Shvat, including a recently discovered medieval prayer, "Shmoneh Esrei for the New Year for Trees," and insightful essays on bal tashchit, the mandate to not waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, based on a Torah verse not to destroy fruit-bearing trees in wartime, by Rabbi Norman Lamm, President of Yeshiva University, and by Eilon Schwartz, Director of the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in Israel.
4) Seven items relating kabbalah and hasidism to Tu B'Shvat, including a translation of "Peri Eitz Hadar," a kabbalistic Tu B'Shvat seder.
5) Five items relating Tu B'Shvat to Zionism and the land of Israel, including an extensive analysis of how the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet le-Yisrael) used tree plantings on Tu B'Shvat to educate young Israelis on love of the land of Israel and nature.
6) Thirteen wide-ranging items on connections between Tu B'Shvat themes and "eco-Judaism' and current environmental problems, including essays relating the holiday to recent efforts to save the Redwood forests and an analysis of current environmental threats by Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological seminaryt.
7) Much wonderful material to help celebrate Tu B'Shvat today, including blessings for the seder, suggestions for cooking up a Tu B'Shvat seder, suggestions to involve children in the Tu B'Shvat seder and other holiday-related activities, suggestions about planting and taking care of trees, suggestions about new Tu B'Shvat traditions, recipes, and songs.
8) An article co-authored by Jonathan Wolf and this author on "Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Tu B'Shvat," which discusses aspects of "the most vegetarian holiday".
9) Sources for Learning and Doing ("Seeds"), including a listing of "Environmental Organizations, Publications, and Videos," a discussion of several Tu B'Shvat seder Haggadot, and sources for information about tree planting.
This brief summary can only give a taste of the many "fruity" delights in this book, and I regret having to leave out mention of many significant themes and distinguished authors. Because of its many environmental and vegetarian connections, I hope that this wonderful anthology will be widely read and discussed so that it will meet its potential to play a major role in the expansion and enhancement of an increasingly popular Tu B'Shva

The quality and variety of the selections are amazing: poetry by Marge Piercy & Marcia Falk, songs by Shefa Gold & Hanna Tiferet Siegel, scholarly articles by Miles Krassen & Howard Eilberg-Schwartz, the original Kabbalistic Seder from Safed & Ellen Bernstein's seder for today, meditations on trees by Ismar Schorsch and Zalman Schachter, wonderful papercuts and a cartoon comix by Joel Lurie Grishaver, fruit-dish recipes from Iran and India, essays on tree-planting in Israel -- totally delicious, not only for preparing Tu B'Shvat celebrations but also browsing anytime of year.

For as long as I can remember, every Christmas Eve my family would gather around my dad as he read this story to us. Although we are all adults now, and two spouses have entered the family, we all still look forward to hearing this story read aloud. We practically know it by heart. It captures the warmth and beauty of the simplicity of sharing, with humorous characters and perfect illustrations to match. And I know the tradition will continue on in our own families.

If you want to start a Christmas tradition for your children, their children and following generations...this is THE book to have. It's a story about giving, sharing and all those important ideals we want our children to carry with them into adulthood.

I have read this book EVERY year for the past 15 years and I just read it again. I laugh and then I cry and then when it's over I hold it tight for just a minute to make sure the happy feeling lasts! My grandchilren are old enough now for us to enjoy it together...and we will.

I would not care for this book. That is why I only gave it four stars. After reading the first story, I think if you have a daughter who is sensitive and does not care for violence you should look elsewhere for a book for her. My son really enjoys it though, which is good as I bought it for him. The illustrations are beautiful as they should be in a children's book and the stories, though short, are able to develop character better than most modern children's books do.

In this day and age, young girls are bombarded with not-so positive images of midriffs, barbies, and some rather unwholesome popstars. The "Serpent Slayer" offers a refreshing change of perspecitve. This book is a collection of tales from around the world, retold in an up to date, easy to understand and yet beautifully written format. The stories are specifically about strong, clever women. The illustrations are excellent and the main characters are uncompromising. The tales have classic fairy tale plots; dragons, thieves, mythical gods, and lions (oh my!). At only a couple pages each, a story can be read aloud in a reasonable amount of time, making them perfect for bedtime. Although I recommend this specifically for girls, I am sure children of any gender and age would be equally enthralled. I know I was! Buy this book! We need more like it.

This fabulously illustrated, enlightening story book is interesting to children of all sexes: in fact, I've given this twice as gifts to boys and they are as entertained by the tales of these heroines as they would have been by Robin Hood or St. George.

This book tells the traditional story of Sleeping Beauty with magnificent language, accompanied by spectacular illustrations. As in the original, Sleeping Beauty's mother is told that her dream of having a child would finally come true and that she would have a baby girl. The Queen did have the baby girl and her husband was so pleased he threw the biggest and grandest birthday party. He invited all but one person and not inviting her was the result in a terrible spell cast upon his daughter, Briar Rose. The spell was to put her to sleep on her 15th birthday, in which it did, after she touched the spinning wheel. Only a handsome man could wake her from the spell, and many years later that is what one man did. By kissing her, she returned to life and brought the whole castle life back with her. What catches the reader's attention in this particular book is the depth and colors of the illustrations. The position of the text also is very relevant in this story. Each picture is extremely detailed and shows that a great amount of thought was put into completing each page. It is very unique that the placement of the words on each page is located in some form of an opening. The text is placed in open skies, doorways, and blank walls on each page. In the beginning of the book, when the tone is darker, opening words are placed in a smaller and darker area; when Sleeping Beauty is awoken, the tone is much livelier. An example of this transition is relevant on the first two pages of the book, from the time when you are told the Queen could not have children to the time she has given birth to a baby girl. The first picture has dark colors and the trees are scary, close together and representative of a dark tone. With a turn of the page the tone takes a great positive change with open skies, doves, and vibrant colors. The text on both pages is in the middle of the darkness and then in the middle of a window. The position of the text and the illustrations are key factors in determining the over all tone and mood of the story. This book tells such an amazing story with the pictures that words are not even necessary. Children can read this book and better understand because of the colors and detail that each picture possesses. The doves that are used on the page of the birth of Briar Rose and the end of the book symbolize her life and what joy she lived. The colors in general are also used a symbol for joy and sadness, with such powerful colors meaning and representing happy times.

Trina Schart Hyman entranced me with her illustrations of Snow White when I was just a child. This book, with all its wonderful depictions, is equally as rich and magical. I have always loved the way her drawings looked and she was a direct inspiration for me to take up illustration when I got to college. I definitely reccomend it. It is a lovely, well-written tale and anyone, young or old, will love it.

As soon as you see the cover, you will know this is an edition of Sleeping Beauty that you will want. You actually feel the joy of the baby's christening, and the hurt and turmoil of the wicked fairy's curse. The scenes in this book are medeieval looking and it even shows some of the seasons that pass. This might not be the way that you see Sleeping Beauty often depicted. The princess, Briar Rose has long red hair and she wears a knife around her waist, in true medieval princess style. This is definetly a good change for the story. With it's expressive wording and beautiful, unique illustrations, you will want to check out her other books such as Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and some others!!!!