Water for Elephants: A Novel
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Water for Elephants
  • Glad I didn't turn it down
  • Excellent story; expertly told
  • Magnificent read
  • I DON'T WANT IT TO END!
Water for Elephants: A Novel
Sara Gruen
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1565124995

Amazon.com

Jacob Jankowski says: "I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other." At the beginning of Water for Elephants, he is living out his days in a nursing home, hating every second of it. His life wasn't always like this, however, because Jacob ran away and joined the circus when he was twenty-one. It wasn't a romantic, carefree decision, to be sure. His parents were killed in an auto accident one week before he was to sit for his veterinary medicine exams at Cornell. He buried his parents, learned that they left him nothing because they had mortgaged everything to pay his tuition, returned to school, went to the exams, and didn't write a single word. He walked out without completing the test and wound up on a circus train. The circus he joins, in Depression-era America, is second-rate at best. With Ringling Brothers as the standard, Benzini Brothers is far down the scale and pale by comparison.

Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob's life with this circus. Sara Gruen spares no detail in chronicling the squalid, filthy, brutish circumstances in which he finds himself. The animals are mangy, underfed or fed rotten food, and abused. Jacob, once it becomes known that he has veterinary skills, is put in charge of the "menagerie" and all its ills. Uncle Al, the circus impresario, is a self-serving, venal creep who slaps people around because he can. August, the animal trainer, is a certified paranoid schizophrenic whose occasional flights into madness and brutality often have Jacob as their object. Jacob is the only person in the book who has a handle on a moral compass and as his reward he spends most of the novel beaten, broken, concussed, bleeding, swollen and hungover. He is the self-appointed Protector of the Downtrodden, and... he falls in love with Marlena, crazy August's wife. Not his best idea.

The most interesting aspect of the book is all the circus lore that Gruen has so carefully researched. She has all the right vocabulary: grifters, roustabouts, workers, cooch tent, rubes, First of May, what the band plays when there's trouble, Jamaican ginger paralysis, life on a circus train, set-up and take-down, being run out of town by the "revenooers" or the cops, and losing all your hooch. There is one glorious passage about Marlena and Rosie, the bull elephant, that truly evokes the magic a circus can create. It is easy to see Marlena's and Rosie's pink sequins under the Big Top and to imagine their perfect choreography as they perform unbelievable stunts. The crowd loves it--and so will the reader. The ending is absolutely ludicrous and really quite lovely. --Valerie Ryan

Book Description

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.
Jacob was there because his luck had run out—orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act—in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Surprising, poignant, and funny, Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Water for Elephants.......2007-10-09

This book is a good read. It is interesting on several levels--the reflections and remembrances of an old man; life in an assisted living facility; treatment of the elderly; real life reflections of life in a circus during the depression. For those who love the circus, it brings the behind the scenes events of a circus to life and makes us remember the times when the circus came rolling into town on a train, with the requisite circus parade of clowns, elephants,lions, etc. Sara Gruen's a good story teller.

5 out of 5 stars Glad I didn't turn it down.......2007-10-09

I have seen this book on the best seller list for a long time now. I would read the reviews here on amazon, pick it up in the bookstore only to put it down again, thinking this just isn't my type of book. A few weeks ago I was talking with a collegue about recent books we have read. She told me she just finished Water for Elephants. Usually we like the same sort of books, so I had to ask her what she thought, I told her I just never bought it because it seemed so not interesting. She encouraged me to read it, she said it was wonderful.

Well, she was right! It was amazing. It read like a true story, and I am sure the author did her research. This book really made you feel for the main character, in current time and his past with the circus. It was sad at times, but also funny and thoughtful. I read it in less than a week and it was one of those books that although you coudn't wait to see what happened, you didn't want it to end.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent story; expertly told.......2007-10-09

Water for Elephants is a compelling story told from the memory of a ninety-one (or ninety-three)year-old man named Jacob Jankowski. The story begins as Jacob prepares to sit for his veterinary exams at Cornell University. He receives word that his parents have been killed in a car accident and things go downhill from there. He ends up as part of a circus and the next three-and-a-half months are mostly a living hell, except for Marlena.

The story goes back and forth between the present time in the "assisted-living" home where Jacob resides and his memories of the past. His children/grandchildren/great grandchildren take turns visiting him, but first-born son, Simon, misses the most important day of all. In the end, this misstep creates for Jacob, and the reader, a most satisfying end to a moving and heartwarming life story. (A bonus in this book is what the reader learns about circus life in the early part of the 20th century, most of which is pretty nasty.)

As I care for my aged mother in her home, I am very grateful that we have been able to keep her here. This book provides a perspective from the viewpoint of the very elderly, who, while not as quick on all fronts as they once were, are still thinking, feeling beings.

Carolyn Rowe Hill

5 out of 5 stars Magnificent read.......2007-10-09

The title of this book attracted me; the cover blurb sounded good; and who can resist an elephant as a character in an adult book? So even though I was not famliar with the author, I bought this book, and oh how glad I am that I did. What a magnificent read! The characters are delightful. The author's tone and pacing are fantastic as she seamlessly moves you from the present to the past, never leaving you wanting at the end of either time period as she moves her story relentlessly forward. At the end of this book I had a strange and wonderful reaction. I actually hugged it to me and just sat there for a minute or so thinking about how good I felt and wondering what the main character might be doing now.

5 out of 5 stars I DON'T WANT IT TO END!.......2007-10-08

I have only fifty pages left....and I don't want it to end! This is one of those books in which the characters become so familiar to you that you know you'll miss their company when you're done with the book! I would HIGHLY recommend this book!
Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Perfect book
  • YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK
  • Beautiful photos; strange text
  • Very complete book
  • Surprisingly COMPREHENSIVE!
Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book)
Michael Littlewood
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0764321838

Book Description

Natural swimming pools rely on the correct balance of plants and microorganisms to clean and purify the water. They are a safe place for children to play and birds to drink, and are a dramatic example of ecological design, combining the natural and man-made worlds while creating beauty. These pools offer enjoyment not only in the warm months, but during winter, too, when they can be used for ice skating and other activities. Often the focal point of a garden, natural swimming pools blend into their environments, flowing into the surroundings with plants and rocks.They reflect the changing seasons and they enhance the environment naturally. They are easy and less costly to maintain than chemical pools, providing significant savings in water. Chlorine and other common pool chemicals are hazardous to human health and are not used. This book is a necessary resource for anyone interested in having a natural swimming pool and shows how a natural swimming pool system works, as well as the environmental, health, and safety benefits it offers. Drawings, diagrams, and charts cover planning, design, biology, materials, construction, planting, and maintenance. Over 300 beautiful color pictures feature projects that will inspire you to have your own natural water garden where you can swim in harmony with nature at any time.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Perfect book.......2007-09-04

Great book for all aspects of creating a variety of green/natural pools. Beautiful pictures and good illustrations and copy to help in decision making.

5 out of 5 stars YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK .......2007-08-22

Simply put this book is a MUST READ for anyone intersted in any aspect of Sustainable and Ecological Design. It should be read right along with Permaculture by Mollison, the Passive Solar Handbook by Mazria, Rainwater Harvesting by Lancaster, and ecocities to Living Machines by Todd. Even if you aren't specifically interested in making a swimming pool (which you will be after reading it) the insights into the workings of hydro-ecologies and how to design natural systems are invaluable!

If you aren't interested in the whole range of sustainability but just this particular topic of pool design then this book is STILL A MUST READ. If you're an ecologist who wants to make a pool, or a pool designer who wants to do something ecological this book provides an excellent layman's understanding of ecological design, with good technical and artistic advice for how to do it, and good technical and artistic advice for swimming pool construction.

I would still advise you to also purchase the book Poolscaping as a companion to this one.

This is an all around excellent book buy it now.

4 out of 5 stars Beautiful photos; strange text.......2007-08-01

Thumbing through the book will make you want to move to Austria or Germany where beautiful "natural" pools are somehat established. Why is the U. S. so environmentally backward? Unfortunately, the text is awkwardly translated at times such that one has to struggle to figure out what is meant with limited success.The assumption is that one is swimming only in the summer, but in California we may want to swim year round. Useful especially since so little information is available. Can't understand why the publisher didn't insist on professional proofreading.Buy it for inspiration, or wait for the next edition, or wait for one more applicable to your area. It does provide info in the back about two U.S resources, one in CA.

5 out of 5 stars Very complete book .......2007-02-24

Is the book i need for learning on natural swimming pool. Now i can make my own pool

5 out of 5 stars Surprisingly COMPREHENSIVE!.......2007-02-09

This large sized book covered the subject exceedingly well in lots of color photos with explanations and, more importantly, in lots of diagrams and nuts and bolts descriptions. I only read sections here and there but what I did read clearly indicated to me that you could actually use this book to build a natural swimming pool. At the least, you could definitely make a solid decision whether or not you could build or would want to build such a pool on your property. These pools are basically like salt water aquariums in that you have to make a biosphere and monitor it. In some ways it's not as easy as it sounds but also not as hard as it sounds. However, start up takes time and it can be tricky to finally reach environmental stabilization. I am not going to build a natural pool but I still found this book very useful. At the end this book are MANY pages of water plants and trees recommended for certain types of water areas. There are zone maps of the US included for reference. So even if you just want to make a little ornamental fountain in a big pot on the patio deck or a pond or a bog out back, this book has a VERY comprehensive set of plant lists you will find exceedingly useful. 18 pages of them. Categories include Submerged Plants, Floating Plants, Floating Leaved Plants, Shallow Marginal Plants, Deep Marginal Plants, Moisture-loving Plants, Bog/Marsh Plants, Waterside Plats-Trees & Shrubs, Ferns, Grasses Sedges Reeds and Rushes. Botanical and Common Names are listed along with height, spread, water depth, flower color, flower period, foliage, position, comments and plant zone. It's the best I've seen in any book so far.
This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent strategies
  • This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down
  • It's Not About Being Average
  • Did I read the same book as the rest of you?
  • If You're a Woman, You Need This Book!
This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down
Deborah Collins Stephens , Michealene Cristini Risley , Jackie Speier , and Jan Yanehiro
Manufacturer: Conari Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1573243051

Book Description

This Is Not the Life I Ordered is for anyone who has ever felt overworked, overwhelmed, or just plain unlucky (and, who hasn't?!). Through this collection of stories, wisdom, and practical advice, readers will meet four ordinary women who have faced extraordinary life challenges. Together, they have a history of six marriages, ten children, four stepchildren, six dogs, two miscarriages, two cats, a failed adoption, and foster parenthood. Two have lived through the death of their spouses and one was shot and left for dead on a tarmac in Guyana -- which is documented in "Jonestown" airing on PBS' American Experience

This book started simply with four friends getting together for "kitchen-table coaching sessions" to talk about their lives. Week by week and story by story, they realized their great advice to each other could help other women struggling with life's myriad issues of work, family, and love, as well as the big questions of life and death. For over a decade, the power and strength of their collective friendship enabled these women not only to survive but to thrive. They invite readers to join them to learn how they, too, can turn "misfortunate" events into joy-filled opportunities. Readers will want to share this book with every woman in their lives!

* Authors are best-selling business-book author, Deborah Collins Stephens; Emmy winner Jan Yanehiro; State Senator Jackie Speier; and entrepreneur Michealene Cristini Risley whose Flashcards was screened at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

* Authors' support circle includes Debbi Fields, Kristi Yamaguchi, Danielle Steele, Gerry Laybourne, and other power women.

* Features practical "Wit (Women in Transition) Kit" tips at the end of each chapter to help readers to be their own life coaches.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent strategies.......2007-09-12

I found this book to be very helpful as I tried to navigate through a very difficult time in my life. It gave real examples of situations that were much worse than my own, and provided practical ideas for moving forward.

5 out of 5 stars This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down.......2007-08-14

This book is so inspirational! One of the best books I have read! I highly recommend it to all women and men. I plan on getting copies for my family and women friends. Thanks ladies for sharing your life stories and the stories of so many different and unique women. You are all an inspiration! God Bless

5 out of 5 stars It's Not About Being Average.......2007-08-10

Let's face it - we all come to a point where we think, "This is not what I wanted out of life." This book is for anyone who is at that point or has experienced a personal tragedy that has continued to haunt them. Anyone could read this and instantly identify the vast gap between the average American woman and the authors whose personal stories are shared within its pages, but the point of the book is not to point out who has it worse when dealing with bad situations (a new widow in suburbia or a cmpany executive losing a 6-figure income). The point is actually to give you an idea of just how bad things can be and how you can rise above anything. The basic information provided in the "action steps" apply to just about any situation. There are fantastic motivational quotes throughout and excellent ideas for how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get going again, no matter what your circumstances. Even if you are feeling negative and pessimistic, this book can help you find positivity and optimism from those people and places that already surround you. I have recommended this book to several friends who have already read and enjoyed it just as much as I did. I returned mine to the library and promptly bought my own copy (as well as a few extras for gifts)!

1 out of 5 stars Did I read the same book as the rest of you?.......2007-07-30

I stumbled across this book while doing research for a book I am writing. I actually wanted to use the same title for a collection of humorous essays, and then felt compelled to read this one. I am only halfway through it and am exhausted from slogging through the overabundance of headings and subheadings in each chapter, the overuse of quotations, and the endless posturing and patronizing from unrelatable situations that so few women will ever face - shot in South America while disbanding a cult, crying over the loss of a $200,000 job, escaping the Khmer Rouge. How is an average American woman supposed to connect with these stories? I am sure every woman mentioned in this book is courageous, intelligent and generous. But the disjointed writing and sloppy editing make it a chore to find their true essence and a message to carry with me. I had such high hopes for this book. I am glad now that I merely borrowed it from the library rather than purchased it. I do enjoy the cartoons, though.

5 out of 5 stars If You're a Woman, You Need This Book!.......2007-07-18

I just finished reading "This is Not the Life I Ordered," by Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Michealene Cristini Risley and Jan Yanehiro and all I can say is get this book!

This book touches every human aspect possible and carves out a whole new way of looking at life. It shows the power of connecting with women on all levels. These four authors weave in their life stories as well as countless other women's life stories into a book that will become your inspiration to get through the hard times, define your life, enrich the lives of others and live your life to the fullest.

It's the kind of book that you will buy for your friends so you can connect with them on a newer, deeper level.

It's the kind of book that you will read over and over again to receive a renewed strength, sense of self and desire to do more, be more and have more.
Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Interesting overview of the not-so-intentional leader of California Cuisine
  • Saint Alice - hagiography of a restaurateur
  • Life altering
  • Fine history of fascinating people and a wonderful place to eat
  • Alice Waters and the food revolution
Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution
Thomas McNamee
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1594201153
Release Date: 2007-03-22

Amazon.com

You can't tell the story of Chez Panisse, Berkeley's famed restaurant, without relating that of its diminutive founder, proprietor, and sometime chef, Alice Waters. This is what Thomas McNamee does most handily in his Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, a chronicle that begins with the seat-of-the-pants opening night of the "counterculture" venture in 1971, and ends 35 years later with Waters's restaurant an American institution--one credited with birthing California Cuisine, a style devoted to simplicity, freshness and seasonality. The book also limns, with tasty gossip, the ever-evolving Chez Panisse family, including the cook-artisans uniquely responsible for dish creation; follows the attempts, mostly failed, to put the restaurant on sound financial footing; shows how dishes and menus get made; and of course pursues Waters as she broadens her commitment to "virtuous agriculture" by establishing ventures like The Edible Schoolyard and The Yale Sustainable Food Project.

The success of Chez Panisse--Gourmet magazine named it the best American restaurant in 2002--has everything to do with Waters, yet she remains an elusive protagonist. Sophisticated yet naive, professional and amateur, hard-driving but emotionally blurry, she invites reader interest but doesn't always satisfy it, as least as presented here. If McNamee cannot quite bring her to life, and if his tale lacks an insider's full conversance with his subject, he still engages readers in the considerable drama of people finding their way--blunderingly, with talented intent--to something new. With menus, narrated recipes, and photographs throughout, the book is vital reading for anyone interested in food, period. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

In an authorized biography-the story of Alice Waters, Chez Panisse, and the San Francisco 1970s counterculture food revolution that invented "American cuisine"

Not so long ago it was nearly impossible to find a cappuccino or a croissant in this country, and goat cheese and mesclun lettuce were virtually unheard of. Most people had no idea what "organic" food was, and even fewer thought about "sustainable farming." But in 1971, in a corner of Berkeley, California, a young Francophile named Alice Waters opened a small counterculture restaurant for her friends called Chez Panisse and launched an entirely new way of thinking about and serving food in America. Without an ounce of business sense or financial discipline, Alice relied on the coterie of devoted friends and followers who developed around her and on her strong principles of, among other things, using only locally grown and organic ingredients at the peak of their seasons, to keep her restaurant afloat. It was a reckless, extravagant, inexperienced venture that would have failed at any other time and place, but that instead-somehow-turned into a food revolution.

Today, Alice Waters may be the most important figure in the culinary history of North America. Chez Panisse revolutionized what it means to eat out and gave birth to a new nationwide cuisine-the first in this country not associated with a single region or ethnic group, the first "American" cuisine. Gourmet's 2002 appraisal ranked Chez Panisse as the best restaurant in America, and The New York Times has called Alice "the mother of American cooking." Alice has become a public figure, revered and idolized by many. The first "foodie," she has become a famous chef, activist, advocate, and spokeswoman whose personal beliefs have become the values of an entire food movement. But her complex personal character is hardly known at all.

Thomas McNamee was selected by Alice to document her story and was given exclusive access to her and her closest friends, to the Chez Panisse archives, and to private collections and memorabilia. As the story unfolds over the decades, we learn of her many passionate loves, her marriage, her divorce, the birth of her daughter Fanny, her failures, her critics. We come to know the extraordinary cast of characters who have formed the ever-shifting Chez Panisse community-a make-shift family with complex relationships, competing interests, and a strange, almost cultish, devotion to each other and to their work.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Interesting overview of the not-so-intentional leader of California Cuisine.......2007-10-08

Any foodie worth her sun-dried sea salt knows the name Alice Waters. Waters was the person who spearheaded the move to fresh, local produce that's grown sustainability and locally, and Chez Panisse is probably the most famous restaurant that most of us have never visited.

So I was particularly interested in Waters' story. I'm glad I read it, as I feel like I now know things that I ought to know... but I can't say that this is a Wow book. If you have the opportunity to read the book, do; but I don't think you have to drop everything to put it on the top of your Must Read pile.

Yes, Alice Waters created a revolution in the way that Americans, or at least food-conscious Americans, think about food. But she didn't set out to do so as though she was on a lifelong mission... she just wanted to open the sort of one-star Michelin restaurant that she had encountered across France. Through a set of remarkable happenstance (which makes me think simultaneously -- if oddly -- of both Forrest Gump and Connie Willis' Bellwether), Waters was always in the right place at the right time. The right person always showed up in her life, at the time needed. And -- here's a lesson far beyond foodiehood -- she repeatedly took disaster and turned it into opportunity.

For example, after she brought Italian wood fired pizza to the States (oh geez, she started *that* trend, too?), an oven started a huge fire. The restaurant had to be renovated in a hurry, so instead of recreating the small door between kitchen and dining room, she made a big open area... and began a trend towards the "open kitchen." Waters was just solving a problem, but her innovation started a trend.

This is all interesting stuff, and it's interwoven with the events of Waters' own life (such as a procession of lovers, her marriage, motherhood), as well as the strong personalities who have been associated with the restaurant (many of whom have become celebrity chefs or written cookbooks, too). Much of this is from quoted interviews. It's interesting, and the author does a good job (though not dispassionately, as it's clear that the author *likes* Waters). The result, though, is that I felt informed and educated, rather than blown away or inspired or fascinated. That is: I liked this book. I didn't adore it.

3 out of 5 stars Saint Alice - hagiography of a restaurateur.......2007-09-25

McNamee's book is an excellent read, no doubt. The story flows, the characters build, the plot thickens. I've been fortunate enough to often eat at Chez Panisse, particularly in its first 5 years, and had seen more than a few of the scenes the author, or one of his correspondents, describes. Alice's determination and pursuit of the best possible ingredient have always been remarkable. She's a Taurus, isn't she!

My only quibble is the rather overly respectful view McNamee takes of her. She's more a flesh and blood person than a saint, and the author might take that into account if he continues to plumb this vein of research.

All in all a fairly well researched and well written tome. Perhaps not as evocative as the chapter on Chez Panisse in David Kamp's, United States of Arugula, but a good book to open to any page & foster a laugh, a sigh or an hurrah!

5 out of 5 stars Life altering.......2007-09-06

Adored this book. It will change the whole way you look at food, from farming it to eating it. It also helped hone my palate and I am still running about buying ingrediants mentioned in it. Have bought three additional copies for friends.

5 out of 5 stars Fine history of fascinating people and a wonderful place to eat.......2007-07-05

The background and history of Chez Panisse is a grand addition to the good meals I've eaten there over many years. Thanks to the author for capturing the early years with such vitality.

5 out of 5 stars Alice Waters and the food revolution.......2007-06-08

This is an inspiring and clear-eyed view of the woman who is indisputably linked to the revolution in American cuisine. Before Alice Waters, thinking about organic food, local food, support for small farms, eating seasonal foods, food as essential to a return to civility, did not pervade the collective consciousness of our society. The book paints her, warts and all, breathtakingly well and Alice gets into your mind leaping off the pages to look over your shoulder as you buy and prepare dinner. Her revolution is not about food. It is about life and how to live it. It's a great read.
Modern Hydronic Heating for Residential and Light Commercial Buildings, 2E
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • better then the basics
  • Not for Amateurs!
  • Well written resource, covers the bases very thoroughly
  • Hydronics design
  • Good Solid Engineering, THE Hydronics Reference Manual
Modern Hydronic Heating for Residential and Light Commercial Buildings, 2E
Siegenthaler
Manufacturer: Cengage Delmar Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0766816370

Book Description

From simple applications to multi-load/multi-temperature systems, you can now learn how to use the newest and most sophisticated hydronic heating materials and methods without compromising between comfort and energy. Heavily illustrated with product shots from top manufacturers, plus more than 300 diagrams of system piping/control schematics, this one-of-a-kind introduction to today's hydronic heating systems concentrates engineering-level design information into tools that can be used by technical students and professional contractors alike. Thoroughly updated, Modern Hydronic Heating, 2nd Edition now features the latest information on state-of-the-art techniques for use in residential and light commercial buildings, such as: radiant panel heating, injection mixing, primary and secondary piping, use of buffer tanks to improve system stability, and advanced control methods. Ideal for anyone involved in the heating trades, from basic installers to design engineers, this preeminent resource of the North American hydronic heating industry is as well suited for use in a formal education course or for self-study as it is on the job.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars better then the basics.......2007-09-17

This a good book for the person who knows more then the basics and want's to move on to the next step before going a course in futher education

4 out of 5 stars Not for Amateurs!.......2007-09-15

This is an excellent reference book and readable (mostly) as well. That said, if you're a homeowner just looking for a "how-to" on maybe additional zoning or adding a new loop, this is not the book for you. You could quite literally design a system for the most complex residence using this book IF you know the basics of plumbing and HVAC work and are pretty good at basic mathmatics. It is not so much a how-to as a what-to book, so bear that in mind.

5 out of 5 stars Well written resource, covers the bases very thoroughly.......2007-05-15

Great book. Not all the way through it yet, but giving me more confidence to do my own radiant heat project. Heat loss calcs not a big mystery any more. Minor lack of detail clarifications when it comes to underslab foam insulation options. EPS--Expanded foam is perfectly acceptable alternative (and cheaper) than XPS--Extruded, when ordered to engineered compressive strength requirements. Otherwise it is giving me excellent ideas for doing my job right the first time. Don't be disuaded by cost of book. Value is there in spades--included CD is very nice.

5 out of 5 stars Hydronics design.......2007-05-14

As an architect, I was impressed with the clarity of the information and the step-by-step design process. It was so helpful, I even bought the software package the authors have developed for easily calculating hydronic designs.

4 out of 5 stars Good Solid Engineering, THE Hydronics Reference Manual.......2007-02-02

I am a special projects manager for a major tankless water heater company. I bought this book to further my knowledge of hydronic and radiant heating so I could better assist our customers when they call me for advice.

I have some experience with plumbing in the solar field and have attended a class at Uponor, so I come to this book with an amateur's level of experience.

I have only started the book, but I can say that it is extremely complete and well written. From what I have come across in trade journal articles that deal with our business, John Siegenthaler is no doubt the "Rajah of
Radiant" and all things hot water.

I use it constantly now as a reference book to learn and to help others. I plan to use it someday soon to help design my own radiant system in my solar powered straw-bale retirement home "out yonder" somewhere.

The reason I rated it as a 4 instead of a 5 is because I could not find anything about using tankless heaters as a heat source. John covers everything from normal residential gas fired tanks to high efficiency complex boilers, but doesn't address tankless which is becoming more and more popular with radiant because of the low temperature requirements (85º ~ 100º).

This second edition is dated 2004. Unfortunately, hydronic technology is moving at warp speed and we are already in 2007!
Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Wish there was something better out there.
  • Good Catalog
  • Packed with Information, Riddled with Typos and Omissions
  • Bible of Wastewater Engineering
  • MUST HAVE FOR ALL SANITARY ENGINEERS
Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse
George Tchobanoglous , and H. David Stensel
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0070418780

Book Description

Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse, 4/e is a thorough update of McGraw-Hill's authoritative book on wastewater treatment. No environmental engineering professional or civil or and environmental engineering major should be without a copy of this book- tt describes the technological and regulatory changes that have occurred over the last ten years in this discipline, including: improved techniques for the characterization of wastewaters; improved fundamental understanding of many of the existing unit operations and processes used for wastewater treatment, especially those processes used for the biological removal of nutrients; greater implementation of several newer treatment technologies (e.g., UV disinfection, membrane filtration, and heat drying); greater concern for the long term health and environmental impacts of wastewater constituents; greater emphasis on advanced wastewater treatment and risk assessment for water reuse applications; changes in regulations and the development of new technologies for wastewater disinfection; and new regulations governing the treatment, reuse, and disposal of sludge (biosolids). Greater concern for infrastructure renewal including upgrading the design and performance of wastewater treatment plants.

This revision contains a strong focus on advanced wastewater treatment technologies and stresses the reuse aspects of wastewater and biosolids.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Wish there was something better out there........2007-03-06

Although this book is one of the largest information sources for WWTP design, it is also poorly formatted and illogical in presentation of material. The reason is because it is a compilation of many individuals so there is much redundancy, some conflicting information and incoherency in the overall text. If you are looking to LEARN how to design a WWTP you will need a good aid in addition to this text. Otherwise, it is fine if you know what you are looking for.

5 out of 5 stars Good Catalog.......2007-01-13

I bought this huge volume so I could develop some puzzles in our magazine. Chemical engineers need to expand into this area largely inhabited by misplaced civil engineers. As water shortages become more prevalent, continuous recycling of water will become a necessity in chemical plants. Then, there is the cost of process chemicals needed to treat water. Many of these are hazardous wastes. You will need to know what your options are for conditioning these waters.

The author covers every form of wastewater treatment in significant detail for its genre (handbooks). I especially liked the block diagrams showing process steps. As with most handbooks, more examples would improve its use. However, with that aside, it shares a space on my shelf.

If this review helped, add your vote.

3 out of 5 stars Packed with Information, Riddled with Typos and Omissions.......2005-06-09

I have been using this text in a wastewater engineering course. It covers the different aspects of wastewater engineering well, providing in depth treatments of each. However, the great size of this book (over 1800 pages) may also be its weakness, making it an unmanageable project for the editors.

In one month of usage, I have found serious gaps in the problems. Many cross-references are incorrect, and there are some problems which omit values required for solution.

In short, this is a good source of information. With closer editing, it could be better.

5 out of 5 stars Bible of Wastewater Engineering.......2005-03-11

This is the bible of Wastewater Engineering. I'm currently a student studying Civil/Environmental Engineering and every professor I've talked to in my department has recommended this book for any type of Wastewater Treatment Plant design. If this book doesn't have the information you want (unlikely), the WEF MOP might.

5 out of 5 stars MUST HAVE FOR ALL SANITARY ENGINEERS.......2004-12-08

I can't stress enough the value in this text. Like my title states this is a must have for all sanitary engineers. The book covers everything you must know concerning wastewater treatment written by professionals working in the field. I would hope some day that they publish a book on pump stations and sanitary sewer design as well. I think that they would also be on the top of the list for these areas as well.
The Hidden Messages in Water
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • outstanding
  • The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto, David A. Thayne
  • This book deserves a minus 5 stars, I am amazed at how many good people accept without question what this guy presents
  • Enlightening
  • How of the emotions are important for the better world!
The Hidden Messages in Water
Masaru Emoto
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GaiaGaia | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0743289803

Book Description

This book has the potential to profoundly transform your world view. Using high-speed photography, Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars outstanding.......2007-10-06

this truly proves the power of our words, it is an excellent book and a must have for everyone.

5 out of 5 stars The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto, David A. Thayne.......2007-10-03

Definitely something to think about -- A must read! I purchased extra copies for friends.

1 out of 5 stars This book deserves a minus 5 stars, I am amazed at how many good people accept without question what this guy presents.......2007-09-03

I am a water efficiency consultant. I am fascinated and amazed by the magical beauty of water. But I also recognize that there are many scientific principles that govern the behavior of water. That science does not detract from the beauty and mystery of water for me. I do not need to throw science out the window to appreciate that beauty but apparently many others do. I once watched a 2 hour slide show and talk by Mr. Emoto, hoping to ask questions. He refused to take any questions afterwards, even though I had plenty. Where are the side by side comparisons of the ice structure of the same water that did not have the word or picture influences? Until similar photos are created with a control group and with the involvement of neutral 3rd party scientists, I can not believe any of the claims. But I will always have a childlike amazement at the endless beauty and mystery of water.

5 out of 5 stars Enlightening.......2007-09-03

An amazing wake up call. There is a StarTrek episode where an alien calls humans "ugly bags of mostly water"... We are all mostly water and we can create huge changes if we simply focus. Read this book to understand how you can make a huge difference in yourself and the world.

5 out of 5 stars How of the emotions are important for the better world!.......2007-07-20

This book show us how is important for the people to have good feelings and good thoughts. Perhaps, for the sceptic person this kind of experiment doesn't means anything. But I thing it's time to open our minds for the new experiments. The scientists who desagree, they must propose new experiments to refuse.
It's time to people learn that our feelings and thoughts influence matter. All of the atoms and subparticles are vibrating all the time and our thoughts and emotions are vibration too. Hence, the waves are emitted by us influence the atoms and subparticles. So I can't understand the people refuse this kind of experiment without reflection!
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water & Wastewater: Centennial Edition (Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • The biblia
  • Easly Understood by Geochemists
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water & Wastewater: Centennial Edition (Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater)

Manufacturer: American Public Health Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0875530478

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The biblia.......2006-03-13

This is a book that everyone who works with water analysis have to buy.

5 out of 5 stars Easly Understood by Geochemists.......2006-02-20

The "Standard Methods" is very well understood even for those in the non-Chemistry area that deals with environmental chemistry/geochemistry of natural waters. Besides the analytical work, many important aspects related to sampling and data interpretation are there. The 2005 Edition makes these tasks much easier.
Water Treatment: Principles and Design
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Review for Water Treatment: Principles and Design
  • Excellent
  • Water Treatment: Principles and Design
  • Water Treatment: Principles and Design
  • a good book for Environmental Engineer
Water Treatment: Principles and Design
MWH
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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  5. Environmental Biotechnology Environmental Biotechnology

ASIN: 0471110183

Book Description

The one-stop resource for all aspects of water treatment engineering-from theory to practice
Completely revised and updated to address current practices and technologies, Water Treatment: Principles and Design, Second Edition provides unique coverage of both the principles and theory of water treatment, as well as the practical considerations of plant design and distribution.
Written by the world's leading water engineering firm, Water Treatment: Principles and Design, Second Edition presents the breadth of water treatment engineering-from the theory and principles of water chemistry and microbiology to in-depth discussions of revolutionary treatment processes to concise tips for plant and network design. Material has been extensively updated and revised in response to regulatory requirements and growing public awareness, particularly in the areas of disinfection, membrane filtration, disposal of treatment plant residuals, and basic microbiology with an emphasis on human pathogens and diseases.
Water Treatment: Principles and Design, Second Edition provides an essential textbook for students and a reliable resource for environmental and water resources engineers.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Review for Water Treatment: Principles and Design.......2007-09-08

This is a great book... It covers all the basics and explains every concept well.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent.......2007-03-06

This book covers all the theory and application in an outstanding way without getting too simple or complex. The book is coherent, very well organized, and filled with excellent tables and graphs. Great examples as well. I have nothing negative to say about this text.

4 out of 5 stars Water Treatment: Principles and Design.......2007-02-20

Great condition, though not much less expensive than the bookstore.

3 out of 5 stars Water Treatment: Principles and Design.......2007-01-04

Interesting and helpful, but for $100, the book is very flimsy and has many typos.

4 out of 5 stars a good book for Environmental Engineer.......2000-07-11

I'm a Environmental Engineer Of wastewater treatment, and have worked only for one year. I am so eager to get the knowlege for this effect.
Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • To each their own...
  • Delicious!
  • Wonderful book - one of my favorites!
  • Like water for chocolate
  • magical mystical ride...
Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies
Laura Esquivel
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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  5. Pedro Paramo Pedro Paramo

ASIN: 038542017X
Release Date: 1995-10-01

Book Description

Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in tum-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit.

Download Description

Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life inturn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with itswinning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. The classic lovestory takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops onions at the kitchen table in her final days of pregnancy.

While still in her mother's womb, her daughter-to-be weeps so violentlyshe causes an early labor, and little Tita slips out amid the spices andfixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon becomes away of life, and Tita grows up to be a master chef. She shares specialpoints of her favorite preparations with listeners throughout the story.


"A tall tale, fairy tale, soap-opera romance, Mexican cookbook, andhome-remedy handbook all rolled into one."
   SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

"A wondrous romantic tale. Esquivel has given us a banquet."
   LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Like Water for Chocolate is deceptively simple and simplywonderful. A story of love, sex, war, and the sweep of Mexican historythat belongs to women."
   BOSTON GLOBE

"A mystical, piquant novel. Like Water for Chocolate is a savoryand satisfying tale."
   PEOPLE

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars To each their own..........2007-10-01

I picked this book up for free at an orchard, they have a great book give away system. I had heard of this before but never read it. It was okay, but I'm sure I'll never read it again. The story is about 3 sisters and their mom on a ranch is Mexico. The older sister marries the younger one's love, and the story takes off. The problem is, I didn't connect with any of these characters. They story would have grim reality, then fantasy in the next paragraph. I can undrestand why some people would enjoy this, but it's not my thing. I think this is one of those books that you'll love or hate. If you love this book, you'll be shaking your head and wondering what's wrong with me that I didn't like it. If you didn't care for it, you'll understand what I'm saying. Whatever, to each their own.

5 out of 5 stars Delicious!.......2007-08-04

The story of Elena De la Garza, the youngest daughter of Tita, is told by Tita's granddaughter. Cultural tradition is that as the youngest daughter, Tita must remain with her mother, unmarried, to care for her until she dies.
Tita's sister Gertrudis marries Tita's love Pedro. Rosaura has love fire and goes off to the Revolution to couple with a general in the army and becomes an officer of the army herself. This book is fantasy, magic, emotion, reality of love, told in chapters headed by ancient Mexican recipes handed down for generations. Ingeniously constructed, with a beautiful voice, this book is a classic.

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful book - one of my favorites!.......2007-07-20

Laura Esquival's story is about love and passion intertwined with food and family. Each chapter begins with a delicious recipe that connects to the story about Tita, the heroine of the book.

You fall in love with the characters, laugh and smile when good things happen, and cry when unfortunate events tear at their hearts. It's a page turner that fires up the imagination. It will make you hungry and want to fall in love at the same time.

This is one of my favorite books. I read it at least once a year.

4 out of 5 stars Like water for chocolate .......2007-06-13

This book is a story is about a young girl that is in love with this young man. When he wants to go ask her hand in marriage Mama Elena says "No." The reason that she says no is because of a stupid tradition. That says that the youngest girl in the De la Garza family can not get married. They have to take care of there mother till she dies.

So when the young man finds out he thinks that the closes why he can get to Tita is by marring her sister. So he does. When Tita finds out she is heart broken. Not only did she just lose the man that she loved; now she had to live seeing him with her sister. What really hurt her most was that she had to make the wedding cake. When she was making some of her tears got into the ingredients and that mad the cake go bad. While her sister was eating it she felt sick and throw-up all over her white dress. Rosaura said that Tita was trying to ruin her wedding night by making her sick.

I really like the way that the author describes everything so good. Like when Tita was making dinner, how she was cutting the chilies, and the sound that the meat made when it touched the hot pan. I also liked the setting that the author had. Some thing that I would change would be the ending. But I had to read it two times to get it. But this is a really good book so you should read it if you like soap-opera romance,and fairy- tale.

5 out of 5 stars magical mystical ride..........2007-05-30

Like Water for Chocolate is a wonderful, magical even mystical ride. A lyrical tale of food, love, romance and heartbreak. Highly recommended.
Laura Esquivel writes a beautiful story that will stay with you for years.

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  2. Alchemy: An Introduction to the Symbolism and the Psychology (Studies in Jungian Psychology)
  3. Basic Principles and Calculations in Chemical Engineering, Seventh Edition
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  5. Binding Constants: The Measurement of Molecular Complex Stability
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  7. College Physics: Student Study Guide and Solution Manual
  8. Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry III, 13-Volume Set, Volume 1-13: From Fundamentals to Applications
  9. Concepts in Wine Chemistry
  10. Concepts in Wine Chemistry

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