Book Description
In "We, the Jury," the jurors in the Scott Peterson case tell, for the first time, what life was like at the center of this sensational murder trial.
Customer Reviews:
Not what I thought .......2007-09-26
I'm reluctant to write this review, since I just read a bunch of negative reviews which were then bashed in the comments, so I'm going to start with this: I do believe Scott Peterson is GUILTY. I believe the jury got the verdict right. I have read numerous other books about Laci and Scott ... including on which was published BEFORE her body was found.
But I did not like this book. Perhaps it's because I really did think they were going to go more indepth in their deliberations, perhaps because they really didn't mention much of the evidence except in passing. I know I was bored to death when they were describing clothing and looks. Part of me has to wonder after reading this if they didn't vote guilty because Geragos didn't come through on his promise to prove Scott "stone cold innocent". Now I'm sure this isn't the case, but by reading the book I sensed that they were waiting for this proof. I would have liked more information on how they deliberated the evidence.
It is not a horrible book for what it is. But it is NOT a book about deliberating the Peterson case. It's a book about 7 out of 12 people and how the trial affected them and their lives (mostly in negative ways).
Now I hope no one feels the need to bash my review just because I didn't enjoy this book. For someone interested in the case I would recommend Catherine Crier's book. For someone interested in Laci's life and the emotions, I recommend For Laci.
It's just my opinion!
Experiencing the Peterson trial through those who lived it.......2007-09-09
Since I'm still reading the book, I can't give a full and accurate review. The four stars reflects my opinon of the book up to this point. So far so good! If you followed this trial, I would recommed this book to read.
We The Jury.......2007-07-18
It was an interesting book and filled in some of the blank spaces in my view of the trial.
brilliant.......2007-06-10
this was an excellent book,i have read about 5 from this tradegy already, it is very interesting to get a different angle on the story.
Interesting but not news.......2007-06-02
I found this book an interesting read. However, most of the information in the book was information we already knew due to the previous books published on the case and the intense media coverage. There were a few surprises but for the most part the book covers what anyone following the case would have already known.
Book Description
Seventeen spectacular homes nestled on the Pacific coast of Mexico are featured in gorgeous detail in Pacific Coastal Homes. These homes represent some of the best work of noted architects such as Fernando de Haro, Enrique, Zozaya, Manuel Mestre, and Marco Aldaco. Sections cover Natural Impressions -- entrances and exteriors; Interior Style -- living rooms and dining rooms; Intimate Spaces -- bedrooms and bathrooms; and Outdoor Life -- pools and terraces. In the introduction are images from Careyes, where the palapas architecture was first used for these types of homes. 200 color photographs are featured.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful & Lush.......2006-11-02
A beautifully photographed collection of dreamy paradise escape homes, as well as a great source of ideas for developing our own corners of the world. The paper and printing is high quality and vibrant.
Inspiring photos.......2003-05-26
We are considering a move to pacific Costa Rica (As the native ex-patriots call it "Hawaii for half the price") and this book is loaded with design ideas. In every way this book is a gem and I look and buy architectural design books quite frequently... this one blew me away. I often look at books on contemporary Mexican design as well as books with an Asian theme; Thai, Bali and Ibiza, Greece, in general homes with a coastal or tropical feel and with lots of mystery and sun. This book fulfils my requirements and without any waste. Some books will have a few great photos and alot of duds thrown in. Either photos that don't radiate much excitement or drama or are of mundane ho hum same same you have seen elsewhere and probably better. Or shots of mediocre furnishings ... This book firstly doesn't have one wasteful photo and it displays some of the great contemporary (Mexican) architects who you may want to design your next home... furthermore, it was wonderfuly edited so that you feel a great flow thoughout. You will also be impressed with some of the textiles and ideas for built in furniture. These homes have drama, mystery, and reflect a wonderful coexistence with the majesty of this beautiful coastal rocky terrain. They are homes which truly integrate into the surrounding nature with great respect for their environment rather then being ostentious monstrocities. These homes have a Wow factor as they are commanding but have subtle grace at the same time.
Book Description
The Coast of Utopia is Tom Stoppard's long-awaited and monumental trilogy that explores a group of friends who came of age under the Tsarist autocracy of Nicholas I, and for whom the term intelligentsia was coined. Among them are the anarchist Michael Bakunin, who was to challenge Marx for the soul of the masses; Ivan Turgenev, author of some of the most enduring works in Russian literature; the brilliant, erratic young critic Vissarion Belinsky; and Alexander Herzen, a nobleman's son and the first self-proclaimed socialist in Russia, who becomes the main focus of this drama of politics, love, loss, and betrayal. In The Coast of Utopia, Stoppard presents an inspired examination of the struggle between romantic anarchy, utopian idealism, and practical reformation in this chronicle of romantics and revolutionaries caught up in a struggle for political freedom in an age of emperors.
Customer Reviews:
The Coast of Myopia.......2007-07-25
Tom Stoppard's three play series "The Coast of Utopia" was mounted at the Lincoln Center where I was privileged to see the dramas on separate nights. The plays about early nineteenth century Russia were brilliantly staged; the scenic effects were breath-taking; the acting was superb; and the thrust stage was used in novel ways with fast-paced exits and entrances; and the revolving stage, elevators and trap doors were integrated successfully with the action.
Here in this three volume set, we have the texts in which Stoppard tries to dramatize philosophical and ideological conceits. He writes in English, but unfortunately much of it turns out to be unfathomable gibberish. A brilliant turn of phrase becomes merely bombast. His sense of humor is sharp, but his sense of the dramatic is blunted.
We have anarchists, anti-Czarists, nihilists and serfs, landowners, sparkling women, and would-be bomb throwers who are content with editing polemical magazines. Stoppard's abstractions, high level generalizations, obtuse theories, obfuscations, and cloudy reasoning swirl in and around the theatergoers' heads. Although in the theater the lines go by with dizzying speed, the armchair reader will have time to parse and reflect.
Years ago I saw a marathon nine hour "Nicholas Nickleby" adapted from the Dickens novel on stage. It was magnificently acted and staged. It was dramatic and emphatically lucid. Dickens wanted to be a playwright and an actor, and it shows in his theatrical novels. Stoppard apparently wanted to be a philosopher, and it shows in his erudite plays. When one attempts to dramatize ideas, one runs the risk of creating cotton candy: fluffy, gauzy, and nebulous.
Some of the characters are based upon real personages of the period like Turgenev, and the views they spout come from their writings. Stoppard had the great good fortune to have first-class actors saying his lines. Readers who have the time and patience will find these play scripts well worth reading, and if they have the good fortune to see them in live performances, they will be doubly rewarded.
The Daemon in Our Dreams
Nine Lives Too Many
Nicholas Nickleby
The Rice Queen Spy
Fun Reading.......2007-06-12
I was delighted to finally be able to read these plays after reading so much about them. I don't live anywhere near New York and it would be impossible to see these plays either in a 'marathon' performance or separately. But reading and imagining (aided by the production photos in the TCG magazine) made it a good, though vicarious experience.
A Monumental Work.......2007-04-22
Stoppard's Coast of Utopia is marvelous, and reading the plays before you see them enhances the experience. For his canvas, Stoppard uses Russia in the mid 19th century, a period of tremendous turmoil that saw the Decembrist uprising of 1825, the death of Nicholas I, the emancipation of the serfs, and growing revolutionary sentiment in that huge and backward land. The other backdrop for Coast of Utopia is the political and social unrest in Europe, including the various revolutions of 1848, and the development of socialist/communist political theory.
For his story, Stoppard traces the lives of various of the young Russian intellectuals (for whom the term intelligentsia was coined) who saw their country's backwardness, oppression and poverty and dreamed and dared that it could be different. The central characters in The Coast of Utopia are Alexander Herzen, Michael Bakunin, Nicholas Ogarev, Ivan Turgenev and Vissarion Belinsky, but other historical figures also play roles.
The Russian intellectuals who sought change in Russia were hampered by many obstacles; harsh censorship, which made open political dialogue a crime punishable by exile or worse, an utter absence of democratic institutions, a huge peasant class that was largely ignorant of and oblivious to their efforts, and the Tsar and a coterie of landowners, bureaucrats and priests who were largely satisfied with the status quo.
In The Coast of Utopia, Stoppard adroitly mixes social themes with political theory and history. As one might imagine, as these Russians groped for ideas about how their country should be reformed, there were differences of opinion. Initially, the reformers, such as Herzen, favored gradual reform, led by the Tsar; as the 19th century progressed, more radical thought, influenced by Marx, came to predominate, and more moderate voices, such as Herzen's, were drowned out by the increasing call for violent revolution. Stoppard does a fabulous job in showing the various intellectual currents that ran among the exiles by having them argue out their theories on stage in the course of the play.
All this might sound talky and dull, but it's not, for two reasons. One is Stoppard's genius at showing how real people discuss these ideas. One minute we have two characters debating Hegel; the next minute they're attending their children, just the way real life interrupts all sorts of activities. And the lives of the main characters were sometimes untidy, and for that reason interesting; we see their joys, their sorrows, their love affairs and their occasional melancholy on being separated from Russia for so long.
The second is the staging of the plays; I could go on and on, but I was utterly wowed by the Lincoln Center production, it is magnificent and at times transcendent.
But ultimately what makes Coast of Utopia so interesting is that it's a series of plays about ideas, what is the best way to modernize and democratize a backward society. Of course, we see this play through the lens of history, after the revolution in Russia and after communism has been justifiably relegated to the dustbin of history. So we know how disastrous the actual revolution proved to be. But one of the strengths of Stoppard's work is that he doesn't fall prey to easy triumphalism about the later result. Instead he shows these men, mostly in a sympathetic light, trying to imagine a better society for Russia, and then taking the first steps toward making that better Russia come to pass. Without a doubt, Stoppard sees Herzen as his hero, and Herzen, with remarkable prescience, clearly saw the risks of the absolutism to come. But despite his sympathy for Herzen's humanistic views, Stoppard also gives fair voice to the radicals, so that a balanced picture of the political thought of the era emerges.
Stoppard has acknowledged his debt to Isaiah Berlin's Russian Thinkers in writing The Coast of Utopia. If you are interested in the ideas in The Coast of Utopia or the history of 19th century Russia, Russian Thinkers is well worth reading.
The most important theatrical event of the past 60 years.......2007-03-11
Stoppard's eloquence and wit are only the beginning. The subject is monumental and speaks to our times. Wisdom emerges at the perfect pace. Catharsis at the end. I have seen the trilogy and will see it twice more in marathon experiences. Reading the text beforehand enhances the understanding of the contest and of what takes place. If you don't recognize the importance of The Decembrists, please review some history before seeing and/or reading the trilogy. If you don't know at least a bit about Tsar Alexander, please look at wikipedia and go from there. Very timely and relevant and ominous.
And if you read the inspiring text either before or after the experience, the catharsis will be even more powerful. If you havent't seen the epic, this is a must-read.
Thank you, Tom Stoppard (and ensemble) for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"Rock & Roll" goes further.
IMO, this is a transformational work which materially enhances Stoppard's prospects for already likely Nobel Prize.
What next? What a genius.
Unforgettable lessons to be learned dramatically.
Unexpected disappointment.......2007-02-20
I am pasting here my letter on the topic sent today (Febr, 19, 2007) to "The New York Times" in response to the review of Mr. Stoppard's work by Ben Brantley:
I admire Ben Brantley for his skill of writing a seemingly positive review of Tom Stoppard's "The Coast of Utopia" (Febr. 19) filled with such phrases, unfortunately fully justified, as: "I wouldn't call it a major work of art" or "But as for major insights of philosophical or historical weight, that's not what "Utopia" is about."
First, my background: since seeing Mr. Stoppard's "Arcadia" in London about 10 years ago my wife and I have become great admirers of its author, we have never missed any of his plays until now when, after attending the first two parts of "Utopia", we decided to skip the last part (though we've read it). Also, with our school education in Russia, we understand a thing or two about the history of the Russian political thought.
With this background, it is painful for me to use the word "failure" to describe the last Mr. Stoppard's venture but regretfully I cannot find another word. A noisy long production - everything could be said in just three hours - with more than 60 characters, it exhibits no unity, no central idea and eventually no purpose. There are three major books on the topic written at that time: "The Fathers and the Sons" by a liberal Turgenev, "The Possessed" by a conservative Dostoevsky and "My Past and Thoughts" by a centrist Herzen ("Utopia" is in significant degree is simply a stage version of Herzen's book), and they give a much better idea of what really happened in Russia at that time. Orwell's "1984" may be considered as an important 20th century commentary to the first three books.
Of course, the fall of communism does call for some reconsideration and the new insight. As a man who combines both Eastern European and the Western cultural traditions, Mr. Stoppard was uniquely placed to give us such insight, and we eagerly waited for this his work. What we got instead may be best described by Mr. Brantley's words: "...you could find a snapper, shorter version of the same idea in a fortune cookie."
Book Description
Hidden away in foggy, uncharted rain forest valleys in Northern California are the largest and tallest organisms the world has ever sustained–the coast redwood trees,
Sequoia sempervirens. Ninety-six percent of the ancient redwood forests have been destroyed by logging, but the untouched fragments that remain are among the great wonders of nature. The biggest redwoods have trunks up to thirty feet wide and can rise more than thirty-five stories above the ground, forming cathedral-like structures in the air. Until recently, redwoods were thought to be virtually impossible to ascend, and the canopy at the tops of these majestic trees was undiscovered. In The Wild Trees, Richard Preston unfolds the spellbinding story of Steve Sillett, Marie Antoine, and the tiny group of daring botanists and amateur naturalists that found a lost world above California, a world that is dangerous, hauntingly beautiful, and unexplored.
The canopy
voyagers are young–just college students when they start their quest–and they share a passion for these trees, persevering in spite of sometimes crushing personal obstacles and failings. They take big risks, they ignore common wisdom (such as the notion that there’s nothing left to discover in North America), and they even make love in hammocks stretched between branches three hundred feet in the air.
The deep redwood canopy is a vertical Eden filled with mosses, lichens, spotted salamanders, hanging gardens of ferns, and thickets of huckleberry bushes, all growing out of massive trunk systems that have fused and formed flying buttresses, sometimes carved into blackened chambers, hollowed out by fire, called “fire caves.” Thick layers of soil sitting on limbs harbor animal and plant life that is unknown to science. Humans move through the deep canopy suspended on ropes, far out of sight of the ground, knowing that the price of a small mistake can be a plunge to one’s death.
Preston’s account of this amazing world, by turns terrifying, moving, and fascinating, is an adventure story told in novelistic detail by a master of nonfiction narrative. The author shares his protagonists’ passion for tall trees, and he mastered the techniques of tall-tree climbing to tell the story in The Wild Trees–the story of the fate of the world’s most splendid forests and of the imperiled biosphere itself.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding!.......2007-09-18
I am an avid reader of adventure books, and this ranks very high on my list. I was so engrossed in the story, it simply pained me to put this book it down. Preston beautifully weaves together many themes in this book - the adventure of climbing trees, the almost spiritual beauty of ancient Redwoods, the sciences of botany and ecology, a bit of romance, and most of all, people following their passions in spite of obstacles and fulfilling their dreams.
My interest in the book was originally inspired by a trip to Redwood National Park, and the book has now inspired me to pursue recreational tree climbing as a hobby. Don't be surprised if you are similarly inspired.
A great read - highly recommended.
Oldest living things on earth.?.......2007-09-10
If you have ever wanted to see or have seen the California redwoods, you will enjoy this book. Richard Preston got so interested in the trees that he learned to climb them--a feat equal to mountain climbing and just as dangerous, so he could experience them first hand. These ancient plants, thought to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years old, are a world apart from any other plants living today. Because they are so unusual, individual trees have been named, climbed, measured, and thoroughly explored from the ground to the tip. The exact location of the tallest specimens is a well kept secret by the botanists who have studied them. Richard Preston's book, which reads like an adventure novel, is a very good read about a most unusual subject.
trees & more.......2007-09-08
A book truly about finding one's passion and calling. Who said that there was nothing left to explore for our generation? Highly recommended.
A nice adventure.......2007-09-01
Read the other opinions and learn the specifics if you must, but for me a book about unexplored woods and the adventure of climbing them were enough. The book is a nice read - AND - you will be rewarded on the last two pages of the story. With three words - go online, search, and you will "see". Thank you Mr. Preston for the history and the new images I have of one of the best parts of life on this world - the woods.
The Wild Trees, a pleasant surprise........2007-08-24
This was a fascinating book. I wasn't sure I would like it, wrong! Loved it. So much in it about Redwoods I never knew or imagined.
It is made of stories about a dozen or so individuals who have a fascination (Obsession) with the Redwood trees and spend a lot of their time looking for the tallest or biggest tree. There is a lot of information about the trees and their habitat that will surprise you. Highly recommended. It is not dull or dry at all.
Book Description
"Fill[s] a significant void in the literature on ornamental plant usage.... [The book] is a valuable text and reference work for advanced students, professional plantsmen, and landscape architects and is a welcome addition to the literature." —American Society of Horticultural Science
"This is not only a textbook but a valuable reference work for anyone involved with landscape plants." —American Horticulturalist
Here is the definitive one-stop survey of more than 1500 woody ornamental plants and 2500 cultivars of eastern North America for students and professionals in landscape architecture and design, horticulture, and urban forestry. Written by an esteemed authority in the field, this book includes:
- Greatly expanded coverage of plant species, including significantly increased attention to commercial cultivars
- Sensible cross-referencing for plant selection based on more than two dozen design criteria, with lists arranged according to such vital factors as size, hardiness, and environmental requirements
- Hundreds of crisp textural diagrams portraying each primary species at 15 and 40 years in relation to average human height
- More than 400 photographs depicting plants of exceptional visual interest
- Maps and graphs, including a full-color map of hardiness zones, offering invaluable visual summaries of major design considerations
- Succinct explorations of problems and maintenance issues for each species, diminishing the complications of choosing among high- and low-maintenance plants
- An index listing plants by their scientific and common names
Now in its second edition, this book remains the core reference on landscape design in eastern North America—intelligently organized for maximum planning efficiency. Enhanced with up-to-date coverage of additional shrubs, trees, and their cultivars, as well as expanded listings of plants classified by characteristics, Landscape Plants for Eastern North America continues to provide all the information necessary for landscape designing in the region.
This complete guide provides a concise description of each plant species' function, adaptability, seasonal interest, growth rate, common problems, maintenance, cultivars, and related species, along with more than 1000 high-quality scale drawings and hundreds of photographs. And Dr. Flint's book goes beyond many works on landscape plants because of its unique focus on the landscape design process: with cross-referencing in more than two dozen categories based on such design criteria as size, site requirements, and soil prerequisites, readers will easily be able to determine which plants are appropriate to their needs.
Throughout the book, a variety of illustrations provide quick reference on a range of important considerations. A full-color map represents the hardiness zones of the eastern region, and bar graphs indicate such adaptability considerations as light, wind, soil moisture, and pH requirements. For each primary species, a seasonal clock furnishes a straightforward visual delineation of the duration and intensity of color throughout the year.
Encompassing plant life from herbaceous ground covers to large trees, this is a most comprehensive, easy-to-use resource for anyone involved in landscaping in eastern North America.
Customer Reviews:
Eastern North America landscape plants.......2007-04-07
Excellent resource for gardeners referencing plants in Eastern North America. I love it.
Invaluable reference for the landscape professional.......2000-08-26
As a landscape designer, I use this book almost daily as a complement to Michael Dirr's texts. The line drawings of each plant in youth and maturity provide a better idea of its habit than most pictures ever could. The "Problems and Maintenance" section has helped me avoid many potentially inferior plants, and the "Adaptability" information gives a nuanced understanding of wind tolerance, pH, light and water requirements. Finally, the "Seasonal Interest" symbol provides a finely tuned assessment of the plant's attractiveness throughout the year: I use it to find plants with year-around interest. This is a book for professionals who have to live, and die, by their plant recommendations.
Amazon.com
First published in 1970, this extraordinary book changed the way Americans think about the original inhabitants of their country. Beginning with the Long Walk of the Navajos in 1860 and ending 30 years later with the massacre of Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee in South Dakota, it tells how the American Indians lost their land and lives to a dynamically expanding white society. During these three decades, America's population doubled from 31 million to 62 million. Again and again, promises made to the Indians fell victim to the ruthlessness and greed of settlers pushing westward to make new lives. The Indians were herded off their ancestral lands into ever-shrinking reservations, and were starved and killed if they resisted. It is a truism that "history is written by the victors"; for the first time, this book described the opening of the West from the Indians' viewpoint. Accustomed to stereotypes of Indians as red savages, white Americans were shocked to read the reasoned eloquence of Indian leaders and learn of the bravery with which they and their peoples endured suffering. With meticulous research and in measured language overlaying brutal narrative, Dee Brown focused attention on a national disgrace. Still controversial but with many of its premises now accepted, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee has sold 5 million copies around the world. Thirty years after it first broke onto the national conscience, it has lost none of its importance or emotional impact. --John Stevenson
Book Description
Now a special 30th-anniversary edition in both hardcover and paperback, the classic bestselling history The New York Times called "Original, remarkable, and finally heartbreaking....Impossible to put down"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is Dee Brown's eloquent, fully documented account of the systematic destruction of the American Indian during the second half of the nineteenth century. A national bestseller in hardcover for more than a year after its initial publication, it has sold almost four million copies and has been translated into seventeen languages. For this elegant thirtieth-anniversary edition -- published in both hardcover and paperback -- Brown has contributed an incisive new preface.Using council records, autobiographies, and firsthand descriptions, Brown allows the great chiefs and warriors of the Dakota, Ute, Sioux, Cheyenne, and other tribes to tell us in their own words of the battles, massacres, and broken treaties that finally left them demoralized and defeated. A unique and disturbing narrative told with force and clarity, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee changed forever our vision of how the West was really won.
Customer Reviews:
A Wake-up Call for Americans .......2007-09-05
I just (July 2007) acquired my new copy coming from Amazon. I lost my old copy in 1995. I was not naive about politics and government in 1995. Any scintillas of trust in politics and government,are now gone for even more different reasons. This book seems to keep me awake and keeps my ears wider open to what can happen in this country and this world. It is not just about the shameful and bloody acts in our westward expansion. The word "treaty" from these times is a joke. I can also see more about international expansions. America makes large wrongs, as do other countries do to their own people in history. My heart feels buried because Americans, we, made such innumerable, horrendous and cruel acts. This book remains to me as a great "jolt" to my consciousness. He put together a great example of what America did do to the Native American Peoples. Look at the status of the Native American Peoples who are left today.
Original Eye-Opener.......2007-08-03
This book was and contines to be a wake-up call to the asleep teaching of American History. Especially that of Native Americans and most notably our utter ignorance of our history with Latin America.
A great book.......2007-07-01
Bury my heart at wounded knee is a oustanding account of native american history. Very informative and captivating, piquing my interest in native american's. The words tell of a people heroic,caring,hospitable, and understanding almost pushed to the point of annihilation at the hands of conquistadors,whites and others. Sadness,anger,hate, and sympathy are just some of the feelings brought out by reading this book. If you want an unflinching account of native american history this a great place to start.
bury my heart at wounded knee.......2007-06-27
I was told to read this book as i like to read about american history. this is one of the best book i have read. dee brown really did a lot of backgroud work on it .
This should be required reading in our schools..........2007-05-29
No words I write here could do justice to this book. If you want a true account of what happened in the 19th century Indian wars (which was actually attempted genocide) that has not been tainted by "political correctness"... that is not a white-washed retelling... then you've found it. It should be required reading in our public schools nationwide.
The Indian wars were the result of the military being used by the narrow-minded, self-righteous and greedy as a means for advancing a political agenda. This was a shameful time and the spoils of these wars were won by deception, starvation, and theft, not military might or honorable negotiation. Many of the reservations were on lands that could not grow food, in areas where the buffalo and other animals had largely been scared away or hunted to near extinction by Anglo hunters. They were forced to abandon their traditions and native culture in order to be "assimilated" by Anglo society, or become extinct themselves.
If you're looking for the "good vs evil" stereotype... such as that seen in countless Hollywood movies over the years... or the white-washed version of history as taught in most schools, then this book is not for you.
Book Description
This book contains a complete copy of the Inland and International Navigation Rules as presented by the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard requires that an up-to-date copy such as this one be carried on all vessels 12 meters (39 feet) or more in length at all times. We frequently update this title for corrections presented in Notice to Mariners. We have also included detailed instructions on how to log on to the NIMA website to update your Nav Rules. We have added an annotated table of contents to help the reader find the rule they seek, no such feature is found in the government edition.
Customer Reviews:
Nav Rules of the Road.......2007-01-17
I was looking for the latest copy of the Rules of the Road and I found them; exactly what I wanted. This is a must-have for Navigators, Naval deck watchstanders and 3rd Mates.
Sailing with the best.......2006-11-04
Navigation Rules is a must have for any responsible boater. Until licences for boat "drivers' becomes a law, every one must take responsibility for following the rules. Navigation Rules makes this an easy task. It's clear and concise with excellent cross referencing. A must read!
Navigation Rules.......2005-08-14
Outstanding. A great help when you're returning to the boating world after many years. A good refresher. Would recommend anybody new or old to the world of boats to strongly consider this.
Essential for Every Boat Owner, but only a starting point.......2005-03-03
The official navigation rules are something that every boater should own. If your vessel is large enough or operating in international waters, you are legally required to have it aboard and understand its contents. Regardless of whether you have to have it aboard, if you go out on the water you have to understand what the rules are and what your obligations are to avoid collisions.
Think you don't need it? Collisions are the most serious boating accident, and virtually every collision is later determined to be avoidable by later investigation, had the operators been closely following the Nav Rules.
Here's the problem, though, if you rely on the Official Navigation Rules as your only reference: this edition of the rules is technical, and illustrated, but is often incomprehensible. The diagrams are schematic by necessity, but they are not useful if you're trying to decide what to do out in the real world. New boaters will be easily confused by the situations, since there's no perspective on what is a typical or atypical scenario. Experienced boaters will be perplexed by the eccentricities of the wording. It is not a tutorial on the rules, and as a reference is decipherable basically if you already know the rules.
So what are you to do, if you have to know the Navigation Rules? You have to own this book. And then you have to learn the rules. There are numerous other sources for the knowledge. You should have a basic seamanship reference, such as Chapman's or the Annapolis Seamanship book. You should probably also take a boating safety class at your local US Coast Guard Auxiliary or US Power Squadron, both of which cover the navigation rules. If you want to be sure about knowing the rules in detail, there are a number of self-study books (such as for Six-Pack exams) that do a much better job at going through a tutorial.
Buy this book; but to understand the basics, and to get to know the details that may save your life and your boat, make sure you extend that knowledge beyond the bare minimum.
Update: I would now recommend Charlie Wing's "One Minute Guide" to the rules of the road in addition to the official Nav Rules (ISBN 0070710945) for recreational boaters.
Book Description
Scott Baldridge presents a concise guide to the geology of the Southwestern U.S. Two billion years of Earth history are represented in the rocks and landscape of the Southwest U.S., creating natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and Death Valley. This region is considered a geologist's "dream", attracting a large number of undergraduate field classes and amateur geologists. The volume will prove invaluable to students and will also appeal to anyone interested in the geology and landscape of the region's National Parks.
Customer Reviews:
The big geologic picture on a land where geology dominates the view.......2007-04-03
The title of this book says it all. The story begins two billion years ago and follows the formation of the continental crust of what is now the southwestern US. It then follows that chunk of land to the present, as supercontinents form and disintegrate, island chains collide, and mountains rise and fall. Unlike so many books about the geology of the southwest, Baldridge focuses on the plate tectonics behind the processes. This approach allows the reader to understand the "why" behind advancing and retreating seas, uplifts, faults and volcanoes. The geographic area studied is the southwest, although the Colorado Plateau seems to gather the most attention. It is seen in a broad geological context that includes what happened in places like Death Valley, the Rio Grande Rift and Southern Rocky Mountains. Baldridge places his explanation in standard geologic time, but his chapter breaks are in locations driven by the regional geology, not the standard hierarchy. For a Grand Canyon example, the Chuar and Tonto groups are a single chapter, a fresh (and justifiable) perspective. The story that comes through is a "life story" of the southwest, in which a reader can see the region's geology evolve, illustrating how events in its past shape its response to new conditions.
The book's broad scope means that the history of individual rock layers are often not there - indeed, many layers are not even mentioned (although the fame of Grand Canyon's rock column is evident, most of ours are). The layers serve to illustrate a "story line" driven by the forces acting on the land, they do not break the story into pieces because of what is (or is not) preserved in today's exposures. In developing this evolutionary presentation, Baldridge has to sort through many, often conflicting, hypotheses. He does a good job of finding common threads. In many cases, he presents different mechanisms but concludes with the salient points that seem to be areas of agreement or with the conditions that a solution must explain.
This book is not for the geologically faint of heart. It assumes a pre-existing general understanding of plate tectonics and other geological principles. It is not the place to learn how plate tectonics works, but is the best place I have found to understand how plate tectonics worked on the Colorado Plateau. It will not tell you how the Grand Canyon was carved, how Monument Valley formed, what makes the Supai Group red, or other specific questions. But it does provide the vast historical panorama against which such questions can be asked. From a degree of technicality, it is less technical than Beus and Morales' Grand Canyon Geology, but certainly well beyond Price's Introduction to Grand Canyon Geology. In the preface, Baldridge says his target audience is "upper level undergraduates and graduates." I would expand this to include anyone with a real interest in the Colorado Plateau, and who wants the "big picture" only hinted at in most treatments of the region (like Baars' The Colorado Plateau: A Geologic History). For readers with a more casual familiarity with geology, it could be a difficult read, but the rewards are great for a comprehensive understanding of the area's history.
I liked it - a lot!
Geology of the American Southwest: A Journey Through Two Billion Years of Plate-Tectonic History.......2006-11-10
An excellent introduction to the geology of the American Southwest, including most of the Colorado Plateau in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, as well as parts of California (in particular Death Valley), Nevada, and Texas. All chapters devote considerable space to a discussion of the plate tectonic settings and paleogeography of the geologic period under consideration. The tectonic settings and processes are of central importance in understanding the amazing and extensive rock record being described. This book contains a host of useful maps, stratigraphic and correlative diagrams, and crisp images of many rock formations discussed in the text. For example, a figure on page 170 I found particularly useful displays a cross section of the famous Jurassic sedimentary rocks spanning the Arizona-Utah border (which is equally applicable to southwestern and far western Colorado), showing schematically but clearly the complex horizontal and vertical relationships, including unconformities, of the major Jurassic rock units present in what can be at times a confusing area of geological terrain. The geology of many of the National Parks and Monuments in the American Southwest, particularly Grand Canyon National Park, is interwoven very nicely with the overall theme and level of the book. All in all, a very useful reference covering 2 billion years of Earth history in this part of the United States, particularly appropriate for undergraduates and graduate students studying geology and the Earth sciences. An extensive bibliography, cited frequently in the text, provides many points of introduction to the supporting literature, and opportunities for further exploration. Undergraduates who plan on participating in a geology field camp in the American Southwest will no doubt benefit by reading this book before their departure.
Average customer rating:
- Action on the seas around Africa
- Skeleton Coast
- Typical Over-the-Top Cussler Action-Thriller
- Cussler at his best!
- Another Clear Winner for the Author
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Skeleton Coast: A Novel of the Oregon Files
Clive Cussler , and
Jack Du Brul
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
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Treasure of Khan
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The Navigator (NUMA Files)
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Dark Watch (Oregon Files)
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Sacred Stone (Oregon Files (Paperback))
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Polar Shift
ASIN: 0425211894 |
Book Description
The explosive New York Times bestselling Oregon Files series returns!
Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the covert combat ship Oregon have barely escaped a mission on the Congo River when they intercept a mayday from a defenseless boat under fire off the African coast. Cabrillo takes action, saving the beautiful Sloane Macintyre-who's looking for a long-submerged ship that may hold a fortune in diamonds. But what surprises Cabrillo is her story about a crazy fisherman who claims to have been attacked on the open sea by giant metal snakes in the same area.
What begins as a snake hunt leads Cabrillo onto the trail of a far more lethal quarry-a deranged militant and his followers who plan to unleash the devastating power of nature itself against all who oppose them.
Customer Reviews:
Action on the seas around Africa.......2007-08-20
What do you get when you tie together Clive Cussler and one of his numerous co-authors? Typically, a Clive Cussler book with some twists that show the seams where Clive and the co-author split writing duties. that is not the case in this book! JacK DuBrul is identified as the co-author here and there appear to be only minute seams which may actually be artifacts of editorial decisions made by others.
In the Oregon Files we follow the adventures of Juan Cabrillo and his modern pirate ship. Oh, I know! Juan Cabrillo is the "Chairman" of a corporation and he gets his commissions from government work - not high seas piracy. But, is this really that different than what used to be called Privateering?
The Oregon is Cabrillo's ship. She looks like a tramp steamer, but is in reality a super modern, highly equipped and weaponed, futuristic ship. Her equipment includes everything from superb engines to a multiple ways of launching boats, to all kinds of weapon systems and helicopters. The crew are all ex-CIA or other special forces and all seem hell bent for leather to do anything they are asked to.
In Skeleton Coast we see the marriage of eveil fanatical eco-terrorists with the power seeking quasi-officeers who take over African countries. The thread that pulls them all together is the Oregon and its exploits.
In typical Cussler style, there is a prologue in which we learn of a daring diamond heist perpetrated on an African nation over 100 years ago. Then, we switch to modern times and see the Oregon delivering a load of weapons to a modern African warlord. Action starts there and does not stop until we meet a woman who works for DeBeers diamonds, charismatic industrialists and scientists who invent various things, evil scientists who try to kill millions to show the world that the environment is deteriorating, etc. etc. etc.
There are actions scenes galore, many bodies, morbid torture and killing sprees, a fabulous prison situated in the middle of an impassible desert, and more. All to be resolved as it should with the Oregon rescuing the world and getting the girl to boot! It was a fun read and they even tied the old stolen diamonds in a way that made some kind of madcap sense.
Having had some bad experiences with co-author arrangements, I was frankly skeptical about this one. But after having read the Skeleton Coast, I will seek out more of the Oregon Files in the future.
Skeleton Coast.......2007-07-20
Book was received in a timely manner. Excellent condition.
I enjoyed reading the book and its fast paced action.
Typical Over-the-Top Cussler Action-Thriller.......2007-07-03
This review is for the Berkley trade paperback edition, October 2006, 373 pages. SKELETON COAST was on the USA Today's Top 150 Best-Selling books list for nine weeks in October and November 2006, reaching a peak position to 21. Clive Cussler has 24 novels on this best-seller list.
The story begins in 1896 with the theft of a fortune in uncut diamonds from the Herero king in then the Bechuanaland Protectorate (now Botswana). After a treacherous escape across the Kalahari Desert, the five thieves, all Brits, reach the HMS Rove, their chartered escape vessel. But as soon as they board, they are trapped by a violent storm and their pursuers attack. Officially, the HMS Rove is lost a sea, but the story narrator reveals it is buried eight miles inland in the desert.
In the present day, the story moves to a laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland and a conversation between the owner and a female technician about making sea water gooey. Then it jumps to a scummy looking freighter in the Congo River. The crew is trading weapons for uncut diamonds with a rebel group. Beneath the crud the freighter is actually the Oregon, Captain Juan Cabrillo's technological marvel operated by ex CIA agents and other mercenaries working for a for profit corporation. After escaping a harrowing fire fight with the rebels, the Oregon saves a damsel in distress who happens to be looking for the HMS Rove.
And so it goes. The Oregon faces one challenge after another, each one more tortuous than the previous and requiring the employment of the Oregon's state-of-the-art firepower, helicopter, lifeboat cum hydroplane and submersibles. The feats and skills of the Oregon's crew are nothing less than unbelievable, the coincidences incredible and Captain Cabrillo's ability to invent complex plans within minutes astounding. This is a typical over-the-top Cussler action-thriller. Unfortunately, it is heavy on tell rather than show and the non-stop action is frequently interrupted by speeches we would rather skip.
Cussler at his best!.......2007-06-19
Last Christmas, my mother asked me if I could give her any gift ideas for myself in the 15-30 dollar range. Without hesitation, I told her to buy me a book, something by Clive Cussler, but not Sahara or Atlantis Found, as I had already read them.
When I opened this book, and first saw the reflective red cover, I was a lttle taken aback. The title was not one I expected to see. (I already recognized the shape, weight, and flexibility as being a novel from my many years of present shaking as a child.) A quick scan of the synopsis further worried me. This novel would not prominently feature Dirk Pitt. (I only recently realized that my knowledge of Mr. Cusslers work is still in it's infancy)
Slightly dismayed, I set the book aside for a week or two. Then, one day for no obvious reason, I picked it up. I quickly realized that Juan Cabrillo is every bit the caliber of Dirk Pitt. Even the way the crew members converse, setting each other up to display intelligence and character in a way that would seem out of place in reality (but always seems to skirt the edge between comic book an adventure novel here) remained. many ways having knowledge about subjects and scenarios that seems unlikely at times. In all, I found everything I love about Cussler inside, and for anyone wary to venture from the Dirk Pitt series to some of Cusslers other works, take this as a vote of Confidence. You will not be disappointed.
Another Clear Winner for the Author.......2007-06-19
Clive Cussler was born in 1931 and grew up in Alhambra, California. He attended Pasadena City College before joining the Air Force. He went on to a successful advertising career, winning many national honours for his copywriting. He has also explored the deserts of the American Southwest in search of lost gold mines, dived in isolated lakes in the Rocky Mountains looking for lost aircraft and hunted under the sea for shipwrecks of historic significance, discovering and identifying more than sixty. He is married with three children, and divides his time between Colorado and Arizona. His credentials as a best selling author cannot be doubted and he has a large `stable' of best selling adventure novels.
Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon, a well disguised combat shop have barely escaped from a mission on the Congo River. Not in a hurry to commit is men to anything else for a while when the radio operator intercepts a mayday call from a boat under fire off the African coast. Much as he would like to ignore the Mayday, no seaman with an ounce of self-respect can ignore such a call. Cabrillo takes the appropriate action and saves the beautiful Sloane Macintyre.
Sloane is looking for a long lost sunken ship that could hold a fortune in diamonds. But what intrigues Cabrillo most of all is her story about a mad fisherman who claims to have been attacked in the same area by giant metal snakes . . .
Book Description
Your Fate Is in Your Hands
Pick up your dice, grab your Player’s Handbook, and embark on daring adventures. This accessory for the D&D game will help you decide your fate as you battle fearsome monsters, explore ancient ruins, and discover magnificent treasure.
Contains a complete set of dice for use in the
Dungeons & Dragons game:
One 4-sided die
Four 6-sided dice
One 8-sided die
One 10-sided die
One percentile die
One 12-sided die
One 20-sided die
Also includes a cloth dice bag with an embroidered D&D logo.
Customer Reviews:
Useful.......2007-06-27
This was a very useful accessory for the mini Dungeons and Dragons game. Great for first time players!
Old School Dice.......2007-06-25
This is perfect for old-school gamers who insist on dice being of a certain sort and like the traditional pouch arrangement along with the distinctive colors. This item was well worth the time to find.
Nice Dice.......2007-03-09
The dice are nice and a good start for the game. You get everything you need to start playing D&D. The bag is a little small and does not leave room for too much expansion. A True D&D player likes lots of dice and different kinds. You can probably find less expensive dice in a hobby store. You are bascially paying for the bag with the D&D logo.
Too expensive.......2007-03-06
For what you get this item is too expensive. You can get the same number of dice plus an additional percentile dice for $2-3 less in most places. This is not worth the price with all the options for getting your dice from another source.
dungeons and dragons dice highly recommended.......2007-01-28
Excellent! This product was exactly as described and pictured. It made a wonderful gift. My order arrived timely and in good condition. Price was reasonable.
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