Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems

Book Description

Limnology is the study of the structural and functional interrelationships of organisms of inland waters as they are affected by their dynamic physical, chemical, and biotic environments. Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems, 3rd Edition, is a new edition of this established classic text. The coverage remains rigorous and uncompromising and has been thoroughly reviewed and updated with evolving recent research results and theoretical understanding. In addition, the author has expanded coverage of lakes to reservoir and river ecosystems in comparative functional analyses.

Customer Reviews:

Difficult to Read.......2003-11-04

Well there is no doubt that this book contains a large amount of information, it CANNOT be used as an introductory text. It is much to difficult to comprehend, and Wetzel makes absolutely no effort to teach the concepts. Here merely presents a synthesis of limnological research.

Good as a Limnology Primer.......2000-01-30

This is an excellent general reference text. Can not say enough about the excellent content of this text. But it is need of an edition update with information for lake mapping and restoration. Dr. C.L. Nelson of St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN has an excellent small text on physical limnology for the mapping aspect. This book does do an excellent job on the biological aspects of limnological work.

My view of the Wetzel's limnology book.......2000-01-30

The book contains a lot of information related to lakes. It's a complete work about the conditions on this systems. Include a study about the performance of the ionic particles in this systems. It's a suitable book for students like me, to understand the freshwater ecology.

You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement

Average customer rating:

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!
Excellent "How To" Retirement Planning Guide
You Can Do It
EASY READING RETIREMENT GUIDE
You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement

You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement
Jonathan D. Pond
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Retirement Planning | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map: The Leave-Nothing-to-Chance, Worry-Free, All-Systems-Go Guide
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Retire Secure!: Pay Taxes Later The Key to Making Your Money Last as Long as You Do

ASIN: 006112138X
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Book Description

Don't be scared by the media and the financial industry, which have a vested interest in convincing all those who don't have a seven-figure income or a family trust fund that they're woefully underprepared for retirement. In You Can Do It!, Jonathan D. Pond, the man who's been called "America's financial planner," shows how anyone can have a financially safe, happy, and comfortable retirement in this comprehensive and easy-to-use guide.

Packed with practical wisdom on how to save, understanding the key elements of investing, managing your expenses, and much more, You Can Do It! features Jonathan's famous and distinctively ebullient voice. So whether you're worried about getting a late start, skyrocketing health-care expenses, or the difficulty of paying for a college education, You Can Do It! will show you—in straightforward, easy-to-implement ways—how you too can make sure your retirement is fun and financially secure.

Customer Reviews:

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!.......2007-09-30

This really was one of my own personal best investments, which is funny, because he teaches you how to invest for your retirement. The book is filled with witty comments and sage advice. Pond is excellent in all that he does, and I can't wait for his next book! I hear its one for our kids, you know, those college-bound ones. You did it Johnathon Pond!

Excellent "How To" Retirement Planning Guide.......2007-03-15

This book was even better than I thought it was going to be. It had great ideas on planning for retirement and living in retirement. It showed how you can hedge against inflation even if your pension or annuity don't have COLA increases. It also had additional information avialable through the authors website, that is referenced throughout the book. Overall a great book for retirement planning.

You Can Do It.......2007-03-09

Jonathan Pond doesn't provide a financial game plan. He rehashs the obvious information readily available. The disappointment, in the end, is that his advertised website becomes another pay for service.

EASY READING RETIREMENT GUIDE .......2007-02-27

It is a 5 star if you just want all the basics you need to consider while preparing for retirement. It covers them is an easy to read style.

You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement.......2007-01-18

An easy read with practical advice.

The Ultimate Pool Maintenance Manual: Spas, Pools, Hot Tubs, Rockscapes and Other Water Features, 2nd Edition

Average customer rating:

Geek Pool Book
The "Haynes" manual for pools
Save your Money
Helpful Tool
NOT the best book to buy.

The Ultimate Pool Maintenance Manual: Spas, Pools, Hot Tubs, Rockscapes and Other Water Features, 2nd Edition
Terry Tamminen
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Water Supply | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Swimming Pools | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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What Color Is Your Swimming Pool? A Homeowner's Guide to Troublefree Pool, Spa & HotTub Maintenance
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The Ultimate Guide to Above-Ground Pools
Your Answers to Pool & Spa Care Maintenance

ASIN: 0071362398

Book Description

*The secrets of water maintenance trade professionals are revealed in this detail-by-detail guide to keeping pools, spas, and other recreational water containment units in tip-top shape. *Offers inside-out coverage of chlorine alternatives, automation, noise control, pool-side safety, portable spas--and everything from minor maintenance to major fixes and remodeling. *A must for pool maintenance and spa technicians, this book includes environmentally friendly product resources, along with troubleshooting tips and project checklists that make caring for a pool or spa less costly.

Download Description

Customer Reviews:

Geek Pool Book.......2007-09-09

We bought a house with an inground pool 5 years ago. A bit of a surprise really. We had ZERO experience with pools, and knew only by rumor that we were buying something that required a LOT of care and maintenance. I hunted through bookstores for a guide I could learn from. I am a technical writer by profession, so I know a thing or two about how to present complex ideas to the innocent. Browsing through this volume I was impressed with the author's skill at getting ideas across (well structure informattion - here's the idea, heres' the basics, here's the gory details). I bought it on the strength of his organization and writing, not on the content (about which I knew zilch).

It is still in regular use 5 years later. YES, it is technical. YES, it sometimes provides way too much information for the novice. But if you have a brain and you can handle some complexity, this book is BRILLIANT. I knew nothing, and in very short order I learned what I needed for basic care. This book is a bible for pool maintenance. Over the years I've learned (from experience guided by this book) how to strip a DE filter, how to repair my Polaris pool robot, and more about water chemistry than I ever thought possible. This past summer ('07) it guided us through a plaster refinishing (pool is ~30 years old) and taught me how to restart the pool.

It IS written by a pool professional, FOR pool professionals, and even has advice on how to run a pool maintenance business (which is of zero interest to me). But if you can learn from a pro talking to other pros, this book is it.

The "Haynes" manual for pools.......2006-11-10

This book is to swimming pools what the "Haynes" car maintenance manuals are to your car. It contains all the information required to maintain your pool, even though probably someone else is going to do it for you. If you own a pool, it is worth reading the book to understand what the service technician should and shouldn't be doing, and when the pool is in need of help. It can also help you save some money by doing the work yourself. The book is entirely about maintaining a pool, not owning one. It is written in a friendly, readable style, and you can simply keep it as a reference manual to know what to do when things go wrong. If you are considering installing a pool or spa, this book will show you what you are letting yourself in for. If there is one omission in the text it is that the author ignores electric pool cleaning robots, though they are probably the most effective way of keeping the pool clean.

Save your Money.......2006-04-24

This book was a wasste of time and money. The book focuses more on being a pool professional then the actual "how-to" a pool owner needs to work on their pool. It has more information on changing a light fixtures and on bilking wealthy Malibu folks out of cash then actual useful information.

After reading this (useless!) book I went to my local library and reearched several books on the subject, there is a title called "What color is your pool?" That has lots of information for the first time pool owner. There may be other more technical guides our there, but this book has few drawings and illustrations, poor writing, and ultimately is lacking in adequate information.

Trust me...SAVE YOUR MONEY!

Helpful Tool.......2005-08-26

This book is a helpful tool for any pool owner or someone interested in having a pool.

NOT the best book to buy........2005-05-15

This is my first Amazon review, but I feel compelled to share this experience with others.

This book as said to be for the professional and the novice. It was said to contain all the information one could possibly need. It was suggested that you could take what you want from the weighty tome, and leave the rest. In reality the book is clearly NOT written for a new pool owner. In fact, its not written for an experience pool owner. The book was written for a pool repairman. Moreover, it does not contain the practicle information a pool professoinal would require to steer clients toward pool products.

Which cleaner should you get- Vacume or pressure driven? No answer here. What about a heating- Solar, oil, gas? No advice, no direction....

In fact, the book reads more like the diary of a pool man. About how one manufacurer was driven out of business by refusing to compromise quality, or how he cared for the pool of come Malibu celebrity.

Having recently purchased a home with an in-ground pool, I have read three books so far, and gotten quite and education. This book however failed in almost every regard. Finnally, the book deliniates ways of making money of customers as a pool professional. Information I simply have no use for.

Lastly, it bears mentioning that there is a quote on the book jacket from another Amazon reviewer "If you want to buy one book on swimming pools this is it!" Why not a quote from a noted pool authority or publication? Why quote some anonymous amzazon.com user like you or me? Most likely because there were no favorable reviews from newspapers or magazines.

This book was more then a waste of 30 dollars. It was also a waste of time. Unless you need to know how to change things like light fixtures in to pool. The book is not awful, so I gave it 2 stars, but I urge you to look elsewhere.

Average customer rating:

Excellent general reference
Lake and Pond Management Guidebook
The Lake Detective... He Can't Be Stumped! A great GLer

Lake and Pond Management Guidebook
Steve McComas
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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General & Reference | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

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Earth Ponds Sourcebook: The Pond Owner's Manual and Resource Guide, Second Edition
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The Ponder's Bible

ASIN: 1566706300

Book Description

The Lake and Pond Management Guidebook is the successor to the Bestselling Lake Smarts: The First Lake Maintenance Handbook, published by the Terrene Institute in 1993. This guidebook is the "bible" for small-scale lake and pond improvements. It contains over 300 ideas and projects that provide step-by-step practical, low-cost solutions to a wide range of problems that lake management professionals face on a regular basis. This updated and expanded second edition includes new material on protecting and restoring the shoreland area, practical algae control techniques, enhancing native aquatic plants, historical lake management efforts, and pond management including storm water pond improvements.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent general reference.......2006-12-18

Lake and Pond Management by Steve McComas is an excellent reference for cooperative extension advisors, soil and water conservation district staff, lake association representatives, and other watershed managers. Licensed commercial pesticide applicators who are considering broadening their credentials to the aquatic pest control category would also find this Guidebook a valuable addition to their reference libraries. As a retired university farm advisor and riverfront landowner, I found this book highly educational - and well worth the price.

Steve Sutter
Presque Isle, Maine

Lake and Pond Management Guidebook.......2005-08-31

Absolutely the last word in pond or small lake creation and maintenance. For both the amateur and professional landscaper. Well worth the steep price.

The Lake Detective... He Can't Be Stumped! A great GLer.......2004-02-16

This is that guy from AM1500 KSTP... Garage Logic, with Joe Soucheray. He goes by "The Lake Detective", and all he does is lakes, I guess. He's found a great niche in MN, land of 10,000 of 'em. Being a lakeshore owner, I've already used some of his techniques to keep my shore in great shape. The beauty of a lot of his approaches is that the solutions mostly seem pretty low-tech and inexpensive. But that's a good thing. I didn't have to rent expensive equipment to get my shore cleared, and the results have been great.

Color pictures would help, but the black-n-whites do the job, I guess. This $80 book saved me hundreds (maybe thousands) from what I was going to do to 'fix up' my shore... Money well spent!

A GLer in St. Paul

The Mini Water Garden Kit: Miniature (Miniature Editions)
Average customer rating:

very cute, corny... but cute

High 'Giggle Factor ' leaves you all wet!!

Waste of money!

i enjoy mine customized with "gems" bought elsewhere

complete waste of money

The Mini Water Garden Kit: Miniature (Miniature Editions)
Peir Prown
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Blank Books | Journals | Accessories | Formats | Books
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ASIN: 0762412860

Customer Reviews:

very cute, corny... but cute.......2007-05-19

I work in a small cubical and wanted something inexpensive and small to fiddle with, this fit the bill.

Granted, there are hardly any pebbles and mine even leaks a little... but I bought 3 mini kits (all different) for $5.00 at a local book store.

It does what I wanted and pretty much expected it to do; put a little smile on my face when I deal with customers on the phone all day. For basically $1.66, it's worth it to me.

I wouldn't buy it at the asking price on here, but if you find one at a clearance price like I did, I'd say go for it!

High 'Giggle Factor ' leaves you all wet!!.......2004-01-22

I am a Book Store groupie, someone point me to the self help group please. As I was checking out one day and I saw all these cutey patutey little mini whatevers while standing in line. All kinds mind you: mini fondue, mini budda, mini guide to fenge shui, and then I saw it the 'mini water garden kit'. I immediately had to have it.

Now, I don't know about other people, but let's be realistic; it's a counter item, last stop shopping to the check out, a fun diversion in a 2 and a half inch box. Can we say cheap scale novelty items for suckers like me!

Okay I opened it and the giggle fest began. It wasn't the 5 rocks in the heatsealed plastic baggy or the plastic container
to hold my water and rocks that sent me into crying giggling fits of laughter. The giggle fit started at the sight of the miniture hand pump to make the water gurgle and spray.............I just about wet myself giggling at my fully functional, MANUAL, mini water garden.

If nothing else you will have a good laugh and that is worth everything!

girldiver:)

Waste of money!.......2003-01-14

I have to agree with some of the other reviewers: this was a complete waste of money! Not only was it ugly (not enough stones, obtrusive cord/hand pump) but when you squeezed the fountain hand pump, the water shot right onto the table. This did not invoke tranquility!! There's no way to adjust the angle of the stream of water, either, unless you prop something under the fountain cup. And the book that comes with the fountain has so little content that you can "read" the entire thing in about 12 seconds.

Save yourself the aggravation... don't buy this! The sound of (literally) flushing your $ down the toilet would probably be more relaxing than this... and the net result is the same.

i enjoy mine customized with "gems" bought elsewhere.......2003-01-04

i read the other reviews and quite honestly did not expect much. but when i got it home it had 2 bags of rocks (much more than the 5 rocks the other reviewers received) but still not enough to cover the cup. since reading the other reviews i had not expected the cup to be full so i had previously gone out and bought a couple of "gem" rocks to put in it anyway. u are probably wondering how this works. it is not a plug or batteries. there is a small hand pump on it. it would be great if they could make it with batteries somehow but it is cute and nice to have around the office in small spaces.

complete waste of money.......2003-01-01

The mini water garden kit is definately not what the back of the box said it was. It looks alot better on the box and it certainly doesn't make relaxing water sounds, and I would never take it to work or on the road with me. The only good part about the kit is the book and you could probally get a great book for a few more bucks that is full sized, and has alot more info. Don't waste your money on this, you'll regret it!

Pond Life: Revised and Updated (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)

Average customer rating:

Great price, handy size
Loved this book so much
Nature lover learns things she didn't know....little book packs BIG punch!
A favorite for young science lovers.
Perfect for an amateur naturalist, or a bored family

Pond Life: Revised and Updated (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)
George K. Reid
Manufacturer: Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Biology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Lakes & Ponds | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

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Insects: Revised and Updated (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)
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Trees: Revised and Updated (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)
Spiders and Their Kin (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)

ASIN: 1582381305

Book Description

This guide describes and illustrates, in full color, the plants and animals that live in or near ponds, lakes, streams, and wetlands. It includes surface-dwelling creatures as well as those of open water, the bottom, and the shore and tells how various animals and plants live together in a community. Plus suggestions for:Where and when to lookObserving and collecting specimensMaking exciting discoveries

Customer Reviews:

Great price, handy size.......2007-06-28

Price and size are what makes this guide so great. It provides a good overview of pond life - flora and fauna - in a very portable format.

The small size, however, means that the illustrations are not as large or detailed as we would prefer. It also limits the amount of specific information that can be included. We recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and have found region-specific books (particularly from Lone Pine Publishers) to be superb.

I recommend this as a great resource at a very good price.

Loved this book so much.......2007-05-17

I used to rent this book so much from the parochial school library that the nuns used to scold me for not sharing it to others. It is a great book for the budding natualist or the field explorer. The insights into pond evoloutions are great in explainations. The pictures are very accurate for the plants and animals represented. The insect close ups are the best. This book helped me to build a lifelong fascination into pond ecology and invertebrates.

Nature lover learns things she didn't know....little book packs BIG punch!.......2006-02-07

I'm very much a nature lover. When this book arrived, I saw the small size (about 6" x 4") I felt a little dissappointed. I thought at least it would be something 'cute' for my kids, but would be far too basic for me.

NOT AT ALL!

I'm learning things I had no idea about. Did you know there are FRESHWATER JELLYFISH! I didn't!

Do you get energized learning about things in the natural environment? If so, you might really want to give this book a try. The book does not go into tremendous detail about each critter or topic covered, but does so enough to grasp the subject matter, and further research if you're interested. As I did with freshwater jellyfish - for which I now have bookmarked videos of them.

Another thing I liked, my attention span is not all that good. In my day, you got a smack on the back of the head, now they call it adhd....I found the book easy to read and follow. It's not like the longwinded boring educational type of book. You can flip through, find pictures of stuff you want to learn about and read - you don't have to read in a cover to cover manner.

Very cool book, very nice suprises reading it!

A favorite for young science lovers........2005-10-20

If your child loves science and has an interest with frogs, insects, and pond life, this little book is a wonderful colorfully illustrated book they would surely enjoy! Informative and detailed illustrations to go along with easy reading of plants, birds, fish, and microscopic life you can find in a pond. Small enough to place in their back pocket or book bag. I think Golden Guide books St. Martin present a very easy book to understand and explore all kinds of animal and plant life.

Perfect for an amateur naturalist, or a bored family.......2005-03-16

This is far different from other books in the same series that I have come across. While all of the Golden Guides contain some information beyond that needed for identification, this book has much more of an emphasis on broadly educating readers about the intricacies of pond life.

Taking on an entire ecosystem, Reid has given himself plenty of space to talk about the various types of pond habitats, the nature of water and how that fits into the picture, and the different seasons as they affect pond life. I found all of these sections to be highly informative, with the Golden Guide trademark of sophisticated knowledge being passed on in manageable chunks.

Reid doesn't talk down to the reader in the slightest; any young reader will sense that this guidebook is appropriate for amateur scientists of all ages.

Even the identification section is more word-laden than other Golden Guides, and much emphasis is put upon identifying different families and classes of organisms, rather than being limited to species identification alone.

No family that lives within striking distance of a pond should be without this handy little book. At the very least, it can provide a couple of magical afternoons exploring this amazing habitat together.

At Blackwater Pond: Mary Oliver Reads Mary Oliver

Average customer rating:

hearing Mary Oliver
a nourishing celebration of the natural world
Meditative and Starkly Captivating
Listen and Enjoy

At Blackwater Pond: Mary Oliver Reads Mary Oliver

Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Poetry & Drama | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

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Billy Collins Live: A Performance at the Peter Norton Symphony Space

ASIN: 0807007005

Book Description

"One of the astonishing aspects of Oliver's work is the consistency of tone over this long period. What changes is an increased focus on nature and an increased precision with language that has made her one of our very best poets."
—Stephen Dobyns, New York Times Book Review

Mary Oliver has published fifteen volumes of poetry and five books of prose in the span of four decades, but she rarely performs her poetry in live readings. Now, with the arrival of At Blackwater Pond, Mary Oliver has given her audience what they've longed to hear: the poet's voice reading her own work. In this beautifully produced compact disc, Mary Oliver has recorded forty of her favorite poems, nearly spanning the length of her career, from Dream Work through her newest volume, New and Selected Poems, Volume Two. The package is shrink-wrapped so that the elegant clothbound audiobook can takes its place on the poetry shelf. It also includes a fifteen-page booklet with an original essay, "Performance Note," photos of the author at Blackwater Pond, and a full listing of the poems and their sources.

Mary Oliver is one of the most celebrated and best-selling poets in America. Her poetry books include Blue Iris (Beacon / 6882-9 / $22.00 hc); House of Light (Beacon / 6811-X / $13.00 pb); New and Selected Poems, Volume One (Beacon / 6877-2 / $16.00 pb); and New and Selected Poems, Volume Two (Beacon / 6886-1 / $24.95 hc). She has also published five books of prose, including Rules for the Dance and, most recently, Long Life. She lives in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews:

hearing Mary Oliver.......2007-08-30

I enjoying hearing my favorite poems read aloud, especially by the author. This collection has some wonderful pieces, but I wouldn't recommend listening to all of it at one sitting, it starts to sound repetitious.

a nourishing celebration of the natural world.......2007-04-27

I love to read Mary Oliver's work, discovering one poem at a time and having my perspective altered by her masterful description of familiar, yet mysterious creatures and places. When this first recording became available, I had no idea how melodic, reverent, and strong Mary Oliver's voice would be as she reads her own words. This CD is becoming a favorite gift to give. Everyone who has received it has loved her imagery and has been fed by it.

Meditative and Starkly Captivating.......2006-10-28

As an annual visitor to Provincetown, where Mary Oliver resides, I first discovered her poetry in a local bookstore. While standing in it's cramped quarters, I was riveted by her matter of fact, yet stirring observations of life and nature. As listened, I imagine hers as the life I would love to live. I walk and observe through her eyes and ears and my life is much richer for having done so. Once back into my routine of commuting to work in New York City, I have recorded Mary's first CD onto my iPod. I can only attempt to express my joy-- at stepping upon the concrete sidewalks amidst crowds of busy people and rows of cars, trucks and taxis-- to hear Mary's quiet voice describing a Kingfisher. When I travel, when I'm weary and put-upon, when I'm just so pummelled by the obligations of work and routine, I select "At Blackwater Pond" and immediately calm and delight my soul.
I cannot thank Mary Oliver enough.

Listen and Enjoy.......2006-08-22

This recording contains quite a number of poems that appear in New and Selected Poems: Volume One. It was nice to hear Mary Oliver read her own work. Listen while doing housework. Makes the work and time go faster.

Average customer rating:

A dark chapter for witches of Hogwarts
Very Mature Youth Novel
Do not miss!
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Witch of Blackbird Pond

The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Elizabeth George Speare
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Puffin Modern Classics) (Puffin Modern Classics)

ASIN: 0440995779
Release Date: 1978-05-15

Amazon.com

Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleak Connecticut Colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. As they sail up the river to Kit's new home, the teasing and moodiness of a young sailor named Nat doesn't help. Still, her unsinkable spirit soon bobs back up. What this spirited teenager doesn't count on, however, is how her aunt and uncle's stern Puritan community will view her. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns, and talks back to her elders is not only headstrong, she is in grave danger of being regarded as a witch. When Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, it is more than the ascetics can take: soon Kit is defending her life. Who can she count on as she confronts these angry and suspicious townspeople?

A thoroughly exciting and rewarding Newbery Medal winner and ALA Notable Children's Book, Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond brings this frightening period of witch hysteria to life. Readers will wonder at the power of the mob mentality, and the need for communities in desperate times--even current times--to find a scapegoat. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Orphaned Kit Tyler knows, as she gazes for the first time at the cold, bleak shores of Connecticut Colony, that her new home will never be like the shimmering Caribbean island she left behind. In her relatives' stern Puritan community, she feels like a tropical bird that has flown to the wrong part of the world, a bird that is now caged and lonely. The only place where Kit feels completely free is in the meadows, where she enjoys the company of the old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, and on occasion, her young sailor friend Nat. But when Kit's friendship with the "witch" is discovered, Kit is faced with suspicion, fear, and anger. She herself is accused of witchcraft!

Customer Reviews:

A dark chapter for witches of Hogwarts.......2007-08-21

First read it in 8th grade about 20 years ago in reading class. The teacher was a blonde Jewish hottie about 5'6"" in her early twenties named Miss Fee. The book is great by itself, but taught by a good looking teacher makes it even better.

Very Mature Youth Novel.......2007-08-06

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed and it is very descriptive. I think the message is very insightful, and I also enjoyed the love story. I would recommend this book for an older child and even adults!

Do not miss!.......2007-07-24

The message is even more important now as we continue to vilify those who seem different. A fascinating look into the mindset of the people who created the Salem witch trials. (Follow up with "The Crucible") Also a feminist tale.
Young women will relate best to this story. Images and names stick with me still, 30 years later.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond.......2007-06-06

The book Witch of Black Bird Pond was an adventurous book as well as a bit of romance. It was about a girl who travels to America to find family to live with since her family died. She ends up finding them and they are taken by surprise by some things she can and can not do. As well as thing she posses like, beautiful dresses and money. She needs to help on their farm but is not used to that so she runs off only to find a little house in a meadow of flowers about a mile away from where she lives now and the lady walks up to her, the one from the little house. She returns home and they become pals but many believe that she is a witch. What happens in the end, read the book to find out.

I loved the book! It is probably a ten (10) and older book, and a book for adults too. It is an exciting book because who knows what a response or action will be next. I would rate The Witch of Black Bird Pond a five star (*****) book for its simply wonderful story. It's a book I would recommend but mostly for girls who love a bit of romance but mostly adventure.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond.......2007-05-06

ISBN 0440495962 - Excellent, well written book for ages 12 and up, Witch is more likely to appeal to girls. This book has enough romance to make it unappealing to some, but it deserves the Newbery Award it won in 1959.

Kit Tyler was orphaned years before, but it is only now that she feels like an orphan - her grandfather, Sir Francis Tyler, a well-off plantation owner on Barbados, has died and Kit finds out that all he's left behind is mountainous debt. His entire estate is sold off to pay those debts and Kit's own slave has to be sold, as well, to finance her journey to Connecticut. There, her mother's only sister, beautiful Rachel, lives with her family. She befriends Nat Eaton, the captain's son, but fails to tell him that her family isn't expecting her. He is surprised by their surprise, when Kit shows up on their doorstep, where they part ways. Kit, too, gets a surprise, when she finds that her aunt, once a great beauty, is a somewhat worn, plain woman. Clearly her life has changed her.

It takes some time for Kit to get accustomed to the ways of her aunt's family, who are Puritans (Kit had even disparagingly referred to them as "Roundheads" while still on the boat). Their simple life of hard work is a harsh existence with little joy and Kit misses much about her old life. Still, she has no one else and tries to learn to do the chores she is given to the best of her ability. When William Ashby, a young man of some means, begins to court her, Kit realizes that he might be the best chance she has to escape from the drudgery of her life under Uncle Matthew's roof. Judith, Kit's cousin, had previously set her sights on William, but when he favors Kit, she turns her attention to John Holbrook, a budding clergyman. Judith is unaware that her crippled sister, Mercy, has fallen in love with John and even less aware that John also loves Mercy.

While the prospect of escape via marriage to William is in the future, Kit lives in the present, becoming friendly with Hannah, an elderly Quaker woman who lives alone on the shore of Blackbird Pond. The townspeople believe her to be a witch, mostly because she isn't Puritan. Consorting with Hannah doesn't do much to improve Kit's standing in the town, but she laughs off the idea of herself or anyone being a witch - until they lock her up and put her on trial. Her friendships with Nat and Prudence pay off in a big way, when they appear at the trial, but Nat runs before she can thank him - and before she realizes that it is Nat that she really loves.

As a teen or pre-teen, this book would not have impressed me much, and I'd have found the romance gag-worthy. Everyone ends up with the guy they should end up with and all, it is implied, live happily ever after. As an adult, however, I really enjoyed the story. The prejudice of the time, not unlike the prejudice of ANY time period, was interesting. To read that the ability to swim was an indication that one was a witch is funny now, but a nice bit of irony for the time - the only way to prove your innocence was to die by drowning! Not perfect, and a little more "historical romance" than plain old "historical fiction", but still very nicely done.

Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (Caldecott Honor Book, BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award)

Average customer rating:

This is a beautiful book in word and illustration
My baby loves to hear these poems
Superlative book should stave off "nature-deficit disorder". . .
Listen for me on a spring night...and I'll sing you to sleep
Bug bug bugsy

Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (Caldecott Honor Book, BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award)
Joyce Sidman
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Zen Shorts (Caldecott Honor Book)
Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride (Caldecott Honor Book)
The Hello, Goodbye Window
Rosa
Show Way (Newbery Honor Book)

ASIN: 0618135472

Book Description

From spring's first thaw to autumn's chill, the world of the pond is a dramatic place. Though seemingly quiet, ponds are teeming with life and full of surprises. Their denizensfrom peepers to painted turtles, duckweed to diving beetleslead secret and fascinating lives. A unique blend of whimsy, science, poetry, and hand-colored woodcuts, this collection invites us to take a closer look at our hidden ponds and wetlands. Here is a celebration of their beauty and their mystery.

Customer Reviews:

This is a beautiful book in word and illustration.......2007-10-06

I waited for this to arrive and now it has. It is one of the most totally beautiful books I've bought. The illustrations are wood cut and water color. I love them. The poems just pull you into the pictures. The subject matter is new to me and now I realize what I have been missing.
Can't wait to read this a million times to my grandchildren.

My baby loves to hear these poems.......2006-12-04

Since I had a baby this past summer, I have been looking for great books to read to her that are educational and just plain fun to read. She is now 5 months and I read her "The Song of the Water Boatman," and her eyes light up and she laughs and smiles. This is not only a whimsical little collection of poems about pond life, it is beautifully illustrated and informational on a pond's wild inhabitants.

Superlative book should stave off "nature-deficit disorder". . ........2006-03-20

This book is an absolute delight, and the 'pairing' of poet and artist is inspired. Beckie Prange's woodcuts are reminiscent of the genius of work by Gustave Baumann (1881-1971: Chicago, Brown County INDIANA, & New Mexico).

"Song of the Water Boatman" is given its wider readership just as psychologists are announcing concerns about "nature-deprived" children." Blessed be all educators who use this book to plan units & field trips that open eyes and hearts to the natural world so greatly in need of future protectors.

Joyce Sidman packs as much information per square inch as there are microorganisms in the drop of water showing off the "water bear," or "tardigrada." There are favorite segments on every page. In southern Indiana we already are being 'lullabied' by Spring Peepers, grateful for our woods and pond setting. Children are responding with glee to the repetitious "In the Depths of the Summer Pond" - - a musical chant in a four-page spread with 'lessons' about survival and the food chain. Not as beautiful as the dragon fly, the remarkable metamorphosis of the caddis fly, described as a "fashion story" of transformation, will nonetheless fascinate all. Other revelations include the water boatman, and its not-quite-mirror-image, the back swimmer which always swims on its back; both carrying their own bubbles of air with them.

This reviewer will never venture out-of-doors again without more finely tuning my senses to these wonders. We will definitely be exploring our creek with increased enthusiasm. Reviewer mcHAIKU urges that we not allow "nature-deficit" to creep into our souls, and allow our minds to limit periods of hibernation! LET'S THRIVE ON LIVING & LEARNING !

Listen for me on a spring night...and I'll sing you to sleep.......2006-03-07

Take it from one who grew up -- and still lives -- across the street from a pond, Joyce Sidman knows pond life! With the beautiful, strong first poem "Listen to Me" about the peeper frogs waking in the spring, SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN introduces readers to all aspects of pond life, from cattails to painted turtles to the food chain. In addition to poems written a variety of styles, Sidman also includes a paragraph of interesting facts about the subject. And it's all capped off with the Caldecott-honor-worthy woodcuts created by Beckie Prange. All in all, a wonderful read-aloud for kids grade 1-4 studying ponds, ecosystems, or poetry...or just for fun. "Listen to Me" joins my personal list of all-time favorite poems. 2006 Caldecott Honor Book.

Bug bug bugsy.......2006-02-02

Poetry's not my bag, baby, so when I find myself reviewing a children's book of poetry my confidence just ooooozes away. Oozily. I know enough about poetry to know that I can't judge meter or metaphor or any of that jazz. I can tell if a line scans or not, and that officially marks the limits of my poetry-criticism qualifications. It's so much easier when a book garners universal praise. That way I know it's good and I can follow suit. Now as of this review "Song of the Water Boatman" has appeared on School Library Journals Best Books of 2005, the Boston-Globe Winners of 2005, the Bulletin of the Center For Children's Books Blue Ribbon Awards of 2005, and the New York Public Library's 100 Titles For Reading and Sharing circa 2005. Oh. And a little something called the Caldecott Honor, but who's counting? From all these high muckety-mucks in their own little separate worlds, I can only reach the obvious conclusion that there's something pretty cool going on with "Water Boatman" here. A quick peek inside, a swift skimming of a poem or two, and then an in-depth read of every word and image did indeed convince me that it's a lovely work. Would I go about handing it shiny silver medals? Probably not. But as poetry goes it's gorgeous and, almost more importantly, there's a little non-fiction stirred into the mix for spice!

Eleven poems about ponds and their animals, that's what we've got here. North American ponds, to be exact. On her bookflap, author Joyce Sidman clarifies the impetus that drew her to this project. "I noticed a pool that was obviously drying up and wondered about its inhabitants: Where would they go? I imagined them as creatures in a drama, with personalities of their own". That is where Sidman excels, actually. No matter how big or small or downright bizarre a critter is, they appear on these pages as full-bodied three-dimensional characters. The poem, "Diving Beetle's Food-Sharing Rules" gives you a pretty good sense of this. "if it moves, it is mine / If it's anywhere near me, it is mine / If I'm hungry (and I'm always hungry), / it is mine, mine mine". The last line? "do not forget what is mine / For if I return / and you have taken it / YOU / are mine". As with every other creature in this book, there is factual information placed on the page opposite the poems giving in-depth details and little known facts about the pond denizen speaking. From all this we learn about the food chain, what the real nature of duck weed is, the cleverness of the caddis worm, and the definition of "emergents". Couple everything with artist and first-time children's book illustrator Beckie Prange's superb woodcuts ala watercolors and you've a book that simultaneously fulfills intellectual curiosity as well as poetic leanings.

I could be forgiven for not necessarily knowing who Joyce Sidman was before looking through this book. A resident of beautiful Wayzata, Minnesota (I once had to commute there on a daily basis from St. Paul, and it truly is a lovely little area) Sidman is obviously drawing on Minnesotan wildlife for this book. To my mind, the saving grace of the book (not that it isn't nice BUT) is that it has humor. Humor is so undervalued these days that whenever I read through a children's book and find even a scrap of it lurking in the corners I am filled with a kind of manic glee. This manic glee response came to me more than once while reading Sidman's words. Only she would think to make the titular song of the waterboatman (with a refrain by a cheery backswimmer) sound more like a tune fit for a pirate than a bug. She even works in an accumulative poem (ala "The House That Jack Built") with her food-chainish, "In the Depths of the Summer Pond". Lest I steer you wrong, let me just say that Prange's illustrations are realistic and not cartoonish in the least. If you're looking for a visual humor to back up the written, look elsewhere. I was disappointed, by the way, to find that though Prange lists her webpage in the back of the book, the site says that it will be up and running in the "winter". I am writing this in February of 2006. Can't get much more wintery than that, now can you?

Why is it important that this book be written? I will tell you, faithful readers. Picture this: A high-faluting children's room in New York City just across the street from the Museum of Modern Art. A uniquely talented and, if I might be so bold, cute-as-a-bug children's librarian is approached by an addled teacher. The teacher says that she wants an interesting book on ponds. "Not a problem", says the perky librarian, looking up the keyword "pond" in her database because while she's excellent on the Library of Congress decimal system, Dewey has never been her strength. "Oh", says the teacher as an afterthought, "And it needs to be for young kids. First graders". "Erm... okay", says the now less-than-confident but still game librarian. Her searches only seem to be yielding the names of titles of books published in 1943 anyway. "And can the book be kind of fictional but with lots of facts in it as well?". If this librarian is aware of the existence of "Song of the Water Boatman", she will be able to deal with this request with aplomb. If she is not aware of it, she will suffer the indignity of trying to refer the patron to other library branches. This, ladies and gentlemen, happens in one form or another EVERY DAY. Thousands of children's librarians are peppered with ridiculously intense requests for very specific types of books. And while you may not believe me, I actually got this kind of a "pond" request about a year ago. "Song of the Water Boatman" had not yet reached my shelves. Hence, my gratitude for its existence now.

The book reminded me of many many other titles out there already. The songs coming from insects and the variety of different poetical styles brought to mind Paul Fleischman's Newbery Award winning, "Joyful Noise: Poems For Two Voices". It would be an excellent companion to this title. Also, the idea of pairing animal and insect poems alongside remarkably beautiful and strangely (for the author) subdued illustrations is found in, "If Not For the Cat" by Jack Prelutsky. Of course, in that particular case we're dealing with watercolors and not woodcuts, but Beckie Prange is just as adept with the watercolor brush as Ted Rand so the two pair up quite nicely. I don't want to imply that this book will only be interesting to those people into pond poems and pond facts. There's a lot of superb information in here that rural and urban kids will equally enjoy. Just the same, no matter where you're living I suggest you take a trip to a pond straightaway with "Song of the Water Boatman" at your side. Show your children how an ecosystem really works and how some of these bugs really act. This book is great in and of itself, but nailing it home with a little one-on-one experience will truly make it memorable.

Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks

Average customer rating:

Water - more important than oil
Save It!
Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers and Ponds.
for everyone that uses water
Excellent book

Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks
Art Ludwig
Manufacturer: Oasis Design
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Plumbing & Household Automation | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

The New Create an Oasis With Greywater: Choosing, Building and Using Greywater Systms - Includes Branched Drains
Builder's Greywater Guide: Installation of Greywater Systems in New Construction & Remodeling; A Supplement to the Book "Create an Oasis With Greywater"
Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands (Vol. 1): Guiding Principles to Welcome Rain into Your Life And Landscape
Rainwater Collection for the Mechanically Challenged
Rainwater Catchment Systems for Domestic Supply: Design, Construction and Implementation

ASIN: 0964343363

Book Description

A do-it-yourself guide to designing, building, and maintaining water tanks, cisterns and ponds, and sustainably managing groundwater storage. It will help you with your independent water system, fire protection, and disaster preparedness, at low cost and using principles of ecological design. Includes building instructions for several styles of ferro cement water tanks.

Customer Reviews:

Water - more important than oil.......2007-08-25

Wow! This book has a ton of usefull, usable information packed into such a thin booklet! No wasted space, which makes me feel that I've not wasted my money on this book! If you are serious about helping to save this planet, or even just surviving the next tragedy that may befall upon us: Get. This. Book.
Can I just say again: WOW!

Save It!.......2007-08-14

What a shame that so much water is wasted...especially when our roofs and gutters simply make a mess rather than being utilized to store rainwater. This book will help even the urban dweller to get in on using precious water for immediate use. For the country folks, it will help in better planning for future use. Highly recommended.

Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers and Ponds........2007-08-04

Too much social and environmental commentary which I have noticed is common for books on this subject. I just want information on how to best design and build a water collection system. The benefits are obvious to anyone who would buy this book so why use half the book to convince the reader?

for everyone that uses water.......2007-02-08

I found this book very informative. Lots of easy to understand information. It has affected the way I store drinking water, even in small amounts simply to bring on a bike ride or to work.
Well written. A wealth of information without having to wade through a bunch of extranious fluff.

Excellent book.......2006-11-17

I agree with the positive comments in the earlier reviews. This is a great book covering all common forms of water storage vehicles, with plenty of technical details so you really can undertake these projects yourself. The section on ferrocement water tanks is very comprehensive; the plans for building the beautiful urn-shaped tank shown on the cover are worth the price of the book! Our area averages about 18 inches of rainfall each year; the important word in that statement is "averages." We have had as little as 10" one year, only to be inundated with 40" the next. Our 8500 gallons of water storage captures most of our roof runoff and allows us to water our gardens, greenhouses, and fruit trees with rainwater instead of high-mineral ground water during dry times (which is most of the time). Rainwater is better for the plants and storing it keeps our well from being stressed by watering. I also highly recommend Art Ludwig's books about greywater; we incorporated some of his design concepts when we built our house. To me, greywater reuse is the flip side of the water-catchment coin, allowing us to make the best use of this most precious resource.

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