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141. The Fishes of Ohio by Milton Bernhard Trautman | |
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our price: $88.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0814202136 Catlog: Book (1982-03-01) Publisher: Ohio State University Press Sales Rank: 759750 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
142. Corals: A Quick Reference Guide (Oceanographic Series) by Julian Sprung | |
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our price: $29.71 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 1883693098 Catlog: Book (1999-09) Publisher: Ricordea Publishing Sales Rank: 25118 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description In addition, for aquarists who grow corals in reef aquariums, information is provided in quick reference charts concerning each coral's requirements for light, water movement, and food, hardiness in captivity, aggressiveness toward other corals, and proper positioning in the aquarium. Reviews (9)
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143. Water Quality & Treatment Handbook by Raymond D. Letterman, American Water Works Association | |
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our price: $108.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0070016593 Catlog: Book (1999-10-30) Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Sales Rank: 283270 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description The leading source of informationon water quality, water treatment, and quality control for 60 years is now available in an up-to-the-minute new edition. The American Water Works Association's Water Quality & Treatment, Fifth Edition fully covers the field, bringing you the expertise of 20 distinguished specialists whoprovide the latest information on everything from aeration and coagulation processes, to chemical oxidation and water plant waste management. At least 90% of the material in this new edition has been revised and updated. Among the areas of special concern covered are: *Cutting-edge membrane processes |
144. Handbook of Hydrology by David R. Maidment | |
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our price: $105.30 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0070397325 Catlog: Book (1993-02-01) Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Sales Rank: 152046 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (2)
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145. Earth : An Intimate History by Richard Fortey | |
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our price: $18.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0375406263 Catlog: Book (2004-11-02) Publisher: Knopf Sales Rank: 1470 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description
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146. Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants (And Not So Wild Places) by Steve Brill | |
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our price: $14.93 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0688114253 Catlog: Book (1994-05-20) Publisher: Perennial Currents Sales Rank: 16850 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places shows readers how to find and prepare more than five hundred different plants for nutrition and better health, including such common plants as mullein (a tea made from the leaves and flowers suppresses a cough), stinging nettle (steam the leaves and you have a tasty dish rich in iron), cattail (cooked stalks taste similar to corn and are rich in protein), and wild apricots (an infusion made with the leaves is good for stomach aches and disgestive disorders). More than 260 detailed line drawings help readers identify a wide range of plants -- many of which are suited for cooking by following the more than thirty recipes included in this book. There are literally hundreds of plants readily available underfoot waiting to be harvested and used either as food or as a potential therapeutic. This book is both a field guide to nature's bounty and a source of intriguing information about the plants that surround us. Reviews (15)
The approach also tends to give details on a few interesting / especially good flavored or nutricious plants and then gives a names-only grocery list of "Edible and medicinal plants" and then one of "For Observation only" So, in summary, if you know a bit about general plant identification and your focus is on what's available for the season and habitat, this book is a valuable resource, but if you're looking for a field identification and classification tool, this is probably not the best choice.
Otherwise an excellent resource. ... Read more |
147. Residential Landscape Architecture: Design Process for the Private Residence (3rd Edition) by Norman K. Booth, James E. Hiss | |
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our price: $113.33 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0130278270 Catlog: Book (2001-07-03) Publisher: Prentice Hall Sales Rank: 113227 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (3)
Ignore the fact that this seems to have been written as some sort of textbook for a beginer's course for professional landscape architects. I am an ordinary homeowner and I found the book to be easy and enjoyable to read, and quite educational. I now feel like I understand enough to design a professional quality landscape for my own home. In case it matters, I own the second edition (Amazon is now selling the third edition). I can only assume that this latest edition is even better than the edition I have.
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148. Natural Resource Conservation: Management for a Sustainable Future (8th Edition) by Daniel D. Chiras, John P. Reganold, Oliver S. Owen | |
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our price: $101.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0130333980 Catlog: Book (2001-07-17) Publisher: Prentice Hall Sales Rank: 13462 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description |
149. The Math Instinct: Why You're a Mathematical Genius (Along with Lobsters, Birds, Cats, and Dogs) by Keith Devlin | |
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our price: $16.50 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 1560256729 Catlog: Book (2005-03-10) Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press Sales Rank: 5270 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description What innate calculating skills do we humans have? Leaving aside built-in mathematics, such as the visual system, ordinary people do just fine when faced with mathematical tasks in the course of the day. Yet when they are confronted with the same tasks presented as "math," their accuracy often drops. But if we have innate mathematical ability, why do we have to teach math and why do most of us find it so hard to learn? Are there tricks or strategies that the ordinary person can do to improve mathematical ability? Can we improve our math skills by learning from dogs, cats, and other creatures that "do math"? The answer to each of these questions is a qualified yes. All these examples of animal math suggest that if we want to do better in the formal kind of math, we should see how it arises from natural mathematics. From NPRs "Math Guy"The Math Instinct will provide even the most number-phobic among us with confidence in our own mathematical abilities. |
150. The Ponder's Bible by Gosta H. Lovgren, Gösta H. Lovgren | |
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our price: $12.71 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 1929741081 Catlog: Book (2000-02-01) Publisher: Carolelle Pub Sales Rank: 21791 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description It is "Fun and easy to read and most importantly ... Informative." "Just incredible. I'll bet you have no idea how inspiring it is for average ponders to read this." "Wow! When I read your book, I though 'WOW! We could do that!... And we were right." "... a very good job! I'm sick of reading books using language only a biologist could understand." "A virtual treasure trove of information." "Your simplicity in guidelines has made my pond building a pleasure." Reviews (6)
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151. Arnie the Darling Starling by MARGARETE CORBO | |
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(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0449206548 Catlog: Book (1985-01-12) Publisher: Fawcett Sales Rank: 810084 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (4)
This is a wonderful story of love and compassion, of companionship and triumph. Arnie the starling ended up being the thread that held many stories together in Margarete's life. A war bride from Munich, Margarete lived in Texas where she had run a pet clinic, among other things. She moved to Cape Cod with Arnie by the end of the tale, having had many adventures along the way. Margerete even shared the rejection letter from the Tonight Show. Maybe they didn't believe Arnie the starling could talk? "Good," was Arnie's reply. Arnie never did return to the wild, preferring the company of Margarete and her other animals, human food to wild offerings, and, of course, there would be no one to talk to out there! This is a lovely story, a touching story, one for kids and adults.
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152. Green Spirit: Trees Are the Answer by Patrick Moore | |
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our price: $20.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0968640400 Catlog: Book (2000-09-01) Publisher: Greenspirit Enterprises, Ltd Sales Rank: 756562 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (1)
What is amazing is that Patrick Moore's highly educated and scientific position on forest management should be so widely assailed in the court of common knowledge and public opinion. There is very little examination of fact. Widespread untruths circulate freely, and every opposing viewpoint is demonized. Further reason to carefully consider Patrick Moore's contrarian view and verifyable science -- and note his incredible courage to put his personal reputation on the line, given the fact that his name is in the pantheon of great environmentalists of the 20th Century. Eye-opening is an understatement. The facts presented in this book alone should warrant a careful reexamination of public opinion, government policy, and precipitate an audit of facts presented by various sides of environmental issues. Most people want to do the right thing to insure a vigorously healthy environment. What we don't need is to give over leadership of human destiny to extremist viewpoints which are founded on a belief that humans are a cancer on the face of the Earth, that technology and science are evil, and that the only solution is rolling back the clock 500 years to a pre-Columbian Garden of Eden. Green Spirit has the courage to look at the environmental movement in a constructive way and say, "The Emperor Has No Clothes." On the issue of forests, it is as if some crazy Theodore Kaczynski is head environmental activist, public opinion trendsetter, and public policy oracle. Who can deny that the show is being run based on some kind of anti-human, anti-technology Unibomber manifesto? ... Read more |
153. Greenhouse Operation and Management (6th Edition) by Paul V. Nelson | |
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our price: $119.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0130105775 Catlog: Book (2002-09-19) Publisher: Prentice Hall Sales Rank: 494736 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Reviews (1)
My only complaint is that it is VERY badly formatted and so, difficult to read. Like the Biblical book of Numbers, it will have you sawing logs if read at bedtime. The publisher could learn alot from Boodley's The Commercial Greenhouse, which is much more readable. ... Read more |
154. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin | |
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our price: $16.47 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0060520752 Catlog: Book (2004-11-01) Publisher: HarperCollins Sales Rank: 770 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description The gripping story of an epic prairie snowstorm that killed hundreds of newly arrived settlers and cast a shadow on the promise of the American frontier. January 12, 1888, began as an unseasonably warm morning across Nebraska, the Dakotas, and Minnesota, the weather so mild that children walked to school without coats and gloves. But that afternoon, without warning, the atmosphere suddenly, violently changed. One moment the air was calm; the next the sky exploded in a raging chaos of horizontal snow and hurricane-force winds. Temperatures plunged as an unprecedented cold front ripped through the center of the continent. By Friday morning, January 13, some five hundred people lay dead on the drifted prairie, many of them children who had perished on their way home from country schools. In a few terrifying hours, the hopes of the pioneers had been blasted by the bitter realities of their harsh environment. Recent immigrants from Germany, Norway, Denmark, and the Ukraine learned that their free homestead was not a paradise but a hard, unforgiving place governed by natural forces they neither understood nor controlled. With the storm as its dramatic, heartbreaking focal point, The Children's Blizzard captures this pivotal moment in American history by tracing the stories of five families who were forever changed that day. Drawing on family interviews and memoirs, as well as hundreds of contemporary accounts, David Laskin creates an intimate picture of the men, women, and children who made choices they would regret as long as they lived. Here too is a meticulous account of the evolution of the storm and the vain struggle of government forecasters to track its progress. The blizzard of January 12, 1888, is still remembered on the prairie. Children fled that day while their teachers screamed into the relentless roar. Husbands staggered into the blinding wind in search of wives. Fathers collapsed while trying to drag their children to safety. In telling the story of this meteorological catastrophe, the deadliest blizzard ever to hit the prairie states, David Laskin has produced a masterful portrait of a tragic crucible in the settlement of the American heartland. |
155. Vernal Pools: Natural History and Conservation by Elizabeth A. Colburn | |
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our price: $29.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0939923912 Catlog: Book (2004-10) Publisher: McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company Sales Rank: 86028 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Increasingly, vernal pools and their habitats are being recognized as places of interest and importance to many students and stewards of freshwater resources and biological diversity, including:land owners, naturalists, teachers, researchers, conservationists, resource managers, planners, and policy makers. |
156. Wilderness Medicine (Wilderness Medicine: Management of Wilderness and Environmental Emergencies) by Paul S. Auerbach, Paul S., Md., Ms. Auerbach | |
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our price: $149.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0323009506 Catlog: Book (2001-02-15) Publisher: C.V. Mosby Sales Rank: 81127 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (2)
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157. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals (Audubon Society Field Guide) by Charles Wesley Chesterman | |
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our price: $13.57 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0394502698 Catlog: Book (1979-05-12) Publisher: Knopf Sales Rank: 6201 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Reviews (7)
As I am a big fan of communal stoning this book proves to be an invaluable resource. There is nothing more embarrassing than choosing the wrong type of rock at a stoning. I unwittingly chose a rock of very brittle consistency during a recent stoning I attended. You can imagine how foolish I looked when my stone merely disintegrated as it bounced off of my intended targets forehead. I still haven't lived that painful episode down, much to the amusement of my fellow stoners. My nickname is "Ole Softie" now. Take a lesson from my faux pas; pick up this book before you are made to look the fool.
This would not be a suitable book for a beginner in the field as the retrieval of information would not be easily done by a novice. As a long time serious collector, despite the approximately 800 pages, many popular minerals have been omitted.
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158. Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky | |
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our price: $10.20 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0142001619 Catlog: Book (2003-01-01) Publisher: Penguin Books Sales Rank: 2009 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Reviews (34)
The book starts and ends in China, first describing the brine wells and the advanced drilling techniques the Chinese invented centuries ago. The text then moves to how salt was used in Roman times describing a sauce called garum made from pickled and fermented fish parts. Kurlansky then continues with Mediteranean fish industry. Salt's main use was in preserving fish. The next big change came when cod was found off the coast of Newfoundland. Cod's low fat meant more salt was needed. Eventually, the American colonies developed their own salt and cod industries. Kurlansky describes the importance of salt in the American Civil War, how salt works led to the marketing of Tabasco sauce, how canals were dug through New York state to take salt from the Great Lakes to the coast. After a quick recounting of how salt was used by Ghandi to spark India's revolution, the book ends back in China and how the salt industry there has moved into the modern age. The old traditional derricks are gone; no one wanted to pay to preserve even the most important ones as historical landmarks. Kurlanski gives a good outline of how salt was taxed in various parts of the world. His description of how the salt tax was an important factor in both the French and Indian revolutions deserves special mention. As he describes how salt was traded and produced, Kurlanky peppers his narrative (sorry...) with short recipes that illustrate how salt was used in different parts of the world and at different times of our history. If you love food and history, you'll love this book. If you love one and only moderately like the other, you'll find the book bogs down a bit.
I like these small, focused histories (as you've probably guessed if you've read any of the other reviews I've written). I've read many of them, including another one by Mark Kurlansky, Cod (which I rather enjoyed). So when I ran across Salt, I was certain I wanted to read it. I liked Kurlansky's style, and I already knew that the subject matter would be interesting. And it was. In Salt, Kurlansky walks through both the history of salt and the influence of salt on history, presenting a wide and varied picture of one of the [now] most common elements in our modern world. And he does this in the same engaging fashion that he used in Cod; although, with fewer recipes. So why not give it five stars? Well, it has a couple of noticable flaws that tended to detract a bit from the overall presentation. The first flaw was in the sheer number of historical snippets that were included. While I'm certain that salt has been important in the broad span of human history, there are a number of these historical anecdotes where he was clearly reaching to demonstrate the influence of salt. Salt may have been involved in these incidents, but it was peripheral at best, and the overall tone sounds too much like cheerleading. Cutting a few of these out would have shortened the book without detracting from the presentation at all. The second flaw was the meandering path that he takes through the history of salt. He generally starts early in history, and his discussion moves along roughly as history does as well; however, he has a tendency to wander a bit both forward and backward without effectively tying all of this together. I'd have preferred to either walk straight through history while skipping around the world (effectively comparing the use and influence of salt around the world) or to have taken more time to discuss why we were rewinding (effectively following one thread to its conclusion and then picking up another parallel one). To me it made the presentation a little too choppy. There have been other criticisms as well; for example, the chemistry is incorrect in a number of places, but if you're using this as a chemical reference, then you've got serious issues with your ability to library research. Of course, that begs the question of what errors are in there that we didn't catch. And it does tend to be a bit repetitive in parts; although, this could have been used to good effect if historical threads had been followed a bit more completely. While I had a few dings on the book, overall I liked it. The fact that I read it end-to-end and enjoyed the last chapter as much as the first is a testament to my general enjoyment of it. It wasn't the best book I read last year, but I'll certainly keep it on my bookshelf. So, back to my original question: does salt merit its own book? Yes, it does, but perhaps in a somewhat shorter form.
The descriptions of the role of salt in the American Civil War and the Caribbean islands were fascinating. Then there were the Romans, the Mayans, The Aztecs, the Chinese, the French, the Germans, the English, the Dutch, the Russians, the Scandinavians and others and their involvement with salt. The recipes for cooking with salt are aptly chosen from about 4000 years of recorded history and are remarkably similar to those in use today. The colorful view and history of the San Francisco salt ponds from an airplane were always a bit of mystery to me, but no longer. The origin of towns and cities whose name ends in "wich" was enlightening, to say nothing of Salzburg and the many salt mines in the world. In short, this book is a grand, well-written, informative and often amusing world panorama of salt filled with a host of pearls of learning. It is hard to put down and makes 449 pages pleasantly fly by, leaving you with a taste for more. If you have ever used salt, you really should read this book.
Because our need for salt is so fundamental, its history encompasses that of humanity. Salt was basic to many economies, Kurlansky notes. It's acted as the basis of exchange between traders, was the target of empire builders and even paid out to soldiers as a form of "salary" - hence the term. Venice, a coastal city tucked away from the main tracks of Mediterranean trade, bloomed into prominence when it discovered it could garner more profit by trading in salt than by manufacturing it. The Venetian empire and later renaissance was founded on the salt trade. Empires may be built on salt, but can be felled by misguided policies on its trade and consumption. One element leading to the downfall of the French monarchy was the hated "gabelle", or salt tax, which imposed a heavier burden on farming peasants than it did on the aristocracy. The reputation of tax evasion borne by the French relates to the resentment expressed over the salt tax. A British regulation on salt resulted in similar reaction leading to the breakup up their own Empire. It was a "march to the sea" led by Mahatma Ghandi to collect salt that galvanised resistance to British rule. Over a century after the French Revolution, the British were displaced from India for similar reasons - greed. While acknowledging the importance of salt in our lives, Kurlansky notes that determining how much is "too little" or "too much" is elusive. Many people today claim to have "salt-free" diets while remaining ignorant of how much salt is contained in our foods, both naturally and through processing. Yet, as Kurlansky records, salt has appeal beyond just the body's needs. He records numerous commentators from ancient Egypt, China and Rome who express their admiration for salt's flavour-adding qualities. Sauces based on various ingredients mixed with salt permeate the book. He notes that the salt dispenser is a modern innovation, supplementing the use of salt in cooking processes. Salt's decline in conserving food, which changed the amount of salt we consume directly, came about due to increased world trade, displacement of rural populations into cities, and, of course, war. "The first blow" displacing salt as a preservative came from a Parisian cook; a man so obscure that his given name remains disputed. Nicolas [Francois?] Appert worked out how to preserve meat by "canning". Adopted by Napoleon's armies, the technique spread rapidly. The technology of the Industrial Revolution led to effective refrigeration. Kurlansky gives an account of Clarence Birdseye's efforts to found what became a major industry. Although the topic seems overspecialised, the universal application and long historical view of this book establishes its importance. Kurlansky has successfully met an immense challenge in presenting a wealth of information. That he graces what might have been a dry pedantic exercise with recipes, anecdotes, photographs and maps grants this book wide appeal. He's to be congratulated for his worldly view and comprehensive presentation. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
This, I think, leads to a certain desparation by the writer in attempting to find something - anything - to amuse the reader. One great example is a sentence containing the word "tintinabulation" which, if looked at carefully, is totally meaningless and serves only for the author to exercise his ego in being able to say that he used the word in a published sentence. Another problem is the easy way that Mr. Kurlansky throws untruths into his story to back up some odd facts .. for example, he says that French is a language that "does not use apostrophes" during a store-naming story. Considering that the apostrophe is liberally used in French (c'est la vie!) these kinds of assertions cast doubt on the rest of the "facts" presented. I felt the book was a way for Mr. Kurlansky to attempt to impress us with his perceived worldliness and culinary expertise - to the extent that the book wraps up with a recipe for butter cookies. Sorry, don't bother, ego gets in the way of what may have been a good story. ... Read more |
159. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide by Thomas Elias, Peter Dykeman | |
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our price: $17.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0806974885 Catlog: Book (1990-12-31) Publisher: Sterling Publishing Sales Rank: 212940 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description
Reviews (11)
The plants are organized by season, and every plant has a small map to show what regions it grows in. There is a very nice, good sized picture of each plant, and most of them are in color. Information is also provided about harvesting, how to prepare the plant, and poisonous look alikes, if any. The plants are listed by their common names, but the latin names are listed as well. Plants can be located by either name in the index. If you are interested in edible wild plants, this book is a great value for a reasonable price.
The book is divided into an introductory section, guides to harvesting plants in each of the four seasons, the plants themselves (also presented seasonally), poisonous plants, a nutritional guide, and two great indices. The introduction includes great tips on how to prepare wild foods as drinks, snacks, entres, and condiments, along with recipes for 25 jellies, 20 jams and 17 fruit and berry pies. But the good part is yet to come. Each plant is presented with a good-to-excellent photograph, a distribution map (so a person in the Pacific Northwest doesn't have to wonder whether he or she is looking at a squashberry or a hobblebush berry), a complete description, identification of the edible parts, harvest and preparation notes, related species, and poisonous look-alikes (if any). The presentations are just excellent. My only complaint is that the book isn't twice as thick. Whether you just want to be prepared for emergencies or you want to collect wild edibles for making jams, jellies, pies, and wine, this book is one of the only two you'll probably need. The other is a good regional guide, because with over 20,000 species of plants to choose from north of the Rio Grande alone, a guide to regional edibles is a must.
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160. Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Laurence Gonzales | |
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our price: $10.47 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0393326152 Catlog: Book (2004-10-30) Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Sales Rank: 4998 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description After her plane crashes, a seventeen-year-old girl spends eleven days walking through the Peruvian jungle. Against all odds, with no food, shelter, or equipment, she gets out. A better-equipped group of adult survivors of the same crash sits down and dies. What makes the difference? Examining such stories of miraculous endurance and tragic deathhow people get into trouble and how they get out again (or not)Deep Survival takes us from the tops of snowy mountains and the depths of oceans to the workings of the brain that control our behavior. Through close analysis of case studies, Laurence Gonzales describes the "stages of survival" and reveals the essence of a survivortruths that apply not only to surviving in the wild but also to surviving life-threatening illness, relationships, the death of a loved one, running a business during uncertain times, even war. Fascinating for any reader, and absolutely essential for anyone who takes a hike in the woods, this book will change the way we understand ourselves and the great outdoors. Reviews (23)
Many critics have painstakingly noted that Deep Survival does not deal with the mechanics of 'how to' survive, but rather the psychological mindset of how successful survivors dealt with their situation - it's almost as if they believe this element hasn't been dealt with by others (nonsense, of course). Indeed, many people celebrating this book seem to ridicule the idea of actually acquiring survival skills or planning for unforseen situations, as Deep Survival doesn't focus on this aspect. Despite this, some of the book's own survival stories, such as Steve Callahan's lifeboat ordeal, pay testament to the importance of someone who not possessed the correct mental attitude, but ALSO pre-acquired survival knowledge such as knowledge of edible fish and improvised sea navigation AND carried emergency equipment (three solar stills) that proved to be instrumental in his survival. In a nutshell, the book takes 300 pages to deliver what should be three very self-evident messages: Don't bite off more than you can chew, know when it's time to quit, and don't be afraid to call for help when you're in trouble. I think most mature people can understand and practice that advice. But if you're the type of person that needs repeated examples of survival stories for this to sink in, then you need this book. Otherwise, forget it.
He explains the paradox so well--that in order to survive, one must surrender, yet at the same time not give in. There must be a sheer raw determination to win the game, yet an acceptance of possibly losing it as well, which paradoxically, gives you an edge. And if you can muster a playful spirit on top of it all, well--then you're just golden. A *great* read.
I gave up on this book after four chapters, so maybe it gets better later on, but the parts I read were very haphazardly put together. Accounts from real life survival stories are intermixed with the author's philosophy on survival physiology. In addition, the author often makes back references to small facts from earlier scenarios, which is very disrupting to the rhythm of the story. I would recommend reading the annual "Accidents in North American Mountaineering" series instead.
Last year my family visited the west (Sedona, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Lake Powel). Upon arrival at Bryce I walked from the lodge to the canyon. Despite warning signs and the fact that I had all the information I needed right before my eyes if it had not been for a lady sitting on a bench at the edge of the canyon I warning me I would have walked right off the edge of the canyon and fallen surely to my death. I was about thee inches from the edge when she spoke to me and I 'perceived' that I was about three inches from the edge and the next step would be my last. I thought a lot about that experience as I read Deep Survival. The author's discussions about perception of danger and the lack of it leading to deep trouble in the wilderness, on you home street or in business was invaluable. This is a wonderful thought provoking book. It caused me to think back over several trips into the wilderness I have taken and I now view them quite differently. It will also affect future explorations. This book kind of reminds me to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. My recommendation: Get this book. I originally read a library copy but I have ordered my own copy so I can mark it up and highlight important passages. If you love the adventure of life get this book so adventure does not turn into tragedy. ... Read more |
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