What a find! I was looking for something for my 8-year-old to read when I came across this fantastic novel. The protagonist is a young boy, Frankie Brown, who lives in Cape Cod in 1944 and who magically can predict the weather. Word gets out about Frankie's "gift" and pretty soon General Eisenhower is enlisting his services to help the Allied Forces in WWII. I bought this for my son and we couldn't put it down. Suspenseful (wait to you see what is in "the magic case")! Great characters (like Dr. Proctor, Dr. Stagg, and Cap)! Tremendous climax (Frankie helps to rescue his father who is behind enemy lines)! Funny! Educational (readers learn about Churchill, Normandy, the London Bombings, and Paratroopers)! I would recommend this book to readers of all ages, not just kids. My son always asks me to read it to him and to be honest I think I enjoy it more than he does.

This is really a great read. Every child and adult I know who's picked this up can't put it down. Weather Boy is the story of a 10 year old boy who plays an important role in the landing of D-Day. The book is full of adventures (including an exciting parachute jump with his father, who is a paratrooper), humor, poignancy and, of course, history. My grandchildren have learned a lot reading Weather Boy, as have I. I recommend this to all. Enjoy!

History and fun in the same book - what a concept! My kids, and my friends' kids, couldn't put it down. Weather Boy is the story of 10 year old Frankie who is shocked while listening to a weather report on the radio. The U.S. Army finds out and brings his family to England, where Frankie helps predict the weather for the D-Day landing. I loved his adventures - especially the parachute jump with his dad - and the characters. Be sure to share this book!

A charming little book about an animal collecting trip in South America. Durrell paints both an enchanting picture both of the Argentine people and of the flora and fauna of the country. He encounters vampire bats, a puma, and many birds. He rescues an ocelot from a cruel local owner who is starving the cat and convinces a baby Geoffrey's cat to eat by pairing it with a lovable tabby kitten who sets the example and provides it with company.

Durrell was one of the first naturalists to develop the notion of captive breeding to ensure the survival of endangered species. He obviously cares deeply about the animals that he collects and goes to extra ordinary lengths to make them happy and keep them healthy. His descriptions of caring for a sick taper, even sleeping beside her to comfort her, are delightful. His wrangle with custom's officials are amusing, and his description of a plain trip in Argentina is particularly hilarious.

Also, Durrell's tireless work and observations were sometimes the first and best studies into how to care for these animals in captivity. When possible, he takes his specimens from private owners, rather than taking them from the wild. People like Durrell were not responsible for the endangerment of these animals. He worked for the salvation of many species and was probably responsible for the continued survival of some today.

Even for a person with an insufferably short attention span, I was not once bored during this book. It's not a thriller, or anything of the sort, but it managed to truly involve the reader in the author's journey.
The story of an Englishman who is on a trip through Patagonia to collect animals for his own private zoo, this book manages to bring out the animal lover in any reader. The descriptions of the land, the people, and the animals are beautifully crafted in well done, straight forward prose. I highly recommend it.

Durrell is wonderful at describing both animals and people and one gets the feeling one's there, with him, sleeping under a car and trying to keep warm by smoking a cigarrette, or in flight to Jujuy, sitting by a fat and talkative lady, or in Buenos Aires, sorting cars at I don't know how many miles an hour. Absolutely terrific!

Gerald Durrell's books have touched the hearts of naturalists for decades and I admit that I have only become a fan of his in the recent years. I was introduced to his books through my local used bookstore, where I was looking for copies of James Herriot's books that were not offered at my local bookstore, and decided to pick up a few and try them out.

His stories have a incorporated a vivid energy and hilarity into his passionate memoirs of unique nature experiences that will entertain any nature-lover. While some of his scientific practices may now be considered obsolete, we are given a rare glimpse into the love and respect for all things living that has been a core aspect of any naturalist throughout the ages.

I have since bought as many of Durrell's books that I have been able to find, and treasure each and every one of them.

Gerald Durrell spent most of his life collecting interesting animal specimens and Durrell is an interesting human specimen himself. His well chronicled life (mostly chronicled by Durrell) begins with the hilarious, and very succesfull, "My family and Other Animals". It is ably followed up with the equally hilarious "Birds, Beasts and Relatives". Both books are full of tales from the Durrell family's years on the Greek Island of Corfu, pre WWII. Little Gerry dives right into the flora and fauna of the island, including its human fauna. I own very few nonfiction books with such a plethora of memorable characters. Now, of course, we get to the volume in question. It is plenty good, and worth multiple readings over years, as is "The Overloaded Ark" and several other books detailing trips to collect animals. A word of warning, don't go nuts and buy all the zillion Durrell titles. Some of them are out of print for a reason and were most likely dashed off by Durrell to finance a collecting trip or two...

I would seriously recommend this book to anyone on the planet. Do you like nature? Read this. Do you like animals? Read this. Do you like humour? Read this. Are you someone who appreciates a good book? Read this. You will come away knowing lots of interesting facts about obscure animals,have sniggered your head off, and with vibrant images filling your head. This is an autobiography jam-packed with laughs and description.

I bought this book for a family member and had to get one for myself. It's never too late to expand your vocabulary. It's a perfect graduation gift, a great stocking stuffer, and thoughtful birthday gift.

"15 "Easy and Fun Ways" College Freshmen Can Improve Their Vocabulary", makes it both fun and easy for college freshmen to improve their vocabulary. It also does a good job at pointing out the importance of vocabulary and how it can be used to improve their lives in a way they can relate to. The exercises can be performed almost anywhere.
Review by:
Lois Center-Shabazz, author, Let's Get Financial Savvy! From Debt-Free to Investing With Ease

A very good learning tool for those who can not only improve their vocabulary but get a leg-up on the BIG adjustment. It's a collection of exercises that you do over a 15 week period. It incorporates both technical learning skills and practical observations that anyone can use. It's simple, fun, and easy yet effective.

I highly recommend this book. Tell a friend. It makes a great going away gift. Especially for the price.

Charles Lummis is a very interesting person in American and Southwest history, but author Thompson goes way beyond what most biographers would do and produced a richly researched and highly readable story. I read this book in my car, under a streetlight, while my wife attended a Christmas function. Does that tell you how interesting it is? I've passed Lummis's home/museum thousands of times but never visited--now I will.

Mark Thompson's long & deeply researched biography of a forgotten, complex American born just before the Civil War, is fascinating. Over a long & restless life, Charles Lummis became a poet, prolific letter writer, journalist, photographer, archaeologist, editor, champion of Spanish heritage in the Americas, & Indian Rights advocate - the classic workaholic of the late 19th & early 20th Centuries.

It was his TRAMP ACROSS THE CONTINENT in 1884, which he weekly serialized in newspaper articles, that catapulted him into the public's eye. In time, as his assignments for the newly-formed Los Angeles Times, took him deeper into the Southwest which would capture his heart & soul, & closer to the American Indians for whom he would advocate mightily, he caught the ear of a President. Theodore Roosevelt came to consider Lummis a vital part of his "cowboy cabinet," & often invited him to Washington. Lummis enjoyed a life-long influence, via his editorials & many books, on the way Americans thought of themselves.

In this era of bland plasticity, AMERICAN CHARACTER, reminds us of how individualistic, passionate, offensive & charming our forefathers were. It also reminds us of how devastating was our impact upon the people & the land in a time when a man could bemoan the wholesale slaughter of buffalo & Indians, while not batting an eye as he shot other critters just for the thrill of it!

In the light of today's political correctness, Charles Fletcher Lummis' love life was as gilded with misogyny as you would expect from a man of his time - he kept his first marriage secret all through his Harvard years. As in every other aspect of his life, his thirst for affection & companionship was both utilitarian & fascinatingly eccentric.

AMERICAN CHARACTER: Charles Fletcher Lummis & the Rediscovery of the Southwest, has been named by the Western Writers of America as Winner of the 2002 Spur Award in the biography category.

Charles Fletcher Lummis was a phenomenon--journalist, poet, cross-country tramp, outdoorsman, hunter, newspaper and magazine editor, historian, archaeologist, folklorist, photographer, publicist, Indian rights activist, librarian, preservationist, museum founder, and prodigious lover of dozens of beautiful women. His life story makes for fascinating reading. This book is marred by some factual errors (a "new millennium" did not begin in 1900, and the territory of the Chiricahua Apaches was not "as big as Europe"), but the errors are mostly inconsequential (this is popular history, not a scholarly treatise). Thompson has told a great story, and he has done it very well.

This book is great... it has helped my family a great deal in dealing with the loss of my brother... I only wish that there had been more poems... It touches the heart in only a way that someone who has gone through the experience could... i am sorry that she had to go through what she went through but i am greatful that finally someone had been able to expression what others like myself feel... Thank you....

Only a mother can understand the loss of a child. For those mothers that have suffered just a loss and are unable to express their feelings, I recommend reading Trophies and Treasures. I thank the author for finding the courage to express her feelings and bless her for her generous heart in sharing those feelings. God Bless

I found this book to be written openly and honestly. You are able to see, through the words of a grieving mother, her search for peace. This book is beneficial not only for those who are grieving now, but for those who have suffered grief in the past; and for friends and family as well.

TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY is a great romantic comdey filled with hot scenes that scorch the pages! Ten years ago Dustin and Erica have an unsatisfying encounter in the back seat of his pickup truck. Now they have a chance to prove to each other (and themselves) that much has improved over the years. They truly find heat in that back seat once again. Definitely one for the "keeper" shelf.

Can I say that I was so turned on while reading this book? well whatever it was great...men has their [adult films]...us women has books like this. ok I told the truth.

Dustin Ramsey has never forgotten that night, ten years ago, in the back of his Mustang one warm April. Embarrassed by his abysmal performance, Dustin had slunk away and not called again. Now he has hired a private investigator to find Erica Mann, the girl he could not forget. She now publishes a highly successful newsletter that provides an opportunity for them to meet again. But what he really wants, more than her writing skills, is an opportunity to make up for a teen's impatient backseat mistakes.

Erica still remembers that night in high school when she had been virginal and fumbling. With a bit more knowledge, she might have turned quick on the trigger into a treasured memory. So when Dustin calls with a business proposition, Erica is floored. She had started Dateline: Dallas on a dare and only intended to publish until her dream job as an investigative reporter appears. But Dustin's reappear in her life threatens her priorities, her desires, and her heart.

The first of the Truelood, Texas continuity, TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY sizzles with sexual tension and erotic love scenes that truly satisfy. Erica and Dustin struggle to reconcile the memories of the past with their desires of the present. Their evocative struggles demonstrate the author's understanding of powerful motivation and fear of vulnerability. With TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY, Vicki Lewis Thompson once again demonstrates her dazzling gift for creating sensual romance and extraordinary passion that readers have come to expect from this talented author. Very highly recommended.

This booklet features two full speeches, an interview and sections of other material from the last year of Malcolm's life. This was the period following his split from the Nation of Islam the religious and nationalist organization he had been a central leader of for many years. Many consider this period of his life as the one of his most mature political thought.

These speeches constitute a useful introduction to his thought and for the price can't be beat.

Understanding the evolution of Malcolm is critical to an understanding of the 20th century.

This little pamphlet is a package of political dynamite for TODAY'S world. In speeches (more than two) and interviews, Malcolm explains why he is for the right of Black people (I have no doubt that he would say "working people" today) to defend themselves by any means necessary against police violence or other racist violence; explains why we (the "us" being working people, Black, white, Latino, Asian, male and female) must never call the U.S. imperialist government "our" government, imperialism's troops "our" troops, or its actions "our" actions. Period. He identifies U.S. and European imperialism as such (no, it did not begin with Bush II ); he identifies both Democrat and Republican parties as the twin parties of racism; he tells why anyone (any Black person then; we would say any working person today ) who votes for or campaigns for the Democrats is either a traitor or being played for a chump ( still true today !) hails the Chinese and Cuban revolutions as examples for what we need to do HERE; and he explains how he came to be against capitalism and prosocialist. Also he tells why The Militant newspaper is one of the best in the world (it's on the web!). This is Malcolm speaking for himself in the last year of his life: Alex Haley refused to let Malcolm's autobiography be changed-by Malcolm himself! -to reflect his all his changing views and development after he left the Nation of Islam, so you have to go to the speeches, at least five books of them published by Pathfinder Press.

As a soldier stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in 1969, I was privileged to hear on audio tape the two central speeches printed in this booklet: "Black Revolution" and "Prospects for Freedom in 1965."
Those speeches were key to coalescing tens of Black and Puerto Rican GIs who organized a significant group on the base involving any soldier who would oppose racism and the US war against Vietnam. Today, with the US-led war and occupation of Iraq along with continued racial oppression and exploitation in the US, this material is as relevant as it was in the '60s.

A gentle book telling tales of archery in the deep south of USA, poetic and visually descriptive of the slower life of holiday adventures and the enjoyment shared by two brothers with the bow and arrow during the late 1800's, don't be put off that it is a photocopy book of an out of print edition, the print might be bad, but the content is good. Good bedtime reading.

Like twenty serpents bound together hissed the flying arrows feather. Mauriece Thompson wrote this book in a gentler time for a less politically correct reader.

Maurice Thompsons'writing style is simply magnificent!!I first read this book when I started bowhunting and was in an absolute state of awe! I couldn't put it down!! This book is a beautifully detailed piece of artwork for hunter and non-hunter alike. It will truly give the non-hunter a glimpse into the feelings that motivate the bowhunter...

This book is a basic introduction to woodlot management with a focus on the forest ecosystem, basic valuation metrics for trees, and tax and other financial concerns associated with selling your trees.

The major difference between this title and the Hilts et al text is that this book devotes substantially more space to financial, legal, and logistical issues associated with harvesting trees. Conservationists will probably prefer Hilts while the reader focused on income from his or her woodlot will prefer this book.

Neither text goes very far helping the reader identify specific health problems in a woodlot; look more to Pirone et al. for an excellent introduction.

Having bought a woodlot in the past year, I praise this book based on real-life experience. This book is an excellent introduction to the forestry terms and practice. I learned all the background I needed to understand a forest management plan and discuss it intelligently with a professional forester. This book discusses forestry issues in detail, but without getting bogged down in arcane minutiae.

I disagree with a previous reviewer that the Hilts book is preferable to the conservationist. I bought both books, but found the Hilts book unsatisfying. It is geared more to people who are considering how to return former farmland to a wooded state. It sidesteps the detailed forestry issues, such as thinning overcrowded stands, usually by saying that a forester will provide the information. These are the areas where the Beattie book is especially strong. Since my land is already forested, I appreciated the breadth of information on forest management techniques in the Beattie book. But the book can also be helpful to people who are undecided about whether or not to actively manage their forest land. It provides good background on how northeast forests have developed, and how a woodland would mature without intervention.

1/8/2002
I'd like to add a recommendation for a companion book: Reading the Forested Landscape by Tom Wessels. See my review there.

If you own even a few acres of New England forest, you should read this book. "Working With Your Woodland" gives a thorough introduction to forestry for the landowner. Even if you do not own any woodlands, and are just curious about the forestry profession, this book will acquaint you well with the issues. From the history presented of the New England forest through Forest Management to their postscript on stewardship, the three authors present their information clearly and sensitively. Highly recommended.