Don't let the cumbersome title scare you away from this handy book for Bay Area and coastal California gardeners. Pam Pierce understands the unique Mediterranean microclimate(s) of our great gardening region, and offers sound advice on what to grow, when and how to grow it best. Very helpful and well-organized.

Havi Hoffman
Vegetable Gardens
Growing food in Berkeley, CA

This is a good book both for the avid gardener as well as the beginner. I've given this book as gifts to many people throughout the SF Bay area and everyone has loved this book!It is particularly a good gift if they grow vegetables and have had limited success in some aspects of gardening such as trying to grow tomotoes the coastal areas of the Bay Area. This book has growing charts of when to plant and harvest, best varieties for the bay area, and covers points to explain the many microclimates even within the same city.

A great book with lots of pointers. Note that this is not a book to compete with Sunset's Western Garden Book but rather to supplement it. This book doesn't have the details with regard to horticultural specifics.

So this past spring I decided, once and for all, that I wanted to start a garden. I had no experience in this subject, and I searched for a good book at the library. I found this book. I ended up renewing it five times, and finally ordering it from Amazon.com. It has truly been a life saver. What I like best is the way the book is laid out, with sections on vegetables, fruits, and flowers, as well as special sections on pests and other problems. The book is well organized and the index points the reader in the right directions, making it easy to find what I'm looking for down to the tiniest detail. The charts make it clear which San Francisco Bay Area microclimates are suitable for which plants, and the book explains down to the tiniest detail how to start plants, transplant them, grow them, and harvest them. At the same time that this book is informative beyond all my original expections, is also excels in not being condescending (one of my pet peeves). I believe it is the perfect book for the seasoned gardener just moving into the area, the seasoned gardener in need of more detailed information, and someone like me, with no gardening experience whatsoever.

I liked this book. Because of its cover, first. Because of its writing, second. And because of its humor. Mr. Svenson takes himself seriously--as he should, being a Master of Fine Arts (MFA). But he lets his hair down when he describes what it took for him and his wife (at midlife) to buy their green-shingled house on a bluff overlooking the Bay.
A lot of money, garnered from relatives. A lot of cleaning up...trash that pleasure boaters continued to throw toward his beach, and a rebuff by the art-league when someone hid an oil painting rather than display it.
Mr. Svenson's voice is his alone. Put a dictionary close as you read. Stand near the window as he examines the morning's boat traffic going by. Envy him and his wife (why didn't he name her, "Katherine," instead of referring her as K?).
It's a personal narrative that makes the skipjacks-and-oysters books on the Bay only the beginning. Here, under a green-shingled roof, is life-in-the moment. I thought I knew Chestertown, Centerville, and Rock Hall, the area the author writes about, but I know it much better now, through his eyes.

In middle age, Peter Svenson and his wife, K, have moved to Maryland from the Virginia farm that was the setting of Svenson's acclaimed book, BATTLEFIELD. They decide to make a bold leap, in terms of economics and lifestyle, and buy a house on the windy Tolchester bluff on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The title, GREEN SHINGLES, is derived from the house's distinctive roof. In graceful prose marked by a distinctive, articulate voice, Svenson by turns examines the natural science, maritime events, and public works that connect with his existence on that bluff, the beach 40 feet below it and, of course, the water.

If you are turning to this book having just finished BATTLEFIELD, you should know that once again, Svenson does a bang up job of coaxing the history out of a place; he does thorough research and interprets it in compelling terms. This time, he also visits on tugs and a coast guard buoy patrol, profiling the tasks and life aboard the boats in the bay. You will find the pace of this book more languid, and in some instances the author more self absorbed in a curmudgeonly way. He takes time out to relate a homeowner's contractor from hell story and his skirmish with a local art show, the latter a provincial bruising it seems to his MFA trained sensibilities. This is indeed a different book from that first, but in the end, Svenson again delivers a fine, original performance that is a pleasure to read. You put it down convinced he is, after all, right about a lot of things.

This is an excellent portrayal of life from the bluff of the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. Mr. Svenson's observations are a fascinating read for anyone who loves the bay and the Eastern Shore. The stories of the workmen who were to build his garage and his "2nd Place" in the art show are classics. Be aware Mr. Svenson does come off rather pompous in his reflections. Also, in spite of all the detail Svenson gets into, he still somehow mislabels local towns and there county jurisdictions (Kent County, MD is just not that hard). Hopefully he is finally happy and at peace with himself on the bluff.

Kramer is open and honest in this description of the Packers' last championship season under legendary coach Vince Lombardi. Written in a style that is extremely straightforward, Kramer describes a bygone era for NFL players (and professional athletes. It is unlikely that Lombardi's style would pass muster in today's world.

The honest tone of the book makes it unique. Kramer's style incorporates few of the self-deprecating missives so common in today's autobiographical works. His description of opponents (Karras, Page, etc.) and the psychological games he plays to ready himself for combat are - by themselves - well worth reading.

You don't have to be a football fan to enjoy this book. Its a historical read about what football was like in the Lombardi era. It is gives you an inside look at what the players were like, not just on the field, but off. I think this is a must read for anyone who ever wants to know what the Green Bay Packers and football in general was about in the 60's. Its a classic that will live on forever.

Instant Replay, the diary of Green Bay Packer Jerry Kramer is the most engrossing book ever written about football. The reader is pulled into the world of the Green Bay Packers and Vince Lombardi. Kramer reveals to the reader his anger, love, respect, commitment, fear, and courage that surfaces through his experiences with his coaches, family, teammates,and the game of football. Every highschool football player in America should read this book. Kramer reinforces the qualities of sacrifice, determination, and hard work that seem to be lacking in American society today.

"Island on the Bay" begins with a lot action and continues that way throughout the entire novel. The story "clicked" immediately and I became very involved with its characters. It never lacked in excitment and was very inspiring in that it told the story of a self-consumed young man who learned that there's more to life than just himself. He struggles along the way, but is moved by the people he meets. There's even a good lesson in forgiveness as you hear the story about the town "bully".

Being a new resident of the Eastern Shore, I was fascinated with the history Mr. Cooper revealed in his story and excited by the fact that it actually took place in my own back yard. His writing is superb, very descriptive and sensitive. It's wonderful to pick up a book and feel inspired the whole time you are reading it -- very worthwhile reading.

"Island on the Bay"is an action packed story of the transformation of Josh Mathews from wealthy Baltimore playboy to a courageous, moral and capable leader in the Chesapeake Bay community of the mid-1800's. While the story line is totally fictional, Mr. Cooper's saga reflects detailed research into the history of the Bay, its commerce, its flora and fauna and most importantly, the life of the watermen. As the novel progresses, all of his major players grow in character as they meet the awesome challenges of the times. His treatment of their growth is most impressive. The story of the battle between the islanders and the Picaroon pirates to protect their island and their homes is especially gripping. I couldn't put the book down until the final suspenseful chapter of that battle was completed. Mr. Cooper's 5 star novel is superb!

I am a native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, having been born on one of the "islands on the bay. I was facinated by the educational and entertaining qualities of Grover Cooper's novel. This novel presents, in a factual way, life as it really was in the 1800's on Chesapeake Bay. Mr. Cooper has captured the flavor of the life of watermen on the Bay's islands, and has skillfully interwoven an element of suspense throughout. I easily give the novel a 5 star rating. John Neild

Perhaps Nava's greatest accomplishment in this novel is that he makes his main character, attorney Henry Rios, compelling and so utterly human. We read as Henry endures personal and professional troubles and you actually root for him. The fact that he is gay is irrelevant; Henry could be anybody. Being gay is a part of him, but it doesn't define him, and maybe that's the best lesson anyone will take away from this novel.

The book does read as if it's a first novel. Though Nava delivers an excellent characterization of Henry, other characters are not so similarly defined. Bad guys abound in this work, and at times can be confusing. Further, it's hard to believe that Henry would risk his professional career and personal sanity because a friend of his, albeit a new lover, was murdered. Henry seems to have fallen in love very quickly with Hugh Paris, the object of his affection and the murder than beings to flesh out the plot. As thoughtful and steadfast as Henry is, this seems out of character. Maybe that's the point. Love makes you question everything.

The Little Death, originally published in 1986, was the first of seven Henry Rios mysteries. The final episode, published in 2001, is entitled Rag and Bone. This series has earned Michael Nava four Lambda Literary Awards, and comparisons to some of the great writers, such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Nava says he began writing The Little Death while working at the Palo Alto, California jail when he was studying for his bar exams.

Henry Rios probably earns less than one-half of what he could earn in private industry as a public defender. He is gay, is an excellent lawyer, and is used to dealing with minor offenses until Hugh Paris is picked up as an alleged drunk. The police find two PCP cigarettes on Hugh, and he resists arrest. Henry was sent down from felony trials to arraignments, which means his boss thought he was burned out and needed a rest after his last murder trial. But Henry's life is about to change drastically once again when a nocturnal visit from Hugh Paris exposes Henry to love; loss; and deception:

"The elegant body was as white as marble. I could see a dark blue vein running up the length of his arm, and a jagged red mark just beneath his armpit where the needle went in. There were bruises on his chest. His head rested on a kind of pillow. Death had robbed his face of its seductive animation but I recognized him."

The Little Death is an exquisitely written dark little mystery that will pull at the reader's heartstrings. Henry Rios is smart, determined, and instantly grows on the reader as the kind of hero who is in keeping with today's world. Michael Nava keeps his story subtle and intelligent, and it is a joy to read. He is indeed within the ranks of the characters and plot geniuses who wrote in the first half of the twentieth century. He obviously deserves to be recognized as the great writer he is.

Henry Rios is someone the reader wants to know a lot more about. Michael Nava's craftsmanship is an English major's delight. Justice would be served if Mr. Nava's name appeared on the best seller's list. He has much to teach.

Shelley J. Glodowski, Reviewer

Michael Nava became one of my favorite authors with this book. He tells a tight twisted mystery that leaves one guessing "whodunnit?" until the very end. Besides being a prolific mystery writer, Nava infuses his stories with a real world mentality that is absent from many other authors (but hey I love escapism as much as the next person!). The reader wanting to grow with Henry Rios (Nava's main character) needs to start here and read the other books in this series. You will come to love Henry for his battles, both personal and public, and become emotionally attached to the character when he sometimes loses. A dynamic book taht makes all of us ask the question "Why?" of the world around us.

Bruce Roberts is one of the best lighthouse photographers working in the U.S. today. He and his partner Ray Jones produce great lighthouse travel guides. For each lighthouse featured, you get a great picture from Roberts, a little historical story from Jones and directions of how to get to the lighthouse. Lighthouse lovers could scarcely ask for more.

There are directions and other info for finding and visiting lighthouses. They do not always show all lights for a given area. The photos are all color. I own 3 of these books. There are not many other guide books out there so if you are looking for guide books these are good to have. Since there are so many books in this series I thought I'd help people find them easier. This is the series.
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American Lighthouses
California Lighthouses
Eastern Great Lakes Lighthouses - I own this one
Western Great Lakes Lighthouses - I own this one
Southeastern Lighthouses - I own this one
Southern Lighthouses
New England Lighthouses
Mid Atlantic Lighthouses
Gulf Coast Lighthouses

I love Atlantic coast lighthouses and this book is a dream come true, chock full of images and info on mid-atlantic lighthouses and light ships, including how to get to each one that is open to public. A must for lighthouse lovers, esp. those like me who love the mightly Atlantic!

Bruce Roberts may be the best lighthouse photographer working in the U.S. today. The books by him and his partner Ray Jones are really lighthouse travel guides. For each lighthouse featured, you'll get a great picture from Roberts, a little historical story from Jones and directions of how to get there. The lighthouse lover could scarcely ask for more.

This book is great if you love exploring and finding lighthouses. The authors give a nice overview and history of the lighthouse and then give detailed directions on how to find it. We just spent time finding many of the lighthouses described by the authors on the Maine coast and had a great time.

excellent review of all lighthouses in the area. photos superb. recommend it to anyone who loves lighthouses.

Several of the stories in this journal are really outstanding, a few are simply good, and one or two, while well written, just are just not my type of story. I was captivated by "The Trip", a story which can't be more than 500 words or so in length, and which is a surprisingly good example of a difficult type of newer short story, "sudden" or "flash" fiction. Very understated, yet still complete. Bravo to the Bay Area Writers Group for their fortitude in seeing this new journal to fruition. I, for one, watch for other work by several of these writers.

Perhaps I am predjudiced because my wife, Helen Wang, is one of the authors featured in the eclectic collections of stories, articles and poetry, but I was quite impressed with the variety and excellence of the writing contained therein. This book makes for excellent bedtime reading before going to sleep. The articles, stories and poems will take the reader into a dream world of relaxation and pleasure. Again, being somewhat predjudiced, I highly recommend my wife's offering, "Mei-Li'sTwo Red Buttons", which is based on a true incident from her own youth in China.

Some of the stories are great, some not so great and others OK. Joan Reeves' tale entitled Dear Author had wonderful narrative flow, a super plot, and a wonderful punch at the end. Helen Wang's true story (Mei Li's Two Buttons) of her escape as a child from Red China was quite moving and might do well as a children's book. Bernard Patten's account of his trials and tribulations with the breast implant manufacturers and their minions was an eye opener and might have well appeared in the New Yorker it was so well written. All in all this volume is worth the price.

The book is intended for use with an instructor- it mentions this in the text. The instruction is a bit "terse" but clear. It starts with layout of a 12 bass, 20 key instrument but also contains a bit at the end on the more complex keyboards.

Ever since I fell in love with They Might Be Giants, I have always wanted to learn to play the accordion... I bought an accordion almost a year ago but never got serious about it, but finally decided to just LEARN. On a whim, I bought this book from Amazon and now - TWO DAYS after receiving it - I am able to play waltzes and other complex music I'd never thought I'd be able to play!!
It is important to understand just HOW little experience I've had with musical instruments. Before buying this book, I had no concept of any kind of musical theory, I couldn't read sheet music, I'd never made any kind of music in my life. Now I feel like there's no limit to what I can do!

The legendary Chet Atkins, who recorded something like 175 albums, even wrote an "Ode to Mel Bay." This series of instructional books has been around for decades. When I was a whippersnapper, I thought they were terribly boring. I've played piano for about 40 years, and recently developed a curiosity about the accordion. I bought this to learn some basics by myself , without benefit of a teacher.

If you were alone on a desert island with nothing but an accordion and this book, (how's that for a scary thought?) you could become a decent accordion player. This book is appropriate for the total neophyte to music, as well as someone with musical experience who is new to the instrument. It is organized in a logical and stepwise manner, with successive exercises and tunes building on previous ones.

I highly recommend this book

I should have looked more closely at the publishing date rather then the glowing reviews by other readers because most of the information is from 1999 (published in 2000) and is fairly out of date. Though I love the format and the amounts of information in the book I found myself using The Open Road Honduras Guide (2002) for my hotel, bus and pricing information. If you're going to Honduras this year I'd recommend the Open Road Guide - especially for E-mail and Web Site info as that tends to change very fast.

This is what a guidebook should be like. I have traveled extensively around the world using many different guidebooks, but none have surpassed this one. Chris Humphrey has done a great job. He really understands the country and its people, and is a very good writer. This guidebook thoroughly covers the Honduran culture, customs, society, economy and history. It contains lots of interesting nuggets of information that will help you get more out of your trip. It also makes getting around and finding a place to stay and things to do very easy since the information is very accurate and up-to-date. Overall, this Honduras guide is hard to beat.

(From Planeta Journal) - This second edition by Humphrey revises the nuts-and-bolts information about traveling in Honduras and provides an entertaining read for anyone heading to this Central American country. This guidebook has great details about Celaque National Park, the petroglyphs of El Sauce and even an analysis of the country's maquiladoras. Honduras seems to have it all -- Caribbean beaches, coral reefs, ancient Maya ruins, colonial villages, and virgin forests -- but it takes a good guidebook to get you there. Independent travelers will relish this book.