I am a professional horticulturist with a Masters degree in Horticulture from Penn State and I highly recommend this book as an easy-to-follow and accurate reminder of "how to" do landscape maintenance, like pruning. I will buy it and loan it ot my untrained friends so they can learn how to do it right ("teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime"). I highly recommend it. Plus, it's written by woman! A rarity in the field of landscape maintenance.

Cass Turnbull has written a wonderful book for the homeowner who has no idea what to do with the yard, but wants to do it right. She begins with the basics of yard maintenance, and very clearly explains pruning, weeding, renovation, and design of home landscapes. Her irreverent style is a pleasure, and her examples and diagrams are extremely helpful. She explains why topping a tree always backfires, why leaving the tree can actually improve your view of the mountains, what to do with a tree that is "too big", and how to renovate a mature landscape that you have just bought. I recommend this book to every first-time homeowner and to any experienced homeowner who still gets bored every spring and chops at the bushes at random "to tidy up".

This is a selection of reactions to the encounter of self and wilderness by contemporary (living) writers, poets, educators, philosophers, theologians, boatmen, healers, and a hunter (Ted Kerasote). As a hunter I review it. There's no dearth of intelligence here, of reflection, of solid writing and even the occasional glint of humor, as in Doug Elliot's "Night of the Living Skunk" or Heilig's "A Walk with the King." The book stands at the beginning of an axiological recovery effort. If you look at Daniel Quinn's "The Story of B," you are presented with the philosophical underpinnings of an ecologically-based discontent, an alienation, a dissatisfaction with the place we've reached after 15Ky of totalitarian agriculture, property rights, scientific nature-penetration, and human-centered, gods-replacing decisions. Quinn sees the birth of a paradigm, a world-order, but he sees few details, he offers very little prescience about what's going to have to arise. I see most of the selections in this book as first efforts toward roughing out that new order. The writers are joining a conversation, debate, or exploration of the shape of what must come if we are to be here to see it. Thus a lot of this book is centrifugal. Strength/weakness: you don't get a lot of unmediated experience here: Judith Minty's dense and disturbing short-story "Killing the Bear" with its foiled-rape suggestions, Ted Kerasote's tale of killing a female elk from Bloodties, a couple of anecdotes from Rod Nash. What you do get is intellection, a kind of centrifugal direction of the prose. Time and again, writers in this anthology start with an incident, and mediate it through quotations from Thoreau, Muir, van der Post, Abbey, Lopez or Roszak. When these writers experience, they describe first, but then almost gratefully retreat into opening the intellect, the collective intellect of 19-20th century nature writers; they enter the great conversation about wilderness as soon as they want to understand. So a lot of these writings start in immersion, and abstract themselves a little nervously into thought. It's a lion, but somehow not really a lion until van der Post and Barry Lopez get cited about lions and the reverence-fear for lions. Or maybe it's too real as a lion until we raise the wordscreen. Again, weakness/strength, mine as well as some of the writers: even when pleased or delighted by a selection, I found myself muttering "Thus I refute Berkeley" and thinking about gutting a moose.

I love this book. It's all about the link between ourselves and nature. I find its well-crafted essays deeply inspiring and eye-opening. Read this book and go on a wilderness trip in your armchair.

A tragedy by William Shakespeare, written around 1599-1601. Before the play opens, the king of Denmark has been murdered by his brother, Claudius, who has taken the throne and married the queen, Gertrude. The ghost of the dead king visits his son, Prince Hamlet, and urges him to avenge the murder. Hamlet, tormented by this revelation, appears to be mad and cruelly rejects Ophelia whom he loved. Using a troupe of visiting players to act out his father's death, the prince prompts Claudius to expose his own guilt. Hamlet then kills Ophelia's father Polonius in mistake for Claudius, and Claudius tries but fails to have Hamlet killed. Ophelia drowns herself in grief, and her brother Laertes fights a duel with Hamlet.

Hamlet's dilemma is often seen as typical of those whose thoughtful nature prevents quick and decisive action.

Hamlet contains several fine examples of soliloquy, such as " To be or not to be" and Hamlet's earlier speech lamenting his mother's hasty remarriage and Claudius' reign which opens "O! that this too too solid flesh would melt". Much quoted lined "Neither a borrower nor a lender be", "Something is rotten in the stste of Denmark", "Brevity is the soul of wit", "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;" The lady doth protest too much, methinks," and "Alas, poor Yorick". Arguably Shakespeare's finest play and one that can be read again and again.

Hamlet is, by far, the most complex of Shakespeare's many plays. Many of the themes covered are love vs hate, action vs non-action, revenge, and jealousy. Hamlet discovers that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark" when he encounters the ghost of his father, the King, who has recently been killed in battle. From here, Hamlet goes on a search for the discovery of what happened to his father. However, Hamlet not only uncovers secrets of the past, but also the depths of his own being.

The Folger Edition of Hamlet is a great edition to buy, especially for those who are studying this play in high school or college, because it is relatively cheap in price and is very "reader-friendly" with side notes and footnotes that accompany each page of each scene. So, even if you aren't a Shakespeare lover or if Shakespeare is just a little intimidating (we all know how this feels), this version at least allows you to get the gist of what is going on. Also, there are summaries of each scene within each act, to let you know in layman's terms what is taking place. I highly recommend this edition.

Hamlet is considered, by many scholars, the pinnacle of Shakespeare's dramas. If you haven't read it yet this this Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism edition would be a great place to begin.

The text notes that are included with the play are very helpful to understand some of the more difficult language nuances that are inevitable with any Shakespeare. The structure is well laid out and conclusive. It complements the complexity of Hamlet very well.

Of course Hamlet is one of the great paradoxes and mysteries every written. The search of finding yourself and what it is that fuels the human spirit. Hamlet can be a very confusing play because of the depth of substance. However, the critical essays that suppliment the reading make it very accessable.

Each of the critical essays are of different schools of literary criticism: Feminist Criticism, psychoanalytic criticism, post-structuralist (deconstuctionist) criticism, Marxist critism, and finally a New Historicist criticism. Before each critism there is clearly written introduction to explain the motives and histories of that type of criticism.

This edition of Hamlet will not only introduce the reader to more Shakespeare, but also explain the play and help to familiarize the reader with literary criticism too. It is a beautiful volume that cannot be more recommended if you are wanting to buy a copy Hamlet.

There is definitely some interesting information in this book, but the use of biased anecdotes and several totally false claims make it difficult to determine how much of the book can actually be trusted.

Overall it wasn't worth buying because I had to spend many hours doing my own research on the authors' claims. As always books that rely on anecdotes to back up claimed benefits should be viewed with suspicion.

"Natural Highs" provides readers with excellent, timely information in a most readable form. The review of herbs, nutritional supplements and other natural substances provides scientific documentation for Dr. Cass' recommendations, as well as practical instructions on usage. Reading this book will help countless people feel better without relying on "coffee, Cokes, sugary snacks and other pick ups.

by William Crook...

I first came to this book because I was looking for help with the severe withdrawal symptoms I was experiencing from no longer taking Prozac. Natural Highs opened my eyes to the existence of not one, but many different natural supplements that would help me to rebalance and boost my mixed-up, post-Prozac serotonin levels. In addition, many of these supplements are, apparently, as good as or better than drugs for significantly improving problems with depression, anxiety, etc. in the long term -- with NO side effects. This book is well-written, thoroughly researched and organized, and provides clear, easy-to-read concise information. If the existence and significant benefits of these natural supplements were more widely known, and big drug companies had less money, power, and influence, I truly believe our world might very well be a happier, more well-adjusted, and more functional place.

I read this book and was extremely disappointed. This book is about Mr. Cass first, then Philmont. If you like reading about a mid life crisis, this is your novel.

I throughly enjoyed author Bill Cass' stories about his Philmont experiences. His tales are well crafted and help the reader relive the fun and adventure of the Philmont Scout Ranch.

I do not know why the next review features such spite for Mr. Cass (jealousy?). The reviewer has violated the 4th point of the Scout Law.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who has been to, or is planning a return trip to Philmont. It is excellent reading.

Wally Meyer - Philmont Ranger (1978 & 1979)

I came across this title, purchased it from Amazon and relived my 1972 trip to Philmont. This is a must read for anyone who's ever been to Philmont.

This is an absolutely dreadful book: completely disorganized, with not much of a story to it, and an ending that doesn't make sense.

Although I have read -- and enjoyed -- virtually every book in every series by the most famous female mystery writers, Carolyn Wheat unequivocally remains my favorite.

This series is about a Legal Aid attorney named Cass Jameson. As such, it introduces fascinating glimpses into seldom-seen areas of the legal system -- along with providing excellent mysteries. This is one series I buy in hardcover as soon as each book is published.

The books are all very well-written, fast-moving, and entertaining. I cannot sufficiently recommend them. IMHO, this is the best mystery series available.

I eagerly await each of Carolyn Wheat's mysteries. Troubled Waters is an excellent, well plotted mystery. The character development is strong and the story line demands the reader's full attention.

I have read each of her previous Cass Jameson mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed each of them. This one reaches new heights of excellence with its amazingly plotted and executed story line.

My one suggestion to the author is that she utilize a medical advisor to check medical procedures and equipment. One can not speak while on a respirator and when visiting a patient in ICU with a head injury there would be no need to gown. Other than those minor errors, I thought this book was her best yet. I eagerly await the next offering in this wonderful series.

I read this book in school and in my opinion the story may be good but the vocabulary was very difficult. You can't read without a dictionary. I had to read like five times a line because I didn't understand a word. It's a very dramatic and romantic play. I like tragedies but this play is very detailed and has a lot of scenes. I would like some day to read the same story but in actual English. If it weren't because of the literature teacher didn't help us understand I think nobody would have understood a thing. It's a very good story. I would recommend to read it but not in old English. Shakespeare's words are weird but romantic and may be too nice for his time. He is very creative and plays a lot with the characters.
It's funny how two different teenagers and from families who hated each other could have love one another. At the end they would have died if instead they had had hated each other because of the quarrel. This tragedy is weird and something different from all of the other plays, and I think that may be that's why It's still famous now a days.

I went throughout high school never reading this book. It's so well-known; everyone knows what it is about and how it ends. Movie after movie has come out depicting the events. However, I will honestly say that it is definitely worth the read. It's a beautiful story of two lovers who suffer from forbidden love. I hate sappy books. I despise them. But this one was different. I don't know if it was because it was fast paced or if it's the fact that people were always dueling, or what. However, I will say that Shakepeare is brillant. This, along with so many of his other stories are great. ROMEO AND JULIET is a brillant tale, and after reading it, I am more able to appreciate everything I have seen and heard about it. If nothing else, it's a wonderful play about honor, devotion, independence, and unification. And this edition is really helpful in understanding Shakespeare's language, for on each page, there are notations that tell what his words and phrases mean today...which is REALLY helpful.

I have seen all movie versions about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and still love the book everytime I revisit the story. Every word captivates the reader into truly feeling the passion and tragedy of these two lovers. Even a character such as Tybalt Capulet won me over as far as description goes. Shakespearian writing is very much complex and confusing but it has a touch romance and anger which adds to the emotion of the story. Read this classic tragedy!

I recently learned that Thomas De Quincey attended my school, although this is a fact that is not prominent in its promotional literature (having the distinction of being the alma mater of one of history's most famous drug addicts not being high on the list of items deemed likely to attract the attention of well-heeled parents seeking a school for their precocious ten-year olds). This is a drug memoir of sorts, but it is washed in a romantic aestheticism that distinguishes it from the familiar gritty and sordid morality plays of more recent times. De Quincy sometimes comes off as an erudite version of the charcher played by Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting. Entertaining stuff, if a little dry in places.

De Quincey is an exceptionally honest writer. Yet, while remaining honest, he manages to express his thoughts and emotions in beautiful words. While reading this book, one feels as if they're having a personal conversation with De Quincey(no doubt, a one-way conversation), and it becomes easy to develop a love and admiration for the guy. Moreover, it is interesting to hear a first hand account of what life was like in the early 19th century. It is not hard to see why this book is a classic. Read it, its short.

Thomas De Quincey wrote this account of his life and his struggle with drug addiction to both educate on the evils of opium and also to share the dream trances that he experienced while in the throes of addiction. This version by Penguin presents De Quincey's original version from 1821 and then his revision notes from 1856. There is also a short section of comments that De Quincey made concerning his Confessions from 1821-1855. The introduction by Alethea Hayter is one of the best I've seen in a Penguin book, and it really helps in understanding Thomas De Quincey and his writing style.

The Confessions, in a nutshell, begin by recounting De Quincey's early life and the events that led him to begin taking opium. The rest of the tale deals with his problems with opium and his dreams that came from taking the drug. The original version isn't that long of a read, but his revision notes add considerable length, and for the most part weren't as interesting as the 1821 original.

De Quincey's prose is absolutely amazing. He is one of the most gifted writers I've had the pleasure to read (up to this date). Many times I felt as though I was lifted up by his words and carried directly into his world. I've yet to have as profound an experience with any other author. De Quincey can also be difficult. His grasp of the English language will leave many modern readers scratching their heads. Footnotes and notes by the editor help, but a dictionary will find heavy use during the reading of this book. So those with short attention spans, be forewarned. You won't survive this book. Also, De Quincey received a classical education. He makes heavy use of Greek names, places and other classical references. He even uses Greek words in the text (although notes provide translations). I can read Greek and have studied classical history, so I got most of his references and in jokes. This is one of the things that impressed me about De Quincey. He mentioned early on that he could speak classical Greek fluently. Anyone who has studied Greek realizes how difficult this is to do. Even Romans had trouble speaking Greek fluently, so much so that it is mentioned in various historical works when an emperor could do so. The fact that De Quincey can do this is a sign of his deep intellectual abilities. I can only imagine how prolific he might have been if he had not been saddled with an opiate addiction.

An amazing book and one I highly recommend to those who are prepared to read and understand it. For those looking for a justification for drug use, look elsewhere!

I started reading at the beach and had to stay until I finished it! I haven't found the other Cass Jamison books but I am going to look harder. Plot is built around the surogate mother business.

Although somewhat slow to really grab me by the throat and not let go, Carolyn Wheat's second Cass Jamison mystery novel finally caught my interest and never gave up. Cass, a late-30-ish NY attorney, is roped into representing a birth mother in a private adoption spearheaded by her old law school roommate. What seems simple, of course, is not. Cass finds the uncomplicated legal aspects of adoption are not the problem; the birth mother's unusual behavior and eventual murder make it far more complex than she ever dreamed. As an adoptive parent (through an agency) and the husband of 40-something lady lawyer with a family law practice, this book opened my eyes to the dangers, thrills, and heartache of adoption when improperly done. The plot is deftly drawn, with a logical but surprising conclusion. Heartily recommended--even if you don't have a particular interest in adoption.

Although I have read -- and enjoyed -- virtually every book in every series by the most famous female mystery writers, Carolyn Wheat unequivocally remains my favorite.

This series is about a Legal Aid attorney named Cass Jameson. As such, it introduces fascinating glimpses into seldom-seen areas of the legal system -- along with providing excellent mysteries. This is one series I buy in hardcover as soon as each book is published.

The books are all very well-written, fast-moving, and entertaining. I cannot sufficiently recommend them. IMHO, this is the best mystery series available.

I have read the reviews of the three listed by your readers. I became leary after reading the last one, so I did some research on the Herb Oregano. Dr. Ingram's information on the herb is accurate, with the exception of three of his statements. 1. His oregano being the only curing Oregano. I think he owns that N. Am. Herb & Spice Co. 2. I went to ten different Herb books and found Oregano as named in two books. I found it under Wild Marjoram, Mexican Wild Sage, and in an American Indian Herb book under Horsemint. All of these are in the same Genus/Species, meaning that they bare the similar oils with the similar medicinal effects. 3.The other erroneous statement is that, the more than 40 plants in four botanical families, does not confuse which one is medicinal, as they all are effective. By the way, Wild Marjoram was called "joy of the mountain", by the Greeks, which means Oregano and Marjoram are basically the same and have healing properties. Therefore, I feel the herb is well worth a try in natural healing. I'm certainly going to try it for four to six weeks for results. Dr. Ingram's book is basically accurate on the information with the exception of the above mentioned. He would have been more believable to the total population had he not claimed his oregano was the only healing oregano. He could have still plugged his product with a little more sincereity. Still he has put into one book the infomation on Oregano that I found in four other herbal books.

Although we are believers of alternative medicine and herbal remedies, after reading some of the reviews, I was a bit skeptical. However, I initially ordered the book. I felt that the advice was basically sound so I tried the Oil and the capsules (Oregamax) to see if I could get relief for sinusitis without using prescription antibiotics. The results were truly amazing, and, even though the products may be on the expensive side, I have become a believer in what Dr. Igram is saying, since I received relief from symptoms within 48 hours of starting to use the products.

One word to the consumer, however, if you use the 800#, I found that they quote a "full retail" price. The oil and capsules of the same brand name are now available from other sources that may provide lower prices. This book is well worth owning.... even if one takes only one or two hints out of it for general proctection against bacteria and/or infections (without specifically targeting an illness).

A fungus feeding off dead and dying material! A fungus in your blood? Can this be true? When the fungus grows it produces toxins and this can cause many problems.

Apparently oil of oregano kills fungus. It is strong stuff. I have a bottle of the oil and it is not the same thing as the oregano you buy in the store. The oregano in the store is Mexican sage and Marjoram.

My dad introduced me to the oil and it is great to prevent infection. My advice is to take it in the capsule form. Don't, I say, don't put the drops under the tongue unless you are very brave. It is quite spicy. Take Oregamax instead or dilute the oil in a bit of olive oil. I find I can take it that way. I also blend the oil with a body oil and use it that way on my skin. You can also take two to five drops in orange juice twice a day.

This oil is great for sinus infections, food allergy reactions, etc. Cassim Igram claims this is perfect to rub on your chest if you have Asthma. The Biblical Hyssop is Oregano and that is just fascinating because I have a blended essential oil called Exodus II which has Hyssop. I mix it into Vicks. Young Living Essential Oils has the best essential oils. I just discovered essential oils last year and they work.

Oil of Oregano is an essential oil derived from the leaves of wild oregano plants. The oil has powerful antiseptic qualities, so it kills germs and bacteria on contact. This book will show you how to use oil of oregano to treat or reverse some common health problems including, colds, flu, rashes, nail fungus, gingivitis, yeast infections, acne, etc.