This book is not your standard art history, by any means. It is the story of how the Aboriginals coped with the European indruders. They had much experience dealing with strange people from overseas but nothing prepared them for their encounter with Europeans. They were at first completely baffled and also almost wiped out. The people of Tasmania were literally completely eliminated--the last native of Tasmania died in the second part of the 19th century.
Using their wits and their art, they were finally able to get through to the Europeans, to make them understand and appreciate the beauty of their whole culture, to gain the Europeans' respect and admiration. Initially dismissed as rude doodlings of savages, Aboriginal art is now esteemed world wide.
The author takes great pains to explain how the Aboriginals' art prevades their whole way of life and how knowing their cultural ways makes understanding their art possible and visa versa. The book is fascinating, beautifully written and structured and its sometimes grim but finally triumphant story makes for wonderful reading. It is hard to put down once you start it. It must be of interest to all sorts of people, not just art lovers.

Aboriginal art having always been a great influence on my own artwork ......., I looked for weeks to find a book of this caliber. This book by Phaidon press features gorgeous reproductions in full color, history and observations of Aboriginal culture, and art interpretation written in a friendly, engaging manner. If you want to learn more about Aboriginal art, you really couldn't do better than to start here.

I suppose that I, too, am biased, having attended one of Howard's summer classes. But alas, I still believe that this is an excellent collection that should not be quickly read and discarded. This is writing for the soul, it is nourishing. This is poetry at its finest, and I would reccomend it to anyone with a passion for poetry, for Mr.Craft truly does have a gift.

I absolutely love Craft's writing, though perhaps I am a bit biased after having been in one of his summer classes. While it is what many critics would classify as black, its appeal spans cultural and racial differences. Craft uses creative formats (when he uses one at all) and printing to embolden important phrases or words, giving it the feel of spoken word poetry. I would most defiantly recommend it, especially because it's a special order and will probably be out of print soon. In short, this is one of those books that you'll always find in pieces simply because it's been read so much.

"Recommended for visitors who want to research a trip ahead of time and take the book along for repeated reference. Outdoor activities in Bermuda, from coral island hideaways to touring the parishes. Also exhaustive information on hotels and restaurants. An excellent guide." The Bookwatch

"These useful guides are highly recommended... " Library Journal "[Adventure Guides] direct you away from the theme parks and into the great outdoors... the information on trekking routes, canoeing, wildlife refuges - even golf courses - is well researched." The Sunday Telegraph "...intended for the adventure-minded travelers with special affection for the outdoors and nature. Each Adventure Guide packs in outdoor-oriented activities set in different regions. There's something for nearly everyone." Midwest Book Review

No one--and I mean no one at all--writes a short story like Howard Waldrop. If you like Howard's stories, that's unfortunate, because that means that you have to wait for your next fix from the single source rather than being able to rely on multiple suppliers. But them's the breaks when you're talking about a writer who has a unique style and voice.

This collection from 1987 showcases seven of those wonderful stories, bracketed by an introduction from Gardner Dozois and an afterword by Lewis Shiner, and in conjunction with some original artwork by people like Tim Kirk, Terry Lee, and Hank Jankus (at least in this version, the signed, limited and slipcased edition; YMMV). The stories are reprinted from both Shayol, a fanzine produced by Pat Cadigan and Arnie Fenner (someone once said that the most important thing for Howard's career was for him to send his stories to the highest paying market first rather than starting with the semi-pro magazines), to OMNI (the highest paying market; hmm, someone must have finally told Howard). The stories are:

* "All About Strange Monsters of the Recent Past" -- His second story ever sold, but one that took years to actually see print. What makes a Howard Waldrop story? A Grade B monster movie plot treated as if it actually occurred from the viewpoint of the national guardsman called in to help fight it. The difference is point of view. Howard's able to make the story unique by establishing a unique focus on it.

* "Helpless, Helpless" -- A perfect little tale of disease and civilization, trading off that adage that he who forgets history is bound to repeat it and Alfred Bester's tale of the android and the heat. Short, but to the point.

* "Fair Game" -- Another of Howard's signatures is that he does his research, almost to the point of absurdity given the economics of scale. But in science fiction, it tends to pay off, because readers are trained in watching the minutia, and if you can carry it off, they will be pleased. Here, it is Hemingway and the hunt is on.

* "What Makes Hieronymous Run?" -- Hieronymous, of course, is Bosch, and the research also includes Brueghel the Elder and a number of other warped Renaissance painters, whose fevered imagination comes to life in this tale.

* "The Lions Are Asleep This Night" -- As Howard tells it in the introduction, he walks a fine line between telling a subtle story and a rarefied one. There have been many times that I've felt that he crossed the bounds, just because my knowledge of history, culture, or mythology wasn't enough to keep up him. This is one about a different Africa, but there are enough clues here for most anyone to understand the differences.

* "Flying Saucer Rock and Roll" -- This is probably one of my top three favorite Waldrop stories, and one of my top 20 favorite short stories. The reasons are two-fold: number one, it's that good; number two, I heard Waldrop read it out loud. If you ever get the chance to hear Waldrop read a story, do take it. The only other reading I can think of offhand that I thought was any better than this reading was Dan Simmons reading "Entropy's Bed at Midnight."

* "He-We-Await" -- A little bit of Ancient Egypt and the return of an awaited messiah, but not quite the type you might have been thinking of.

This collection appeared in paperback a few years back, but is likely out of print now. If you are a fan of alternate history or the short story, you owe it to yourself to check the used book racks for this or one of Howard's other collections. You won't be sorry.

You Americans are a lucky bunch! Lucky to have a real life magician living among you. Who, you ask? Howard Waldrop, that's who! In today's science fiction, no, make that today's literature there is no one like him, and very few as good as him. His short stories, some of the best of them are collected here, are quite simply way beyond description. They are fantastic, yet realistic, bizarre, yet down to earth, funny, yet able to bring tears to your eyes. This is science fiction, and fantasy, yet at the same time something else, something way beyond classification, something completely different. This is Howard Waldrop. Waldrop is American to the bone, and at the same time very, very international, he's the foremost exponent of magical realism north of the Rio Grande. And he's mostly out of print! What a shame! Don't you Americans know how good he really is!

This is a great story. The plot is excellent and the climax is really gripping. The imagery REH uses is really awesome. He has a lot of good stories and this one is one of his finest.

Almuric is one of the best fantasy stories ever written by Robert E. Howard. It is also one of the few full length fantasy novels he wrote, most of his stories were shorts for pulp magazines of his time.

The story is set on a distant world, Almuric, where a human from earth takes refuge. He braves the hardships of this new world and has many dealings with its peoples and races.

At around 250 pages, I recommend all lovers of fantasy to pick this one up!

Having been raised near the Continental Divide and spending summer vacations on Red Rock Pass and the CD, the photos in this book bring a flood of memories. Leland stood where I rode horses and hiked as a child and where summer vacations are spent as an adult. Having stood on the same hillside Leland took the magnificient sunset photograph of Montana's Centennial Valley for the book's cover page, I have truely seen in life the magnificient colors and majestic scenery presented by Leland Howard's photography. The written text by Lynna Howard is as well done with thorough detail of all the areas they hiked and all her special humor especially telling about hiking and camping in a "Grizzly Bear Recovery Area" and the humorous tales sprinkled through several pages about two Llamas Popeye and Pogo. Hiking on to the Lemhi Range and viewing Borah Peak the highest peak in Idaho in the Lost River Range was a view more than fifty miles. Lemhi Pass brings lots of Lewis and Clark history and the Sacajawea Memorial Camp. Through Chief Joseph Pass there are tales of snow in July, a vanashing CD trail, and Lynna's tough job of modeling at Little Lake. By early October there is snowfall and ice on Twin Lakes. Lynna gives a short history lesson about Big Hole National Battlefield and the Nez Perce Chief Joseph, how he fought to save his people from the U.S. Army, after he, Chief Joseph had so helped guide Lewis and Clark. The glacier carved peaks are truely rugged, nearly inaccessable areas in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Area. The reader learns about "Trodes" and proposed routes for the CDT, and the discomforts and dangers of Hypothermia. And then there are the dangers of Lynna hiking off by herself and finding lots of bear scat and a wolf mistaken for Leland's pet dog Tempest. Rogers Pass to Marias Pass brings humor of grizzly stories, camping in Bear Creek Corridor, and the depth of description of scenery and surroundings near Bighorn Lake. The Bob Marshall Wilderness is an area of grizzlies, deep sucking bogs, Ruffed Grouse, deer, mountain goats, coyotes, and extreme geological formations with thorough explainations by Lynna of what has happened the last 175 million years. The hikers are assisted by mule trains, cowboys, and there is a lost soul found. On to the Canadian Border--what can I say--simply God's Country, glaciers, water falls, more grizzlies. By late September it can be snowy and bitter cold in Glacier with the park service trail crews removing seasonial bridges from waterways. Always most welcome along the CDT was the support crew and "Mom's Mobile Wilderness Cafe". "Along Montana and Idaho Continental Divide Trail" is a magnificient publication of Photographic Art for the dedicated hikers like Leland and Lynna as well as arm chair hikers who simply want to dream.

This wonderful book by Lynna and Leland Howard is a far cry from the usual coffee table photography book. The humorous, personable writing style of the author had me laughing all the way through the trail hiking story, which is woven amongst the incredible photographs. As magestic and awe-inspiring as the Divide Trail is, Lynna and Leland bring it within reach and touch upon the realism of the hike. The mountainside conifers under snow and the miles of wildflowers that stretch along the ranges will make you sigh with wonder, while the stories of Pogo the llama, and the list of clever bear tips will split your seams. You will savor every photograph and read every word. Highly recommended!

Howard Chaykin's "Hard Times" is an excellent book in the cyberpunk style. The future world, the technology and the international policy are realy well concepted and worked. All the characters are very well developed, with no exception. I guess what impressed me most is the concept of a world so used to sex and violence that no one cares anymore.

Howard Chaykin is an excellent comic book artist, but his real talents lie in his story telling capabilities. In "American Flagg- Hard Times," Chakin is at his best in both areas. I should point out that this is not a "kiddie" graphic novel. American Flagg is for adults--it contains sex, foul language, and plenty of violence. That being said, I heartily reccomend this book to anyone who likes gritty sci-fi. Chaykin's futuristic sleezy world is very true to life. It is easy to get emersed in the detail of this well written story. This series is also very funny. Most of the jokes in the graphic novel are based on parodies of current events. I can safely say that this reviewer will be the first in line to snap up any new Flagg novels, if Chaykin decides to do any more! A MUST BU

This is the classic book about classic boats. I bought it because of my interest in one particular boat and ended up reading it cover to cover. The author put together a large part of the Smithsonian's collection of boat plans and definitely knew his stuff. This is a great book if you are interested in a particular type of historic boat. It is also worth reading just to compare the relative merits of different designs. The lines and offsets given for the many of boats are enough to build from.

Howard Chapelle lived and wrote at a time when the fleets of working small sailing craft rapidly vanished. His life's work was to preserve a lowly, humble part of American maritime heritage, and his efforts are without peer.

In American Small Sailing Craft, Chapelle shows us a number of the plain work-a-day craft of the watermen of old. Although people of those times took little notice of such common, plain, ordinary vessels, we modern readers are left to marvel at their seaworthiness, sturdiness, simplicity--in short, their consummate practicality.

Any maritime heritage enthusiast will love this classic book.

A big YESSSSS for this book even though it is not a book to sit down and read anymore than I would sit down and read any other encyclopedia. Clinebell shakes up a lot of wholeness arguments by writing about the environment as well as about people. He is convinced that individuals do not receive healing or wholeness unless the earth is healed. He writes about pollution and the effects of lifestyle on the earth--the consequences of national political decisions and individual actions.

In a w ay this is a Bible for health and wholeness.

Howard Clinebell examines seven dimensions of well being and holistic health in Anchoring Your Well Being. The seven dimensions discussed are spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, work & play, crisis & loss, and environmental well being.

The book has a simple design: Each chapter opens with a series of statements designed to allow the reader to assess his or her health in the given dimension of well being. Then Clinebell delves into the content with the passion of a lecturer in demand.

Clinebell begins with spiritual well being and offers a number of insights based on biblical texts and reflections. Clinebell's various exercises in the seven dimensions allow readers to practice his insights. The "Baker's Dozen Suggestions for Relational Well Being" are of primo importance. Perhaps most radical statement is Clinebell's contention that personal wholeness cannot be achieved until environmental wholeness/justice becomes real.

Howard Clinebell is a United Methodist minister and a professor of pastoral care. He lectures around the world. I gained a sense of his lecture style by reading this book and found the work practical and practiceable.

This book saved my cats life, I am ondebted to the authors

An easy reference book that helps you determine the cause of your pet's health symptoms caused by decorating products, indoor air, cleaning products, pesticides and other chemicals we use daily. A listing of symptoms for each hazard is included. A must if you have indoor or outdoor pets