As an amateur historian, I found this book a carefully considered and refreshingly factual historical evaluation of an important topic in early American History. The author, a sophisticated prose stylist, writes in a muscular style that carries the reader with ease through the narrative. His wry turn of phrase belies his deep understanding of the complexities of this time period. I heartily recommend this book.

I have always loved this book and wordered if the author wrote any other books.

Some of it is now a bit dated, but is nevertheless a valuable resource. If you think, or know someone who does, that space exploration is not important, read this book and give it to your friends and politicians. You will see why space exploration is quite important.

Firstly let me begin by stating that I have read this work cover to cover three times and several chapters many times more. It is the best I have read to date and I have nearly every work (in English) on the Caspian - in regards to energy expliotation there is, so I do speak from a position of knowledge.

Although printed in early 2000 I did not get my copy until mid 2000. Compared to other works this is in a league of its own - both for content and the broad range of contributors. One of the things that bug me about works on the Caspian region is that IRan is relegated to a passing comment - because America's influence or its pipeline mentality seems to overcome other writers. This does work does not. Iran is central through this work.

Divided into 5 sections, with 16 chapters, this work natually being an edited work allows the reader to pick and choose sections or chapters to read. I particularly enjoyed the emphaise throughout the work on Iran - it was even-handed in its measure - which is what you would expect.

As with other works there is a section on the legal perspective of the Caspian and the chapter by Mirfendereski is very good - providing insights I have not come across in other works or articles.

The work is nearly 300 pages in length including notes, and was worth all of the $..... I paid for it - hardcover and a falling Australian Dollar did not help. This book is for those already with a reasonable knowledge of the region and with that in mind other introductory works such as Amineh or Crossiant/Bulents works may be better suited for the novice - of course there will always be overlaps between similar works but by far this is the best yet.

Part of the reason why I enjoyed this work so much is that it focuses on littoral communities of the region (and a brief chapter to America as well)(can't get away from them ) so in that regard it is not an all in one compendium, and there is a strong emphasis throughout the work on the actual Caspian Sea itself - as well as the energy reserves. It is a good book and worth the money.

Given the huge interest in the problem of how cells establish and maintain polarity, and the deluge of recent information on this topic both from yeast genetics and other approaches, it is amazingly hard to find a good overview of the topic. This book fills this need remarkably well. What impresses me most about this volume is its wide scope. While it has a long and detailed (and very well written by the way) section on polarized growth and budding in yeast, it does not simply ignore the other cell biological systems that have been used to study cell polarity. The quality of the chapters is uniformly excellent, and I recommend this book most highly to anyone interested in the subject. The level of the writing would be appropriate for graduate students or even advanced undergrads, but it is certainly interesting and useful for postocs like me.

This book is going to explode a lot of misconceptions some people hold about those who write westerns. For one, the stories, written by some of the best and well-known writers in this genre, are chock full of character.

Take the opening story, by L'Amour. The dynamic person here is Angie Lowe, a woman who stands up in defense of her family to the Apache chief Cochise. If your expectations were for old fashioned cowboy and Indian yarns, this story and the others in the book will give you a lively time while they help set you straight.

All of the thirty stories in this anthology are loaded with emotion and tension, as well as authentic detail. After all, their periods of time and rough settings sit right on the hinge of change for America.

Not only will the reader get to sample the benchmark works of Owen Wister, Jack London, Max Brand, Luke Short, and Zane Grey, but, more importantly, there's the chance to meet the new torch-bearers of this alive and well genre: Elmer Kelton, Marcia Muller, Loren Estleman, Ed Gorman, John Jakes, and Peggy Simson Curry.

Many of the names of the living artists here should be familiar as masters in the mystery genre. They bring to their western writing the skills and focus that made their other fiction stand out in the crowd. Their works have action, dynamic conflict, and heros and heroines able to keep you turning the pages.

Take Ed Gorman's "Wolf Man," for instance. Here his established ability to write intense tales showcases live wolves, and he makes the reader not only care, but keep turning the pages to the gripping conclusion of his tale.

The short story is an American invention that traces its origin back to Poe. The best of them function as mini-novels, with character development and fully-developed stories. These stories ARE the very best of their kind. Add to that the dynamic growing pains America had during the era of these stories and you have the makings for spell-binding reading. Get this book for yourself, your library, or for those who think they have a handle on westernwritings -- watch that bubble pop to the reader's delight.

This is an excellent historical fiction book for young adults. It tells a tale of adventure, family, and values. The characters are interesting people that share their love of the outdoors and the lifestyle of the rural Lake Superior shores.

Outstanding recipes, history of rodeo and Cheyenne, WY. Archival photos, a Western "feel". 13 chapters, low fat section, useful conversion charts. Burgundy leather like cover,gold embossed. Definitely preserves the culinary history of the West!!!

Meticulous research by Quaife yields the definitive account of the Fort Dearborn Massacre. Very little information has been added to his classic account in the past 50 years, although historians have tried desperately to find new information on the subject. Quaife also gives a picture of the history of the entire region surrounding Chicago. African-American historians may be interested in his detailed biography of DuSable.

This is a great book by a true master of storytelling. I couldn't put this book down and my wife couldn't get me to listen to anything... Give this story a try and you will be in for a ride you won't regret. This is about the frontier Alaska in 1800's and about one seriously tough guy that landed there to make his fortune and found his future... Awesome Story.