A fabulous book for beginning birders, Birdscaping your Garden acts as an all-purpose guide to identification, habitat, and feeding habits. Identification is aided by a short description as well as a black and white sketch and a full-color photo. Each two-page spread discusses one bird with details including migration and winter range, breeding range and behavior, nesting, and a short list of plants to use for bird food.
The feeding guide is garden and plant focused (rather than the typical hanging birdfeeder type focus) with the idea of using native plantings to attract and feed birds. Purchased seed options are rarely mentioned.
As organized and helpful as the individual page layouts are, the overall organization of the book is lacking. The reader is forced to browse through all 64 birds in the directory section to find what is being sought since the birds are not listed in any particular order. The book's lack of regional focus is also limiting and reduces the number of relevant entries to about 30 if you live in New Jersey, for example.
The final section of the book is a plant directory which is organized alphabetically by scientific name. The section includes photos and general cultural guidelines for plants that will shelter and feed the birds previously discussed. A list of "Birds Attracted" within the individual plant descriptions is a nice cross-reference with the bird directory section.
The dichotomy of the book should not put you off - it is clearly written and useful despite its overall lack of organization. There is no doubt it is valuable for creating a native, bird-friendly garden.

I first found this book at our local library and when I went to photocopy "a few pages" I realized I was about the copy the whole book so I decided to just buy the book for myself. It's terrific! It goes through all sorts of species of bushes and trees, indicates what type of wildlife is attracted to it, how they use it, etc. It has good pictures too. A real must have for the backyard gardener who wants to have some wildlife in their life. Highly highly recommended

Want to "reform" your backyard? This book is a great place to start. A wonderful primer on birds and plants, this book is also a solid reference book. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in, or is serious about, creating a great place for the birds and the bees to hang out.

I have found this book very inspiring. The pictures are great and the text is full of practical knowledge. Although I am from another zone (Zone 9) I found that the guidelines, the concept in the designs, are so well described that is easy for anyone to adapt them to their own zone. It is not a book for "just copying designs" but to learn how to manage color, texture, scale and develop you own creativity.

I loved this book- it had beautiful photographs and good descriptions of the plants used. It was helpful to have the seasons and preferred exposure of the plants included in their description. There are also several good sample garden plans. My only disappointment (if it can be so considered) was that many of the featured plants are not hardy in my zone 4 garden (Ms. Raven's garden is in Britain).For anyone who loves contrast in their gardens, this is the book to inspire you!

Are you afraid of too much color in your garden? Do you fall into the trap of conventional landscaping rules of lumping similar colors with each other? Then, take a bold step and challenge your visual senses. The Bold and Brilliant Garden is an invaluable addition to any gardening library. Sarah Raven presents the use of beautiful color combinations in a very naturalistic manner. She outlines the use of different types of plants and color combinations, and she supplies us with a wealth of vibrant color photographs.

Featuring more than 200 recipes, A Celebration Of Herbs: Recipes From The Huntington Herb Garden is the culinary collaboration of Huntington Library volunteers, staff, and scholars under the skillful editorship of herb expert Shirley Kerins and Peggy Park Bernal. Featuring a full range of dishes from appetizers, salads, side dishes, soups and breads, to entrees, preserves, desserts, and beverages, A Celebration Of Herbs is enhanced with excerpts and illustrations drawn from the Huntington Library's collection of rare herbals and botanical books from the 15th to the 18th century. A Celebration Of Herbs is an elegant, unique, and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Cookbook Collections.

So much more than a cook's tool, this treasury is a welcome delight --- a well conceived, beautifully illustrated resoruce that's part cookbook, part history book. We thought we knew all there was to know about herbs: rosemary, dill, sage and sometimes tarragon. What we learned will serve us well, especially in those things we serve up in the kitchen. Released by the folks at the Huntington Library and Art Gallery in California, the book includes information on growing herbs, mail sources on where to buy fresh and dried herbs, and, of course, recipes --- brpken down by type, such as appetizers, main courses, jams and jellies, breads, beverages --- that will send you zooming to the nearest [store]. The stunning color illustrations are from Elizabeth Blackwell's 1737 book, "A Curious Herbal," a gem that's housed in the Huntington's rare book department. A celebration, indeed!

The last thing I needed was another cookbook (I have a whole bookshelf full!), but this one was just too beautiful to resist. And in its own way, this book is different from any other herb cookbook I've seen before. Just as you'd expect, there are extensive notes about how to grow herbs and use them in cooking. But rather than showing photos of herbs, this beautiful coffee-table-type book has reprints of colorful botanical illustrations from the 18th century. The recipes are of course very tempting, from yummy herbed cream cheese dips to more elaborate dishes like salmon in basil cream or rack of lamb rubbed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. I was skeptical about the apple rosemary tarte tatin recipe, but it turned out to be wonderful. Highly recommended as a cookbook, especially if you enjoy reading about herbs.

"The Centaur in the Garden" is a superb novel by Brazilian writer Moacyr Scliar. The text has been translated from Portuguese into English by Margaret A. Neves. This brilliant fantasy describes the life of Guedali Tartakovsky, who is born to a Russian Jewish family that has emigrated to Brazil. The family is shocked when, at the baby's birth, they discover that he is a centaur: a being who is human from the waist up, but who possesses a horse's four-legged body below.

The novel's hero thus enters the world marked as an outsider. As his life unfolds, we see his quest to educate himself, to embrace his Jewish identity, to experience sex, to find love, and ultimately to determine his place in the world. Along the way are many stunning surprises--for both Guedali and the reader.

"Centaur" seems to me to exemplify the concept of "magical realism." The book deftly blends elements of fantasy, science fiction, and social satire. Scliar explores many types of relationship: between European and Native American, Jew and Gentile, man and woman, parent and child. This is a deeply moving, truly brilliant novel by one of the most extraordinary voices in Latin American literature.

The story is about a person who is born as a centaur. It may seem foolish and nonsense, but it isn't. The book deals with the problems any "human being" half hoarse would sufer. Telling you more of the story would take the enjoyment out.

It is great: the reader will imidiatively see that he is a centaur himself. How? The society demands us to be padronized, identical with each other, but we just can't and shouldn't! We are different, no matter how we try being as our neighbor, in other words, each of us are centaurs in same way. We must have our diferencies (unfortunetlty, some people want to be the same as the "majority", the so called "normal people"). That's the meaning of the book.

(You americans should try reading books from authors of my country. Then you'll find out how rich and great our literature is.)

What a book. That's one of those books that keep you turning the pages rapidly, until you get to the end. But then you just have to take another look at the first pages, and before you know it you are in the middle of a second round. The main character tells his story retrospectively, starting from the night a winged horse flew over his parents house at the time of his birth - a Jewish Centaur somewhere in Brazil. His parents are terrified at first, but afterwards he is grown as a regular... well, centaur. It's no use even trying to tell anything of this strange, fascinating book. Two things, however, are certain: this is a book that you will be thinking about for a long, long time, and this is NOT a children's book. Read it. If I can't convince you... well, imagine yourself living your life without knowing that "One hundred years of solitude" existed. What a loss.

I was skeptical that he'd like this book when he found it,
believing my 2 year old was a bit young for poetry beyond
Dr. Seuss. But he loves the sound and rhythm of the words
as well as the pictures in my old Golden Book edition,
and asks for it nearly every day now. For myself it's a
nice change from the usual kids books.

There is beauty in RLS's poetry, and the Provensons' illustrations are simply delightful. There are other versions of this book (or very similar), but no other combines the aforementioned elements so well.

Robert Lewis Stevenson has a way of making children smile, and adults follow right behind. The words so eloquently put together bring to life the thoughts of young children.

This is a wonderful book. Also, check out the movie "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" and the book "Francis: the Journey and the Dream".

I love this book for a million reasons but probably the simplest reason is the mystery that is as old as the world and the separateness and unity of the sexes themselves. It paints Clare the human woman and Clare the divine woman and seeks not to compromise either but makes St. Clare real flesh and bone and brings her radiant awe into a new era when mankind is floundering for as sense of identity. Friar Bodo writes like no other and from the point of view of a contemplative,the inner way and written by a man who himself seems to be madly in love with the Lady Clare - and who himself has the touch and the gift of a medieval poet.

this book is written with all the tender poignancy of a lover and with all the insight and wisdom of a man who has followed in the footsteps of the Franciscan Way. For all who are interested in a more intimate knowledge of Clare and Francis or anyone simply interested in a love story at it's zenith and it's purest - this book is purely a real fairy tale and pure treasure.

Clare - A Light in the Garden is a book to be cherished, endeared, words to be read over and over. Murray Bodo paints a picture like no other person. He definitely has a sense of the holyness and purpose of St. Clare. Enjoy and share with others!

A few of my favorite painters are contemporaries of Still, so I saw it as my duty to see the Hirschhorn exhibition. Well, I picked a dead day and had the show to myself and simply put I am now a fan. The book is great and David Anfam's addition to the book is especially enlightening about the work of Still.

I am a painter who has largely avoided Clifford Still but this book has turned me into a great admirer. Particulary influential was the contribution by David Anfam, the art historian who was responsible for the magnificent, award-winning Mark Rothko catalogue raisonne. Anfam's essay is insightful, far-reaching, beautifully written with poetic underpinnings, a pleasure to read. All you'll ever need to know about Clifford Still, his work, and his place in art history is covered in this essay. The color plates are also wonderful and, even as reproductions, offer a great chance to appreciate the paintings.

Clyfford Still is one of the giant figures of the art world and this book puts his paintings in a proper perspective. The book contains many color reproductions of his large non-objective canvases. Still himself wrote the book and gives us a very good insight into his life and thinking process. He discusses what went into his paintings and how his unique canvas numbering system worked absent dates and titles to identify his work. It is also a journey through his body of work. His paintings were skillfully balanced with positive and negative spaces and his unparalleled use of color is well documented. This book is a must for any art lover in general and for students of American art in particular. I liked this book not only for the well reproduced paintings in color but also because it let's us into the painter's mind to get a glimps of his true genius.

I grew up on this book. A great book full of stories for people of all ages. A definite must!

This book is for anyone between the ages of 8 and 88. Moral based stories many of them from the animal kingdom. Take the hand of a kindly sage and enter the secret garden where the inner mysteries of God's creation are revealed. Through its humorous insights and unique perspectives, this collection of short stories will enchant the hearts of children and adults alike.

One of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen's 2 collections of short tales with a moral or wisdom point. The author deftly explains the inner meaning of each story in an easily approachable style. Many of the stories concern the prophets of God. We raised our 7 children reading them a story or two each night at bedtime. (Takes 5-10 minutes each) Bawa Muhaitaddeen was a Sufi of towering stature. Any of his books are illuminating for all. A MUST read!!

Older Adult Service and Information Systems, a group of more than 300,000 older Americans Nationwide are avid gardeners and use Dr. Trotter's books as educational materials for our members. His work is easy to understand and practice. Dr. Trotter approaches organic gardening with logic and common sense.

This magnificent book is a gardener's dream -- down-to-earth, rich with empowering information, beautiful, and full of humor. Trotter's open, natural style, and depth of expertise make this a must-have gem for anyone who loves gardening and wants to grow more (excuse pun), but also delivers a wealth of information for the seasoned gardener. A perfect gift, but you won't ever give your own copy away!

I am a student of Dr. Trotter and have found his approach to Natural and Organic gardening to be the most concise and simple to practice of all the other books written on the topic.

I love looking and cooking from this book. The soups are wonderful and have spent endless reading and cooking from this gem!

I have tried out dozens of recipes from this charming book, none have failed. Although the recipes here are all meatless, the book rises above the genre of vegetarian cooking; my carnivor friends have not even noticed the absence of meat. There are, after all, only two kinds of cooking, bad cooking and good cooking, and this book is about good cooking.

A book I constantly turn to for ideas after I've looked in the vegetable bin or my orto in Tuscany to see what is available for dinner. It almost never lets me down. Imaginative, reliable and practical.