The author integrates the fantastical and historical in a dream on dream - layer on layer of a book. The character may have a dream - and in the dream a character will tell a story and in that story you encounter a mystery that envolves another dream - etc. etc. And you think that you will never find the thread to lead you home - yet all is kept meticulously on track from Faust to Alice in Wonderland - this book is engrossing and bewitching - I can honestly say that I have never encountered a more startlingly original book. It deserves the Daedalys Award it received. If you like David Foster Wallace, Madeline L'Engel, Lewis Carroll - you are assured of a satisfying and brilliant read.

Architect's Guide to QuickBooks Pro is very helpful and easy to follow. I was referred to it by the AIA and it has been one of the best investments that I have made all year long.

A favorite city of many, the architecture of San Francisco and Bay area is revealed in this compact, yet high quality guide book. Each area of the city is organized into its historic districts, complete with beautiful sketches and all the information necessary to uncover some of this city's hidden gems. Especially suited for architects and history buffs, the guide provides a brief description of the city's landmark buildings including addresses, dates, and visitor information. Also accompanying the text are helpful maps and sketches of many of the featured sites.

Excellent essays of different geographic areas of Pre-Columbian goldworkding, Peru, Columbia, Costa Rica and Panama. Some of the best gold art objects in private collections anywhere in the US. This collection is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,in the Mitchell Treasury.

There are 194 mammal species living in Europe. Some of them are common, widespread and well known, but others are rare and mysterious. What makes the Atlas especially valuable is that it gives accounts on all of them. Equally. I personally use it either to find out what species could be expected in a given geographical region (going on vacation somewhere?), or I seek what species of a given higher taxonomic unit occur in Europe and finally, one can find detailed information on distribution border line of the species of interest. The maps of the Atlas are its best features. On the other side, the text possess small mistakes in some places. But finding information on species is usually not as difficult as finding thorough details on its distribution. I rank this book as high as I could.

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"Liquid Gold" will become essential reading for anybody wanting to gain a detailed understanding of Australian wine. It looks closely at the history of the Ozzie wine scene and the trail-blazing vignerons who have elevated this country's wine to world-class status. Nicholas Faith's thesis is that Australians have underplayed the importance of "regionalism". He then demonstrates that each Australian wine district has very distinctive and attractive attributes.

This book is the first comprehensive study of the Australian wine business written by a non-Australian. Faith is an Englishman with expert credentials. He made his name with The Winemasters, the classic 1978 study of Bordeaux. As a contributing editor to the London Financial Times Faith combines a knowledge of wine as one of life's essential joys together with a sharp commercial understanding of the wine industry.

The history of the Australian wine scene is covered in more detail by other authors, but Faith, with his international perspective puts the last 200 years of development in a very relevant, topical and balanced context. Faith's stated purpose in writing the book is "an attempt to explain the success of Australians in the international wine market since the early 1990s". For those readers familiar with the early pioneers and the renaissance of our industry in the 1960s, it may be tempting to skate over the 275 pages it takes Faith to get to the current era.

With an Englishman's appreciation of pedigree, Faith reminds us there are now dynastic Australian wine families eg the Smiths and Wynns, with up to five generations of viticultural, oenological and wine marketing skills behind them. Interestingly, members of these families are still at the cutting edge of wine innovation.

Faith looks at the very topical issue of the two opposing trends in our industry. With the recent large-scale mergers and international rationalisations eg Rosemount/Penfolds and Hardys/Constellation- there is a risk that Australian wine making will become "commodified". Some critics (particularly the French) argue that industrial scale wine production (even at a high technical standard) leads to bland and characterless wine. The discounting power of supermarket liquor buyers and the squeeze they are putting on the growers and winemakers (both large and small) is seen as the biggest threat to our industry's continued success.

Thankfully, there are still the innovative smaller-scale producers who are prepared to experiment and "push the envelope" when it comes to making their vines and wines sing and dance for our pleasure. Faith reminds us of the increasingly important role of estate-grown (individual vineyard) and "hand-made" wines. He assures us Australian producers will continue to carve out valuable niches at this premium end of the market.

Faith is optimistic that the most of these competent "tin shed" wine makers with access to good fruit will survive, despite the increasing dominance of the Big Five wine makers and the pressure of retail liquor discounting. He sees cellar door, mail order and direct sales to restaurants as the key. When coupled with wine regions presented as attractive tourism destinations, the identity and survival of the small labels must be assured. In support of this, Faith tells us of the habit of the serious French wine consumer who likes to buy wine direct from the producer.

The most provocative passage in Faith's book looks at the relative economic power between the grape grower and the wine maker.

"The whole of Australia is now coming to resemble Champagne, another region of blended wines produced by firms that are renowned for the value of their brands but - with a few exceptions - can supply only a small proportion of the grapes they require."

On first reading, you might think Faith has seen too many bottles on the shelves of Sainsbury's bearing the label "Product of South-Eastern Australia". However, statistics are on Faith's side. Recent numbers from the Australian Wine Industry Directory (Wine Titles 2003) show that the Top 22 winemakers own or lease only 20% of the total area of Australia's vineyards. To the outsider, the power would seem to be in the hands of the grower but, increasingly, the winemakers apply a rigorous grading system when buying fruit, and will reject grapes that are of inferior quality.

A close reading of the book reveals a few annoying typos and oversights. One example is the name of Penfold's former Chief Viticulturist in South Australia: David Murdock. Faith spells it Murdoch.

Late in the book, he tells us that the Margaret River region of Western Australia is the only region in the world that was recommended geologically as having soil-types suitable for wine-grape growing - this was before the first vine was planted. However, in an earlier chapter we are told that the founders of the Barossa Valley region in South Australia in the 1830s also consulted a mineralogist before committing to their vineyard plantings.

Faith demonstrates that terroir and regionalism does underpin much of the qualities that we see in Australian wine. He reminds us that Brian Croser's bold move into the Adelaide Hills and Andrew Pirie's rigorous selection of Pipers Brook was driven by a belief that the soils and climate characteristics of Burgundy could be found in parts of Australia. The emergence of great local pinots is a result of this combination of science and passion.

One familiar aspect of both the earliest and current generation of Australian vignerons is the large number of medical doctors who got themselves involved with grapes and wine. Faith tells us about the pragmatic and pioneering doctors of the 1800s who grew grapes and recommended wine as a health-giving tonic. The modern generation of winemaking medicos seems to be more inspired by the need for relief from the pain of taxation. Either way the restorative power of Australian wine is firmly based.

When you finish reading "Liquid Gold" you may be obliged to lift a glass and thank Mr Faith for writing such an informative, provocative and entertaining book.

This is a gread bood that I have ever read before

This is a great book if your a beginer with cars. It really talks alot about the way the engine works and how to service and fix your car. I am a car mechanic and this book even tought me some. It is really interesting.

If you have children, like I do, then you owe it to yourself and your kids to know a thing or two about first aid. This book is easy reading, with lots of pictures, concise bulleted information (that would be easy to read in an emergency) and covers most typical first aid requirements like bee stings, burns, cuts ... as well as the hopefully never encountered conditions of choking, heart attack, etc...

But this book, read it occassionally, and leave it near your first aid kit.... I hope you never need it though.

"Baby and Child Medical Care" is easily the handbook that didn't come with the birth of your child. Our first child was born in 1983, not long after this book was originally published as "The Parent's Guide to Baby & Child Medical Care". The book has paid for itself in spades throughout the ensuing years (and children). The format of "Baby & Child Medical Care" is the secret of it's value. It includes an easy to understand description of common infant and child medical issues along with a "how to" guide for treating them. Most importantly, information is provided as to when it is advisable to seek "professional" help. The "Guide . . ." has been invaluable in the raising and care of our children. It should be included with the release papers upon leaving the hospital at the birth of every child.