This is a delightful book and will be enjoyed by adults as well as children. John Muir was a remarkable man and I was surprised that he was also a truly gifted writer. Muir writes in a fun, infectious style similar to Mark Twain. He infuses all of his tales with vivid descriptive words and a dose of humor. It's a pure joy to read and shows what an incredibly courageous, physically fit man he was. I decided to buy this book because for years I have hiked larged sections of the famous John Muir Trail in California. The scenic beauty is so overwhelming that it stimulated my interest in the man for whom the trail was named. All I knew was that Muir was a Scottish-born enviromentalist who had lost his sight and then miraculously regained it. But there is so much more to his story than this.

This book will fill you in on many of the adventures Muir experienced. It's amazing that he was able to forge trails and do the things he did in an era when convenience was unheard of. He mapped out the wilderness with nothing more than a compass, a hard set of leg muscles, basic clothing and no comforts. Muir didn't rely on sunglasses, sunscreen, maps, granola bars or cell phones, he was the "real deal" and my respect for him is endless. I can't recommend this book highly enough, it's a joy to read and to learn about this magnificent and underrated man.

There is one, though certainly not the only, thing that sets Muir apart from other naturalist writers in my mind... adjectives. You will not find minimalist prose in any of the condensed tales found in this beautifully bound book. However, you will find wonderfully descriptive passages that engage the senses and provoke imagination. The Wild Muir is a great introduction to Muir's exploits and beyond that to the creative non-fiction field in general. This book will provide a wonderful escape for adults and children alike.

This absolutely wonderful volume distills some of John Muir's more memorable wilderness adventures into an absorbing, thrilling read. Lee Stetson, who for years has brought the spirit of John Muir alive to audiences in Yosemite and elsewhere, has assembled some of Muir's most hair-raising stories of mountain exploits into this single volume. Fiona King provides delightful illustrations that effectively compliment the narrative.

John Muir was many remarkable things: Explorer, adventurer, environmentalist, inventor, and much, much, more. This volume shows off two of his most prodigious talents: His literally stunning writing ability (as fresh and delightful today as it was when it was written a century ago) and his penchant for daredevil adventures. Muir's boundless, heartwarming enthusiam for the wilderness and all its wonders somtimes led him into truly precarious situations, which will both amaze and fascinate the reader. Of course he escaped them all with nary a scratch, as if guided by a divine hand, and went on to proselytize his message of conservation to a waiting world. Muir's entire life is the stuff of legend, these true-life stories transform it into a mythic adventure.

I purchased this book from Lee Stetson himself, at his performance in Yosemite Valley. See him there if you can, but if you can't, buy his book here. I guaranteee that Muir's words will never disappoint. This book makes a fabulous gift for kids as well...but you'll be reading it as much as they do!

Ten thousand white horses go racing to shore,
ten thousand white horses and more.

Ten thousand white horses go bolting to shore,
ten thousand white horses and more.

Lines like this are sprinkled throught the book.
The action changes from racing to rushing to
thundering to bolting and so forth as that same
line is repeated. The story is told in a galloping
rhythm that kids love.

The art work is great. They are the kinds of pictures
that you can look at again and again and see more details
that you missed the first times.

My kids and I love the way it is written and the art work!

I bought this at a store instead of at amazon.
The picture here doesn't show the quality of the art work very well. At least it doesn't on my computer. The art work is great. The color is a warm ocean blue. I'm excited about reading this to the kids when we go to the beach this summer. It is a wonderful story that kids love to hear again and again. They love to look at the details in the pictures. The writer and artist did a great job. I just wish the pictures showed up better on my computer. It is much better than it looks here.

I enjoy this delightful tale as much as my daughter does.
It is fun to read it out loud to her. I can really caught up in the action of catching a wave and riding it to shore. The language catches the feeling of the galloping horses. My daughter and I love horses and we love this book.

It would make a great Christmas present to anyone who loves horses.

Do you know whether to buy SRAM, EDO RAM, SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, RDRAM or SLDRAM?

Do you know the difference in IDE, EIDE, and SCSI?

Do you really know whether it's worth forking out your hard-earned cash at this stage for a DVD drive?

Okay, Okay, of course you do! But until I'd read this book I didn't. Don't let the title put you off. If you are an "Absolute Beginner" then this book is for you, but you would have to be pretty high up the PC Knowledge food chain not to pick up at least half a dozen absolute gems of information.

Like most of us I plough my way through the magazines, e-zines, etc. looking for the pearls of wisdom that will make my system bigger, better, faster and tuned to that peak of perfection. Then I do nothing. This is usually because I have either lost the cuttings or I have lost my nerve.

The first time you "open the box" it is a fearful sight, full of wires and ...er, whatever they are. With this book by your side, they all make sense. Every card, slot, socket, port, chipset...(think of any widget you want!)... is fully explained.

If your question is anywhere between "What is a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive, do I need one and how do I add/change it?" to "What is everything I need to know to be able to build a PC from scratch?" then the answer is in this book.

The authors certainly don't talk down to you, but somehow they have managed to crack that difficult of problem of writing in a style that makes a potentially complex subject seem easy. They actually make you feel that they have written the book specifically with you in mind, and if things do get tough, there are lots of sidebars and an excellent glossary and index to fall back on.

Even if your idea of an "upgrade" is to add a printer or plug in some speakers - it's in the book. Too simple? You want to be at the leading edge and flash the BIOS - it's in the book.

On the other hand, maybe you're not sure whether to take any risks at all, and another thing, is it worth it? Should you just buy a new system? The authors have covered that too - if it's not worth upgrading then that's what they'll tell you.

Everything is organised in a logical linear way. What are the merits of the upgrade, the cost, the degree of difficulty, where to source the parts, what equipment do you need, is there a comprehensive checklist...???(you get the drift). The references and URL addresses alone are priceless and however did I manage for so long without knowing about "SANDRA".

BUT, I nearly didn't buy this book. I was one click away from cancelling my order. The problem? - The title. Maybe "Absolute Beginner..." would be too simple for me. I agree that it's not an advanced book, but I can't for the life of me see why the publishers didn't call it "The Absolute Beginners or Beginners or Intermediate Type of Persons Guide to PC Upgrades". I think a snappy little title like that would have described the book perfectly.

I am an IT professional who writes software on a PC all day long. Although I once added a tape drive and CD-ROM to my PC (which is now almost ready to be upgraded or replaced), I don't know much about the internals of a PC or things like the difference between the types of slots or kinds of RAM but have always wanted to learn. So when I read about a book that claimed to explain all these things and more such as slots, USB ports, hard drives and CD-RW in a way I could understand, I was very interested. And as soon as I learned it was written by the publishers of an excellent electronic newsletter (TheNakedPC) which I've received for quite some time, I ordered it immediately believing it would be full of useful information presented in a clear and readable way and I am happy to say I wasn't mistaken.

The book is full of all kinds of useful information from web sites that have lists of motherboard and BIOS information to where to find utilities to analyse and tell you what is in your current PC. Each chapter covers a different part such as hard drives and video and, after explaining the options available, goes into step by step instructions on how to add, replace and upgrade the items.

Although I may decide to just order a new PC instead of upgrading mine, this book will help me determine which is the better road to take. I will also be able to make more intelligent decisions about what to look for in a new PC since I now know more about what the parts do and how they work together. And if my PC ever breaks, this will be the first book I grab off the shelf. I feel is was certainly worth purchasing.

Whether you're a novice or semi-literate PC user with the desire to either figure out how your system works or desire to upgrade, this book is perfectly simple to read and understand. The subject matter will not go out of date and the authors are reader friendly. If you send them an email, they will respond quickly. I don't have a lot of time to spend reading a book from one end to the other just to figure out a simple process. With this book, I don't have to. This is a lot of book for [the price] and we consumers are lucky it's on the market. Thanks TJ and Lee for making our lives a little easier!

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is fun and fantastic, the illustrations are terrific, and the poems resonate well with children and adults.

The Alligator Pie series filled my childhood with fun and whimsy. I'm pregnant now and I want to buy a whole new collection so that my child will remember "Peter was a pilot, who flew a jumbo jet, who crashed in Lake Ontario and got his bottom wet." Silly and fun.

This classic Canadian kid's book crosses the continent with fun poems and stories from north of the border. There are a number of nonsense rhymes, and many others which follow a typical child's line of thought to those surprise and imaginative conclusions that make children such a delight! Once in a while, a good map of Canada will add an extra dimension of enjoyment, introducing the young audience/reader to another country and to the world of maps. It is, however, the whimsical and imaginative poems which will hold the attention of both child and adult. Soon, the whole family will be chanting, "Alligator pie, alligator pie, if I don't get some......"

I am sure I am not alone in going back and re-reading "The Amazing Spider-Man" from the beginning as a way of both preparing for the blockbuster movie version and critiquing its fidelity to the original comic books. In this collection have Spider-Man's origin in "Amzaing Fantasy" #15 as well as first encounters with the Chameleon, the Vulture, the Tinkerer, Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, and even Doctor Doom from the first five issues of "The Amazing Spider-Man."

Although there were similarities to those who had come before (e.g., the motivation of a loved one's death just like Batman), it was ultimately the differences that made Spider-Man so popular. However, the key element of that difference did not emerge until issue #1 of "The Amazing Spider-Man," when J. Jonah Jameson begins his public crusade against the Spider-Man menace Ultimately, what made Spider-Man "different" was that he was considered to be a menace rather than a hero by the public. This meant that usually neither Peter Parker nor his web-slinger alter-ego had any luck other than bad, very bad, and worse. Here was the great idea of making the comic book superhero an underdog who is bewildered, confused, and bitter (end of issue #4) rather than a symbol of truth, justice and the American way.

What is amazing as you re-read these stories is how well these comics stand up (with the glaring exception of the parts in "Spider-Man" #1 where they drop a steel net to try and capture John Jameson's errant space capsule and Spidey catches a ride from a jet fighter using his webbing). I was never a big admirer of Steve Ditko's artwork, especially the stuff he did after he left Marvel, but in going over these early Spider-Man comics I am very impressed with his compositional skills. Ditko deserves a lot more credit as a comic book artist than I had given him the first time around.

As for Stan Lee's writing, the fun is how he tweaks the prevailing superhero mythos, especially in terms of Superman. Here the great metropolitan newspaper is out to get Spider-Man thrown in jail and Spider-Man's #1 fan is always trying to beat up puny Peter Parker. Then you can toss in the soap opera elements that are just starting to emerge in these first few issues. But clearly the key supporting figure here is Aunt May, the beloved little old lady who was arguably the more unique and important supporting character Lee ever created at Marvel. No other superhero ever had a white-haired aunt who could never know the truth, who was terrified by the mere thought of Spider-Man, and who showed almost as much gumption during all those stays in the hospital on death's door as she did heart every day of her life.

It is clear from re-reading these first six comics that all of the defining elements of Spider-Man were pretty much established at this point in the character's history. But once you have learned the beginning that is no reason to stop at this point, because even if you switch over to the black & white "Essentials of Spider-Man" collection to continue the web crawler's story, you will still enjoy the ride because the best is yet to come.

All kidding aside, this is a wonderful collection. Steve Ditko's art may look a bit crude to the contemporary reader, but few comics artists before or since have approached his mastery of chiaroscuro and composition. Plus... it's got the Vulture! Doc Ock! J. Jonah Jameson! And Aunt May! And it's in color! What's not to like?

A must own for any true believer. Nuff said!

I just came across this book in my local comic book shop and was in the mood for some classic Marvel so I picked it up. It reprints issues #1-5 of Amazing Spider-Man plus Spidey's origin story in Amazing Fantasy #15.

If you're a fan of Steve Ditko's art this book is a treasure. And even if you're not, after reading this book you will be!

The stories are, of course, great - they feature the first appearances of Doc Ock, the Sandman, and the Vulture, plus a battle royal with Doctor Doom.

This book is pretty rare (it predates the new series of hardcover Marvel Masterworks books.) After it's publication, Marvel decided it would be cheaper to do their reprints in larger numbers and to jazz them up with hardcovers, so there is no continuation. This is basically a stand-alone TPB. (Marvel Masterworks vol. 1 reprints the same Spider-Man issues, along with issues #6-10.) Only two other similar volumes were printed, Avengers Masterworks and X-Men Masterworks.

I first encountered this book at the Detroit Public Library. I quickly determined to have my own copy, and obtained one through Amazon.com. Mr. Smith and his dulcimer friends have come through with the goods! Many historical photos round out the fascinating text and interesting anecdotes from those who brought us the mountain dulcimer as we know it today. Read how the dulcimer shapes came to be, and who the early builders were. I highly recommend this book to any true mountain dulcimer enthusiast. Congratulations, Mr. Smith!

A great book! It is a good reference work on the mountain dulcimer. Mr. Smith has performed a great service to everyone interested in it. It is a trememdous history lesson on the development of the mountain dulcimer and is loaded with photographs documenting how it has changed from its roots to what it is today. It also identifies those people who were important in its development. A real historical learning experience for the novice player and, I would assume, the experienced, too. If you're interested in the dulcimer or just an Appalacian history buff, you will like this book.

Ralph Lee Smith teaches a course in dulcimer history at the annual Dulcimer Playing Workshop at Appalachian State University, of which I am the director. His presentations are invariably among the high points of the Workshop. Through him, we all keep in touch with the dulcimer's beautiful heritage in the mountains, and the people of the mountains who have handed the dulcimer down to us. This charming book contains much of the exciting information and many of the tales that he brings to us each year. For people who love the dulcimer, and people who love the mountain world even if they aren't familiar with the dulcimer, this book is a treasure. Don't miss it!

Arguing About Slavery has a very difficult subject to make live, what William Lee Miller calls the "tedium and sublimity" of republican debate. The historian's duty to be evenhanded even when faced with the moral pit of slavery doesn't make the job any easier. Yet, Miller handles these problems with aplomb and, more, handily succeeds.

At about 500 pages, Arguing About Slavery is concerned with the parliamentary debate and tactics used by pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in the Congress in the 1830's and 40's. It shows how, nearly single handedly, John Quincy Adams insistence on the right to petition exposed the South's determination to controvert the Constitution in its quest to shelter the practice of slavery from congressional criticism. By the time the Congress puts the "gag rule" to rest, Adam's exposé had made abolitionism a powerful and accepted political force in the North.

Miller storytelling skills has the reader discovering the extent of sophistry the pro-slavery forces were willing to go to as they were forced to resort to deeper and deeper hypocrisy. He does this, however, without denigrating the men of the South. Indeed, much of the enjoyment you'll derive from reading Arguing About Slavery will come from the rhetorical skills the Southern Congressmen liberally display throughout.

Although Miller's protagonist is clearly J.Q. Adams, he spends considerable effort on a broad cast of characters, from the original abolitionists and their puritan backgrounds -- the Grimké sisters, Theodore Weld, Elizur Wright, Elijah Lovejoy -- to Adam's allies in the House -- Joshua Giddings, William Slade -- to the pro-slavery giants -- John C. Calhoun, Caleb Cushing, Francis Pinkens -- and moderates like Henry Pinkney (whose gag rule ironically was intended as a compromise) and President Martin Van Buren. If these biographies are not familiar to you, these and others in Arguing About Slavery should be. Miller describes the history and premises of all parties involved, but doesn't interrupt the flow of the tale to do so.

Miller does an incredible job of making the tedium and sublimity of republican debate come alive and at the end of the book you better understand the place of liberty in America's national consciousness, the intellectual forces that led to the Civil War, and the nature of the founders' relationship to the practice of slavery itself. The only criticism I have is that sometimes Miller's rhetoric is a bit too partisan, which reduces the value of the book as ammunition against slavery's apologists, which do still exist. But that has nothing to do with merits of the book as a work of the historical art, which are excellent.

This is an excellent book, one that surpassed any expectation I might have had for it. And my expectations were high, because the critics spoke so highly of it when it was released. Still, I doubted whether a decade-long legislative battle could carry my interest for 300+ pages. I was wrong. Every page and character was interesting, and the consistent imagery of John Quincy Adams, in the sunset of his political career, battling the southern foes in Congress on a daily basis is an enduring one. Books like this one should be substituted for the dry history curriculum that I had in high school.

Miller has taken a little-known set of antebellum incidents and made them live. The book is both a scholarly work and highly readable for the layman. Miller provides a modicum of "modern parallels" and editorial asides that would, if they weren't so intelligent, be inappropriate. As it is, his observations along these lines as the book progresses makes the work more interesting rather than less. This book is more interesting that last year's biography of John Quincy Adams, which I also enjoyed.

Authors wanting to write for children and/or teenagers will find just about everything they want in this book. My only quibble is that the author states, "For any age, fantasy is the hardest material to write, and even harder to sell." Therefore, if fantasy is what you want to write, you won't find any help specifically related to your preferred genre in this book.
IS fantasy really harder to write than any other genre? I personally would find contemporary realism, with the almost obligatory dysfunctional family setting so beloved of today's publishers for older children, well near impossible to write, simply because I seldom enjoy reading it. However, good writing techniques are the same no matter what genre you write, and Lee Wyndham's suggestion to read the very best MODERN fantasy titles seems eminently sensible to me. I just disagree that would-be fantasy writers should learn their craft by writing here-and-now stories. If the mere thought of writing contemporary realism makes you want to yawn, you'll only land up writing a boring story.

I have taken three fiction writing classes from a major writing school. I have scanned a large number of writing books. I write middle grade/young adult novels.
I just have to write this here. This is the best book I've seen in its subject. It has been so helpful to me especially the "how to organize a book" and "plotting" sections. I would reccomend this book to anyone who is starting to write books for children and teenagers.

If you're a beginning writer in need of advice, this is a great book whether you're writing for children, teenagers or adults. While in the process of writing a short story or novel, Wyndham guides you every step of the way. In every chapter she gives advice on how to keep your work organized, something creative minds usually have trouble with. Her section on getting published is extremely valuable and informative.

I think every college creative writing program should have this book as a curriculum requirement. It not only teaches, it encourages. Young writers need that more than they need a list of things they can't write about so as not to offend the teacher/administration, etc. If anyone is interested in writing ANY kind of fiction, I suggest you purchase this book and read it thoroughly.

I use this book at school, and my teacher is great just like the book. I've used the passport then algebra 1 and now algebra 2. It is a lot easier to learn how to do problems and the layout is really great!

I am currently taeching myself Algebra 2 using this book, and I'll tell you, it's great! The book makes learning algebra very easy, even by yourself! One of the best thing
s about this book is its real-life applications. It gives word problems from a LOT of non-math subjects that are absolutely great!

This book rocks, its probably the best math book i have ever used, it has lots of real life problems, along with lots of pictures and information to help you learn! Great job larson and staff!

As a beginning collector of American painted furniture and decorations I found the book to be an exciting new resource. The layout and development of the book is very well thought out and presented. It is definitly a must for anyone interested in learning more about the subject especially for those persons unfamiliar with the subject. My only reason for not giving the book five stars is that I would like to have seen more. It would have been great to have seen a much larger publication on the subject from Schaffner and Klein.

This book is a must-have reference for anyone interested in the decorative arts. I am a decorative painter and am always on the look-out for reference books that not only teach about the history of the art, but also contain many pictoral examples for inspiration. This book fits the bill.

an essential guide for anyone interested in this subject matter. covers all eras and styles. THE book to collect and most definitely to give as a gift.