Nevada has always struggled with what advertising people would refer to as an image problem. With the exception of the gaming meccas of Las Vegas and Reno, the last century considered it so barren and worthless as to be the ideal location for a Nuclear Test Site. The current generation has deemed it worthy of being a national Hazardous Waste Dump. It is rare indeed to hear a tourist or travel agent describe Nevada as having beautiful scenery or landscape as is often the case with New Mexico, Utah, Arizona or Colorado. This book, in words and pictures, paints a different picture and what a sight it is.
Accomplished writer Ann Ronald has spent 30 years viewing Nevada landscapes and geography with a different aesthetic eye than most observers. Renowned photographer Stephen Trimble has the uncanny ability to record on film some of the most remarkable images of what Ronald describes as "one vast deserted landscape of color and shadow and aesthetic dimension." Together, with the written word and unforgettable images, they paint a picture of the other Nevada that is unforgettable in it's beauty and clarity.
Ronald describes the colors of Nevada, which is at heart the theme of the book, with such clarity that the purple sage, teal sky, mountain mahogany and myriad shades of vermilion, orange and gold virtually leap from the page. However, if the reader does not have an acute imagination for such colors there are the stunning photographs of Trimble that leave no doubt of the magnificence of this state. Seldom does the collaboration between writer and photographer produce results of such beauty and hope.
Highly recommended for readers interested in the "other" Nevada.

This book, published in 1989, is a distillation of Thor Heyerdahl's research on Easter Island. It traces the history of Easter Island's interaction with the outside world, from Roggeveen's visit in 1722 up to the time of the book's writing. Along the way, Mr. Heyerdahl builds his case that two peoples, one from South America and one from Polynesia populated Easter Island.

This book is fantastic! I am not entirely convinced of Mr. Heyerdahl's case, but found his case compelling nonetheless. The book itself has many color pictures and maps, and is visually quite stunning. Now, not all of the book is about Mr. Heyerdahl's proposed history, so if you are merely interested in Easter Island, then you will still enjoy this book. This is a great book, one that you should read!

My daughters turned 6 & 8 this summer and we decided it was time to head out and see some of the great outdoors. I chose this book because I needed 'Easy Camping' given my daughters' ages. I'd also read another book by Tom Stienstra and enjoyed his style of writing.

Anyway, we've tried 2 of Tom's recommended excursions and they've both been absolutely amazing (Castle Rock Trail Camp and Pan Toll at Mt. Tamalpais). Although the book is called 'Easy Camping' that doesn't mean camping in a parking lot! My challenge was finding places that were a far enough walk that you'd feel like you were "out there" whilst not being too far for young children (my daughters can't hike more than about 3 miles with their backpacks). This book is right on the money in this respect.

I don't know about you but I often feel let down when I read guide books full of glowing recommendations only to visit a place and find it ain't that great. This doesn't happen with Tom Stienstra, what he describes is what you get. The book is well laid out with just the right balance of descriptive writing and details for planning a trip. I do recommend you call the sites before you visit however because his info on reservations, pricing, etc. is a little out of date.

Owning this book is like having your own personal guide to the best that Northern California has to offer for weekend/overnight camping with young children. Do yourself a favor - get this book and get out this weekend

This hiking guide was the best we've seen. We were hiking with a 6 yr. old and a 70 yr. old and found the distances and difficulty rating to be VERY accurate and helpful in choosing which hikes to go on. The maps and directions to the trailheads were also VERY accurate.

Economic Dynamics in the Asia-Pacific edited by Grahame Thompson is a large and diverse collection of articles by different scholars. It provides a wide range of points of view. One of the books' high points is engagement in a broad spectrum of topics, not limited to but including such issues as regionalism, patterns of trade and investment, sources of economic growth, financial systems, labour markets, the role of the state, corporate governance, technological innovation and the environment. In this book, the European Union (EU) is used as a framework for measuring progress of the process of regional integration in the Asia-Pacific. Diversity in the EU pales if juxtaposed against the vast social, cultural, political and economic differences in the Asia-Pacific. Moreover, in comparison to the bureaucratic framework of Europe, regional groups such as APEC are seen to be more informal a forum, maybe taking into account the traditional Asian perspective on developing long-term relationships as opposed to formal contracts. Also, any agreements on special zones is seen to be stimulated by a market mechanisms rather than national governmental agreements. The analysis does not stop at the "pro" arguments for integration, but rather also presented are the arguments against integration. Regionalism, whether inspired by the EU example or the informality of APEC, is not necessarily in accord with the multilateral approach to international economic exchange and this is examines in some detail in the book.

The different corporate frameworks are examined. In this book, close knit family management and ownership, the performance of many core activities in-house, and low consultation with subordinates in the Korean conglomerates, the "chaebol", is juxtaposed against the very different internal promotion mechanism and reliance on subcontracting as well as consensual decision-making in the Japanese "keiretsu". Although the canvas is painted in broad brush strokes and despite the delimited nature of the studies, the book does have many explanatory powers. Witness the examination of Taiwan. Taiwan is seen, once again as different from the Korean model "chaebol" and the Japanese model "keiretsu". With the state directing the economy, while smaller companies, civic society, and members of socially linked business groups, controlling the export trade. Finally, and perhaps the most accessible explanations relating to the 'flying geese' theory of Akamatsu Kaname comes under fire by Brendan Barker and Akira Goto. Both Barker and Akira Goto provide a very comprehensive and understandable examination of a simple yet hard to explain theory.

One important conclusion that may be useful to other 'late comers' is how complicated the development process has been in these countries. No simple model provides one pat answer. While in some countries the state may have played a more pivotal role, in others it may have been the market and less intervention by the state that set the process in motion. The Statist model, where the state played a more important role, the nature of the measures and policies are treated so comprehensively that a non-specialist can understand it. What is needed, according to this book, are policies that have been properly tried and tested and efficiently and effectively used. To put it another way, studies in this collection are not a map for any development strategy as such. The most significant thing to walk away with is the rejection of a "one size fits all" model of development. It could be argued that according to the IMF and the World Bank have a lot to learn and can effect change for the better. Another plus to the collection is the non-dogmatic perspective on development by the scholars who contributed to this book. The reader is left to make up his/her own mind. In no way can this book be seen as a one-sided analysis. My understanding of the dynamic region of Asia-Pacific was greatly enriched by this volume. I have effected an enhanced and much deeper understanding of the crucial issues and the possible future of the Asia Pacific.

Miguel Llora

This is an excellent guide to the conifers of the PNW. It is complete, unlike some of the other cards available which show a subset of the PNW's conifers. The format is well-thought out: excellent photos of needles and cones with highlighted descriptions of unique identifying features. It comes as a laminated tri-fold. I used the card on a hike down the CDT last summer, and found it most helpful.

Bayard Taylor, with the eye of the photographer for detail and composition and the writing talent of the professional journalist Horace Greely so willingly paid, provides the reader with a fantastic look at California of the mid-1800's. His vivid descriptions of the people, the events, and perhaps most importantly, the pre-development beauty of California's wild mountains, seacoasts, and valleys, made this reviewer (a native Californian) long for a time machine to allow visits to the wondrous collection of experiences described by Taylor. From his many travels across the land, to his viewing of the first California constitutional convention, his words allow the reader to feel the wind in one's hair as the California-bred horses fly at top speed across the valleys and through the washes, or to become a fly on the wall as the convention delegates reach compromises which shaped and prepared the State for its Golden future. The pictures he paints of the natural environment of early California are so dramatic that they must could certainly be used to support any attempts to preserve the tragically few remaining expanses of California wilderness. This is a book for Californians (and those who love the state) who wish to return, if only for a few brief moments, to the sounds and the sights of it's birth: raw, chaotic, beautiful, yet with a rich Spanish/Mexican heritage and social codes that provided a useable framework to maintain law and order. Taylor describes it all, allowing us to understand not only what was happening, but also why. It's a great book.

Bayard Taylor, with the eye of the photographer for detail and composition and the writing talent of the professional journalist Horace Greely so willingly paid, provides the reader with a fantastic look at California of the mid-1800's. His vivid descriptions of the people, the events, and perhaps most importantly, the pre-development beauty of California's wild mountains, seacoasts, and valleys, made this reviewer (a native Californian) long for a time machine to allow visits to the wondrous collection of experiences described by Taylor. From his many travels across the land, to his viewing of the first California constitutional convention, his words allow the reader to feel the wind in one's hair as the California-bred horses fly at top speed across the valleys and through the arroyos, or allow us to be a fly on the wall as the convention delegates reach compromises which shaped and prepared the State for it's Golden future. The pictures he paints of the natural environment of early California are so dramatic that they could be used to support any and all attempts to preserve the tragically few expanses of California wilderness. This is a book for Californians (and those who love the state) who wish to return, if only for a few brief moments, to the sounds and the sights of it's birth: raw, chaotic, beautiful, yet with a rich Spanish/Mexican heritage and social codes that provided a useable framework to maintain law and order. Taylor describes it all, allowing us to understand not only what was happening, but also why. It's a great book.

For many years I've looked for a book in which I could find both factual information and deep analysis of the most important events where the U.S. armed forces have been involved. I also wanted to read something where history and military studies would be combined in a good balance. "Elements of military strategy" fills my needs. The author explains variations in strategy since the Indian Wars during the colonial period until the Gulf War. He uses common language, so that many people may have access to all information provided. However, concentration is required if one really wants to get all what this book offers, because professor Jones goes back and foth in time, establishing connections in strategy during the different historical periods he covers. Great book!

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This book has some of the nicest pictures I've seen of the waters below the surface in and near Puget Sound, and up into British Colombia.