First of all, let me stress to potential buyers that this book is NOT a field guide. It is however a rather thourough reference book. The authors describe what kind of habitat the birds breed in, what the nests look like, the eggs, incubation, the nestlings, and nestling period. They also tell when the breeding season is. There are very, very few drawings of nests. There are sixteen pages of color plates showing paintings of nestlings. And another forty-seven pages of color plates showing photos of eggs. The smaller eggs are shown actual size, but the larger eggs are shown 3/4's or 9/10's of actual size. Why not go ahead and make them actual size even if it means adding a few more pages? I think this book is a good companion to the Peterson guides to bird nests (where you will see actual bird nests with eggs.) It would be great if David Allen Sibley would write or at least illustrate the ultimate guide to bird nests.

"A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds" by Baicich and Harrison is a sorely needed reference to a subject familiar and interesting to both casual birdwatchers and serious ornithologists. Up to now, the standard reference was Hal Harrison's "Birds' Nests" (one for the eastern U.S., another for the west), Peterson Field Guides published in 1975. As the title indicates, these books feature photographs of nests (one picture per species), most with eggs. Many nests (and eggs) look alike, and these books are not especially helpful in identifying nests or their contents. While the Peterson Guide to eastern nests, for example, covered only 285 species, the Baicich and Harrison book covers 669 species nesting in North America.

Baicich and Harrison have created a book that is both practical and beautiful. The first 16 color plates portray dozens of nestling birds -- even the most un-anthropomorphic of us will find many of them cute! A number of the plates show the distinctive "gapes" or open mouths of the nestlings. The rest of the nearly 50 plates are eggs, carefully rendered to show subtle characteristics in color and pattern and displayed to show relative size. For some species, more than one egg is shown to demonstrate variety. These plates are so well done that the varying degrees of gloss are captured, an extremely useful detail. Opposite each plate is a short description of the eggs of the family, a key to the species, and the page number of the text.

The text section contains additional black-and-white sketches of nestlings and nests of many species. Text is concise but thorough, covering breeding habitat, a description of the nest including materials and placement, dates of the breeding season, a description of the eggs including measurements, details on the incubation and nestling periods, and a description of the nestling.

The introductory material is worthwhile as well. A short section on the legal and ethical considerations of studying nesting birds is wisely included. Discussions on each of the items included in the text are presented. These go beyond a simple definition and into some detail. For instance, the paragraphs on eggshell color tell us that newly laid eggs can briefly have a pinkish hue; the types of pigments that color eggshells; that while there might be variation within the species, each female usually lays consistently-colored eggs; and what causes abnormally colored eggs. The mechanics of hatching and the types of nestlings and their anatomy are also covered. Next, there is fine text on responsible nest-finding techniques and an overview of nest monitoring and recording schemes. Finally, there are three keys: Nests, Eggs, and Young nestlings and chicks.

As a professional ornithologist, I rarely cracked open my Peterson Guide to nests. However, I often browse "A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds," even when I am not in need of an immediate reference. This is a book with a place on any bird lover's shelf.

"Johnny Appleseed: My Story" mixes what little is known about John Chapman with some of the legends and tall tales that sprang up about Johnny Appleseed. Johnny comes visiting at the home of Beth and Will's family, having walked 20 miles for a taste of their ma's pie. Around the fire that night Johnny tells the story of his life, embellished with some details that even Johnny has to admit are not true. Told by David L. Harrison and illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka, this book is aimed at Step 2 readers in Grades 1-3. The story covers all of the basics of the legend of Johnny Appleseed and the artwork provides a warm depiction of the man. After reading this book, young students will have a better understanding of what things are said to be as American as apple pie.

This is an engaging story with wonderful illustrations!

read these 3 novellas on plane from New Zealand to Jakarta. Not much business to be had in Indonesia but the book made the trip worthwhile. A new writer for me and I was impressed with the ironic, slightly weary style and with the gentle humour - not taking itself too seriously. Highly recommended.

Not the best by Mr. Harrison, but enjoyable. The 7 Ounce Man is especially funny. I liked all of his characters and they even reminded me of a few people I know. Read "The Woman Lit by Fireflies", it's one of my favorites.

John Harrisson is my neighbor and he and his wife are ALWAYS cooking SOMTHING evrything he asks me to try is supurb!

This book is wonderful. La Casa Sena restaurant in Santa Fe is absolutely incredible--their food is so delicious.
I highly recommend this cookbook.

i read this book for an economic development class and it was a surprisingly good complement to many books i've read recently: regional advantage (saxenian), technopoles of the world (castells/hall) and the capitalist imperative (storper). surprising, because i hadn't heard of harrison before. he rejects the idea that creativity and economic growth in a network economy come from small firms and does so with numerous examples, from silicon valley to italy. he argues that only large firms have the wherewithal to invest in the r&d necessary in the new economy, and that these large entities also set the standards for the numerous small firms to follow. to wit, jeff bezos found a way to leverage the browser that marc andreessen created, but both these individuals needed the idea that the u.s. defense industry and darpa created. harrison takes a macro view, and if i have a criticism of his thesis, it is just that - by looking at creativity from such a high level he seems to dismiss the fact that teams like tom west's eagle group are the exception at bureaucratic big firms. harrison probably takes the view he does because his ultimate goal is to chasten big firms, whose new economy style gave rise to the book's title. a former professor at new york's liberal new school (harrison died recently of throat cancer), harrison is a voice for social and labor justice, advocating for workers who are being exploited (still) even as capitalism changes form.

Introduction

World economics, like the ecology of natural ecosystems, is a dynamic system that evolves as technological advances change modes of production and consumption. New industries and the way they operate in a global context have a cause/effect relationship on the economic and societal frameworks, which are constructed as a result. Upon reflection of modern society, we can break human development into three phases of development. First and foremost was the agricultural society in which agriculture was the main commodity produced. As the scientific revolution of the 18th Century developed new ways of understanding the natural world, it gave rise to new inventions in the 19th Century, such as the steam engine, steel, and the development of new raw materials. This era, up through the mid-20th Century became known as the industrial society. During the era of the industrial society, agriculture dropped from constituting 60% to 6.9% of the economy as manufacturing replaced agricultural production (Block, p. 60). As technology improved and created new products, modes of production once again changed. This era, which focuses more on services and information flow rather than production, continues into the present, and has been termed the "post-industrial society". (Post-industrial is a term that will frequently be used throughout this essay. A small section, after the historical context section, has been devoted to provide a clear definition of "post-industrial"). In Bennett Harrison's book, Lean and Mean: The Changing Landscape of Corporate Power in the Age of Flexibility, Harrison takes a progressive approach to analyzing the way in which big and small businesses operate in a new global market economy within this new post-industrial construct. Harrison argues that contrary to popular belief, big businesses are not on their way out. They are still alive and well, becoming more flexible and efficient, and still remain, as the economic drivers of our economy. Throug! h case studies and empirical research from the U.S., Japan, and Europe, he shows how powerful multi-national corporations (MNC's) have reorganized themselves externally and internally, becoming "lean and mean". To help defend his argument about big business, Harrison also defines the role of small business in today's society. Throughout this essay, the term large and small firm is frequently used. A large firm is defined as an institution employing 100 or more employees. A small firm is defined as an institution employing less than 100 employees. Fred Block, like Harrison, takes a progressive approach to critiquing post-industrialism in his book Postindustrial Possibilities: A Critique of Economic Discourse. Unlike Harrison, Block focuses more on restructuring neoclassical economic thought to make it more democratic in this new era of information. Block's three goals to understanding post-industrialism are to critique postindustrial theory, use economic sociology as a method for understanding contemporary economies, and offer a progressive approach for thinking about economic policy and social choice in capital societies. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the progressive economic discourse offered by Bennett Harrison and Fred Block. It is important that we first put post-industrialism into a historical context, and then define it to understand Harrison's and Block's critique.

Historical Context: The transition from an industrial society to a post-industrial society. The industrial society is the societal framework which characterized the era from the mid-19th Century to the mid-20th Century. It was an era in which production thrived due to the innovative technologies, such as the mechanization of labor and the discovery of new sources of power and raw materials. An attempt to understand how this societal framework was driving market forces, poverty, affluence, and development, gave rise to various discourses on the economics of the time. Adam Smith had previous! ly written The Wealth of Nations (1776) which dealt with the emancipation of free market pricing from the interfering hand of state regulation and introduced the concept of public good. Karl Marx in 1867 arrived with his massive critique on capitalism. John Maynard Keynes in 1936 wrote The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, which explained prosperity and depression centers based on the aggregate demand for goods and services by consumers. The economic trend moved toward less and less direct control of economic activity, which gave way to the notion of laissez faire - complete governmental non-interference with business. Capitalism was viewed as a free-enterprise system that had orderliness. Technology rapidly enhanced production. The fordist model of linear production took root, which allowed for specialization and division of labor. Labor unions sprung forth in an attempt to represent the vested interests of laborers. After World War II, the U.S. rose as a hegemonic power creating the notion of the "American Dream". Corporations concentrated in the core of cities to pool from an emerging labor force. In the 1960's, other countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and Japan restructured their economies and became peripheral hegemonic powers that begin to compete in a new global market. With the automation of manufacturing and competition from these hegemonic powers, the U.S. was now forced to become more competitive. Manufacturing increased while jobs in the industrial sector decreased due to automation. A transition to an information-based society began in which small corporations start to rise and compete with large multi-national corporations (MNC) in a global market. This global market was based on the flow of information. Large companies were forced to become flexible in their modes of production which allowed them to hire fewer employees and establish command control centers. These command and control centers were, and still are, decentralized, relying on netw! orks for efficient modes of production. Income polarization becomes a "by-product" of this new post-industrial society.

Post-industrialism Defined Fred Block offers a generic, but tangible definition of post-industrialism. Harrison in comparison assumes his reader to be well informed, only referencing to concepts of post-industrialism to prove points. Block defines post-industrialism as the "historical period that begins when the concept of industrial society ceases to provide an adequate account of actual social development" (Block, p. 11). What is this "concept of industrial society" that Block speaks of? As mentioned previously, it was the era when society was characterized by an emphasis on manufacturing in the economy. Males were expected to work at one place of employment until retirement, while the female tended to domestic responsibilities. To better understand Block's generic definition of post-industrialism, the reader can easily refer to the three social trends, which Block identifies, that emerged in the 1960's as a result of innovative technologies. The first was the growing importance of services in the economy (Block, p. 10). This led to a decline in employment in the manufacturing services of the economy. The second trend was the arrival of computer-based automation (Block, p. 10). Work organization began to change as an effect, causing workers to concentrate on computer operation rather than physical labor. The third trend was an increasing female workforce and breakdown of the "one-career" pattern of life (Block, p. 10). Society no longer restricted females to domestic work. Men no longer worked without interruption to retirement. Divorce rates became more common as women now entered the workforce and pursued careers before marriage (Block, p.10). In contrast, although Harrison does not define "post-industrial", he does provide three characteristics of a post-industrial world. He states that, "a postindustrial ! world is characterized by continually fluctuating consumer demands, heightened international competition, and the need for more flexible forms of work and interfirm interaction" (Harrison, p.12). The combination of Block's definition of post-industrialism, and Harrison's characteristics of a post-industrial world, provide a contextual foundation for the layperson to grasp Harrison's argument of big business being the economic driver of our economy.

The notion of small firms as economic drivers Harrison defends his argument for big business by deconstructing the notion of small firms as economic drivers and job generators. He provides the reader with an historical overview of the perceived stigma of the rigid structure and organization of big firms that arose from the industrial era. Big firms were viewed as somewhat of a dinosaur, not able to compete in a global market characterized by fluctuating consumer demands...

This book touches on the subject of many different universes. Now, when you hear this you might automatically think I'm talking about the Hugh Everett's many-worlds-interpretation of quantum mechanics. Whereas the infinite universes of that idea are taken to be the objective universes of a Universe (the multiverse), Edward Harrison is talking about the universes taken to be the subjective universes (of our creating) of The Universe. (ultimate objective reality, perhaps even the multiverse)
He does not have any comforting truths about the Universe found here. He aims to show us that we strive to reach such absolutes from a cloud of unknowing and instead create our own limited models of The Universe--universes. The first chunk of his work is devoted to tracing the history of such universes. These cosmologies are as such: The Magic Universe, The Mythic Universe, The Geometric Universe, The Medieval Universe, The Infinite Universe, and The Mechanistic Universe. Thus this concatenation is also deeply intertwined with our religions and spiritual evolution. Also, it is blatant that with each new picture of reality the universe becomes more mechanistic, less alive, and always contains some "mythology" of the previous one.
[pp.40 "a myth is any component taken from the world-view of another society that fails to fit naturally into our own."
pp.117 "At last we come to the twentieth century. Adrift like shipwrecked mariners, in a vast and meaningless mechanistic universe, we are found clingin for life to the cosmic wreckage of ancient universes."]
The middle fraction of his book introduces some of the ideas of modern physics from the quantum dance of subatomic particles, to a treatise on general relativity and understanding the curvature of space time as the gravity of the outdated Newtonian universe. It then proceeds to expose a less rational universe that was left out of the pantheon of the original chapters--The Witch Universe. With this perspective of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance he ties into the question of what is valid science by using Popper's philosophy of falsifiable facts.
This all leads into his final message about The Universe, the Absolute Reality. We aim to know it by creating universes, but that The Universe remains unknowable. He thinks exactly the same of God. We aim to know "him" by creating gods, but God remains truly unknowable. He offers valuable scientific insight against these gods of classical theism and divine intervention or special creation, but claims that the true "God" is still beyond doubt since both God and The Universe are the same inconceivable Ultimate Reality. ( since The Universe no doubt is real, and he equates that reality with God, thus creating a simple theosyllogism ) But then shouldn't "gods" and "universes" be pictures of the same thing? They clearly aren't. (yet he says they can be equated, if we wish to, on pp.267) YHWH doesn't equal quantum mechanics. Though he has acknowledged that gods and universes are confused with absolute truth, my point is that this means little when you have changed the definition of God so much from external anthromopomorhized beings to the sum of all that is--or--The Universe. (I suppose you could equally change the definition of Satan to The Universe and say that Satan no doubt exists.) Though I understand his idea and the reasons why it is embraced ( I used to profess the same thing ), I have realized that it is too much of a misnomer for me to still say that, "I believe there exists a God." Not that it is quite illogical or absurd, but only that I think it is pointless to say that anyone who believes in the universe before them believes in the "existence" of God. (So was Carl Sagan unknowingly a theist?) It is pointless in the paradigm of classical theism, something which is irrational and even absurd. I do not think this idea should be used until you can change the people's view to this paradigm of Absolute Reality (which is in itself a "universe") since in the meantime God is taken in the widespread context of classical theism. Why perpetuate theistic thinking at all when all you have really done is taken the word "God" away from the essence of theism and applied it to a new definition of something we already have a name for--The Universe. ?
This was a highly enjoyed and appreciable book that I would not refuse to recommend (though I don't make it incumbent on the reader) yet in the end he makes the flaw of constructing his own universe of "The Universe". He even said himself "I hold that it is impossible to find proof of the existence of God within the framework of a particular universe, for all universes are the handiwork of human beings."---pp.263

University of Massachusetts Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Edward R Harrison, takes the lay reader on a thought-provoking and learned journey through the epochs of humanity, and our attempt to unravel the workings and the meaning of the many universes which we have created in our image. Writing in beautiful prose, Professor Harrison reawakens us to the lives,the words and the views of the thinkers, sages and mystics of all-times. The everchanging character of the Universe as it is pictured in time, bounded by the confines of our religious and scientific prejudices, is rendered here like fine brushstrokes upon a canvas. In the finely crafted "Masks of the Universe," Science meets History and Religion. In the Professor's words: "All who claim freedom of will and deny the determinism of the universe in which they live are guilty of the Pelagian heresy. I am myself a Pelagian heretic."

These stories have quickly become a bed-time necessity in our house for my 4 year old who now requests them by character. The only draw back is the excessive number of typos in the copy - reddy fox becomes reddy fix, etc. Once you've read them as much as I have, they are quickly overlooked, but the warning is nice to have!

Mother West Wind's Children introduces you to the inhabitants of the world - the meadow, forest and stream - that Thornton W. Burgess created for children. He wrote a number of books, telling the adventures of each character separately, with most of the others appearing in each book. I was thrilled to find that this world enchants today's youngsters. I cannot recommend this book, and, really, all of Thornton W. Burgess' books too highly. If you give them or read them to a child, they will be left with warm memories of all these animals for a lifetime, as well as getting the life lessons that are woven into all real literature, which this is.

This book is an excellent reference, or a good read if you feel like just browsing through the entries at random. I found the diagrams and examples very helpful, and overall highly recommend this publication.

This reference book has it all for neophytes or seasoned musicians. It is makes fascinating random reading while containing in-depth information about everything in classical music. It is fun to pick up, open to any page, and read the contents. Far and away my favorite music book in my library, I highly recommend it to anyone with any level of interest in music. It is definitely a "must have."

I started in pastels by just jumping in headfirst. The magazines and books that I read gave info for artists who already know basic terms and techniques. Ms. Harrison's book gave me a structured way to learn, all the way from the basics to more advanced topics, with presentation of alternative ways to experiment and develop MY interests.

I bought this book in order to teach me everything I needed to know to get started as a pastelist. I am very pleased with the content of this book. It offers the beginner a way of getting started, from choosing the right pastel colors to learning different pastel strokes and techniques. It also offers different styles (which I found very helpful). Other books seem to be written in a text-book format - but this book is written step-by-step, and makes you feel as if pastel is something you CAN LEARN!

David Dodd has assembled a wide variety of stories to inspire and encourage addicted people to get clean. I was impressed that Twelve Step groups were NOT the focus of every tale, and that the one constant was that each individual made a PERSONAL CHOICE to forego their addiction and live sober. For all the help some people get from 12-Step groups, there are many who don't "relate" to the religiousity. But this book shows that recovery is still possible and worthwhile. The fact that most of these tales are told by celebrities and artists we KNOW only increases their value. Plus, it's nice to know that my gut feeling about Steven Tyler is "on the money" - he truly IS a mensch!!

I was attracted to the many well-known names listed on the cover, but once I began reading the book, I was overwhelmed with its passion and solutions. David Dodd has done a remarkable job which is reflected in this collection of interviews. My favorite part, however, is the introduction to the book, where the author tells his personal story on how he became sober with the help of Steven Tyler. His vivid description of the events were astonishing to me, they were absolutely incredible. This is a wonderful book!