Imagine if you will, a death defying situation, earthquakes, evil henchmen chasing you. What do you do? You stand around and tell each other how wonderful you are and how much everyone (the good guys, that is--the bad guys are all unremittingly evil) loves everyone else, especially the main character. I finally decided that I could only read this book as a camp fairy tale--that despite unbelievable odds nothing remotely bad happens to the good guys. Then I guess someone pointed this out to the author, so in a jarring change, the ending takes on a few tinges of reality. The editing allows things like characters supposedly a few hundred miles away popping up in a scene to make a comment. Typos abound. This book feels like a first draft with a cover slapped on it. Read it only if you want a (very) mindless lesbian adventure.

Unlike the first review on this page I found Storm Rising to be a rollicking good adventure story which continued the plot lines from the previous 5 novels by this author. I read Tropical Storm first and enjoyed it so much(and desperately wanting to find out what happened to Delta) I bought this, the sequel. I thoroughly enjoyed them and so, bought the first 4 books. I found the characters to be believable and the plot chock full of action which is how all the books are written. In SR, all the favourites are there sharing the highs and lows in their quest to retrieve Delta from the jungles of Costa Rica. I found reading this book a delight and am eagerly awaiting the next book to find out what happens to the *gang* with the addition of the baby! Oh, and Megan's reaction to Rikki...My rating - Unputdownable!!!!

Storm Rising was an exciting page-turner that serves up plenty of suspense. For those of you who have not read Tropical Storm (by the same author), I would recommend it prior to reading Storm Rising to understand all the intricacies of Linda's latest book. I promise you won't be disappointed in either one. For those of you who have read Tropical Storm, you can finally find out what happens to Delta, Megan, Connie, Sal, Josh and the others. With the help of many of their friends, Connie and Megan go into the rainforest to find Delta. Be prepared to be unwilling to put this book down.

It's awesome!

I bought this book from a different web retailer because of the online description; I did not see it in the store first. If I had, I wouldn't have bought it, because it is a philosophy book about gardening. I tend to buy gardening books that have lots of photos or diagrams of examples. This book has no photos and only a few drawings. It is all text. If you are a "show me" kind of person like I am, then don't buy this book.

I LOVE this book. It's about so MUCH more than just digging in the dirt! I especially love the watercolor illustrations. We have always called our own backyard a sanctuary. Now, we are incorporating some of the bountiful ideas found in this cornucopia of garden delights.

This is a wonderful book! It is very inspiring, and the ideas are easy to follow, understand, and adapt to your own space and needs. I loved the descriptions of their garden/sanctuary at their home, and am inspired to try to create some sacred space in my own life. Thank you for a truly fantastic book!

The new religion of the Northwest is definitely eco-terroism. Learn how to kill loggers and spitefully waste human life. Judy Bari and Earth First! are on the FBI list for Terrorism, worse than Ben Laden.

This book is one of the greatest stories about environmental activism and support for loggers' and women's issues. Judi Bari was able to do what few democratic activists do; support the workers of the very companies she protested. She knew the struggles of loggers as well as the issues of exploiting nature and the environment for unbridled greed. One of the reasons that she was so successful as an activist was that she was able to bring together so many diverse people and issues. So few activists are aware of women's issues and the sexism inherent in many organizations. And yet she was able to look realistically at the limitations of the organizations around her and speak out for the rights of all. Her inclusiveness, bravery, and ability to organize people to come together for peaceful, non-violent protests was one of her amazing legacies. This book tells the story of that legacy and gives insight into one of the most profound and remarkable environmental activists of our time.

Earth First! is explicitly not an "organization" as the Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. person says, it is a Movement. Nor was it ever discredited. Judi Bari's contribution to the Movement was extending it beyond matters purely ecological, into women's rights & pro-choice activism for example.

This book is a great, if you live in Asia or Europe.It's fair at best for the US.If you want books about about trees & shrubs of North America their are much better books you can buy.

The variety of trees and shrubs covered in this handy guide of 1000 pages is incredible. Each genus is described, and a selection of species within the genus is photographed either of the foliage, flowers, or growth habit. Cultivation notes are included, along with descriptions of the species, or cultivars. The color photographs are what makes this book stand out. For example, there are more than 30 color pictures of the various pine species, 52 pages and more than 130 color pictures of rhododendrons, 45 pages and more than 120 color pictures of roses, 15 pages and more than 80 color pictures of camellias. And since the pictures are in color and show the beauty of the flower or the habit of the shrub or tree, foliage color, you can really plan your purchases before heading to the nursery, or take the book along to visualize a fully grown specimen.

Botanica's Trees & Shrubs is a superbly organized compendium of more than 2,000 plants offering the gardener everything necessary to identify and cultivate their flower garden or landscape their property. Profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography, the A to Z listing of plant entries offers a wealth of practical information on soils, pruning, siting, and everything else required to successfully grow trees and shrubs. Botanica's Trees & Shrubs is an essential, invaluable reference and resource for gardeners, landscapers, and horticulturalists.

The strength of the book is the fine quality of the printing, the good color photographs and the enthousiasm of its makers, who obviously love crafting things of wood. This certainly is an attractive coffee table-book which may well inspire those who browse through it into making better use of wood than before.

As an enyclopedia it certainly does not make the grade. Obviously nobody with a botanical background was involved here. On page 20 is a remark about 'apetalous' trees that if ever I decide to award a price for the most-nonsensical-botanical-statement-ever will be a strong contender. The writers failed to pursue a consistent way of writing botanical names. Glancing through the book I note various errors in the history of the use of wood.

In addition the wood pictures, although of the same general size that is cute in "Identifying_Wood" by Aidan Walker (see there), a book derived from this, are pretty smallish on this big page size. I feel uncomfortable about some of the pictures which appear hardly typical of the woods they supposedly represent, and indeed some were replaced in the little book. As "Identifying_Wood" is not a bad book but unsuited for identifying wood, so is this "Encyclopedia_of_Wood" unsuited as a reference.

I don't want to give the impression that it is riddled with errors (I have seen much worse), but it falls well short of the level of, say, "The_International_Book_of_Wood" (1976) let alone of an encyclopedia.

P.S. I do hate the clumsy square shape. Obviously it was not meant to ever come off that coffee table: it decidedly would sit awkward on a shelf among real reference works.

While the book could have been a little more dense it was a good read overall. I would have liked to have seen more focus on North American hardwoods, but that aside the book was very informative. About 150 different woods are described in detail with acompaning pictures. There is also a nice section on fine furniture. This book is an excellent introduction into the world of wood working and would make a fine gift for anyone with even a passing interest in that direction.

This is a truly comprehensive encyclopedia, liberally illustrated with large photographs--a must for any wood lover. It includes precise descriptions of grain, pattern, figure and color, as well as the relevant harvesting locations, processes and uses. Interesting historical tidbits also add to its richness. Attributes such as stiffness, density, workability, crushing strength, and hardness are specified for each wood. It is a remarkable and beautiful book that I STRONGLY recommend.

If you like danger and adventure you should read this book. It is about a girl who goes into the woods to find a bird that is suppose to possess mysterious powers. Some other books written by Jean Craig head George are- one day on the Alpine Tundra and- Julie of the Wolves

Jean Craighead George, author of nearly one hundred novels, picture books, novellas, guides, and stories about nature, presents a story of the perfect length about our most familiar ecosystem, the woods. Ms. George does a terrific job of placing readers in the feet of her main character, a young girl named Rebecca (Ms. George's granddaughter and perhaps the same Rebecca from her picture book DEAR REBECCA, WINTER IS HERE). One beautiful spring morning, Rebecca takes a trip out to the woods near her home to search for a rare and remarkable bird, the ovenbird, which her uncle tells her is a real natural wizard. While Rebecca searches for this wonder of the woods, she finds lots of other incredible creatures--owls, flying squirrels, deer, ducks, and a skunk--and even runs into danger and excitement. Fine descriptions, fondly and accurately written, make birds a lot of us see every day--towhees, robins, and cardinals--all the more special and important, as Ms. George's admiration for even the smallest things in nature is evident. And when Rebecca finds the ovenbird wizard, it really is an eye-opener. The illustrations are woodsy and a nice companion to Ms. George's words. This is a great story for anyone who loves nature and the special words of the author of JULIE OF THE WOLVES and MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

One Day in the Woods and One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest are both books by Jean Craighead George. They are both about kids who are looking for something . They both take place out in the wilderness. If you need some interesting facts about animals, this is the book for you. One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest is about a boy and a doctor looking for an unnamed butterfly so they can save the rain forest from 11 bulldozers and 4 trucks, will they do it in time? One Day in the Woods is about a girl trying to find a wizard in the Teatown Woods. Will she do it? I hope you enjoy these two books.

I was deeply disappointed in this book. It reads like a graduate student's thesis; full of statistics and graphs. I guess this is o.k., if one is interested in raw data. But, as for the average reader, it might take some effort to complete it and not just "skip through" to the end, which is what I did.

At the begining of each chapter, one of the authors tells an aluring story which captures the reader's imagination and interest, but the book immediately reverts to the same old boring statistics.

This is a graduate study paper made into a book.

An excellent book full of great scientific data from an extended study. For those of us that want detailed data for a greater understanding of these magnificent creatures, this book is a must!!!

Most books about bears are filled with nonsense and drivel; A Shadow In The Forest provides facts you can trust from two Idaho bear biologists. Outstanding. I'm the author of Backcountry Bear Basics, and this is one of the few books about bears I can recommend with no reservations.

But this on fell a little flat. Still worth reading, but not as good as the first and second. Now working on the Third:)

I'll let you know what I think...

Angela

Vicky Bliss who works for the National Museum in Munich had enough of the rainy spring in Bavaria that May and was just hoping to take an early vacation to some warm and sunny place when the parcel arrived. It contained a crimson rose and an airline ticket to Stockholm. There was no note, only the words "WIELANDIA FABRICA" printed on a card. The package had no return address, but had been mailed from Sweden. Vicky instantly knew it had been sent by Sir John Smythe, her lover, and a wanted art thief who she knew she should never trust because John had let her down more than a few times. Vicky had not seen or heard from him in over a year, but she decided to use the ticket and find out what kind of a caper that John was currently involved with. Her suspicions were that he was seeking a Viking treasure.

SILHOUETTE IN SCARLET is the third book in the Vicky Bliss Mystery series and another enjoyable story by Elizabeth Peters.

...apart from "Trojan Gold", this is the 2nd best Vicki Bliss book. My only gripe is that we see so little of Herr Doktor Anton Schmit. He's so cute! The interplay between Vicki and "Sir" John is acidic and rapier as usual, but the reader always knows they're crazy about each other. I enjoy learning more about Sweden, which is a country I know very little about. If you enjoy the Vicki Bliss series, I believe you'll really like this one too!

Let me begin by saying that this novel is more dissapointing than anything else. Dissapointing because it had the potential to be a really excellent story and blew it. The first half of the book, if not two-thirds is quite good. Very good in fact, that I couldn't wait to see what happened. In her rich prose, Bathurst uses interesting descriptions of things- such as comparing a woman's face after a car accident looking like a "purple moon". The dialog between the characters was also fresh and not cliched typical teen angst...that is, not until the last third of the book. The Ms. Naylor character is somewhat cliched and underdeveloped- she's just a typical school marm & some of the other tropes can be a little heavy handed- there's the "ugly girl" the "pretty girl", the "jealous girl" who is never good enough etc- the problem though, is that these characters begin to develop and then just become cliches. I'm tired of reading about girls with eating disorders, girls who cut themselves, blah blah blah. The ending has no real "resolution" (which I liked)like most books today do- there's no happy ending and the girl who feels nothing in the end still feels nothing. I liked the idea that things go unresolved, but I couldn't care less about any of these characters, much less am I supposed to feel something for the girl who feels nothing? This is supposed to be somewhat like "Lord of the Flies" which as you know, is nothing about teen angst- in fact it's the opposite because you FORGET that these are kids and begin to believe they are killers. In "Special" you are so constantly reminded of their immaturity and youth & that's why this novel doesn't hold the same power. The last line in the book is "she felt nothing at all" & that's exactly how I felt about these characters. Read this book for the first half & then it's a snoozer the rest of the way through.

When I first got the book to read, I had no idea how strange it would be. After a few pages, I had fair warning, but I couldn't put it down. Their life at the manor house is depressing, and their attitudes toward each other are competetive and confusing. My life at 13 compared to theirs was tame. While I was reading, I could not believe they are only three years younger than me! It is unsettling, how wild they are.
The descriptions of their lives and of their confrontations are disturbingly realistic. A book both touching and frightening, it gives a new view to the term "teen angst," and a new eye to the outcast girls. The ending is one of complete suprise and horror, so prepare yourself. I give this book 4 stars.

After reading a review in EW I picked up this book out of curiosity and was not disappointed. Special follows a group of English school girls who in between tests and the end of the school year are dropped off at a manor. Bella Bathurst quickly lays down the caste system of the girls. There's the three popular girls, Hen a sick Scottish girl, Jules desperate for love, and Caz, a girl who seems void of any kind of feelings or conscience. There are the wannabes, and then there are the outcasts; Izzy a sickly fat girl and Ally, who's role is summed up in the first chapter when she extends her hand for a man to shake and he walks by her, unaware of her existence.
A lot happens in the week that the girls are at the manor. The girls get drunk, fight, excercise, meet boys (some men) and are taken advantaged and take advantage. Bathurst has a way with description, noting people and surroundings down to the last detail without overburdening us. When the girls talk to each other it seems like something real 13 year olds would say to each other. The end is jarring, completly coming out of left field. It's comparisons to LORD OF THE FLIES is justified. I thought about this book for days after finishing it. Highly recommended.

This book is of little value for the woodworker trying to identify woods commonly used on the American continent. When the species are described (with wood samples provided) the European varieties are given to the exclusion of woods from this continent. Species vary enough from the Euopean continent to make the book of very little use in identifying American woods and can even be misleading. The grain pattern on Birch is a classic example and Birch is used a great deal on funiture.

The book is very badly outdated and lists uses for various woods not seen since the late fifties and early sixties.

Consider carefully before purchasing this book.

This is a very friendly and straightforward book. It starts with veneer samples (quite small, but big enough) of 40 woods and finishes with descriptions of the trees that yield these 40 woods.

In between there is quite a bit of useful information on wood, and the history of woodworking. A pretty good introduction to wood for and woodworking. This book will be only modestly useful in identification, since it is limited to naked eye observations of those 40 woods.

I browsed through the 1969 edition and it clearly is from another era (with the chainsaw just being introduced!). I can well imagine that those who equate woodworking with roaring high speed machines may find this quiet book not to their liking.

If your working on a project involving exotic woods, then this book should be added to your library. The REAL wood samples are great. The book also has very useful information about many types of wood. I find this book to be a handy reference tool and am glad to have added it to my collection.