I just finished reading the Fred Ward books "Diamonds" and "Rubies and Sapphires" in his gem series, and I was very pleasantly surprised. These books are entertaining as well as informative, and found myself telling obscure facts about the different gemstones to my friends and family. I was in the market for a ring with my fiance, and so found the books particularly insightful. Along with the writing, the color photography was absolutely sinful, with the most striking pictures of jewelry I have ever seen. Breathtaking. Definitely a must read, even if you think you aren't that interested in gems in the first place. I did think that the price of the books was exceedingly high, however, and I wish they would market them as an entire collection instead of just the separate books.

But all in all, wonderful read!

Quotes about the composers, by the composers, about the nusic, about the inspiration for the music, about the instruments, and about performance... this book of quotes provides an alphabetical listing of topics which include composers themselves and many other subjects. William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, and other famous non-musicians also figure prominently.... its is interesting to read quotes from the composers about a piece I am currnetly playing... gives a new viewpoint, that of the genius who created the music.... and there are a few criticisms too.... a great book for musicians and music-lovers!

This is a wonderful book filled with images of the beat coffeehouse hangouts in Greenwich village circa 50s and 60s. It is great to actually be able to view a photo of a poetry reading as it took place in one of these bohemian haunts. We are lucky that the author had the foresight to take photos in the smoke-filled coffeehouses and beat pads. I have a coffeehouse and the book is a great reference to utilize when trying to recapture the spirit and styling of the 50s coffeehouse.

McDarrah's photograpic work evokes what it must have been like to frequent the bohemian scene of the late '50s and early '60's. Anyone who is greatly interested in the literature of this genre, but too young to have actual remembrances of this era, will find this work fascinating. Many of the photos have never been published before, and thus are a refreshing change from the standard photos of Kerouac, Ginsberg, and crew that have been served up so many times elsewhere. McDarrah, who I believe worked for the Village Voice at that time, has done a fine job in selecting the photos in this collection. My favorites are one of Diane DiPrima, perched on a piano reciting her poetry, and Herbert Huncke visiting Allen Ginsberg and attempting to fix the latter's broken TV. I also enjoyed the many pics of other accomplished, but lesser known figures of the era, and the establishments they frequented, such as the Cedars Bar & Grill

This book has a WEALTH of dinosaur information set to music that is a toe tapping good time. Any dinosaur fanatic will enjoy the songs about specific dinosaurs and their qualities. My child will sit and listen to the tape over and over again. We've borrowed it from the library so many times my son thinks he owns it. He will shortly - we're buying it for his birthday.

Ayn Imperato reminds me of why I love to read. Even for someone like myself, who is always reading a new book, Dirty Money and Other Stories stopped me in my tracks. After laughing out loud through the first short story in this collection, I put everything on hold for a couple of hours, sat down, and didn't get up until i got to the end. It's just one of those books.

These stories and vignettes piece together the life, loves, and adventures of a fiery and passionate young San Francisco woman who isn't quite ready to give in or give up. We hear the voice of a struggling artist in underground scene, where sex, booze, and creative ways to make rent liven up a raw, urban landscape. Imperato manages to make laughable the thorny subject matter of slimy phone sex clients, an abusive boyfriend, and alcoholic excess, yet also connects with the tender emotion just under the surface of these close-call catastrophes.

I was warmed by the author's genuine, hopeful resolutions that relate to real life. No excess cheese or glossing over here. When it hurts, you feel it, but when she's in love, so are you.

I was most impressed by the range of experience covered here, all of it so right-on you'd swear that you knew this girl. From the opening description of retail-employment drudgery, through the extreme ups and downs of crazy young romance, to the wild nights in the streets, the stories read like the older sister's diary you stole when you were 12. In this case, though, they're a lot more fun and touching.

While Ayn Imperato's tales of life in the punk rock fast lane allow you to live vicariously, getting muddy in a nude photo shoot and watching your boyfriend chuck bottles at SRV's, these honest words also let you into the quiet warmth of a thoughtful, intelligent person's assessment of everyday life, scribbled in a notebook over coffee. The clever phrases and quick-minded analogies here kept me on my toes while keeping me pleasantly at ease with the knowledge that the next surprise was just around the next paragraph. Imperato is an old-school storyteller that doesn't try to dazzle you with way-out mumbo-jumbo because she knows how to write.

You can't let this one pass you by. More books like this one could bring on a new urban literary revolution, from voices unheard for far too long. Listen and you won't be sorry.

This textbbok covers in great detail an area of the body which receives little attention,however, is an area where much pathology is found. Heel and ankle pain is very prevalent in the general population and even more so in the athletic or fitness-driven cohort. This text provides excellent information on heel and rearfoot disorders particularly from the diagnostic and treatment options avaliable to the clinician.

How can we Austin folkses pay 45 clams for a book if we're all "slackers?"

I purchased this book as part of my preparation for a diving trip to Chuuk Lagoon. It contains many excellent colour photographs of wrecks, coral, artifacts and local inhabitants. I found the brief history that accompanies each of the wrecks featured especially interesting. Likewise the diagrams of some of the wrecks, along with their various inclinations on the lagoon floor is fascinating.

Invaluable for such a trip are the scale maps of the lagoon and islands which pinpoint the location of the wrecks and other major features/landmarks. Further, the book grades each of the featured sites using the Pisces Rating System for Dives & Divers and the Dive Site Icons, both of which I found gave an excellent feel for the dive.

Finally, the overview of the area given in the first few chapters is a nice touch. It contains a brief history of the area, information for travelling to Chuuk, items to bring, weather, food, shopping etc.

In this book, author Tim Rock, has improved greatly his previous work on Truk Lagoon in 1994. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone planning a trip to Chuuk, or, who simply wants to read about The Most Spectacular Wreck Diving in the World (In my opinion).

We took Tim's advice to heart, and spent a great month in Bali. We toured the island anti-clockwise and dove and photographed all the sites Tim highlighted. We dove with the operators he suggested, as well as some others, and found that his suggestions were always always best.

Truk offers about the best u/w photography in the world, and this book gave me an idea of what to expect, and how to get ready. And was a great help in identifying some of my shots when i got back. Can't wait to go back. More wrecks are discovered every day there i hear, so i hope the author writes an updated version soon.

This book addresses the need of every rock music fan to learn about every detail and nuance about their favorite group/peformer. The chronological ordering of events and specific details encompassing chart positions in the UK and US, as well as touring and recording info gives you a complete picture of a groups accomplishments and history. If your goal is to learn how a performer developed, what where the major milestones in that career, this is the ultimate resource