It has been said that 'Jurassic Park' is one of Crichton's best books (if not THE best) and I agree. An absolutely amazing work of original fiction which is written to near perfection. The movie was ripped to shreds by many fans of the novel for having 1-dimensional characters, but you cannot say that about the novel. Crichton breathes life into these people, especially Ian Malcom, easily his greatest creation (and Jeff Goldblum was perfectly cast in the movies I might add).

The idea of resurrecting extinct animals wasn't originated by Crichton, but he is the guy who took the idea and ran with it to the publisher first. I just cannot think of a more compelling idea for a fictional story which bases its original theory on literal facts. The idea of visiting living dinosaurs is facinating beyond words, but Ian Malcom said it best about the process of bringing to life animals that have been dead for millions of years when he said, "You were so interested in discovering whether or not you COULD clone dinosaurs that you never stopped to think if you SHOULD." Quite possibly one of the most entertaining adventure/thrillers ever published.

'The Lost World' in many ways was set up to fail by many even before they read it. How do you top 'Jurassic Park'? Since the total originality of the first book is gone, that takes away a little of the enjoyment, but I believe that Crichton sacrificed nothing with this sequel. Staying true to his original story he wrote a sequel to his book rather than the movie version, making this that much more compelling and entertaining. Never for a minute think that 'The Lost World' isn't as fun in almost every way as the original, because it IS. It is also SO different than the very poor movie that shared the same name. Actually they only shared about 5-10% of the same storyline, enough of a difference to wonder why they didn't come out with a novelized version of the movie. While not his best novel, I found it as exciting as the original and chock full of everything that makes a thriller worthwhile to read in the first place.

I had heard for years that 'The Andromeda Strain' was Crichtons best novel...and this is one area where I disagree. Although being a fun and very good book, it is easy to see how far he has come as an author when you read it. It is very possible that this book inspired a rash of movies which imitated the main plotline of a disease or alien being brought back to earth unknowingly, but one of Crichtons best novels? I don't think so. Still it IS a must read for every fan.

Jurassic Park is an outstanding book. This is the second time I have read it and it got better. It is interesting becuase companies will probably be able to clone dinosuars like that soon. The book really kept me interested, it really didn't have a low spot. The book kinda tests your ability to understand fiction. At times you have to use a lot of imagination, but even with that it is a real good book.

All three of these books are absolute winners, and being able to read them without lifting a finger is a plus on its own! Full of action and adventure, all thee titles are sure to keep you o the edge of your seat. You'll never want to stop listening!

My fascination (or should I say obsession?) with the Bell P-39 and the air war in New Guinea in WWII is fueled by the pages of Edward Park's "Nannette."
Park's likening of his tour of duty as a P-39 pilot to an affair with a strumpet named Nanette is a can't put down read for any aviation buff.
While short on historical details such as dates and statistics, the human drama and personal feelings of a pilot and his squadron mates come alive much as Nanette did for Parks. Life, death, and reason for being are examined through the eyes of a reluctant combatant and pilot.
My favorite all time aviation book.

"Nanette- Her Pilot's Love Story" is distinguished from many WWII pilot memoirs by the superb writing of Edwards Park. His vivid, often wry prose truly takes you into the world of the WWII fighter pilot in the Pacific as he focuses not only on the heroic but also the mundane, the frightening and, sometimes, the downright unpleasant.

But for all its worth as a detailed glimpse of the pilots' war, the real story here is the growing love of a young pilot for his first fighter aircraft. "Nanette", a P-39 Airacobra, is nondescript, skittish, often dangerous- and enlessly fascinating to her pilot. Anyone who has ever formed a bond with a machine which, inexplicably, transceded flesh and metal will find this book a superb read.

As an avid reader of WWII fighter pilot first-hand accounts, especially from the Pacific Theatre, this is one of the very best available. Edward is concise, a powerful wordsmith, and you will be hooked after reading just the Introduction (one-third page) and the first couple pages of the first paragraph. He was the typical WWII Army Aviation cadet, and fell in love with his Bell P-39 Aircobra. He starts, "Nanette was an airplane. That should be made clear right at the start. She was not a very good plane; actually she stank. But she did a lot for me, I realize, as I look back on her. All the planes of that old war had distinguishing looks and personalities. The P-40, the Warhawk, was knobby and arrogant, a tomboy. The P-38, the Lightning, was lean and coltish, a rich debunte. The P-47, the Thunderbolt, was massive and dull, a peasnat girl. The bombers had their distinctions, too, but I didn't know much about them. Of all the fighters, two could really excite a flyer. One was the P-51, Mustang, lovely to look at, honest, efficient, hardworking and dependable. In those days she was thought of as a wife, and I know men who married her, back then, and are still inlove with her. The other was the P-39, the Aircobra. It was slim, with a gently curved tail section, a smoothly faired in air intake, and a perfectly rounded nose cone with its ugly, protruding cannon. But the Aircobra was lazy and slovenly and given to fits of vicious temper. It was a sexy machine, and rotten. Nanette was like that, and I was a little queer for her." You can find a lot of books by fighter pilots, but you won't find many better to read than this one.

"National Parks of America" is a wonderful collection of photographs from the National Parks in the United States. David Muench does a marvelous job capturing some of the the most beautiful places in the United States. His photographs include the Alaskan National Parks, the Grand Canyon, the giant redwoods in Redwood National Park, the giant sequoias in Sequoia National Park, the natural bridges in the national parks in Utah, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park, Isle Royale in Michigan, and the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. There is a map of all of the places in the National Park System, and an essay by Stewart L. Udall, former Secretary of the Interior under Kennedy and Johnson, and James R. Udall. I cannot recommend this book enough. You must see it to fully understand what an outstanding book it truly is. It made me want to visit these places as soon as possible!

This is the book with the most beautiful pictures of America's National Parks I have seen so far. The print quality of the photographs is excellent. I have given this book as a gift to many of my friends and relatives!

This is one helluva book. Thank you Kutti. The photographs would make an nature enthusist drool with sheer glee, the text by Udall brothers is so refreshing, makes you wanna follow their paths. David's large format photographs are guaranteed to take your breath away. It did for me..Amazing..and the book is big and heavy..with the highest quality paper possible. Buy it..I am planning to get some camping equipments really soon...:))

This book is terrific. He is very detailed, and offers such useful info as which trails and climbs allow dogs, horses, etc. I leafed through the book for this reason; I like to bring my dog to new places as much as possible. I only wish I had this book 8 years ago, because my dog is nine! The rating system is outstanding as well; 1-5 for difficulty, 1-10 for atmosphere/view. This book has inspired me to make plans to enjoy more of these hikes and to get in optimal shape. The feeling I had on the first small mountain I climbed with my dog was overwhelming - such beauty to behold, but also the feeling of accomplishment I felt. It has changed my outlook on life. On a practical note, if you live in Eastern MA like I do, you know there are few places you can take your unleashed dog; well read this book, hop in the car and drive! I cannot praise this book or its author enough. I wish this had been a bestseller - Lanza deserves it.

I'm just beginning hiking and found this book to be great in locating a variety of trails. Whether you're a beginner or expert you'll find the right trail for you. This book has trails that range from 45 minutes to 5 days. "Butt Kickers to strolls in the park".

Mike Lanza's ``New England Hiking'', published by Foghorn Press, is an excellent guide to more than 350 trails in all six of the New England states. The guide is useful for both experienced and beginning hikers. Major features of the guide include: - Six state maps that show numbered references to particular trails, and locate the trailheads. Accompanying each state map is an index that cross-references detailed trail information in the guide. - Individual trail descriptions indicate hiking distance and time, directions to the trailhead, maps and contacts, and notes that tell the hiker what to expect on the trail. - For each trail, there's also the author's overall rating from poor (1) to great (10), and the degree of difficulty from ``a stroll'' (1) to ``a real butt-kicker'' (5). In my experience on about 10% of the trails in the guide, the ratings are accurate, and should be especially useful to beginners or to those new to New England hiking. One of the outstanding features of the trail notes is the author's personal observations and advice, which in most guide books tend to be stilted and impersonal. For example, concerning the Isolation Trail in the New Hampshire White Mountains, Mike writes: ``On day two, hike north three-tenths of a mile on the Davis Path to where the Isolation trail turns west (left) toward the valley of the Dry River; be careful, because this trail junction is easily overlooked -- especially, I can tell you, when it lies under four feet of snow.'' In his description of the very challenging Huntington Ravine Trail on Mt Washington, tallest peak in the northeastern U.S., he cautions: ``Discard all your preconceived notions of hard trails. Huntington Ravine has earned a reputation as the most difficult regular hiking trail in the White Mountains for good reason,'' and then he goes on with detailed descriptions of that trail's particular challenges. The index to the guide shows not only the trail name but also geographical features such as mountains, lakes, state parks, and towns, making it easy for the user to find trail descriptions in the text. If you use this guide it will be almost like having Mike Lanza along to recommend a hike. The final section of the text lists Mike's recommendations of the best hikes in New England in each of 23 categories, including Fall foliage viewing For children up to age seven Coastline or island hikes Easy backpacking Solitude and remoteness Mountain biking Cross-country skiing. The ``New England Hiking'' guide is highly recommended for those who plan to hike in the northeastern U.S. It's the single guide that all hikers -- from beginners to peak-baggers -- should have. And Mike's lively writing makes it ideal for the ``armchair hiker'', who prefers to read about the sport rather than actually swatting black flies or avoiding thunderstorms on the trail

If you thrilled to The Brothers Grimm when you were twelve this collection is for you. This short story collection is exceptional and I am sure you will enjoy it. The stories range from fairy tales - not for children - to science fiction to supernatural and all retain a nice distictive style that should leave you with a "Oh Yeah" feeling.

Judgement Day is God's monolog and you just have to read it to see where the author takes you. Doing Time In the Wild Hunt says a lot about husbands and wives in a small space and might make you think about picking up some flowers on the way home. Then sit down and read aloud to her, or him, The Orges Wife; the best read-aloud story I have read in a long time. Doppels touches on the same husband/wife theme but in a science fiction setting. All the other stories are great. A fine collection. If you are a short story fan pick it up, you''ll be pleased.

This is a fantastic book, in every sense of that word. I've seen Parks' stories in a lot of magazines, and while I always remembered the story, I didn't always realize that the guy who wrote it was the same guy who wrote that =other= story I liked--and that other one, and that other one... "Oh, wow, that was him too?" Finally, here's a collection of his works all in one place, side by side. This is like buffet night at your favorite restaurant. Yum!

Anyone who's enjoyed the Datlow/Windling fairytale-retellings series should pick up this book. But there's a lot more going on here than just the Grimms reimagined. Fairy tales can take many forms. There are ghost stories here and science fiction stories and stories that defy genrification. Parks draws from a variety of world cultures and mythologies ... all the diverse manifestations of the collective unconscious. Looking back over the collection after I read it, I was surprised that the individual stories weren't longer--each one packs a lot of punch into an economical space. They're completely readable--and rereadable. And the sense of wonder ... I don't know how Parks manages to be so profound and down-to-earth at the same time. It's quite a gift.

For some reason I'm reminded of Andy Duncan and Michael Bishop. Maybe that's not so strange; all three of them are writers with unique sensibilities and styles, difficult to categorize, wide-ranging in subject matter, and generally brilliant. Or maybe it's a geographical association in my mind. Still, it might be useful information, so I recommend Parks to any other Bishop and Duncan fans out there, too.

I finished this easily one afternoon and evening, taking time out between each story to do small chores and odd jobs. The stories are so readable that one is tempted to gobble them like popcorn, and they're too good to be treated that way. You have to let each one sink in before going on to the next. Also, they're all so different in style and content that it's best to come to each one after a short intermission, ready for a different experience. A really fine collection. I'd like to read more by him.

Just want to say that this is really a fantastic book.
Carl Jennings did a really great job. I have gave several
copys to friends for Christmas. I new Carl at the old Peony Park
and I wish him all the best at his new Peony Park in Wahoo Nebraska. The many pictures cover Peony Parks history in 1919
to the present. Just learned the book is now in it's second
addition, and a movie is being made,"Peony Park an American Legend" this year. Great!

Love ya,

Barb

This is a fantastic book on Peony Park!
I had no idea how famous it was. The author did
such a nice job with all the pictures.
So happy to see there will be a new Peony Park soon.

Sincerely,

Barb Berg

The book is so cool, really neat story.
Peony Park has such a neat place in history!
I look forward to going to the new Peony Park
this summer.

In concise and clear language, Prof. Park explains how a
medical practitioner can diagnose alsmost any known
cardiac anomaly in a child.

Having a scientific but no medical background myself,
I found it very readable. Some knowledge of cardiac
anatomy and electrocardiography are a prerequisite.

What is especially good is Prof. Parks comprehensive
approach to the diagnosis: all posible pathologies are
listed and when a particular observation
is possible in normal patients, he doesn't forget to point
this out too.

I have only read the 2nd edition of the book (1988), so
I cannot vouch whether the latest (4th) is up to date
on recent advances in the field, be it in pacemaking
capabilities or teratogenic discoveries.

this book was very helpful for me during my post graduate studies in paediatrics and i feel that every post graduate resident in paediatrics should have this book.the author has used simple language and written and covered this subject well
covering the recent advances in the topic as well.highly recommended.

As a resident in pediatrics, you face the usual time constraints, yet you want to prepare yourselfs for electives by reading a comprehensible text. For Cardiology, I have found with Park's "Pediatric Cardiology for the Practioner" an outstanding text, which I actually prefer over more recent review articles for its easy to understand approach. The text is easy to read and is supported by the style of the figures and schemes. This book provides more than an introductory text for the pediatric resident with a general focus, it also provides a valuable and readily accessible resource for cardiology fellows.

I hiked the 100 mile Wonderland Trail that encircles Mount Rainier a few years ago. The hike changed my life and gave me the quest to collect photos and memorabilia that matched the diverse and unique experience of the mountain. Until I discovered this book, what I typically found were the garden-variety roadside photos available in most coffee table books, postcards, or placemats. What Landon's book gave me was a perfect mirror of my experience. I was able to rediscover the wonders of the mountain at any scale; from glaciated peaks to the delicate flora. The photos are beautiful, and the sequence of photos nearly match the clockwise circle I made around Mount Rainier. Included in the collection are photos of places only someone deeply familiar with the mountain could create, and makes me all the more appreciative of Landon's work and Mount Rainier itself.

This book is worth every cent paid for the collection of outstanding photos of Mt. Rainier. I'm planning on climbing this mountain for my fiftieth birthday next year and was surprised to find so few books on this topic here in New York City. Mr. Landon has indeed inspired me to train for the climb knowing I will be standing on the top of Rainier viewing the breathtaking scenes depicted in his stunning photos! See you at the top!

wonderful book, outstanding photographs, worth every penny!

Really liked this book. Displays elevation at destination, altitude gain, distance one way, and which trailhead to use at the beginning of each trail description. Lots of full color photos make it easy to tell your in the right place, but can take away a bit from the element of surprise for what you're going to see when you go there. Only one map in the book, so the purchase of a trail map may also be in order. All in all a good book with short, concise descriptions of trails and what can be seen from them, as well as precautions about altitude, exposure, and other dangers on the trails.

This is an outstanding introduction for those preparing to shun the automobile for the Rocky Mountain National Park backcountry. In a brief 140 pages Jerome Malitz delivers a superb overview of 33 park trails and destinations. Malitz's introduction includes a nice survey of park flora and fauna, geology and history. There is also a concise overview of precautions before heading into the backcountry. (I've hiked extenstivley in RMNP and strongly advise heeding Malitz's cautions. However inviting the scenery and innocent appearing the trail, RMNP is not Disney World. People, especially those who casually head down the trail without forethought, can get into trouble.)

Information on destinations is logically grouped by sections corresponding to general areas of the park. Each section begins with a very legible, color USGS topographical map with trails and campsites marked. Within each section, Malitz gives a nice description of the trail including the trailhead of choice, distance, altitude gain and elevation at the destination. Narrative is punctuated by color photography of key landmarks.

This is a fine primer on RMNP backcountry and will whet the appetite of any who are ready to see what is beyond Trailridge Road or the parking lot. (For readers ready for the next level of detail, I also recommend Dannen's "Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park" (8th Ed.). Together, these two books provide the maps, photography, narrative and detail to send you on your way with zeal and confidence.

Not bad. Each hiking trail has 2 to 3 pages written about it and a couple of color pictures. The length (in miles), point to start, and elevation change is listed for each trail. We have two small children and are using this book to plan our visit to the park so we don't go to the wrong area. The shortest trail listed is 0.1 miles and the longest is 16 miles (round trip). The highlights of each trail (water fall, lake, view, etc.) are briefly described. I am happy I bought it but the maps are cut up (to cover each individual area of the park)so prior to visiting the park I still will need to purchase an overall map of the park.

Carrie Stuart Park's 'Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces' is the best book on drawing realistic faces I've ever found. I'm an artist who's been searching for the perfect book and this is the closest. This book is easy if you're a beginner, you can start rendering amazingly real faces and self-portraits. The author has proven techniques and tools and hands-on exercises to help you be a well-trained artist without taking a class. The examples in the book are before and after works that will help the artist achieve success in no time. There's lots of illustrations for practice. Forget about what you maybe learn the old way of drawing a certain geometric form. Throw that out! This book help you to draw what you actually see. The techniques will help you draw in a short amount of time. You'll surprise yourself how you can produce a fantastically real portrait. And, the price is just right, too!

This book is the end result of years of training police officers to draw correct composite faces. I had been using other drawing books and found there were errors in the materials--incorrect proportions of the nose, pupil not centered in the iris, too large an iris and so forth. I also needed a way to teach the face in an extremely short amount of time. Dr. Betty Edwards introduced seven drawing tools to help you see and draw better. I uncovered about 27 tools to help you as an artist. I hope you enjoy and learn from its pages and it will help you grow as an artist.

This book is an outstanding resource for any artist who is interested in improving the accuracy of their drawings. The author's techniques apply to all subject matter, not just faces. When drawing portraits, I have always had difficulty with certain areas of the face, namely the curve of the jawbone area and the curve of the nostril. As the author explains, this is because my mind is drawing pictures from a memorized pattern of these facial features. She then gives many effective techniques that are designed to help you overcome these patterns and actually draw what you see, techniques that I had never thought to use before. Her ideas for checking the accuracy of your drawings help you to produce your most realistic work ever. I think that this book, in combination with Lee Hammonds' How to Draw Lifelike Portraits from Photograpsh, will give anyone (including those who can only draw stick figures) the ability to produce beautiful pencil portraits in a short amount of time. I should know, because I am one of those stick figure people myself! I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who desires to draw more realistically. The ideas contained in this book are extremely helpful and this book is well worth its price.