Authentic Log Homes: Restored Timbers For Today's Homesteads

Book Description

Authentic Log Homes showcases 27 handcrafted homes built by Walden Log Homes. All of them are made of reclaimed timbers that were hand-hewn over 100 years ago. From open modern floorplans to re-erected exactly as-found, all of these homes look the way a log homes is supposed to look.

Customer Reviews:

yeesh.......2007-02-13

I love how the author actually reviewed her own book. Too bad she wasn't honest. It's just more of the same watered down coffee table filler that we've seen a million times before. The only thing is, we've seen better. Much better.

I have 99 problems with being buried alive in the rubbish that is this book........2007-02-13

My friends Carolina and Carini had a copy of this "book" that they received as a gift. Is this about cabins are automobiles??? There was more info on cars, trucks, and buses than there was cabins. I'd rather live in a cavern than in one of the mounds of dog log in this book. Save your money and treat your special cinnamon girl to dinner and a movie instead of wasting it on this book. My friend Esther was down with disease and spent her days reading everything in sight--even cereal boxes--but still wouldn't touch this book. There was one good photo of a fikus in one of the cabins though, although, it looked more like an old farmhouse than a cabin. you know the picture, the one in the round room. Other than that, the photos were blurry and grainy as heck.

My brother frankie says he wouldn't even recommend this to his pig, Guyute, much less any actual person. I didn't know a book could be this bad. If I could, I would turn back time and get that 15 minutes of my life back. I thought about buying a copy for my mexican cousin as a joke but I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money. I guess there may be an audience for this book somewhere. I suppose my mind's just got a mind of it's own.

Did anyone else's book have a strange scent to it? almost like the scent of a mule, a shaggy dog or a sleeping monkey?

One last thing...anyone notice that THE AUTHOR HERSELF WROTE THE FIRST REVIEW??? sad thing is, she didn't even acknowledge it was her. She wrote it like it was just from some random reviewer. That says a lot.

The Classic Coffeetable Book.......2005-05-20

This book has beautiful interior and exterior photographs of new homes built with old,old logs. Great ideas on decorating log homes, from western to camp-style to classic. I have bought dozens of log home books, and this one is the best.

The ultimate coffee table book on antique log homes.......2005-05-20

This is a wonderfully photographed book written by someone who clearly loves authentic antique log homes. This book belongs on the coffee table of every antique log home lover.

Authentic Log Homes: Restored Timbers For Today's Homesteads

Average customer rating:

Authentic Log Homes: Restored Timbers For Today's Homesteads
Ferris Robinson
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUBYEE

Amazon.com

The very essence of traditional decoupage is that the flat image is covered by so many layers of sealer that it virtually becomes one with the background. A twist on this approach builds the image in layers, yielding more of a paper relief sculpture than a decoupage piece, but the methods are similar: arranging and gluing images cut from paper onto various items. 3-D Decoupage Made Easy offers adequate, if uninspiring, instruction; the 10 projects, ranging from greeting cards to framed pictures to a child's desk set, are rather lackluster and often resemble collage more than decoupage, but there's enough coverage of basics to provide ideas for more imaginative treatments than those presented here. --Amy Handy

Book Description

All in color! Create striking decorative objects and memorable gifts using the easy-to-learn craft of decoupage. With images taken from a variety of sources, including fabric, books, photographs, and greeting cards, anyone can make these multi-dimensional works of art. All the simple-to-learn techniques are explained with color illustrations, and the glorious full-color photographs of every project will inspire you to get right to work. Transform floral gift wrap into an eye-catching botanical picture to hang on the wall; use scraps of wallpaper with a wildlife theme to make a colorful lamp for a child's room; make unique greeting cards, gift boxes, and many other decoupage delights. Trim size: 7 1/2 x 10 1/2.

Customer Reviews:

Easy form of use for first timers.......2001-08-25

The book is okay it's good to use when you are first timer who doesn't know what their doing. I would reccomend it being used in schools for art class or in a community center for arts and crafts.

Book Description

Photograph beautiful and powerful landscapes in evocative black-and-white with the help of 16 masters of the art. Filled with breathtaking images, this magnificent volume offers far more than just technical guidance. It provides inspiring glimpses into the eyes, minds, and visions of serious landscape photographers. Captivating photographs are accompanied by the photographers' thoughts on their subjects, inspirations, techniques, and insights. See how to best use composition, mood, tone, texture, and contrast and learn to present your images for exhibition. From crashing waterfalls to barren deserts, from lush foliage to bare winter trees, the wide variety of styles and subjects presented will help you discover new, creative ways to capture the majesty of nature on film.

Customer Reviews:

For every landscape photographer.......2002-03-27

This is an excellent book. The quality of the paper is very good. Every photo is outstanding. Since there are so many photographers in the book, the style of photos vary a great deal which means that anyone can get something out of this book.

The every photo has a caption with camera, exposure and film details as well as a helpful, short description. Also, a great extra bonus is the two tips. that come with the photots. The tips vary between the chapters, depending on the theme, but they are great tips.

If you appreciate outdoor photography or you are a outdoor photography, this is a great collection for your library.

Beautiful book to own...........2002-02-12

....with photographs of landscapes from around the world, contributed by 16 photographers. Each photo is accompanied by techinical notes and the thoughts that goes behind each photograph. Definitely worth owning it, even if you are not a serious landscape photographer, just the quality of the photos inside is worth it.

Breathtakingly Beautiful!.......2000-06-25

This book is a wonderful showcase of landscapes through the perceptive eyes of the photographers in their own creative way. The images seem to pull you in to the beauty of our world and how we can forget to take time from our busy lives to really enjoy and take notice of nature around us. How it's changing and how we're changing it. I was especially impressed with the images of Florida taken by Bob Hudak. It was nice to see a deviation from the usual "sunset on the beach" or "theme park" image that is so common to people's idea of the state. His images makes me want to explore the beautiful remote areas of the state. (I'm a nature lover who's never been to Florida.) This is a great reference to anyone interested in landscape photography.

Heathcliff Cleans House
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Heathcliff Cleans House

Manufacturer: Charter Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0441322336

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Heathcliff Cleans House

Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0441322484

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Heathcliff Cleans House
George Gately
Manufacturer: Diamond Books (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0441322670

Book Description

IBM, Bell Northern Research, Travelers Insurance, and Wiltel are just a few of the corporations that have been meeting together over the last several years to share their experiences in the transition to object technology. This book presents these experiences in the form of a practical handbook with case histories. Covers management of the shift to object technology at the corporate level; offers actual case histories of major corporations that have sustained ob ject technology at the corporate level; includes a survey of a cross-section of OTCs; provides concluding remarks and suggestions. For corporate management, technical staff, project managers, and consultants responsible for the introduction of object technology into the corporation.

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Object Technology Centers of Excellence
Timothy D.; Vaishnavi, Vijay K. Korson
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIPNSM

Book Description

Dearborn's Practice and Law supplements are the premier source for current and detailed information about state real estate license laws and regulations. These state specific supplements work in conjunction with any of Dearborn's best selling principles texts, including: Modern Real Estate Practice, Real Estate Fundamentals, or Mastering Real Estate Principles.

How to Keep Your Child Fit From Birth to Six
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How to Keep Your Child Fit From Birth to Six
Bonnie Prudden
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
For Children | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Pediatrics | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Accessories:

Luna Bars, Nutz Over Chocolate, 1.69-Ounce Bars (Pack of 15)

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0345333012
Release Date: 1986-10-12

How to Keep Your Child Fit From Birth to Six
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How to Keep Your Child Fit From Birth to Six
bonnie prudden
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NPBA7Y

The Military 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Leaders of All Time
Average customer rating:

Interesting, but in many ways, flawed

Right On, Washington First in War, First in Peace...Second to None

not bad

The Military 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Leaders of All Time
Michael Lee Lanning Lt. Col
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
Directories | Catalogs & Directories | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Battle 100: The Stories Behind History's Most Influential Battles

100 Decisive Battles: From Ancient Times to the Present

An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 b.c. to the Present

ASIN: 0806524251

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but in many ways, flawed.......2006-10-02

First of all, I feel these lists will always draw criticism, since they are so subjective. How do you really pick a #1 vs a #4? Its all a matter of perspective. In this case, the perspective is very US and Western-centric. I do not have qualms with the choice of Washington as number one, but I do have a very large problem with Norman Schwarzkopf being 49 - he should not even be on the list. I would not even place him in the top 500, let alone 100. Given that this book was published in the mid 90s, the author should have let history dwell a bit more on the topic of the first Gulf War before putting any of the combatants in this book. To address this point directly, Schwarzkopf could have been replaced with any other competent general and the US would have still rolled over the Iraqi forces, there was simply a massive disparity in the capabilities and support for the two forces. Added to which, it can be argued that the US did not even emerge victorious from the long-term conflict in Iraq - Hussein maintained his power and defied the West until he was deposed in 2003, and at this point in 2006 it cannot be claimed that the US has even secured a viable peace in Iraq after a second invasion.

The US-centrism is also evident in the perspective of WW2. To say Omar Bradley or Eisenhower had greater significance in this conflict than Konev and Zhukov from the Red Army is simply ridiculous. And while the author feels that US general were instrumental in rebuilding Europe, so were the Soviets, in their own way. While the Normandy landing was incredible and daring, the Soviets were making gutsy and bloody moves like this literally daily.

Other issues I would raise in this book would be an almost complete ignorance of Eastern military figures. Some obvious ones are thrown in for fairness, but they seem to be given only a cursory glance. Saladin being so far down the list is unforgivable - he turned away the Crusades and influenced Middle Eastern thought for centuries. To tell me that Stormin' Norman is more influential than Saladin is almost a statement of ignorance.

Right On, Washington First in War, First in Peace...Second to None.......2005-09-23

While many Americans have been infected by the "Dead White Males" thought disease of modern revisionist "hysterians" who openly talk about tearing down the Founding Fathers from the pedestals on which they were once rightly placed, Lt.Col. Lanning, author of this interesting and informative book, is blessed with an immunity from that debilitating disease.

Lanning places George Washington, father of His country, as the number One influential military leader in the history of mankind.

Congressional Medal of Honor winner Brigadier General William Wilbur in his book "The Making of George Washington" talks about the incredible military maneuver of the raid on Trenton, a nighttime amphibious landing, forced march, surprise attack with a bayonet charge due to lack of bullets. What incredible boldness and bravery!

Then again there is that amazing prelude to the siege Victory at Yorktown. Leaving a small contingent of his army outside New York to burn campfires at night, and to hit and retreat, to "skirmish" but not engage the British Army, as a cover for the forced march of the main force of the army across New Jersey to Head of Elk, Maryland to have one part of the force go by boat down the Chesapeake, and the other part on a fast march through Mount Vernon to Williamsburg, before going on to Yorktown. And do not forget the coordination of the French Admiral to persuade him to leave the New England area to go to the Virginia Capes to there engage the British Navy and so block the evacuation of the British Army, and allow Washington to trap Cornwallis.

And who was the American General on the white horse in the famous painting of Yorktown? Washington, of course. Wrong. It was Lincoln. General Benjamin Lincoln, who had to surrender to Cornwallis in Charleston earlier in the war, and so Washington set up "turn about is fair play" and sent Lincoln to receive the surrender from Cornwallis. But Cornwallis was too egoistical, so he sent his second in command, General O'Hara.

What incredible leadership that act of Washington! Elevating and edifying your subordinates to motivate them to greatness! How many other ego-centric Generals had such vision, and humility?

And don't forget the victory at Boston. Most know about the genius of the former bookseller, then Colonel Knox, engineering the transport of 50 cannons from Saratoga to Dorchester Heights, and emplacing them all in one night that surprised the British in Boston. That was a great delegation of duty by Washington to an able assistant, Knox.

But do not forget that Washington read the 1720 writings of Rev. Cotton Mather about inoculation against smallpox. With his own experience at age 19 where he contracted smallpox, nearly died in Barbados, but survived to develop an immunity to the devasting disease that decimated armies in those days.

Anyway, Washington is an INCREDIBLE bold move innoculated many men in his army against smallpox. How? Not with the mild cowpox that we have today, but with fluid from the wounds of soldiers who contracted smallpox but had survived and their bodies built up antibodies to the dreaded disease.

How many of you gentle readers raise your hand to volunteer to be inoculated against smallpox with body fluids of your fellow soldier?

The great hero of the American Revolution who set the example to be inoculated against smallpox, was Martha Washington. Yes the loving, loyal wife of General George Washington was inoculated.

What self-respecting soldier would say NO to the General when the General's wife said YES?

As a result, General Washington took 1000 men from his ranks, men who had smallpox scars, to march them into Boston to take the city as the British evacuated due to fear of cannon raining down upon them, and fear of smallpox outbreak in the city. Washington took Boston without the loss of a single soldier.

And do not forget that on 23 March anno domini 1775, at Saint John's Church in Richmond, then retired Virginia Militia Colonel Washington said, "I will raise an army of 1000 men, subsist them at my own expense, and march at their head to the relief of Boston."

Yes truly, Washington is Number One, or "Numero Uno". Washington is the Greatest, the Man for the Millenniums, the most important man in the world in the past 1000 years. Why? Because he was the first military leader in over 2000 years, since before the time of Jesus Christ, since Cato and Cincinnatus of the Roman Republic (not Roman Empire), to peacefully relinquish his military power, and thereby gave birth to our American Republic, and so rightly called "the father of His country".

not bad.......2003-12-12

"The Military 100" is a list of people in the authors opinion on who the greatest military leaders from history are: akin to Michael Harts book "The 100:A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History". The book is a good idea for spurring discussion of military history.

While I like the idea of his adherence to the idea that war is just politics continued by other means, and thus including a leaders talent for handing political situations... which is why he puts George Washington at the top of the list. But, it seems to me that this is really little more than an excuse to put Washington at the top of the list... for what I would think is really little more than his own patriotic belief in the greatness of America. However, I don't know if Washington really deserves the majority of the credit for the success of the American Revolution. The involvement of the French and the Spanish in the revolution, especially with Naval engagements with the British is at least as important to any of the campaigns in the colonies. Then there is the fact that the British military leadership in the American Revolution war, on the whole, rather lacking.

Yes, later as President, Washington did do much to put the fledging United States on the proper path toward greatness, but Lanning does not apparently consider that when ranking him number one on the list.

Also, I would not even consider folks like Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro for inclusion on a list of Military leaders. It especially seems wrong to rank them above people of most lasting military influence, such as Saladin, Doenitz, Ney or Patton. Hussein was nothing more than a common thug and was not a true military leader in any grand sense, and Castro is interesting, but I don't think him as somebody who is going to have lasting influence.

The inclusion of people like Washington, Hussein, Castro and others such as Hitler and Mao Zedong on the list makes some omissions seem rather glaring as well. Why no Lenin or Stalin or Muhammad? Yes, not true military leaders, but definitely very influential as political and religious leaders and with definite affects on military affairs. I know... the argument would be that Konev and Zhukov made the list and they were more important in the military decisions... but Stalin was at least as involved as Hitler, and more inclined to listen to them, which in the end made Stalin a more formidable long term foe, and Hitler's own Military leaders are also on the list: Guderian, Rommel, Doentiz, etc.

As you can see from my many quibbles, the book does start the discussions it intends too. I would have forseen a rather different list though.

The Military 100: a Ranking of the Most Influential Military Leaders of All Time
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The Military 100: a Ranking of the Most Influential Military Leaders of All Time
Michael Lee Lanning
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JVADXY

Average customer rating:

Don't listen to Jon Eckel

POORLY WRITTEN

Book that is a Discussion Starter

Interesting

Hist', a series of wars punctuated by brief periods of peace

The military 100: A ranking of the most influential military leaders of all time
Michael Lee Lanning
Manufacturer: Barnes & Nobel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0760712794

Customer Reviews:

Don't listen to Jon Eckel.......2005-03-21

While I agree with Mr. Eckel's criticism of George Washington as number 1 in Mr. Lanning's list of the 100 most influential military leaders of all time, his criticism of Napoleon Bonaparte and Alexander the Great at the top of the list is downright ignorant. I of course respect all opinions provided they have reasonable support, but Mr. Eckel is lacking that.
In his review of Mr. Lanning's book Eckel states that Napoleon and Alexander are undeserving of their spots in the list due to the fact that their empires were short-lived. However that is not the least bit relevant, because despite the short time period their empires lasted, their conquests brought about other impacts that last to this day.
Alexander the Great's conquests established Greek civilization as supreme in the ancient world, and modern Western civilzation is directly descended from the ancient Greeks. Also, his conquests created a political link between the West and East which has lasted to current times.
Napoleon Bonaparte's military successes have had a huge impact on the development of the Europe we know today. As he lead his armies across the continent, Napoleon brought with him the social and political reforms of the French Revolution, as well as his Napoleonic Code. This lead to the gradual transformation from monarchies to democracies in Europe. Also, the Napoleonic Code serves as the basis of civil law in France and all the other countries that he conquered to this day. In addition to all of this, Napoleon united all of the hundreds of German principalities into a political union known as the Confederation of the Rhine. Thus, Napoleon laid the foundations for a united Germany as a single nation.
Therefore with all this in mind, one can see that it is a no-brainer for Napoleon and Alexander to enjoy spots at the top of Mr. Lanning's list, and I fully agree with his decision.

POORLY WRITTEN.......2005-01-16

I have to admit I did not finish this book as it was more than I could handle. However my thinking when I first started reading was.......here is a man who spent 20 years in the military and retired as a Lt Col. Something wrong here. And to think a short term military officer has the extreme ego to attempt to judge some of the world's greatest military men is incredulous.

Don't know what else he has written, but hopefully previous books have been
more credible. This one is a disaster and the rating should have been in the
minus column.

Book that is a Discussion Starter.......2003-11-04

The Military 100 is a list of great military leaders from history; akin to Michael Harts book "The 100:A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History". The book is a good idea for spurring discussion, but not executed well by Lt. Col. Lanning.

Also, I would not even consider folks like Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro for inclusion on a list of Military leaders. It especially seems wrong to rank them above people of most lasting military influence, such as Saladin, Doenitz, Ney or Patton. Hussein was nothing more than a common thug and not a true military leader in any grand sense, and Castro is interesting, but I don't think him as somebody who is going to have lasting influence.

As you can see from my many quibbles, the book does start the discussions it intends too. So, that alone makes it a good one.

Interesting.......2003-03-15

Most of the reviewers who gave this book a low rating disagree with the rankings. I must say they all have a point. And the point is: we are not going to have a consensus on the rankings.

It's a different matter, however, if there are serious errors. Here's an example. Genghis Khan is claimed by Lanning to have been made universal khan by age 25. That's not what I know: he didn't get this title until he was 40. Lanning says Marlborough was appointed duke by William - but it was Queen Anne who appointed him duke. William only made him earl. Another example: Frederick the Great (#11) was called the most influential one between the time of Marlborough (#31) and the age of Napoleon (#2). Now, Washington falls right into this timeslot and Lanning has already rated him #1! If Frederick WAS the most influential one, then he should precede Washington, which contradicts Lanning's own rankings. Either the author was careless or worse (stupid).

The Eurocentric and American bias is very evident, but I don't blame him for that because this appears in all books of this kind depending on the author's own nationality. This book is more about the most influential military leaders of all time IN THE WEST. Such great military leaders as Muhammad, Qin Shihuang, Thuthmosis III (the Alexander of ancient Egypt), Ramesses II, Ogodai, Kubilai, Zhu Yuangzhang, Toyotomi Hideyoshi - these are not only not ranked, they're not even mentioned. But they are among the greatest and most influential military leaders in world history, far more important than many on Lanning's list.

Lanning's ignorance of the non-Western world is glaring. Certainly I would place Muhammad, who conquered the whole Middle East by the sword, and left a lasting legacy worldwide, way above Saxe (#24), whose name hardly rings a bell. Lanning may not like Muhammad post-9/11, but then he has Hitler on the list. Muhammad's conquests are far more lasting than even Alexander's. Instead, Lanning chooses not to mention his name even once.

Lanning has military experience as an officer in the finest army in the world today. (As a Lt. Col. he is an overkill......even Liddell Hart was a mere Captain.) However, his mistakes can be hair-raising.

My own disagreements with his rankings are numerous:

Why is Stalin not on the list? If Hitler is on the list, then Stalin should be too. The reason for putting Konev above Zhukov is absurd (Zhukov made the Russians triumph over the Nazis, but it was Konev, Lanning argues, who was the head of the Soviet Army after WW2!!). Why is Ernest King not even mentioned, when his influence is as great as Nimitz? Should MacArthur even be on the list? And why so high, at #20? (This spot should go to Omar Bradley.) Where is John Paul Jones? Rundstedt? Mannstein? Constantine the Great? I don't have a serious problem with placing Washington high on the list - but the first place? (Then Cornwallis should be on the list too. His failure was just as influential.) Where is Agrippa, who won the Roman Empire for Augustus? Where is Arminius, who ambushed the invincible Romans and forced them to stay forever west of the Rhine and south of the Danube?

If these great figures in military history are not on the list, then Lanning should explain why, and mention their names. That's what Michael Hart, the originator of the 100 lists, did in his book. Why should Mao be so low (#40), Wellington be above Marlborough, and Lin Piao and Chiang Kai-shek be even on the list at all? Judging by Lanning's criterion for his rankings, the most influential military leader of all time, in my opinion, is unfortunately Adolf Hitler, whose legacy the whole world will have to live with forever.

Missing are sources, bibliography, AND MAPS (a shocking omission for military history).

Also, a separate chapter discussing the sociological and psychological aspects of ranked leaders - to me the most interesting chapter in Michael Hart's original book - would seem absolutely necessary. (Hart even singles out a medical mystery among the great: a high incidence of gout!) Personally I'd be curious to know the relationship between a talent for mathematics and military leadership. There seems to be a correlation. Whether there's a causal relationship is another matter. Certainly Napoleon, Omar Bradley, and U.S. Grant were good at math, as indeed was Washington, who was once a surveyor - a good indication of their high intelligence, at the very least.

I'm unwilling to give this book more than 2.5 stars. If I could rate this book on a 1-10 scale, I'd give it 5. In the spirit of generosity, I'd round it up to 3 stars.

Hist', a series of wars punctuated by brief periods of peace.......2001-08-23

Michael Hart, who published "the 100: a ranking of the 100 most influential people in History", began the small avalanche of "100" rankings, of any category, books now on the market. The "Military 100" is an iteration of that genre.

Michael Lanning does a credible job of amassing data on the accomplishments of the various military leaders he lists, but his rankings are subject to justifiable criticism. Those who criticize George Washington's ranking as #1 seem to focus too much on his spotty record as the American military leader fighting a guerilla war against King George's redcoats, and not enough on the longer term implications of his role as the first American president.

The entire book is a function of subjective judgements on the part of the author, but its societal contribution can be found is in its attempt to bring a sorely understudied subject to the mass of readers; those who will only read when the subject is served up in a summarized, encapsulated form. A better book for understanding the military mind is "How Great Generals Win" by Bevin Alexander. Also, anything by John Keegan, professor on subjects of military strategy and history at Sandhurst.

Lanning writes a book one can find fault with and therein is the secret, it causes the reader to stretch his thinking and engage in research that would probably not be bothered with otherwise.

As Clausewitz, who is in the book, said, "war is just politics taken to the extreme". It's about how society protects itself from the bully who wants their lunch money. The more the broad mass of humanity understands why wars occur the better the chance that it can be avoided. The fact that it will never be eliminated is all the more reason everyone should be required to study military history in all secondary schools. This book is a good beginning.

Customer Reviews:

Scattered Information and very unclear.......2005-10-10

The author has broken up each chapter in to sections about the Polish Immigrant experience. The problem is he'll be talking about one day in the first paragraph, then another in a second paragraph, and then he'll go back to the first paragraph. I had to literally write the date of the paragraph in the margins. I couldn't keep up. I had to read this book (my choice) for a college course I'm taking on immigration. I should have chosen a different book. I have completely finished reading it, but my notes are so scattered, that I have to do the editing for this author on my own. It's so poorly organized, and the information is not clarified. The author only presents information to be of interest, but doens't explain it. I know the main issues of Polish Immigration, but don't have the answers as to How? Why? Who?, etc. I would definitely not recommend this book. It's not worth the money, nor the read.

The Birder's Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds
Average customer rating:

Odd duck, but good

Birder's Handbook praise...

got to get used to the format

An essential bird watcher's guide.

Treasure Trove - and the map is appropriately cryptic

The Birder's Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds
Paul Ehrlich , David S. Dobkin , and Darryl Wheye
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
Ornithology | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior

ASIN: 0671659898

Amazon.com

Compact and yet filled with information, this portable encyclopedia of North American bird behavior is a complement to field guides. Learn more about the species you see in the field, and--when in doubt--use this handy reference as another tool for identification.

Book Description

This is the most complete and authoritative reference book about the birds of North America -- up to date and in field-guide format.

The Birder's Handbook is the first of its kind: a portable library of fascinating information not included in your identification guide. For each of the 646 species of birds that breed in North America, The Birder's Handbook will tell you at a glance:

* Where the bird nests, and which sex(es) build(s) the nest;
* How many eggs the bird lays, what they look like, which patent incubates and for how long, and how the young are cared for;
* Food preferences and foraging habits.

You will also find information about displays and mating, wintering, conservation status, and much more. In addition, The Birder's Handbook contains some 250 short essays covering all aspects of avian natural history.

Customer Reviews:

Odd duck, but good.......2004-07-30

Definately not for the casual reader...

This book is really two books. One is a book on details of specific birds, the other a collection of essays on a wide ranging set of subjects. Both are very interesting and usable, but the book is structured such that the bird details are always on the left page, the essay on the right. Sometimes the essays are a fit with the bird details, sometimes not. Sometimes the essay continues on for several pages...

Purchase of this books should really be combined with either the old three volume Audubon Master Guide, or older editions of Peterson (west and east), or a couple of other older field guides. You may have to hunt used books for a match. As indicated in the reviews below, the detail pages are loaded with cryptic little symbols that reference specific plates and pages in these other older guides.

There is quite a lot of detail here, it is not a thin book, so don't plan on carrying it in the field much past the interior of your car. The size raises another issue. Updating this thing is not going to be an easy task. I suspect this 1988 edition is going to be what you get for a looong time.

Birder's Handbook praise..........2003-06-23

Great reference book, though NOT portable. Because this book came out in 1988, it needs updating: bird name changes have occured and there is more information from research to add to the wealth of information it already contains. Birder's Handbook uses various editions of field guides as reference points, that is, it points to particular pages of those field guides for a bird illustration or photo as well as range maps. And because those field guides have been updated in the intervening years, the page numbers are not true.
I look forward to another edition of this book!

got to get used to the format.......2001-08-06

This is a good book but you have to get used to the format and organization. To be honest I generally use one of my other books for id and basic info then I go to this book for more details. The details are fantastic though. I'd be very sad if I didn't have this in my collection because I learn a lot each time I use it. The format/use of symbols is just a bit awkward. Shouldn't deter you though - its great to have on hand

An essential bird watcher's guide........2000-07-03

When I'm not on the trading floor, I spend my free time watching birds. I would say that it wasn't until I picked up this essential birder's guide that I became an experienced and knowledgeable birder. This book increased my ability to identify birds, thus making bird watching infinitely more enjoyable. Since purchasing the Birder's Handbook, my weekend hobby has blossomed into an intense love for birds. I highly reccommend this to anyone with any level of interest in birding.

Treasure Trove - and the map is appropriately cryptic.......1999-04-26

This book isn't as immediately appealing as some of its competition, and its organizational scheme, and heavy use of symbols, can put you off. Use it for a week, though. I agree with another review in being mildly frustrated with its excessive use of symbols, often when a tiny printed word would have done the same work. But it's indispensible, and I'd recommend it to everyone.

A number of unique choices set this one apart. At first I was somewhat irritated by the placing of broader essays on the right page next to the species descriptions on the left. Then, with long use, it became clear to me just how well that worked. It's the perfect browsing format - just right for when you go to learn more about the thing you just saw. Also, the essays are written above the individual species level, so you can start out reading about Cowbirds and end up understanding the issue of nest parasitism, and the human impact on birds that practice it, far more completely than you would if you'd read Kenn Kaufmann's individual species description. It works.

There are some formatting issues here that do puzzle me. I don't really see the virtue in ordering the birds to correspond with the order in the NGS guide. There are other guides, to begin with, and now that we're about to get a new NGS guide, even the page numbers are going to be wrong. In any case, I can't see how you'd easily flip from one book to the other unless you were reading them sequentially. Who does that?

But those are quibbles. This is a terrific book, quite useful as a complement to your field guide and very nice to just read through. It could use a face lift, but it's got a heart of gold.

The Birder's Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds Including All Species That Regularly Breed North of Mexico
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The Birder's Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds Including All Species That Regularly Breed North of Mexico
Darryl; Ehrlich, Paul; Dobkin, David Wheye
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VI0W04

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