End of the Earth: Voyaging to Antarctica

Book Description

Matthiessen has once again lit upon a subject profoundly fitted to his creative genius. He is simply the ultimate lyricist of loss, a writer brilliantly attentive to the way vanishings are braided into even the most exquisite moments of our lives. He agonizes over what is passing away, but does so in a manner that increases our appreciation of what remains. In "End of the Earth," Matthiessen joins the crew of the Akademik-a 384-foot research vessel bound for wild and storied South Georgia Island and Antarctica. Along the way we are treated to a patented Matthiessen brew: lyricism and emotion applied to the sharp-eyed evaluations of a seasoned naturalist. Brilliant and instructive observations of the creatures inhabiting this far-flung region are sprinkled with eloquent disquisition on the history of the region (Shackleton, Captain Cook, the first Antarctic whaling station at Grytviken which processed 25, 60-foot whales a day between 1900 and 1903) the effects of pollution and the resulting global warming that, unchecked, threaten polar meltdown and the exponential obliteration of vast quantities of the world's land mass. He tells us why the waters off South Georgia are one of the richest whale-feeding grounds of the world, how the wandering albatross-with the greatest wingspan (ll. feet) of any bird on earth-"arching down the sky to vanish behind a wave, curving high again like a white cross", excited cries of wonder from the crew of the Akademik. We learn of the inexplicable king penguin congregation (70,000 strong) in Gold Harbor, how seabirds process saltwater, the habits of every variety of fur seal, walrus petrel and penguin that inhabit the region. And just when you think your appetite for nature depiction is slaked, an intense hurricane batters the Akademik for two days, injuring virtually everyone on board. Like all great writers Matthiessen is both obsessive and expansive as he converts his travels to the world's most remote and unforgiving places into opportunities to embrace a host of landscapes and creatures with a boundless curiosity. After 28 books and 75 peripatetic years, his passion for the natural world is undiminished, and "Islands at the End of the Earth," is Matthiessen at the very top of his game.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful descriptions, but not much else.......2005-03-18

This rambling memoir details two trips that the author made to Antarctica with Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours, which specializes in birding trips. Peter Matthiessen beautifully describes several scenes from the Antarctic, which made me long to visit this stark landscape filled with life.

However, the book has no real direction. It reads like a journal, albeit a well-written one with a greater-than-average literacy quotient. The author makes little attempt to introduce any of his fellow-travelers or to show a personal journey of the mind to mirror the Antarctic voyages. Eventually, it just stops, rather than ends. He digresses from accounts of his voyage to describe the adventures of early polar explorers, or to comment on issues such as global warming and whaling. Although these asides are interesting and well-reasoned, there are better sources for each topic.

Birders and armchair travelers may enjoy the descriptions of his wildlife encounters, however.

Customer Reviews:

This price is Ridiculous!!!.......2007-01-19

Unless this is the gold-plated version of the key, this price way off. Check with Rhode Island Natural History Survey, the original publishers of the key, for the correct pricing.

Price.......2006-01-04

This books is grossly overpriced here. Do NOT buy it for this much. The book runs between $20 to $30 dollars. You'll be ripped off if you buy it from these vendors.

Book Description

The rich diversity of Quebec's landscape, seasons, flora and fauna creates endless hiking possibilities. This third edition of Hiking in Quebec lets you discover Quebec's great outdoors. The only hiking guide to cover all the regions of Quebec, and written by a specialist in the field, it has become an indispensable tool for beginners and experienced trekkers alike. This guide includes descriptions of over 100 hiking trails, classified according to their level of difficulty; practical information to help you prepare your hikes and make the most of each excursion; maps illustrating the various parks and regions, to better plan your outings; indications of the author's favorites, to help you pick the perfect destination. (4 1/2 x 7 1/4, 400 pages, illustrations, maps icons)

Customer Reviews:

Not THAT great.........2007-08-31

The good things:
The format is nice. It's a ring binder with a flap extension, which makes it easy to find the location you want.
It has a lot of hikes and suggestions for hikes.
The bad things:
The maps ar few and far between, and are useless for hiking. There are a few large scale overview maps, and very few maps of the hikes themselves. The hike maps are too large-scale to be of any use for individual hikes, and have no topographical information on them. You get an idea of where the hikes are in relation to each other, but as to using them for hiking, forget it. Buy a map before you set off.
Conclusion:
A great book to get ideas about where to hike, but do not use this as your only resource for hikes.

Absolutely great!.......1999-07-17

If you like hiking, then Quebec is a great destination. This book is very complete and the description and details almost perfect. I was impress by the quality of this book and more buy my trip there. By it and go there soon!! You'll have a great time.

Book Description

The "Native American Biographies" series features the stories of famous Native American men and women and their heroic struggles to protect their land and their freedom. These inspirational accounts of the first Americans are effective tools in helping young readers understand and appreciate different cultures. Illustrated throughout.

Customer Reviews:

Osceola The Superman of Native Americans.......2004-12-16

1.) Osceola The Seminole Warrior is about a young indian who is growing up during the War of 1812, and the indians are forced to move. His tribe lived in Alabama but were forced to leave to Florida. Soon the little indian became old enough to become a warrior. Then his tribe is forced west but he will fight for freedom.

2.) My opinion of the story was that is was a great book to learn about what indians went through in the War of 1812.

3.)The best story element to describe this book would be external conflict because its between a warrior and his tribe against the British and Americans in a war.

4.) I rated the book 3 stars because it's a pretty good book for people who are interested in indians and history.

Osceola: Patriot and Warrior (Stories of America)

Average customer rating:

Osceola: Patriot and Warrior (Stories of America)
Moses Jumper , and Ben Sonder
Manufacturer: Steck-Vaughn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0811472256

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OSCEOLA, Seminole Warrior
Joanne Oppenheim
Manufacturer: Troll Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VBDHS0

Osceola: Seminole Warrior (Native American Leaders of the Wild West)

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Osceola: Seminole Warrior (Native American Leaders of the Wild West)
William R. Sanford
Manufacturer: Enslow Pub Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 089490535X

Osceola, a historical drama;: A story of Florida at the time of the Seminole Wars, 1835 to 1842, and of the Seminole Indian patriot and warrior, Osceola

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Osceola, a historical drama;: A story of Florida at the time of the Seminole Wars, 1835 to 1842, and of the Seminole Indian patriot and warrior, Osceola
Rose Angell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007E5YRS

Book Description

This is the first re-appraisal in 50 years of concepts of development made in birds. This book is a case study in evolutionary diversification of life histories. Although birds have a rather uniform body plan and physiology, they exhibit marked variation in development type, parental care, and rate of growth. Altricial birds are fully dependent on their parents for warmth and nutrition and begin posthatching life in a more or less embryonic condition. At the other extreme, such superprecocial species as the megapodes are independent of all parental care from hatching, and the neonate, able to fly, resembles an adult bird. This book thus attempts to present an integrative perspective of organism biology, ecology, and evolution.

Avian Growth and Development: Evolution within the Altricial-Precocial Spectrum

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Avian Growth and Development: Evolution within the Altricial-Precocial Spectrum
J. Matthias Starck
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OK9P2U

Book Description

Interface phenomena are most fascinating because of the mixing of different scales and the interference of diverse physical processes. This makes it necessary to use different levels of microscopic, kinetic, and gas-dynamical. A unified quasiclassical approach is used to answer practical questions dealing with inelastic gas-surface scattering, the kinetics of adsorption layers, the evolution of inhomogeneities and defects at the surface, the Knudsen layer, the development of boundary conditions on the kinetic and gas-dynamical levels, the determination of exchange and slip coefficients, and so on.

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New views into Africa

Granta 92: The View from Africa (Granta: The Magazine of New Writing)

Manufacturer: Grove Press, Granta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | African | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Granta 91: Wish You Were Here: The Magazine of New Writing (Granta Magazine)

The Granta Book of India

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Granta Volume 93: God's Own Countries (Granta: The Magazine of New Writing)

Granta 96: War Zones (Granta)

ASIN: 1929001223

Book Description

This issue of Granta reveals what the Africans themselves think about their continent with its diverse cultures and classes among its many nations. Granta 92 includes new writing from such literary superstars as J.M. Coetzee, Zakes Mda, Emmanuel Dongala, and Tahar Ben Jelloun. It also includes a nonfiction piece by Daniel Bergner about a former LAPD policeman who now works for the United Nations training police in war-torn Liberia.

Customer Reviews:

New views into Africa.......2006-07-03

GRANTA deserves applause for bringing us this collection of current African thinking, writing and dreaming. John Ryle, in his introduction "The Many Voices of Africa", reflects on the richness of language and cultural diversity. His final comment that Africa is part of everybody's life - whether we know it or not - is worth remembering when we are discussing the challenges and opportunities that face this continent.

The book contains new fiction or chapters of forthcoming books, memoirs, photo essays and much more. There is the story of young Ugwu, whose Master is more like a teacher, giving the "houseboy" a chance in life (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie). The daily dangers in rural Uganda are captured in The War of the Ears (Moses Isegawa). Here, Mother and son are both teachers trying to keep the school running despite threats from `child soldiers' to destroy it all. Passport Control (Kwame Dawes) reflects the difficulties in being of dual nationalities. Home is an elusive concept. Adewale Maja-Pearce takes up a similar aspect in his personal account.

Binyavanga Wainaina challenges how prejudice influences what people write about Africa and how they describe Africans, taking a highly mocking tone. Daniel Bergner records the work of Mark Kroeker, UN police commissioner in Liberia. He follows Kroeker on some of his dangerous missions trying to instil in his local police recruits the moral and ethics of policing despite the lawlessness around them. Finally, and not least Geert van Kesteren captures the life of the Ogiek people, eking out a living in the Mau forest in Kenya, in a brief photo essay.

All pieces in this collection are worth reading with care and attention to detail. They represent some of the many voices in Africa who combine the intimacy of place and time with the bigger issues of survival, identity, past, present and future. [Friederike Knabe]

Granta 92, Winter 2005 - The View From Africa

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Granta 92, Winter 2005 - The View From Africa
Ian, Editor Jack
Manufacturer: Granta Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P39RII

Average customer rating:

would give it TEN stars if I could

An impressive effort

Review

A beautiful blend of science and history

makes the world of the time come alive!

A World on Fire: A Heretic, an Aristocrat, and the Race to Discover Oxygen
Joe Jackson
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

Lavoisier In The Year One: The Birth Of A New Science In An Age Of Revolution (Great Discoveries)

Descartes's Secret Notebook: A True Tale of Mathematics, Mysticism, and the Quest to Understand the Universe

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Evolution: The History of an Idea, Third Edition, Completely Revised and Expanded

The Electric Life of Michael Faraday

ASIN: 0670034347

Book Description

In the final decades of the 1700s, as the threat of revolution began to dim the radiance of the Enlightenment, two brilliant scientists simultaneously achieved a breakthrough that would alter the course of human thought and history: they discovered oxygen. The humble English dissenter Joseph Priestley and the French aristocrat Antoine Lavoisier were unlikely competitors, but their fierce rivalry to solve the Â“riddle of airÂ” became a kind of eighteenth-century space race, a contest made all the more exciting by the tumult of their time.

In A World on Fire, acclaimed writer Joe Jackson brings to life the seismic intellectual and political shifts that ushered in modern science. Set against the conflagrations of the American Revolution, the storming of the Bastille, and the Reign of Terror, JacksonÂ's narrative deftly weaves together biography and history, scientific passion and political will. With their discoveries inside the laboratoryÂ— paving the way for the identification of the elements as well as modern atomic physicsÂ—and the tragedy of their downfalls, Priestley and Lavoisier epitomize the plight of the scientist in the modern age. With A World on Fire, Jackson has transformed their story into a spellbinding work of narrative nonfiction.

Customer Reviews:

would give it TEN stars if I could.......2007-03-01

This is simply one of the best books I have ever read; it deserves to be a best seller. Mr.Jackson has meticulously researched this fascinating story, then presented it in a manner and style that make it eminently readable. I am here today to buy copies for all of my friends- something I have never felt compelled to do before. My advice to prospective purchasers: buy it/read it. You will not be disappointed.

An impressive effort.......2006-05-06

It's been a long while since I've read a book on the history of science apart from mathematics. Since many scientific breakthroughs cannot be fully appreciated unless they are firmly grounded in the time and place from which they arose, a good book of this kind must impart a sense of history as successfully as it details the science. Joe Jackson does so, almost to a fault, in this excellent book. The late 18th century saw the breakup of many ancien regimes - witness the French Revolution that claimed the life of Antoine Lavoisier, one of the two main characters in this story - and the "four-element" matrix through which physical scientists had interpreted matter for almost two millennia was not the least of the citadels to crumble. Joseph Priestley, an English chemist and co-founder of Unitarianism, and Lavoisier, an aristocrat with a natural gift for theorizing, led the "race to discover oxygen," or, more properly, to isolate and recognize it as an entity in and of itself - what we now think of as an "element." Ironically, it was Priestley, so willing to break with traditional views on the contentious religious questions of the day, who proved less able to adapt to the "New Chemistry," leaving the field clear for Lavoisier - thanks, in part, to some information provided by Priestley during a dinner described in the book's introduction - to claim the lion's share of laurels as the chemist who initiated the science's modern era. Both men came to rather unfortunate ends - Priestley in exile in America after the French Revolution made his radical ideas suspect, Lavoisier on the guillotine during the insanity of the "Terror" - adding a bit of extra drama to a fascinating scientific tale. Jackson spends rather more time on Priestley - no real surprise, as Priestley's was the more eventful life - but he keeps the twin narratives moving smoothly, and, despite an occasional tendency to overwrite and over-digress, he does a fine job in depicting the world in which these two great scientists operated. Anyone interested in the history of science or chemistry in general should greatly enjoy this book.

Review.......2006-04-18

This book explores the lives of rival chemists Antoine Lavoisier and Joseph Priestley. The adventure begins at a young age for both men. It effectively portrays Priestley's and Lavoisier's historical and personal influences including the French Revolution and the war between France and England. It also manages to include the fiery encounters the men had with each other, most of them ending with Lavoisier gaining inspiration and Priestley losing credit. This book not only displays their many scientific discoveries including the role of oxygen and the paths and frustration they endured to reach them but also their personal lives and the influence others had on them.
The authors' purpose of writing this book was mainly to acknowledge the discoveries that both Lavoisier and Priestley made taking into consideration the fact that some weren't credited as much as they should have been. The author, Viking thoroughly researched both men and was able to uncover direct quotes from both men and others concerning these men. The reader is able to connect with the characters because of the personal feelings Viking was able to reveal not only about others but towards each other as well.
The reader is able to learn about science, in particular chemistry and gain an appreciation for the painstaking years these men suffered to uncover unknown knowledge of the world and the air we breathe everyday. This book also displays the large impact history, mainly wars and revolutions had on these two men.

A beautiful blend of science and history.......2006-04-06

In A World on Fire, Joe Jackson recounts the lives Joseph Priestley and Antoine Lavoisier and their roles in the discovery of oxygen. Joe Jackson goes to great lengths to show the people behind the science. Too often people neglect the lives of the people their personal experiences that lead them to their discoveries, the challenges they overcame to prove their findings to society, and the impact of their work. Yet, Jackson does a marvelous job of encompassing all the aspects of Priestley's and Lavoisier's lives to fully convey the history and science of the discovery of oxygen.
The discovery of oxygen is not a well known story, but certainly deserves recognition as its discovery laid the foundations of modern chemistry. Its story is equally intriguing as it is set in the 1700s amidst the political turmoil in France, England, and America, which is further complicated by the rivalry and debates between the two discoverers of oxygen Priestley and Lavoisier.
With a holistic view of two scientists at the end of the Age of Enlightenment, the reader will come to fully appreciate the genus and devotion of these men. Not only that, but the reader may gain a sense of the excitement and terror to live in such a time when science and nations were redefining themselves ushering us into the modern age.

makes the world of the time come alive! .......2006-03-01

I'm a professional chemist with a long interest in the history of science, including the history of chemistry. I've studied the history of the "chemical revolution" brought about by Lavoisier, Priestley, and others, and have read some of the original works. Even though I know much of the scientific history, this book really brings to life the two protagonists, the Englishman Priestley and the Frenchman Lavoisier, in a way no other book does, including some recent ones that are selling much better. Not only the characters, but their environments, the places and time in which they lived. I'm in the middle of the book and enjoying every word of it. I heartily recommend this book if you're interested in the breakthrough in chemistry that took place in the late eighteenth century, interested in the lives of two of the leading protagonists, or even just interested in the social history of the time. It's a darn good read!

A tale of two chemists.("Lavoisier in the Year One: The Birth of a New Science in an Age of Revolution ")("World On Fire: A Heretic, An Aristocrat, And ... : An article from: American Scientist

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A tale of two chemists.("Lavoisier in the Year One: The Birth of a New Science in an Age of Revolution ")("World On Fire: A Heretic, An Aristocrat, And ... : An article from: American Scientist
Seymour Mauskopf
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

A World on Fire : A Heretic, an Aristocrat, and the Race to Discover Oxygen

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A World on Fire : A Heretic, an Aristocrat, and the Race to Discover Oxygen

Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ANGWEK

Product Description

Who first discovered oxygen in the 1770s: English scientist Joseph Priestley or the French aristocrat Antoine Lavoisier? The question became a controversial one, as novelist and nonfiction author Jackson relates, at a time when France and England were enemies. Jackson (Leavenworth Train) shows that Priestley was the first to isolate oxygen, but didn't realize what it was: British scientists still clung to the old "phlogiston" theory of burning, and Priestley called the gas "dephlogisticated air." Lavoisier, who undoubtedly based his discoveries on conversations with Priestley, recognized that oxygen was a distinct gas and in the process revolutionized thinking on combustion. (He also developed the chemical nomenclature used today.) Both men met unhappy fates: Priestley, a vocal opponent of the power of both the king and the Church, saw his home burnt down by a mob and fled to America. The aristocratic Lavoisier (as Madison Smartt Bell also recounted in his recent Lavoisier in the Year One) was guillotined during the Terror, condemned with the words, "The Republic has no need of scientists." Jackson offers a well-written and lavishly detailed account of a seminal period in the development of modern chemistry. 8 pages of illus. not seen by PW.

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I find it interesting

Lazy Clip Job

I HATE BILL CLINTON ........

Absolutely Enthralling!

Law under Clinton and Reno

Absolute Power: The Legacy of Corruption in the Clinton-Reno Justice Department
David Limbaugh
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books
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The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House

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Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security

ASIN: 0895261472

Book Description

This is the best-selling account of corruption and abuse in the Clinton Administration.

Customer Reviews:

I find it interesting.......2006-06-25

People who complain about the truth never have any facts to back it up. Womnder why? Those Facts do not exist. If the David Barrett report is ever realeased...Hillary and Bill will be in line for a prison term.

The truth is out there. Facts are out there and David L has put out a book that people who want truth and can think for themselves will find.

Its interesting because in the past 6 months so much had come out. Facts regarding WMD's and Al Quaeda's ties with Iraq. The tuth needs to be spoken and this book speaks out loud and clear. A must read.

Lazy Clip Job.......2005-04-26

Well of course this is biased nonsense. What did you expect? That's not my trouble with this book, as I expect nothing less from Rush's little brother. What did depress me was how lazily thrown together it was, like maybe Rush had a few of his interns dig up some Washington Times articles for David to weave together into a partisan rant. Also a tad distressing was the lack of any sort of historical perspective, on say what Ed Meese got up to let alone Nixon's crook Mitchell. (Though again this is standard party trick of right wing hacks so no surprise.) I am vaguely interested in whether David actually believes this stuff, as "The Legacy of Corruption" has the whiff of utter cynicism and making a buck off the rubes...

I HATE BILL CLINTON ...............2004-12-23

....is what the title of this book should read. Limbaugh clearly has an agenda here. If your republican you'll love this, if your democrat you'll hate it. Big surprise!!

Absolutely Enthralling!.......2004-04-27

A nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of two books, David Limbaugh performs the duties the mainstream media used to perform decades ago with his page-turning expose "Absolute Power: The Legacy of Corruption in the Clinton-Reno Justice Department". Few non-fiction books in the past ten years have held me captive like this one.

During the 1992 campaign, and throughout the Clinton presidency, Americans heard reports of various Clinton administration improprieties. Sometimes, as was the case with Monica Lewinsky, we actually witnessed the scandals unfold. But rarely would the mainstream media afford the public more than a cursory overview of such activities. Simply put, David Limbaugh does the job the mainstream media should have.

With chapters that run the gambit on such topics as Waco, the Tobacco Wars, Billy Dale and The White House Travel Office, Monica Lewinsky, presidential pardons to benefit Hillary's Senate campaign, and Elian Gonzalez, Absolute Power is one of the premiere historical records cataloguing the innumerable scandals that plagued Bill Clinton's presidency. Surprisingly, readers will find little commentary. I can find no instance of the author offering his own opinion. Instead, his book reads like a newspaper description of a public event (or at least in the days before liberal media bias). The book contains extensive footnotes and source references, quoting FBI agents and high-ranking officials on the record by name, rather than by quoting "anonymous sources"...

The result is a genuine breath of fresh air. I was fifteen when the storming of the Waco compound took place. Yet despite the abundance of media coverage, I knew few details regarding the incident itself and the people surrounding it before reading this book. David Limbaugh fills in the details about the life of David Koresh, the history of Waco, and all of the other topics previously listed in a way the major media outlets have failed to do since those events occurred.

Readers of Absolute Power will be left breathless by its vivid illustration of a presidential administration willing to use the courts and agents of federal law enforcement to achieve its own political ends. Had David Limbaugh published this book just one year earlier, no American would have been surprised by Al Gore's attempts to circumvent election law in Florida. Although, optimist that I am, I'd like to believe that had this book been published one year earlier, the 2000 presidential election would not have been so close...

Britt Gillette
Author of "The Dittohead's Guide To Adult Beverages"

Law under Clinton and Reno.......2003-08-27

The two greatest organizations for enforcing the law under the Clinton and Reno administration politicized the law, weakened justice, and brought politics under the influence of big business because political partiesý differences eroded to a point where a single individualýs influence in the party was considered minimal; the goal of such erosion was to reduce polarization of ideas, allowing increased influence from the special interests groups; the special interests groups used money to open import businesses, get contracts, buy weapons, gain most-favored-nation status, decrease legal penalties and soften constitutional intent.

David Limbaugh hedges towards demonstrating how the Clinton and Reno administration found loopholes in the law, extended the interpretation of the law, used obscure laws to establish precedents, bombarded their opponents using trial-lawyer-rhetoric and accusatory, false witnesses as diversionary tactics, and pitted the United States against the United States by creating conflicting interests within government organizations; thus, the Justice Department became a political arm of the Executive Branch. The cases are: Waco (military usage in civilian affair), Linda Tripp (privacy act violation), Campaign scandal (soft money in the Democratic National Committee (DNC)), discrediting of Kenneth Star (conflict of interest), Elian Gonzalez (political pressure to overturn the courts). Waco is a wake up call! Clinton would say the incident at Waco was a tragedy, but he could not control a fanatic who decided to kill himself and everyone at Waco. A review board analyzed the governmentýs handling of Waco and found no wrong doing. Limbaugh presented a different story and revealed a number of blatant lies.

Why attack Koresh? Koresh's original name was Veron Howell. The Koresh group was a break-off, apostate, dissenting group from the original Seventh Day Adventist organization. Divisions occurred over the doctrine of spiritual (White: Something happened in heaven) versus physical (Davidic throne) manifestation of Christýs second coming and the particular date this event would occur. Howell claims to be the seventh messenger for the seventh seal as recorded in the Book of Revelation in the Bible.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) becomes involved in watching the activities on the Waco (Mount Carmel, TX) compound. Dispute over ownership occurs between Howell and Roden; Roden forces the ATF to petition for US military assistance because Roden has set up a methamphetamine lab, but at the time of the petition, the lab was dysfunctional; Roden challenged Howell to a contest to determine who was God; Howell had a sexual relationship with Lois Roden, who was sixty, thinking she was like the biblical Sarah, and he would produce offspring with her; Roden digs up a 20-year-dead corpse and challenges Howell to bring the corpse back to life; Howell declines; Howell reports Rodenýs activities to the authorities; Roden is charged with contempt of court; Howell gains possession of the property and the followers; Howell changes his name to David Koresh; Koresh claims to be the Messiah to bring about the end-of-time prophecy; reports of Koresh beating children surface (he boasts 17 wives and 11 children, many of the wives were under-aged); Marc Breault, a disgruntled member, prods the sheriff to take action; Child Protective Services becomes involved; June 9, 1992, ATF begins an open investigation. Dummy hand grenades were discovered, there were purchases of aluminum and black powder, and evidence of 40,000 AR-15 rifles (convertible to a machine gun). The Fed does not prohibit possession of a machine gun; however, it does require a registration for each weapon, a registration Koresh did not complete. A warrant is obtained based on this evidence; Koresh is seen leaving the Mount Carmel premises, no arrest is made because a dynamic raid is preferred; Koresh was tipped off according to Robert Rodrigues, 76 agents staged the raid, they were exposed to Koresh during unload, but no shots were fired.

The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act restricted military involvement in civilian law enforcement because military is used to fight wars, not enforce the law, with the exception of drugs; there was evidence surfacing the Koresh residents were anticipating a peaceful resolution; Reno justified force because she believed 1) there was no reason to believe Koresh would voluntary come out 2) the health and jeopardy of the children were at risk 3) the Hostage rescue team was fatigued; the hostage rescue team wanted action, and the experts urged caution. The two groups were at odds with each other, but eventually, the team acted. A tank pushed through a wall and either knocked over the kerosene lamps, starting a fire, or Koresh committed mass suicide. Why would Koresh murder his people? He had not finished his mission. The tactics employed by the Hostage Rescue team follow a military strategy, and casualties are expected; "strike first, strike hard, no compromise" is the message. Why was a military force strategy employed in a local, law enforcement situation?

Book Description

With more than $3.7 billion in assets and annual revenue of $800 million, the Nature Conservancy has generated staggering growth that would be the envy of any business.

Incorporated in 1951 by a small circle of concerned ecologists, the Conservancy has grown financially into the world's largest environmental organization. It has one million members--up from 500,000 in 1990--and 3,500 employees operating in 50 states and 28 countries across the world.

Nature's Keepers offers readers an inspirational leadership tale and management chronicle, as it goes behind the scenes and details the inner workings of the Nature Conservancy. Highlighting the efforts of nine extraordinary leaders, Nature's Keepers examines the organization's culture and management, strategy and decisions, and courageous and ingenious individuals who have dedicated their lives to conservation.

Author Bill Birchard reveals how the Conservancy's sometimes controversial business practices--entrepreneurial approaches to preserving ecosystems while meeting human needs--have earned the praise of management gurus such as Peter Drucker. The Conservancy's way of operating, though not free of failings, is both widely emulated in the nonprofit community and greatly respected by business scholars and CEOs nationwide.

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With more than $3.7 billion in assets and annual revenue of $800 million, the Nature Conservancy has generated staggering growth that would be the envy of any business. Incorporated in 1951 by a small circle of concerned ecologists, the Conservancy has grown financially into the world’s largest environmental organization. It has one million members–up from 500,000 in 1990–and 3,500 employees operating in 50 states and 28 countries across the world. Nature’s Keepers offers readers an inspirational leadership tale and management chronicle, as it goes behind the scenes and details the inner workings of the Nature Conservancy. Highlighting the efforts of nine extraordinary leaders, Nature’s Keepers examines the organization’s culture and management, strategy and decisions, and courageous and ingenious individuals who have dedicated their lives to conservation. Author Bill Birchard reveals how the Conservancy’s sometimes controversial business practices ¾ entrepreneurial approaches to preserving ecosystems while meeting human needs¾have earned the praise of management gurus such as Peter Drucker. The Conservancy’s way of operating, though not free of failings, is both widely emulated in the nonprofit community and greatly respected by business scholars and CEOs nationwide.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but lacking in certain ways........2007-07-29

I was not familiar with the Nature Conservancy and its international scope so the book was enlightening. It has a slow beginning but picks up after the first couple of chapters. The biggest fault, and this is major, is a lack of pictures of the players. Some bigger than life characters are described, and it always makes a biography type book much more interesting to have a photos of the characters described. Worth while reading.

A decent (selective) history but a disappointing analysis of strategy.......2006-01-28

This is a book about business strategy in a non-profit corporation, The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The book begins and ends with a scandal, a series of articles by the Washington Post that uncovered failures of governance in this non-profit organization. These revelations came after a series of scandals concerning corporate governance in companies such as Enron, and the Nature Conservancy very much needed to keep its image distinct from those kinds of businesses.

When evaluating this book, it's important to keep in mind what Berchard intends it to be (a book about strategy) as well as what it might have been (a history of the Nature Conservancy). In light of some of the other reviews, I think it's also important to remember whether we like the book or not is a separate question from whether we like the Nature Conservancy or not.

Berchard does not intend this book to be a history of the Nature Conservancy, and it isn't. However, it presents selected strategic challenges of the organization in chronological order, so it looks as if it might be a history. There is much left out, in particular, the events between strategic challenges. These make up most of the growth of the organization. I wish Berchard had given us more of that history, since the supposed success of TNC's leadership must be evident in that growth - the proof of the pudding is in the eating, after all. Even so, Berchard has done enough research into TNC's files, and conducted enough interviews, so that this book would be a useful source for someone else who wanted to write a history of the organization.

Berchard *does* intend this book to be about business strategy, even if the business is a non-profit. The structure of each chapter is similar: TNC faces some challenge that reveals the limits of its previous way of doing things. A leader either changes what s/he is doing to meet the challenge, or a new leader comes along who finds a way to meet the challenge.

In other words, the book gives a series of descriptions of successful changes in an organization. But the book is remarkably short of analysis. What were the choices available, and why was this particular response chosen? Would other choices have worked better? Why or why not? Why weren't the changes made earlier? What were the constraints on the leadership that kept it from addressing these challenges earlier than it did?

All in all, the story is remarkably voluntaristic, conveying the sense that any leader can change any organization if he or she has a good strategy. Maybe that's true for some organizations, but it sure isn't true of the one where I work. It also begs the question of why other leaders did not succeed in addressing these challenges. Adding a case study of failure would help round out the book considerably.

These failures to analyze strategy more deeply made for a pretty disappointing book in terms of its own objectives. As a first draft of a history of TNC, it does a decent job.

An insightful Book.......2005-11-14

This is a book that succeeds in many levels. It's an important leadership book for entrepreneurs and insightful for those who are interested in nonprofits/environmental organizations.

I was amazed at how quickly the Nature Conservancy grew, and at its many successful ventures. At the same time I grew more and more disappointed. There is no reason why the CEO of a non-profit organization should earn three quarters of a million dollars. There is also no reason why a charity should lend the same CEO a million and a half dollars to buy a house. When people donate money they are intending for the money to go to the cause that the charity promotes. Had the salary being $200 000 it would have been understandable, since being CEO of such a large organization entailed an amazing amount of responsibility. This huge wage discrepancy should have been obvious without needing a major newspaper writing an article on it.

But even with some errors like the one mentioned above, the Nature Conservancy innovates and is constantly pursuing new ways of saving land and ecosystems. They began by initially purchasing land for conservation purposes, but are now involved in many more ventures. Overall the Nature Conservancy has done an amazing amount of good. The characters profiled in this book are committed and always ready to improve.

The book itself is well written and I give credit to the author for the enormous amount of research this book would have taken.

Great Book for NGO Management.......2005-09-06

"Nature's Keepers" is an important and well crafted book. For a young person in the non-profit community, the book has been extremely valuable, as I watch, contemplate, and participate in my own organization's thinking on strategy, management, and governance. I have recommended it to many of my colleagues.

Nature's Keepers.......2005-07-25

A wonderful story of a remarkable organization and how it's various leaders at the state, national and international level dealt with the constant changes and conflicts that are inevitable in a group that has had such an impact throughout the world. What is refreshing is that the conflicts are not hidden but highlighted so that we may know how the organization dealt with them to make the Nature Conservancy stronger.

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