Fire and Ashes: On the Front Lines Battling Wildfires

Book Description

Are wilderness fires now a tragic and enduring feature of the American landscape? John N. Maclean, author of the acclaimed Fire on the Mountain, offers a view from the front lines, combining action-packed storytelling with moving insights about firefighters and informed analysis of firefighting strategy past and present. Beginning with a riveting account of the worst case of arson in wildfire history-the 1953 Rattlesnake Fire in Mendocino National Forest, which claimed the lives of fifteen firefighters-Maclean explains the mysterious dynamics of fire, and the courage and techniques required to combat it.

Customer Reviews:

Fire and Ashes.......2007-01-06

This is a really a interesting and personal account of fighting fire. Shows real knowledge and insight into the chemistry of fighting fire !

Customer Reviews:

A Great Book!.......1998-09-17

This Book Has Halped Me Travel More Often, And Enjoy The Flight Even Mor Than Ever Before. I Think That Everyone Should Have At Least One Copy Of This Book!

JET SMART: NEXT TIME YOU TRAVEL FLY SMART CLASS...OVER 200 TIPS FOR BEATING JET LAG

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JET SMART: NEXT TIME YOU TRAVEL FLY SMART CLASS...OVER 200 TIPS FOR BEATING JET LAG
DIANA FAIRECHILD
Manufacturer: FLYANA RHYME/CELESTIAL ARTS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQJ1JQ

Carrier flight decks will have 'pit stops' for Navy fighter jets.(Pit-Stop Smarts) : An article from: National Defense

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Carrier flight decks will have 'pit stops' for Navy fighter jets.(Pit-Stop Smarts) : An article from: National Defense
Sandra I. Erwin
Manufacturer: National Defense Industrial Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from National Defense, published by National Defense Industrial Association on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1282 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Carrier flight decks will have 'pit stops' for Navy fighter jets.(Pit-Stop Smarts)
Author: Sandra I. Erwin
Publication: National Defense (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: National Defense Industrial Association
Volume: 89 Issue: 612 Page: 46(2)

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Firm hopes street smarts helps land deal: High-Tech: Wireless Remote Control Technology could put hijacked jet in FAA's hands. (Tech Talk).(Street Smart ... An article from: San Diego Business Journal

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Firm hopes street smarts helps land deal: High-Tech: Wireless Remote Control Technology could put hijacked jet in FAA's hands. (Tech Talk).(Street Smart ... An article from: San Diego Business Journal
Mike Allen
Manufacturer: CBJ, L.P.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Industry | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by CBJ, L.P. on January 14, 2002. The length of the article is 586 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Firm hopes street smarts helps land deal: High-Tech: Wireless Remote Control Technology could put hijacked jet in FAA's hands. (Tech Talk).(Street Smart Technologies)(Brief Article)
Author: Mike Allen
Publication: San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 14, 2002
Publisher: CBJ, L.P.
Volume: 23 Issue: 2 Page: 8(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

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Where the drive comes from: why smart businesses turn to business jet utilization. : An article from: Los Angeles Business Journal

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Where the drive comes from: why smart businesses turn to business jet utilization. : An article from: Los Angeles Business Journal

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000DN5TQY
Release Date: 2005-12-15

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Los Angeles Business Journal, published by Thomson Gale on November 21, 2005. The length of the article is 839 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Where the drive comes from: why smart businesses turn to business jet utilization.
Publication: Los Angeles Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 21, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 27 Issue: 47 Page: S28(1)

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Where the drive comes from: why smart businesses turn to business jet utilization. : An article from: San Diego Business Journal

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Where the drive comes from: why smart businesses turn to business jet utilization. : An article from: San Diego Business Journal

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000E5L96A
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Book Description

This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by Thomson Gale on November 21, 2005. The length of the article is 839 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Where the drive comes from: why smart businesses turn to business jet utilization.
Publication: San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 21, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 26 Issue: 47 Page: B28(1)

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Where the drive comes from: why smart businesses turn to business jet utilization.: An article from: San Fernando Valley Business Journal

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Where the drive comes from: why smart businesses turn to business jet utilization.: An article from: San Fernando Valley Business Journal

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000CS3WU0
Release Date: 2005-12-09

Book Description

This digital document is an article from San Fernando Valley Business Journal, published by Thomson Gale on November 21, 2005. The length of the article is 838 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Where the drive comes from: why smart businesses turn to business jet utilization.
Publication: San Fernando Valley Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 21, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 10 Issue: 24 Page: S28(1)

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Book Description

Polymeric Liquids and Networks: Structure and Properties is the first book of two by William W. Graessley that presents a unified view of flexible-chain polymer liquids and networks. The topics of both volumes range from equilibrium properties to dynamic response, finite deformation behavior and non-Newtonian flow. The second book will be titled Polymeric Liquids and Networks: Dynamics and Rheology, and it will publish in 2005. These various aspects of the field were developed over the past 70 years by researchers from many academic disciplines. The infusion of fresh viewpoints continually invigorated and enriched the field, making polymeric liquids and networks a truly interdisciplinary subject. The lack of a common terminology and perspective, however, has led to compartmentalization, making it difficult for a newcomer, even one technically trained, to gain a broad appreciation of the field and to see the relationships among its various parts. The aim of these two books, without diluting the substance, is to achieve a desired unity.

Polymeric Liquids and Networks emphasizes fundamental principles and a molecular viewpoint. The conceptual basis of theories underlying each topical area is explained with derivations sometimes outlined briefly and sometimes given in detail. Technical terminology is kept to a minimum necessary for coherent presentation. The goal of the text is to provide an informed understanding rather than detailed technical proficiency. Theory, experiment, and simulation are woven together as appropriate for achieving a balanced view. The books are designed to serve academic and industrial needs, consolidating the understanding of topics with both practical and fundamental significance, and written from a technical but non-specialized perspective.

The books deal mainly with non-polar and weakly polar species and largely with results derived from experiments on structurally well-defined systems. The object is not to ignore the more complex systems, which are pervasive in both nature and industry and important in their own right. Much space is devoted to structural distributions, their characterization and their effect on properties. It is rather to provide a framework for better understanding of all polymeric liquids by identifying, in the simplest possible circumstances, the universal attributes of a chain-like and flexible molecular structure.

Book Description

Proceedings of the Speciation 85 Seminar, Oxford, UK, 16-19 April 1985.

Book Description

For fluid dynamics and filtration problems, there are many related industrial processes that require the study and application of new models for complex flow conditions and systems. The goal of this new edited book is to present a variety of industrial applications and models that address current work and results for some of these problems. The book contains state-of-the-art surveys for select models and applications that offer the most illustrative use of new model analysis and application. The chapters are organized into three broad categories: flows of nonlinear materials, flows accompanied by thermal processes, and nonlinear flows in porous media. Features and Topics: *polymer viscosiy *stability problems in extrusion *modeling of glass problems *polymerization process *composite materials manufacturing *porous media with granules The book is an essential resource and reference for the analysis and modeling of problems in fluid dynamics and filtration. All researchers, practitioners and professionals in fluid dynamics, chemical process engineering, materials engineering and applied math will find the book a useful presentation of current methods and applications.

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Complex Flows in Industrial Processes
A. (Edt)/ Fasano, Antonio Fasano
Manufacturer: Springer Verlag 01/1//2000
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N5NSLU

Book Description

Drama Writing. Illustrated by Eliane Bonabel. Translated from the French by Thomas and Carol Christensen. Celine's fascination with the ballet spans his literary career: three of the pieces in this volume were written around the same time that he published his great novel, VOYAGE AU BOUT DE LA NUIT, which he dedicated to the dancer Elisabeth Craig. At the time of his death, according to his wife -- also a dancer -- he was planning a book devoted to dance. In 1936 he visited Russia, where he tried, unsuccessfully, to have some of his ballets performed in Leningrad. In 1959 five of his ballets were collected by Editions Gallimard. The result is this edition, never before published in English.

Customer Reviews:

Dancing With the Dead..........2000-10-04

Celine was a great artist, not just a writer . . . in these imaginary ballets, he goes on to describe wonderful scenes. It's his style all dancing upon the page.

Ballets without Music, without Dancers, without Anything.(Review) (book review): An article from: The Review of Contemporary Fiction

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Ballets without Music, without Dancers, without Anything.(Review) (book review): An article from: The Review of Contemporary Fiction
James Sallis
Manufacturer: Review of Contemporary Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Review of Contemporary Fiction, published by Review of Contemporary Fiction on June 22, 2000. The length of the article is 2317 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Ballets without Music, without Dancers, without Anything.(Review) (book review)
Author: James Sallis
Publication: The Review of Contemporary Fiction (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2000
Publisher: Review of Contemporary Fiction
Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Page: 175

Article Type: Book Review

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A must-read for anyone who has a disabled child, or has lost a child

Life Changing

Healing for Parents dealing with loss

I Want To Read It Again

love and loss and a tissue box

Angel Unaware: A Touching Story of Love and Loss
Dale Evans Rogers
Manufacturer: Revell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Changed by a Child

Angel Unaware

ANGEL BEHIND THE ROCKING CHAIR

I Can, Can You?

You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories by Parents of Children With Disabilities

ASIN: 0800759311
Release Date: 2004-02-01

Book Description

Entertainers Roy and Dale Evans Rogers were thrilled when their little daughter Robin was born. But their excitement turned to concern when they were informed that Robin was born with Down's Syndrome and advised to ''put her away.'' The Rogers ignored such talk and instead kept Robin, and she graced their home for two and a half years. Though Robin's time on earth was short, she changed her parents' lives and even made life better for other children born with special needs in the years to come. Angel Unaware is Robin's account of her life as she looks down from heaven. As she speaks to God about the mission of love she just completed on earth, the reader sees how she brought her parents closer to God and encouraged them to help other children in need. This book, which changed the way America treated children with special needs, is now available to a new generation. It is the perfect gift for parents of special needs children, parents grieving the death of a child, or anyone whose life has been touched by a special child.

Customer Reviews:

A must-read for anyone who has a disabled child, or has lost a child.......2007-07-24

This book is wonderful. It so beautifully written from the POV of little Robin giving an account to God of her brief life on earth. If there is a disabled child that has touched your life, you need to read this book. Dale Evans Rogers has written a masterpiece which will benefit the lives of many. Thank goodness God sent Robin into their lives!

Life Changing.......2007-07-13

My Aunt gave me this book to read when I was in grade school. I am now 42 years old and I still remember this book as being one of the most profound stories I have ever read. I have recommended this book often, I have never forgotten it.
Such a touching reminder for all of us that life is divine and should never be taken for granted.

Healing for Parents dealing with loss.......2006-07-18

Until I real Dale Evans' account of her daughter's life, I didn't realize anyone felt the way I do. We lost our 2 1/2 year old daughter this year. She had "special needs," some similar to those of Robin in the book. We always felt that God gave us our daughter and she was our own angel here on earth. This book is a wonderful story of the love between a family, their God, and their special angel. I highly recommend it to any parent or family who have lost a child with a disability.

I Want To Read It Again.......2006-04-15

I read this book when I was in 4th or 5th grade. The story of Robin Rogers has stuck with me for 35 years. While I have forgotten the details, I remember the essential message. All children are gifts from God, especially the ones that aren't everyone's idea of perfect.

love and loss and a tissue box.......2005-11-03

This little book is a heartwarming love story and a heart wrenching tear jerker all rolled into one. Dale Evans Rogers shares the tale of little Robin, her Down Syndrome daughter who died at a very young age. The story is told from Robin's point of view, as if she is sitting on her heavenly father's knee relating what happened "down there." The heartache of a mother's loss, and the hope of a child's eternity are entwined in an unforgettable tale. I highly recommend this book to any one who has lost a young child, or has had to deal with special needs like Down Syndrome. Be sure to have a tissue box handy.

Book Description

The Australians have had a brief military history, by world standards, but they have taken part in nine wars and, British troops apart, they have fought in more countries than the soldiers of any other nation. Friend and foe alike have assessed them as men-at-arms perhaps equalled but never surpassed. This absorbing text by John Laffin examines the history, uniforms and organisation of these colourful and courageous troops, from the Diggers of the First World War to their role in Vietnam.

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The Australian Army at War 1899-1975
John, Chappell, Mike [illus.] Laffin
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J31QHY

Amazon.com

With a slew of simultaneous scandals to his credit and numerous ongoing investigations pending, President Clinton has been bombarded by the media in a fashion not seen since the last days of the Nixon administration. Despite this unwanted attention, Clinton has managed to maintain lofty approval ratings and successfully deflect even the most ardent attacks. How does he do it? This question is answered in full in Spin Cycle: Inside the Clinton Propaganda Machine, an engrossing, backroom look at how news is created and packaged in the White House and the methods used to distribute it to the public. In painting a detailed picture of the hand-to-hand combat known as a press conference, Kurtz shows how the use of controlled leaks, meticulously worded briefs, and the outright avoidance of certain questions allows the White House to control the scope and content of the stories that make it to the front page and the nightly network news. As Kurtz makes clear, the president and First Lady are convinced that the media are out to get them, while the journalists covering the White House are constantly frustrated at the stonewalling and the lack of cooperation they encounter while trying to do their jobs. In the middle is White House press secretary Mike McCurry, a master at defusing volatile situations and walking the fine line with the press. Though less paranoid and cynical of the media than Clinton, he often finds himself on both ends of personal attacks and vendettas that veer far outside the arena of objective reporting. The anecdotes and carefully buried information Kurtz has uncovered give Spin Cycle a brisk pace, along with ample invaluable information that cuts to the core of this age of media overkill. The author of Hot Air and Media Circus and a longtime media reporter for the Washington Post, Kurtz is uniquely qualified to report on the status of news dissemination in the United States.

Book Description

Spin Cycle is the first behind-the-scenes account of the White House political operation as it packages and shapes the news by manipulating, misleading, and in some cases, intimidating the press. It is also the tale of how some of the nation's top journalists buy into these efforts and, often, put their own spin on the news.

Compelling, infuriating, often devastatingly funny, this is the story you should read before you pick up the newspaper tomorrow morning.

Customer Reviews:

Not the Fluff Cycle.......2003-01-16

Being a fan of President Clinton I always read a book on his administration with a bit of a bias view. At times this book upset me and other times I was shouting "right on", given these duel responses I have come to the conclusion that, no matter that I did not agree with a number of items, the book is an overall fair look at the Clinton scandal fest. I thought the author did a great job in weaving together the pertinent facts about each of the scandals / issues with the response from the White House. I was very interested in the inside info on how the White House tried to either spin or deflect each of the stories. The author had a great deal of direct quotes of conversations, which really made the book come alive. The information about the White House briefing is worth the price of the book alone. You can actually see this type of activity at work today with the current briefings that are televised.

I also was interested in the additional comments on the way that the Clinton's themselves viewed the media and their knee jerk reaction to clam up at every question. You almost got the feeling that if the Clinton's would have always listened to the media people on their staffs that some of the overall negative and nasty press they received may have been decreased to some degree. The last bit of the book that surprised me was the, at times, rude, disrespectful and almost violent way the media and the White House staff dealt with each other. You just got to wonder what the White House staff was thinking to beat up on the people with the loudest voice in the country. My only complaint was that the book ended too soon, missing the Super Bowl of the spin, the Starr Report and the impeachment. It would have been nice for the author to have held out a year or so for the full story in the paperback. Overall I found this book well written, very interesting and quite enjoyable. It is required reading for anyone that is interested in the Clinton years or the media.

Interesting, but some definite narrative problems.......2002-01-19

As a political "junkie" and avid reader of political memoirs, pundit rantings, etc., I looked forward to reading Kurtz's Spin Cycle. It was worth the read, but it was ultimately disappointing.

I admired two main aspects of the book. First, this seems to be a legitimate, credible view from the inside. The use of direct quotations and the attention to detail allow the reader to be more of an insider.

Secondly, Kurtz does a nice job with the characterizations of the main players. Instead of just telling the reader what so-and-so said (a common occurrence in many political books) Kurtz provides potential motivation and character traits. Again, this allows for a detailed look "behind the scenes."

However, there were many aspects that disappointed. First, the book's organization was very disjointed. It was difficult to follow the progression of the story; often, I couldn't tell if Kurtz was proceeding in chronological order.

Secondly, the book's ending seems "tacked on." Obviously, Kurtz couldn't have foreseen the Lewinski saga as he was planning the book, but after-the-fact, I wish Kurtz would have been able to more seamlessly include this chapter. As a result, the book seems to end, but then we have another chapter on Lewinski.

Furthermore, the book ends before Clinton's spin story was over. We don't get to learn about the White House response to the Starr Report. We don't get to follow the PR during the 2001 election. I found myself wishing that Kurtz had waited to write this book until after Clinton left office.

All in all, it's an interesting book and a worthy read. Some structural problems, though, proved problematic.

and this was just the dress rehearsal (so to speak).......2001-11-13

The presidential flacks had done their job. For 1997, at least, their spin had carried the day.
-Howard Kurtz, Spin Cycle

In a story that is utterly devoid of edifying moments and chock full of quite depressing ones, these
final lines of the book are the most shocking. For it is only as you read them that the full realization
hits home that Howard Kurtz's justifiably jaded and cynical look at the way the Clinton administration
manipulated the press and the public in order to cover up or blunt scandal was written before the
Lewinsky scandal broke. Commingled with the shock though is the sudden comprehension that the
Clinton Administration was uniquely well prepared to deal with such a scandal, having spent the prior
seven years honing their obfuscatory skills on a whole series of equally disturbing and potentially
damaging scandals.

In fact, as Kurtz notes in a hastily tacked on Epilogue, one that subsequent events were to wholly
outpace, in the deposition that Bill Clinton gave in the Jones case, on the weekend that Matt Drudge
broke the Monica story, he revealed that he had in fact had sex with Gennifer Flowers. In other
words, on the very first occasion that most Americans saw Clinton, the infamous Super Bowl night 60
Minutes appearance, he lied to us all, with Hillary at his side, and it worked.

What Howard Kurtz really ends up detailing for us is just the long dress rehearsal before the big show,
in which the Clintons and their spin machine worked out all the kinks in their act. By the time the
Lewinsky scandal broke, they understood that all they had to do was deny initially, demonize liberally
(both accusers and investigators), leak pre-emptively, and acknowledge belatedly and they would be
able to so desensitize the press and the people that Bill Clinton would ultimately survive. And so, as
the tawdry mess reached its foreordained conclusion, we had the hitherto unimaginable situation of a
credible rape charge (by Juanita Broaddrick) against the President of the United States, which he did
not even deny, but which the press chose not to hound him with. He had finally just beaten them
down to the point where they didn't have the heart to pursue another scandal.

Then, in a moment which nearly redeems him, Clinton left office in a blizzard of bartered pardons and
other final acts of contempt for the staffers, supporters, and voters who had excused everything he'd
ever done. It was the final (...) gesture of a man who clearly understood that he had so implicated a
nation in his treachery that he had become untouchable. To judge Bill Clinton at that late date would
have required people to face all of the excuses and allowances that they'd made for him in the
preceding eight years, and that was not going to happen. It was all just so brazen that it was hard not
to admire the in-your-face flourish with which he departed. Howard Kurtz does a fine job of charting
the early years of the Clinton scandals, but there was so much more yet to come.

GRADE : B+

A Must Read for Journalist and Political Junkies.......2001-11-02

When reading this book, which focuses on the Clinton Presidency, you must put your biases aside. If you can't get beyond your personal feelings about Bill Clinton, you will fail to grasp the very thing that made his presidency as successful as it was.
Reviewers that claim Clinton demeaned the Presidency through his constant campaigning, are naive. The truth is Clinton showed how the modern President must function, in order to be successful in this era of gotcha-jounalism in Washington.
The Clinton press and communications office show political proffesionals the way to manage scandal. Strategies include the document dump, the timing of news releases, and possibly the most important strategy, communicating to the electorate through the media.
If journalists want to learn to anticipate the various ways politicians in the future will attempt to avoid being caught in a scandal, then they must study Kurtz' Spin Cycle if they ever hope to realize their dream of being the next Bob Wooward.

It all depends on ones point of view.......2001-10-29

Howard Kurtz has written an entertaining and informative book as far as it goes which isn't far enough. He try's to convince the reader of the veracity and concern of the media for the American People's right to know. The truth is that this same media voted overwhelmingly for the Clinton administration in numbers exceeding 90% of their members. This book outlines their consternation with Bill Clinton, the carrier of their progressive banner, and their increasing irritation with his self absorbed methods for attaining its imperatives.

The book is centered on the various tawdry scandals engaged in by the Clinton administration led by that most self engaged of presidential couples. Kurtz does a good job of reflecting the media's dyspepsia in that regard. To truly critique this book, rent the film "All the Presidents Men". Better yet, read the book. Then you can see how the media reacts to a Republican president who has overstepped his constitutional bounds. Through a perusal of "All the Presidents Men" you can contrast the media's rapt attention to the Watergate hearings versus its disdain for the same involving Clinton. Witness their gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands on display over "Bill" with their unreal and venomous hatred of "Milhaus". Only then will you really appreciate the unintended humor in this shallow tome and its attempts to dissuade and misdirect from the real constitutional crisis with which Bill Clinton presented America. History will reflect that Bill Clinton was Richard Nixon times ten.

For a primer on the Clinton administration and the rule of law in its wake, read anything by Roger Pilon of the Cato Institute or Clint Bolick of the Institute for Justice.

Customer Reviews:

The Greening of the Renaissance.......2007-03-12

This is the kind of book that changes not only the way we view individual authors, but the way we view an era. Much work, both scholarly and for a popular audience, has been done in the area of the Renaissance, but little of it provides the reader with an "Ah ha!" moment, a moment that changes forever our approach to a time period. This book does precisely that. Robert Watson's premise, that civilization is to nature as perception is to reality, allows for a broad audience to read and appreciate this book. His thesis, however, is deceptively simple. With strong readings of As You Like It, Andrew Marvell's poems and 17th century Dutch painting, Watson draws together what seem like widely different materials to green the Renaissance -- to subject the Renaissance to the kind of eco-criticism that affects our own reading of the world. We are a back-to-nature sort of culture, but, as Watson's book shows, there is no getting back to Nature (and if we could get back to Nature, we might find that it resembles nothing we expected). Our civilization forever blocks an unmediated experience of the natural world, just as our perception, colored as it is with the detritis of day-to-day living, can never allow a full embrace of reality. We love to be the masters of all we suvey (and didn't God tell Adam that he could be? And by extension that we can be?) -- but as masters, the natural and the real will always elude us. What we have enslaved, whether by mind or machine, can never be fully possessed, but is always set at a distance by that very enslavement. As far as Watson's readings of individual works goes, this book enchants and unsettles with its nuanced approach to literature and art. I would certainly recommend this book for every scholar of the Renaissance period; I believe that the book has started a movement of Renaissance eco-criticism that will prove highly influential. Although some of the writing and concepts may seem, at first, daunting to the general reader, I also recommend the book to a broad audience -- that audience, I feel sure, will be appreciative (in particular) of the readings of individual works and paintings. In all, I give this book the highest possible rating.

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