In the Realm of Rivers: Alabama's Mobile-Tensaw Delta

Book Description

The delta formed by the Alabama and Tensaw rivers at the head of Mobile Bay is one of the nation's most unique and valuable ecosystems. The area has rich history, diverse plant and animal life, great beauty, and is threatened by industry and development. Alabama poet laureate Sue Walker set out to capture the Delta in words, which are accompanied by the lush color photographs of internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer and documentarian Dennis Holt. The book includes history, science, poetry, and interviews with people who live in the Delta as well as those who are trying to save it. The book is a medium-sized coffee-table format.

Customer Reviews:

A Magical Place.......2005-06-27

When I first leafed through this book and admired the magnificent nature photos, I thought, "What a beautiful coffee table book to look at and read a little now and then."

But when I started reading, I couldn't put it down until I'd read it all, and pored over every stunning photograph.

"In the Realm of Rivers" is much more than a coffee table book. It's the story---natural history, botany, zoology, anthropology, sociology---of the Alabama Delta, three hundred thousand meandering acres of swampy wilderness, a magical place. The stunning photograph of the owls and the accompanying poem on pages 93-94 capture the soul of this lovely book:

Owl Eyes

From their perch where trees
revel in dancing,
on the bend and twist and lean
of subtle limbs, owls watch
as night squeezes
color from the fade and fall of day.

They repeat only one question:
who? who? who?
There may be a rustling
in the grass, perhaps
a responding hoot,
but without expectation
of an answer.

In breathless air
presence
lies gathered in congregations
of kite and mottled duck,
osprey and sparrow,
cottonwood and pondweed:
all together,
all in their accustomed place.
Let it be."

IN THE REALM OF RIVERS An Exquisite Production.......2005-06-25

IN THE REALM OF RIVERS is an exquisite production by New South Books. Its compelling prose and eloquent poetry by Sue Walker, Poet Laureate of the State of Alabama, and its magnificent photographs by Emmy-Winner Dennis Holt make this book on Alabama's Mobile-Tensaw Delta an invaluable contribution to stimulating our awareness of the significance of this ecosystem. This volume is a rich combination of history and place in stunningly beautiful words and photographs.

Realm of Rivers.......2005-06-25

Having much experience with endangered wetlands, I found Sue Walkers' book to be excellantly educational and entertaining. It is now on my shelf as a life's treasure. The photograhy was equal to or better
than any National Geographic Publication I've read. I pray that we can look forward to more of these wonderful type of books.

W. Mims
Orlando, Fl,

Book Description

A beautiful bouquet without flowers? Yes! In this book, Texas' foremost authority on the collection and preservation of wild plant materials shows how to use native and naturalized grasses, pods, vines, and weeds in homegrown, hand-crafted arrangements.

Book Description

Explore Boston past and present with this guide featuring eight walking tours, a three-hour driving tour, and 13 quick trips to nearby destinations outside the city. Attractions include Beacon Hill, Faneuil Hall, the Freedom Trail, the Black Heritage Trail, the North End, and much more.

Book Description

This new edition of Nerve Cells and Animal Behaviour has been updated and expanded by Peter Simmons and David Young in order to take into account more recent advances while still maintaining the book's accessibility to university students. The book introduces the reader to the way in which nervous systems of animals control behavior without assuming any prior knowledge of neurophysiology. Using a carefully selected series of behavior patterns, students are taken from an elementary-level introduction to a point where sufficient detail has been assimilated to allow a satisfying insight into current research on how nervous systems control and generate behavior. Only examples where it has been possible to establish a clear link between the activity of particular nerve cells and a pattern of behavior have been used. Throughout the book, important terms appear in bold type and boxes are used to highlight specific related topics. This book is essential reading for students of zoology, psychology, and physiology and serves as a clear introduction to neuroethology.

Download Description

This new edition of Nerve Cells and Animal Behaviour has been updated and expanded by Peter Simmons and David Young in order to take into account more recent advances while still maintaining the accessibility of the book to university students. The book introduces the reader to the way in which nervous systems of animals control behaviour without assuming any prior knowledge of neurophysiology. Using a carefully selected series of behaviour patterns students are taken from an elementary-level introduction to a point where sufficient detail has been assimilated to allow a satisfying insight into current research on how nervous systems control and generate behaviour. Only examples where it has been possible to establish a clear link between the activity of particular nerve cells and a pattern of behaviour have been used. This book is essential reading for students of zoology, psychology and physiology and serves as a clear introduction to neuroethology.

Neuroethology: Nerve Cells and the Natural Behavior of Animals

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A slightly more serious review
Brilliant

Neuroethology: Nerve Cells and the Natural Behavior of Animals
Jeffrey M. Camhi
Manufacturer: Sinauer Associates Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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Behavioral Neurobiology: An Integrative Approach (Psychology)

ASIN: 0878930752

Customer Reviews:

A slightly more serious review.......2001-02-06

This book introduces basic concepts in neuroethyoloy (and in brain science), like the auditory system, visual system, time/space perception in an orderly and concise manner. Each subject is explained by investigating the relevant research on a certain animal (lots of bugs & bats!). The only setback to the book is its age: some research has lost relevance. And, yes, Prof. Camhi certainly brings the subject to life by means of a great deal of enthusiasm. Also, here's an author who's actually a very nice person in real life....:-)

Brilliant.......1999-09-03

Dr. Camhi brings a complicated subject to life

Book Description

Carbohydrates are the most abundant natural products, in line with their role as energy stores and structural building blocks in plants and algae. They are versatile enough to serve as encoders of biological information and, last but not least, they are involved in a variety of molecular recognition processes. Research into carbohydrate and glycoconjugate functions in cell-to-cell communication processes has even created a new and rapidly developing field of study: glycobiology.

Thisbe Lindhorst's successful book is now available in its second edition. Going from the basic concepts right up to the most recent results, this didactically written book features numerous practical examples of synthetic and analytical methods. The contents have been thoroughly updated, and a new chapter on mass spectroscopy of carbohydrates has been added.
With its clear and lucid style, this introduction to carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry is essential reading for students and postgraduate scientists in chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy and biomedicine.

"a very readable book which presents carbohydrate chemistry and, in later sections, biochemistry as exciting areas to work and study. The author captures a sense of wonder and inspiration from the very elegance of these areas of science and their application in the real worlds of pharmaceutical and medical research."
(The Alchemist)

Essentials of Carbohydrate Chemistry (Springer Advanced Texts in Chemistry)

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Essentials of Carbohydrate Chemistry (Springer Advanced Texts in Chemistry)
John F. Robyt
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Carbohydrate Chemistry (Oxford Chemistry Primers, 99)

ASIN: 0387949518

Book Description

Carbohydrates are the most widely distributed naturally-occurring organic compounds on Earth. They make up much of our food, clothing and shelter, and are as vital to national economies as they are to our diet. This book is the first broad treatment of carbohydrate chemistry in many years, and presents the structures, reactions, modifications, and properties of carbohydrates. Woven throughout the text are discussions of biological properties of carbohydrates, their industrial applications, and the history of the field of carbohydrate chemistry. Written for students as well as practicing scientists, this text/reference will be of interest to a wide range of disciplines influenced by carbohydrates: biochemistry, chemistry, food and nutrition, microbiology, pharmacology, and medicine.

Book Description

Requirements engineering is a field of knowledge concerned with the systematic process of eliciting, analyzing and modeling requirements. Requirements engineering is usually understood in relation to software system requirements, most of its principles and some of its techniques can be adapted to other problems dealing with complex sets of requirements. The engineering vision indicates that this should be a practical and well-defined process where trade-offs have to be considered to obtain the best results. Mature software development needs mature requirements engineering. This was true ten years ago when requirements engineering became an important component of the software development process. It remains true today when the pressure to deliver code on time and on budget is increasing, and the demand for higher quality software also increases.
Perspectives On Software Requirements presents perspectives on several current approaches to software requirements. Each chapter addresses a specific problem where the authors summarize their experiences and results to produce well-fit and traceable requirements. Chapters highlight familiar issues with recent results and experiences, which are accompanied by chapters describing well-tuned new methods for specific domains.
Perspectives On Software Requirements is designed for a professional audience, composed of researchers and practitioners in industry. This book is also suitable as a secondary text for graduate-level students in computer science and engineering.

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Memorandum
C. V Ramamoorthy
Manufacturer: Electronics Research Laboratory, College of Engineering, University of California
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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A Look At the Life of an Amazing Man

The Finest Natural History

John Muir: Outdoorsman, Conservationist, and Literate Genius

inspirational in every way

Lovers of Muir, find your home in this volume!

John Muir : Nature Writings: The Story of My Boyhood and Youth; My First Summer in the Sierra; The Mountains of California; Stickeen; Essays (Library of America)
John Muir
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Wild Muir: Twenty-Two of John Muir's Greatest Adventures

Henry David Thoreau : A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers / Walden; Or, Life in the Woods / The Maine Woods / Cape Cod (Library of America)

Meditations of John Muir: Nature's Temple

Henry David Thoreau : Collected Essays and Poems (Library of America)

John Muir: Nature's Visionary

ASIN: 1883011248

Book Description

In a lifetime of exploration, writing, and passionate political activism, John Muir made himself America's most eloquent spokesman for the mystery and majesty of the wilderness, a master of natural description who evoked and celebrated with unique power and intimacy the untrammeled landscapes of Alaska and the American West.

Customer Reviews:

A Look At the Life of an Amazing Man.......2007-05-07

This Autobiography of John Muir was a look at the life of an amazing man. He was the type of writer that could take you to the place where he was living and make you feel like you were right there with him. His childhood experiences in Scotland and the farm life of Wisconsin formed the basis for how he viewed and related to the rest of his life and those around him. He was a world traveler who looked through the eyes of creation to observe ecology and invention. As a world traveler I also observe through the eyes of creation and as a native Californian I have had extensive experience hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada's. John Muir's writing style took me back to the places I have loved and remembered.

The Finest Natural History.......2007-01-04

John Muir was one of the founders of the early 20th century conservation movement and godfather to today's environmentalism. This collection of three books and shorter works demonstrates the reason. Muir's description of the natural world is at times scientific, at others spiritual. Here nature is not some remote thing but the living manifestation of God's love. This is not a religious book as such and yet he finds that all parts of the natural creation from rocks and mountains to trees and animals have inherent within them a life force which makes them precious. Humans are neither removed from nor a "higher" part of nature. Muir shows that we are part of this larger whole - a radical concept when he proposed it and radical still. Muir set the standard in calling for preservation of the natural world. He was a genius as an inventor and scientist and, in addition, is one of our finest writers ever. These collected Nature Writings are simply beautiful and wonderfully presented in this Library of America edition.

John Muir: Outdoorsman, Conservationist, and Literate Genius.......2003-09-15

"American forests! the glory of the world!"
- John Muir, 1901

Of all the extraordinary men and women that have made our nation great, one stands above all others for his dedication to preserving its unequaled natural beauty: John Muir. Founder of The Sierra Club, this lover of the western forests' legacy to our generation is the National Park system, through which millions of acres of unique ecosystems have been set aside for everyone's enjoyment.

"Muir: Nature Writings" is a collection of the writings of this Scottish expatriate who first stepped foot in America in 1849 as an eleven year old brawler and budding naturalist. Blessed with a childhood mastery of Latin and Greek as well as a discerning and disciplined eye, the learned boy possessed a poet's heart, a scientist's mind, and a theologian's soul. A genius, who as a teen whittled precision wooden scientific instruments, Muir used his diverse skills to vividly portray nature's life and death struggles on his family's Wisconsin farm in "My Boyhood & Youth." Here we find Muir learning to swim by observing frogs or recollecting the mindless slaughter of the Earth's most numerous bird, the now-extinct passenger pigeon, a forlorn tale that foreshadows the conservationist he was to become.

While in college polishing his mechanical skills, Muir was detoured into studying botany. Dropping out to make powered tools for factories, an accident left him rethinking that detour; he forsook the factory and walked across America. His journey led him to the Sierra Mountains, chronicled in "My First Summer in the Sierra." Now working as a shepherd, Muir drove his flock through Yosemite while making detailed nature studies. Marveling at the natural beauty of the land he would eventually champion as one of the first National Parks, Muir wrote: "We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us. Our flesh-and-bone tabernacle seems transparent as glass to the beauty about us, as if truly an inseparable part of it, thrilling with the air and trees, streams and rocks, in the waves of the sun, - a part of all nature, neither old nor young, sick nor well, but immortal."

Muir's writings here run the gamut from analytical to thrilling. In "Stickeen", the author and a canine companion cheat death while stranded mid-storm between crevasses of an Alaskan glacier. (A self-taught authority on glaciers, Muir would eventually have one in Alaska bear his name.) "The Mountains of California" is an in-depth look at the geologic formations, plants, and animals of the region. In this piece, he tells of being stuck on the side of volcanic Mt. Shasta, staying warm in the bitter cold by nestling up to steam vents. Muir also laments the loss of the vast meadows of the San Joaquin Valley as he discusses how to make a living post-Gold Rush by raising bees for honey.

What makes Muir so unique when compared with today's environmentalists is this belief that we can live in harmony with Creation if we take simple steps to prevent despoiling it. In "The American Forests" he wrote: "No place is too good for good men, and there is still room.... Every place is made better by them. Let them be as free to pick gold and gems from the hills, to cut and hew, dig and plant, for homes and bread...." Muir's balanced view of Man's place in the wilderness overwhelmingly reflects his Christian faith, for he never fails to stand in awe of each living thing God has made. That our government leaders were so swayed by Muir's writing attests to the power of his "holy" persuasion. All of us are indebted to John Muir's single-minded devotion to America's wilderness.

("Muir: Nature Writings" is part of the Library of America series. This diverse collection of the writings of great Americans ranges from sermons of early American preachers to analysis of the Vietnam War. The works of Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, Flannery O'Connor, and James Thurber are but a few that comprise the series. An invaluable lookingglass into the heart and soul of our nation, this collection is essential reading for anyone who longs to know what makes America unique.)

inspirational in every way.......1999-10-11

A great writer writing about great things - you'll feel like you're in the middle of the Sierra yourself. Endlessly enjoyable.

Lovers of Muir, find your home in this volume!.......1999-08-29

In a world brimming with wonderful volumes of the work of John Muir, here is the one edition in which you may find virtually everything you seek. To find it in such a handsome, handy, easy to negotiate book makes this a must for all lovers of Muir's writing. Eight inches tall by six wide and two inches thick, it is a durable and willing partner for excursions through the wilderness. Created for long life among library shelves and scholarly studies, this sleek little friend stows away quite comfortably in backpack or oversized coat pocket. Those who don't know Mr. Muir will meet the great lover of wildness (and perhaps history's most influential advocate of preservation) presented in a lovingly researched volume which includes informative notes on the evolution of Muir's field journal entries into published pieces, a chronology of his life and literary career, and all of the major writings for which he is known. A generous selection of his published essays and magazine articles reveal many previously unsuspected jewels of poetic prose. As a lifetime devotee of the works of Shakespeare, the Bible, and the immortal Scottish bard Robert Burns, Muir could recite extensive passages from all. Likewise, his writing breezes through the imagery and lessons drawn from these potent sources. Coffee table books brimming with Ansel Adams photography, biographies of Muir, and collections of his correspondence are all aspects of any comprehensive Muir collection. The words themselves, however, simple and elegantly bound, are where the journey might well begin.

Book Description

16-page b/w photo section 5 maps 6 x 9 "Confederate Corsair: The Life of Lt. Charles W. "Savez" Read is must reading for anyone savoring naval warfare and tales of derring-do. Read has long merited a biography, and Robert A. Jones has met and mastered the challenge in an exemplary manner that readers will applaud." -Edwin C. Bearss Historian Emeritus, National Park Service Lieutenant Charles W. "Savez" Read's life was one of swashbuckling adventure and dazzling escapes. Yet very little has been known about him until recently. Robert A. Jones has tracked down all available sources on this Confederate privateer-including unpublished material from Read's grandchildren-and written an exciting biography that reveals the impact of naval power on the Civil War. For example, while the North's navy projected its force at will, the South chose hit-and-run tactics that slowly bled the North's resources, as many of Read's exploits will show. Robert A. Jones holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering and has been employed by the Department of the Navy for 33 years. He provided historical background research for a 1970 proposal to the Smithsonian Institution for the salvage of the USS Tecumseh and recently published an article on the salvage of the CSS Virginia.

Customer Reviews:

Sea Power.......2000-08-18

This book is an excellent source of information for anyone with an interest either in the American Civil War or in warfare in general. For the casual reader, one can find interest in the stories of Read's early career and of his swashbuckling adventures. To the historian, one can find interesting insight into the importance of sea power, during the Civil War. This concept has a sort of Alfred Thayer Mahan ring to it, who wrote about sea power as important to nations during the nineteenth century.

Confederate Naval Hero - at Last!.......2000-07-30

Admiral Dewey said "America never produced a navy officer more worthy of a place in history" and thanks to Jones he has it and we've got a great book to read! Read captured over 20 union ships and burned most of them - he was captured once, made several nearly successful escape attempts, and at one point had over 30 Union ships at sea just to try to stop him. The main part of the book reads like an action novel, but it's all real - as he moves from river warfare to commerce raiding and back, but it has a detailed, 23 page section of notes and an 11 page bibliography. So you'll learn a lot about the naval side of the war, and lots of information is there for those doing research - but read it first for the story - you'll love it!

THIS WOULD MAKE A GREAT MOVIE !.......2000-07-20

======

**Hey, SOMEBODY [Ted Turner maybe?] ought to make a MOVIE out of this! ** ======

Lt. Read's true story, captured in this well-documented & very readable biography, has All the earmarks of a great, action-packed adventure! -- This Civil War "sea story" has everything: Lt. Read graduated last in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy; he fought on the Mississippi River in various ships, including an ironclad; he raided as far north as Portland, Maine; he was a prisoner of war & made multiple escape attempts... What a fantastic story line for a movie! But this is all true!

This is a very well-written account of a heroic figure, and it's one that will hold you in suspense! (...other than the fact that you already know how the war turned out.)

Bravo, Robert A. Jones!... I like your book!

======

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Confederate Corsair: the Life of Lt. Charles W. "Savez" Read.(Book Review)(Brief Article): An article from: Journal of Southern History
James C. Bradford
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008FSAW2
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on November 1, 2002. The length of the article is 421 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: Confederate Corsair: the Life of Lt. Charles W. "Savez" Read.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
Author: James C. Bradford
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2002
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 68 Issue: 4 Page: 961(2)

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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More Right Wing Hypocrisy

This book should scare anyone

Damage Control for the current President

Open-and-shut case indictment of Clinton's lack of interest in WOT

Facts - verifiable and exhaustive

Losing Bin Laden: How Bill Clinton's Failures Unleashed Global Terror
Richard Miniter
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Shadow War: The Untold Story of How Bush is Winning the War on Terror

Disinformation : 22 Media Myths That Undermine the War on Terror

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Reckless Disregard: How Liberal Democrats Undercut Our Military, Endanger Our Soldiers, and Jeopardize Our Security

Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years

ASIN: 0895260743

Book Description

Journalist Rich Miniter uses his unparalleled access to sources and stories throughout the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. He paints a devastating portrait of how close the U.S. military was to killing bin Laden--on multiple occasions--and how, each time, Clinton dropped the ball and allowed bin Laden to grow stronger and more dangerous.

Customer Reviews:

More Right Wing Hypocrisy.......2007-02-27

If only President Clinton had invaded Iraq,tortured the usual suspects, tapped our phones and gone trillions of dollars in debt!
Miniter followed this hit piece with a book telling the untold story of how the Bush administration is winning the war on terror. Mission accomplished!

This book should scare anyone.......2006-08-09

This is the first book I have read by Miniter. I have followed foriegn policy and terrorism since the late 70's. I felt I knew quite a bit of what there was to know about terrorism and foriegn policy but this book should scare anyone. I think it is illustrative of some of the depths of depravity terrorists will descend to and how they drag those without the intestinal fortitude to stand up to them down with them.

You will hear a lot of hand wringers and people without the stomach to fight the war on terrorism say a lot of things that are either wholly partisan, hateful or just plain inaccurate about this book. Read it, look at the footnotes, look at the references and decide for yourself.

I think Miniter nailed it, much as I hate that saying. Bill Clinton was concerned about terrorism but only as long as it could hold his rather short attention span. The bottom line is he never followed up and was too busy looking out for number one to keep his focus on what has become the #1 evil of our time.

Don't listen to the minions of the Leftist moon bats who regurgitate anything Michael Moore says ad nauseum and without the benefit of the first piece of serious research. Bill Clinton wasn't all that and he let us down. It wasn't just him, our entire government failed to recognize the threat for what it was and is. Many people still do not realize what we are up against or the dire consequences we will face if we do not stand up to this evil here and now.

Miniter did Clinton more than fair and nobody can call this a partisan hack job. At least not anyone who has a semi-open mind. Read it and make up your own mind. If it doesn't scare the bejeebus out of you, you weren't paying attention.

Damage Control for the current President.......2006-07-06

I found this book to be based on a kernel of truth wrapped in innumerable layers of unconfirmable speculation (how many people really have access to intelligence agency archives?) and one-sided 'analysis'. It is clear the Bin Ladin was 'lost' at Tora Bora when our troops were called back to garrison, allowing him to escape. This goes even farther to the right than Micheal Moore goes to the left.

If you want a look at the subject from someone who was involved through several Administrations, read "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror" by Richard Clarke.

If you buy this book, you are paying for propaganda.

Open-and-shut case indictment of Clinton's lack of interest in WOT.......2006-03-19

The author, Richard Miniter, provides a fair treatment of the Clinton adminstration's lack of going after terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and lays out his case in a 241-page book, entitled "Losing bin Laden: How Bill Clinton's Failures Unleashed Global Terror." The title is a bit of a stretch, since President Clinton alone cannot be blamed for what happened on 9/11/01. But according to his ex-advisor, Dick Morris, Mr. Clinton never wanted to lead the charge to bring bin Laden and his Islamofascist minions to justice because he was acutely aware of how the American public would perceive his use of the military, and even refusing a Sudanese offer to take bin Laden into custody because of a short-sighted belief that there was nothing to pin on the Saudi-born terrorist. Miniter disagrees with this inaction.

Though it is true that Regnery Publishing is responsible for releasing Miniter's book, and therefore making those who lean left in the political spectrum naturally leery of reading it, this reviewer believes that Miniter treats the administration fairly; for instance, he refutes the long-held belief by those on the right that President Clinton ordered a retaliatory strike on Sudan to deflect his oncoming domestic problem due to the Lewinsky affair; Miniter notes that Clinton's order to strike bin Laden's headquarters and the Sudan was given immediately, even as he was aware the House could vote to impeach him for a variety of reasons.

Miniter does, in fact, argue that Mr. Clinton knew full well that something had to be done to counter the mounting terrorist attacks, and he had done some things...just not enough of them and often not the right amount. The author lays out the events chronologically to give the reader the right historical perspective. Whenever certain news items were found to be incorrect, Miniter clarifies them in his notes section, which is copious and quite helpful.

Miniter notes that a large problem in fighting the fledgling War on Terror had been also directly attributable to the lack of dialogue and sharing of intelligence between the NSA, the CIA, and the F.B.I., not even figuring in the gridlock common between the administration and the three bureaus. The author is quick to note that Clinton was not often eager to discuss possible threats to national security with his bureau chiefs. Interviews with National Security Advisor and former N.S.A. Tony Lake, along with those of Counter-Terrorism czar Richard Clarke go a long way in helping the reader to form his/her own opinion.

While this reviewer is inclined to believe, based on abundant evidence presented in this book and many others, that the Clinton Administration is found wanting when it comes to aggressively fighting the Islamic terror threat, one will come to realize that mistakes were made in previous administrations too. But Mr. Clinton had an opportunity to strengthen his presidential legacy by campaigning aggressively against bin Laden & Co., but squandered numerous chances to do so. Even Clinton supporter, Mansoor Ijaz, who was used by the administration as an unofficial diplomat to bring Sudan's intelligence files to Mr. Clinton's attention, could tell of the disappointments he encountered in dealing with Berger and the rest of the administration hacks.

This reviewer found this book to be a great read, engaging and thought-provoking to the max. It contains 28 pages (in Appendix B) of passports and intelligence files that the Sudanese government had offered gratis in an attempt to clean up its image and gain the trust of the administration, according to Miniter. As one reviewer also noted, it does read like a Tom Clancy novel; meaning, it is not dry reading in the least. My only caveat would be that it needed to focus a chapter or two more on the moribund tactics of the aformentioned national-security bureaus, as much as on those presented of the Clinton Administration.

Facts - verifiable and exhaustive.......2005-09-01

The one thing I have noticed about the majority (not all) of the negative reviews is that they don't address the exhaustive amount of collected evidence in this book. Instead, they attempt to smear the author, the current President, anyone associated with ideas contrary to their own. But the author here presents an incredible amount of research that is footnoted and referenced, and if readers care to, can verify on their own. I had questions on some sections of this book, and used the references in the back to do my own research. While some evidence can indeed be interpreted in different ways - the majority is straightforward and overwhelmingly supports the author's conclusions. It's sad to see the level of discourse, especially over books like this, reduced to childish name-calling and rants that have absolutely nothing to do with the contents of this material.

Miniter presents a startling story of political expedience that put Americans and the world at greater danger and led to numerous deaths and injuries that could have been prevented. Obviously, those responsible are more than just a single man in the office of the President. Clinton suffered from extremely poor advice from unexperienced political appointees who were more interested in winning elections and securing a 'legacy' than in the important job of protecting the citizenry. And as one reviewer noted, the attacks that followed Clinton's inauguration were partly the fault of the Bush Sr. administration as well.

Rather than being a 'hatchet job' on a single administration, as some have put it, this book points to a greater failure of intelligence agencies and political officials who failed to do all they could to protect the people they are sworn to. Clinton's administration, while not fully culpable for all terrorist attacks in the last 20 years, did exacerbate the problem and contribute to the inaction that led to the tragedy of September 11th. This book hilights those failures and shows the path that Osama bin Laden traveled to bring the worst attack on American soil in history.

Readers of this book are presented with the story that shows the difference between administrations and how they handle crises that makes this reader truly greatful for the outcome of the 2000 election.

This book is a must read for those who want to uncover the truth of how 9/11 came to pass, and what we MUST do to avoid similar attacks in the future. Eight years of escalating terrorist attacks, compared to the absence of attacks in the US in the last 4 shows that hopefully, the political structure has learned the lessons of previous failures.

Book Description

Invasive species--those nonnative organisms that aggressively spread into the landscape--are widely recognized as major threats to biological diversity, second only to direct habitat loss. This book provides specific information about the biology and control of the 78 nonnative plant species that are listed by the California Exotic Pest Plant Council (CalEPPC) as being of greatest ecological concern in California.
The heart of the book consists of species accounts, each description illustrated with a close-up photo, a habitat photo, and line drawings showing details to aid identification. The text addresses the following questions about each speices: How do I recognize it? Where would I find it? Where did it come from and how does it spread? What problems does it cause? How does it grow and reproduce? How can I get rid of it?
Many invasives can be halted or slowed, and in certain circumstances even badly infested areas can be restored. With the help of this book, land managers, volunteer stewards, conservationists, and others concerned with wildlands in the western United States can better understand invasive plants and help combat the damage they do.
This book was inadvertently printed without a common-name index. To see the index, please click the "Errata" link above.

Customer Reviews:

An informative book.......2007-01-11

This is a very interesting and informative book concerning some of the plants you are most likely to see in California's semi-urbanized wild places... that is, you're often more likely to see these plants than native plants.

However, only a limited number of plants are covered, and there are quite a few very common and highly invasive species that I wish she'd included. This is a compliment to the amount of information she provides about the plants that ARE in the book: where the plant came from, how to get rid of it, how it propagates, various musings of someone evidently quite familiar with the species, and more.

Also, there are a number of species that only occur in southern California, so if you live further north like me, this information is not especially useful.

Excellent Work!.......2003-01-24

This books is the first book to compile information of invasive species that are a threat to native plant communties. The review for each plant is superb citing historical, physiological, and distribution information. I strongly recommend this book for anyone studying invasive plant species. This book will not be of much help the gardener, but it is incredibly helpful to the conservationist and academic.

Not up to standards?.......2002-04-01

When comparing this with "Invasive_Plants. Weeds of the Global Garden" it would seem logical that at more than three times the price this book would offer considerably more. It does offer more text, and color pictures that are a little bigger. In addition there are small maps of California, showing distribution and small line drawings. This book would gain in accessibility if each new species started on a new page, if the line drawings were of a size and quality more aimed to facilitate recognising the species and if a more consistent format of color picture had been used, preferably showing some characteristic details.

By the way I do worry about the way both books recommend the use of herbicides like glyphosates (roundup and the like): it sounds as if the cure may be worse than the plague.

Average customer rating:
The Weed Workers' Handbook: A Guide to Techniques for Removing Bay Area Invasive Plants

Manufacturer: California Invasive Plant Council
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000B5S4DO

Product Description

A simple, strategic approack to dealing with wildland weeds, guidelines for how to plan and lead volunteer weed control projects, descriptions of the techniques used to control wildland weeds, tool illustrations and a chart explaining how each tool can be used, and color illustrations, detailed descriptions, and thorough explanations of the best ways to control the Bay Area's worst weeds.

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