Water and Light: A Diver's Journey to a Coral Reef (Southwestern Writers Collection Series)

Book Description

"Moving, intelligent and, in the best sense, literary.... Stephen Harrigan is anchored in reality; he knows that the environment he's describing is in serious jeopardy. At the same time, he has made this book sparkle with his remarkable ability to discuss the metaphysical and spiritual aspects of underwater exploration without ever sounding saccharine or murky."

— New York Times Book Review

"[Harrigan] tells us about the people who live on Grand Turk, or come there on business, and he is given to reflecting on the subtleties of the underwater experience, but his real virtue as a writer is his ability to convey, in precise, lucid, prose, the marvels of the sea bottom."

— New Yorker

"Harrigan ...captures the peacefulness of being rocked by salty currents, the massive beauty of the reefs, the exhilaration of the sport, and the mental scramble to retain fast-fading memories of sights almost unimaginable on land. Fellow divers will relish his camaraderie, while those who prefer staying topside will feel as though they've taken the plunge themselves."

— Booklist

This evocative account of the months Stephen Harrigan spent diving on the coral reefs off Grand Turk Island in the Caribbean was originally published by Houghton Mifflin in 1992.

Customer Reviews:

Well worth your time.......2004-05-27

Great book, but I just couldn't give it 5 stars like many others did. I reserve 5 stars for truly monumental works. In this rating system, if you rate The Lord of the Rings, Les Misrables, Great Expectations, and The Grapes of Wrath 5 stars, can you honestly count this work with them?

A Must Read for Divers.......2002-01-18

This is the best book about scuba diving I've ever read and should be read by anyone and everyone that is interested in scuba diving. It does a fabulous job of describing the great things about scuba diving without telling you what you already know. That said, it is also a great story and would probably be enjoyed by non-scuba divers. This is a great gift idea for a diving inclined loved one.

One warning... one of the reviewers recommended reading this to get your diving fix when you aren't going to be able to get underwater for a while; NOT TRUE. I found the exact opposite, this book only heightened my desire to go diving to near pathological levels!

If you've read this, I'd also recommend reading Neutral Buoyancy by Tim Ecott which is another good book about diving. It has more history and straight information than this book.

Absorbing and enthralling.......2001-07-26

Stephen Harrigan has captured the most enjoyable account of his Diving adventures. I felt myself re-living the events and relating them to my own modest enoyable times spent in the Caribbean recently. Superbly written and hard to put down. Makes airplane flights disappear. Happily discovered we are in the same City too.

I found a soul mate. . . ........2001-04-23

I was in tears by the end of the first chapter-- I thought I was one of a FEW who feels more at home underwater than on the surface. I don't get to dive very often (family, etc.) but whenever I need to "dive", I pull out this book & I'm in Heaven. Harrigan's descriptions of not only what he sees but what feelings these visions invoke move me beyond words, as I think they would anyone who feels the ocean in their blood.

The best book on diving.......2001-04-02

When people want to know what it's like to dive, I give them this book. Harrigan has captured the essence of scuba diving. He has nearly expressed the inexpressible.

WATER AND LIGHT A DIVER'S JOURNEY TO A CORAL REEF

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WATER AND LIGHT A DIVER'S JOURNEY TO A CORAL REEF

Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

WATER AND LIGHT. A DIVER'S JOURNEY TO A CORAL REEF [B4]

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WATER AND LIGHT. A DIVER'S JOURNEY TO A CORAL REEF [B4]
S. Harrigan
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WPZ61G

Book Description

In developed nations around the world, residential schools for deaf students are giving way to the trend of inclusion in regular classrooms. Nonetheless, deaf education continues to lag as the students struggle to communicate. In the Bua School in Thailand, however, 400 residential deaf students ranging in age from 6 to 19 have met with great success in teaching each other Thai Sign Language (TSL) and a world of knowledge once thought to be lost to them. The Rising of Lotus Flowers: Self-Education by Deaf Children in Thai Boarding Schools reveals how their institutionalization allowed them to foster a unique incubator of communication and education.

Charles B. Reilly, a teacher of deaf students in Thailand for eight years, collaborated with Nipapon Reilly, a Deaf Thai citizen, to study the students in the Bua School for 14 years, with periodic follow-ups to the present date. They found that the students learned little from their formal instructors, but that they were able to educate each other in time spent away from the classroom. Students who had learned TSL from their deaf parents successfully passed it on to six-year-olds who had virtually no language at all. The Reillys’ study uncovers an elaborate hierarchy of education among these students, with each group using games and other activities to teach and bring other classmates up to their level. Named for the much admired aquatic plant that blooms in Thailand’s bogs, the Bua School epitomizes the ideal of The Rise of Lotus Flowers, which also offers analytical evidence of the continuing value of residential schools in deaf education.

Customer Reviews:

Rising of Lotus Flowers-by author.......2005-11-08

From the author:

The Rising of Lotus Flowers: Self-Education by Deaf Children in Thai Boarding Schools is an ethnography about the daily lives of 400 deaf children who are intensively learning from each other in the dorms & playgrounds of their residential school.

The authors uncover a rich variety of language, activities, and social structure created by the Thai children themselves, and show how it elevates their minds above their conditions to knowledge of societal and Deaf ways. This seminal book reveals a hidden role of residential schooling in aiding human development, transmission of a sign language, and the formation of a Deaf community.

Full of images & real-life examples, The Rising of Lotus Flowers is a window on deaf children's never-ending pursuit of meaning and normalcy.

It took us 14 years to write this book, based on a doctoral dissertation. Of value to education policymakers, sociolinguists, educators, and anyone interested in children and the generative power of the isolated mind.

Charles and Nipapon Reilly, Gallaudet University

The paper-flower tree,: A tale from Thailand

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The paper-flower tree,: A tale from Thailand
Jacqueline Ayer
Manufacturer: Harcourt, Brace & World
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The 2007 Import and Export Market for Artificial Flowers, Foliage, Fruit, and Their Parts and Articles in Thailand

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The 2007 Import and Export Market for Artificial Flowers, Foliage, Fruit, and Their Parts and Articles in Thailand
Philip M. Parker
Manufacturer: ICON Group International, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 054633864X
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Product Description

On the demand side, exporters and strategic planners focusing on artificial flowers, foliage, fruit, and their parts and articles in Thailand face a number of questions. Which countries are supplying artificial flowers, foliage, fruit, and their parts and articles to Thailand? How important is Thailand compared to others in terms of the entire global and regional market? How much do the imports of artificial flowers, foliage, fruit, and their parts and articles vary from one country of origin to another in Thailand? On the supply side, Thailand also exports artificial flowers, foliage, fruit, and their parts and articles. Which countries receive the most exports from Thailand? How are these exports concentrated across buyers? What is the value of these exports and which countries are the largest buyers? This report was created for strategic planners, international marketing executives and import/export managers who are concerned with the market for artificial flowers, foliage, fruit, and their parts and articles in Thailand. With the globalization of this market, managers can no longer be contented with a local view. Nor can managers be contented with out-of-date statistics which appear several years after the fact. I have developed a methodology, based on macroeconomic and trade models, to estimate the market for artificial flowers, foliage, fruit, and their parts and articles for those countries serving Thailand via exports, or supplying from Thailand via imports. It does so for the current year based on a variety of key historical indicators and econometric models. In what follows, Chapter 2 begins by summarizing where Thailand fits into the world market for imported and exported artificial flowers, foliage, fruit, and their parts and articles. The total level of imports and exports on a worldwide basis, and those for Thailand in particular, is estimated using a model which aggregates across over 150 key country markets and projects these to the current year. From there, each country represents a percent of the world market. This market is served from a number of competitive countries of origin. Based on both demand- and supply-side dynamics, market shares by country of origin are then calculated across each country market destination. These shares lead to a volume of import and export values for each country and are aggregated to regional and world totals. In doing so, we are able to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of both the value of each market and the share that Thailand is likely to receive this year. From these figures, rankings are calculated to allow managers to prioritize Thailand compared to other major country markets. In this way, all the figures provided in this report are forecasts that can be combined with internal information sources for strategic planning purposes.

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Flowers in Thailand (Nature series)
Amnuay Pinratana
Manufacturer: Viratham Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Flowers in Thailand Nature Series No 02i Volume 10

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Flowers in Thailand Nature Series No 02i Volume 10
Bro Amnuay Pinratana
Manufacturer: Viratham Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NZ1G00

Product Description

Book is full of full colour flower pictures with descriptions and measurements

FLOWERS IN THAILAND: NATURE SERIES NO. 02F.

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FLOWERS IN THAILAND: NATURE SERIES NO. 02F.

Manufacturer: The Viratham Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HJJVXG

FLOWERS IN THAILAND: NATURE SERIES NO.02E.

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FLOWERS IN THAILAND: NATURE SERIES NO.02E.

Manufacturer: Viratham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HJBU0S

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The Paper Flower Tree A Tale From Thailand
Jackqueline Ayer
Manufacturer: Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NPFBRO

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Wild flowers of Thailand
Tem Smitinand
Manufacturer: [s.n.] ;
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

A Field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand

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appreciate the help this book is for U
Many pictures of species but lacks proper descriptions

A Field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand
Nantiya Vaddhanaphuti
Manufacturer: Silkworm Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Flowers | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 9749575806

Book Description

This elegant Thai and English compendium of the world-renowned orchids of Thailand features 685 species in full-color photographs. With its detailed information on the locations, flowering seasons, and distinctive features of the kingdom's spectacular wild orchids, it is an indispensable companion for both professional and amateur naturalists, as well as for nature lovers on their forays into the national parks of Thailand. The volume includes a species index of Thai and scientific names.

Customer Reviews:

appreciate the help this book is for U.......2000-04-11

You will find this book on every market in Thailand, all the gardeners explaining the English and Thai name to the customers, and the specifics to identify the orchids. Check literature on orchids and you will not find what you are looking for because of thousands of identified and not yet described species. Use this book with marvellous fotos as your field guide, appreciating the work done by Khun Nantiya. For every flower loving traveler to Thailand !

Many pictures of species but lacks proper descriptions.......1999-04-18

As it says in the title, this book was meant as a field guide to orchid species indigenous to Thailand. Two hundred sixty-four species are covered, including many obscure genera like Brachycorythis Pelatantheria, and Tainia. More popular genera are also represented (e.g. 63 Dendrobium species). The book is primarily a visual guide that may aid growers in identifying their plants as the text is limited to the Thai name, locality, month of flowering, size and number of flowers. No details on cultivation are given. Readers used to "Field Guides" written in the US or Europe will be also disappointed by a lack of specific information regarding how to find any of the orchids illustrated in their native habitat.

Book Description

Peggy Fleming Farrell is about to have the best summer ever.

Only, it doesn't look that way at first: There's her job as coffee wench at the Gas 'n Git, her summer school French class, and her unrequited love for a certain waiter. Not to mention Lamaze class with her mom, and her dad's attempt at a professional ice-skating comeback.

So what is it that turns Fleming's summer around? The drive in a "borrowed" golf cart? Love among the pancakes? Appearing in the Rodeo Roundup Days parade -- by accident? The guy with the red flip-flops? What?

Customer Reviews:

Not a Normal Summer.......2005-11-22

Sixteen year old, Peggy Fleming Farrell believes that her summer has come to the worst. Waking up at five every morning, rollerblading across town to work, and babysitting her younger siblings is not how she expected her summer to start. After wrecking two of her parents' cars, Peggy, who was named after a famous figure skater, has to take on a job at Gas `n' Git to pay back her debt. In addition, to make things worse, she gets her license taken away. You will have to read the book to see if Peggy's summer takes a huge twist or if everything just seems to get worse.
I really enjoyed this book because it had a funny plot to it. Peggy just wants to spend her summer learning French and hanging out with her friends, but nothing seems to go the way she wants it to. I liked everything about this book and it was a very quick read. Every chapter has something new and unexpected. I hardly ever wanted to put it down.
Mostly girls would probably like this book. If you want to experience "sweet sixteen" through another's eyes, this would be perfect for you. The main character definitely explains how there can be more work than fun and the disadvantages of growing up. Either way, this is an awesome book and I think you will probably enjoy it.

Kind of.........2005-07-19

predictable. At the end of the book you can kind of figue out what is going to happen. This book is also very slow and hard to get into. You really have to keep reading to get to the good part. I thought that this girl complained to much also.

Her Life Is Literally A Frozen Rodeo.......2005-02-15

Peggy Fleming. Not your typical 16 year old teenager. With problems that are not even hers, such as her dad being a skater and trying to make his comeback, and her mom being a weather announcer on KLDV radio who is also expecting another baby. How will she make it through the problems that ARE hers? She works at Gas 'N Git, there is a robber on the loose that robs gas stations, gives her parents her paycheck so she can pay them back for the two car accidents she caused, and watches her siblings. Also, she is obsessed with Steve Gropher, has no friend in town for the summer, goes to french class were the teacher never shows up and gets substitutes that do not even speak French, and has to take a bus with a crazy driver because she has no car. But one of the biggest problems is that the Rodeo Days are coming to town in Lindville, which she hates. I like this book because the author leaves you hanging there wondering what is going to happen next and then picks you right back up again. Also, she ties everything together and makes this story relate to most teenage girls.

Oh What a "Rodeo".......2004-10-23

Peggy Fleming Farrell is stuck working as a coffee wench at the Gas `n Git when all she wants to go is grab some gas and git out of Dodge before her father, Patrick Farrell, involves her in his skating comeback. Then there's Peggy's mom, queen of weather and radio broadcasting, who seems to think Peggy hasn't got a responsible bone in her body even as she rushes out the door leaving Peggy to watch "The Little Mermaid" again with her younger siblings. Then there's Peggy's desperate crush and the agony of small-town America, but a la Dorothy, Peggy's going to learn that there's no place like the rodeo.

Attention SmalltownTeenagers.......2004-03-29

Frozen Rodeo is a book about a teenage girl that lives in a small hometown. She faces many problems like boys, French class, Rodeo Days, a job, and dealing with her mother's pregnancy. In the small town though, she doesn't have a lot of things to do in her spare time. All the adventures and daily problems she goes through makes for an excellent book full of drama with some comedy.
The part I liked about this book was how I could relate to the main character in many ways. Being a teenager from a small town like she was, I could understand jokes and remarks she'd make. Also the imagery was well described so you can easily get a picture in your head. However, one thing I didn't like about the book was how the author would drag things out at parts. I prefer a book that's exciting at every part. If you have ever read the book When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, you would enjoy this book because it has a lot of the same type of comedy. Also, the small town setting makes them have the same feel. I would recommend reading this book if you are a teenage girl. You'll understand more of where the main character is coming from and dealing with.

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FROZEN RODEO
CLARK C.
Manufacturer: HARPER COLLINS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PH0Q98

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Frozen Rodeo
Catherine Clark
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFBNYS

Book Description

In Virus-Insect-Plant Interactions, the world's leading scientists discuss the latest breakthroughs in understanding the biological and ecological factors that define these complex transmission systems and how this knowledge might be used to our advantage in producing innovative, user and environmentally friendly approaches to controlling the spread of plant pathogens by insects. This is an invaluable reference work for researchers, teachers, and students. There are many quick-reference figures and tables, the contents pages include individual chapter abstracts, and each chapter ends with its own bibliography.

Key Features
* presents the most significant research breakthroughs of the past two decades
* contains eighteen chapters by forty-two world-renowned researchers
* invaluable reference work for researchers, teachers and students
* each chapter ends with its own bibliography
* contents pages of forematter include individual chapter abstracts
* contains many quick-reference figures and tables

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VIRUS INSECT PLANT INTERACTIONS
James E.; Smith,Oney P.; Harris,Kerry F. Duffus
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N5F4NA

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Virus-Insect-Plant Interactions
James E. Duffus; Oney P. Smith; Kerry F. Harris
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHVSM8

Book Description

The main aim of this volume is to summarize the state of the art in the area of high performance solutions of structured linear systems as well as the area of structured eigenvalue and singular-value problems. The volume highlights research directions perceived to be the most important for computing the structured problems. The topics covered range from parallel solvers for sparse or banded linear systems to parallel computation of eigenvalues and singular values of tridiagonal and bidiagonal matrices. In addition, the volume contains articles on specialized solution techniques for dense Toeplitz and Hankel matrices. The papers also discuss implementation issues on numerous parallel architectures such as vector computers, shared and distributed memory multiprocessors, and clusters of workstations.

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