Customer Reviews:
Five Stars.......2007-09-01
This was the hardest book to find it after five years of searching and two failed attempts I finally found it. It was certainly worth the wait. It was well researched and written. The Empress Marie certainly had anamazing life and one of the few to survive the Russian Revolution which most ofher family was killed including two of her children and five grandchildren. Even though she went to her grave still believing they were still alive some where. It must have been easier to accept then the fact they were killed. I enjoyed learning about her childhood in Denmark and her marriage which was pretty romantic. An excellent book.
Fantabulous!!.......2007-05-19
This book was incredible, It was all I hoped for and more. :-) Seriously, it was worth what it cost, because it seems the author left no stone unturned on what they ate, what they wore, everything. If you're a history lover such as myself, you'll love this book!
Fascinating but flawed..........2005-05-26
As a die-hard Romanov fan, I found the story of Empress Marie Feodorovna in Little Mother of Russia by Coryne Hall to be fascinating. Unfortunately, errors and oversights by Hall kept this from being a truly great biography.
Marie, the former Princess Dagmar of Denmark, is best known as the mother of the ill-fated Tsar Nicholas II. This is a rags to riches to almost rags story. Dagmar was born into one of the poorer branches of the Danish Royal Family. Although not heir to the throne, circumstances lead to her father being crowned King Christian IX. Her sister Alix eventually became Queen Alexandra of England (married to Edward VII), and her brother became King George I of Greece. Dagmar was not as beautiful as Alix, but she had velvety eyes, a caring heart, a petite figure and a sense of style. She was originally engaged to the Russian Tsarevitch Nicholas. When Nicholas died suddenly, his brother Alexander (Sasha) took Dagmar as his bride. This was a marriage of opposites, yet it was one of the happiest among any royal family at that time. When Sasha ascended the throne on the assassination of his father, Alexander II, Dagmar became the glittering and very popular Empress Marie Feodorovna.
Sasha and Marie had a happy family life and reared five children. But their biggest failing was raising Tsarevitch Nicholas to be a weak man, totally unprepared for the crown. When Sasha died suddenly at the age of 49, Marie's life took a dramatic turn when she found herself on the outside looking in.
Nicholas was totally dominated by his wife, Alexandra. The situation became worse when after the birth of four daughters, the empress finally gave birth to a son and heir, Alexis. Soon after his birth, it was discovered that Alexis suffered from hemophilia. In desperation, Nicholas and Alexandra turned to a number of quacks and mystics before meeting up with the infamous Rasputin. Marie could only sit by helplessly as Russia headed toward revolution.
Little Mother Russia shows how Marie was a woman of contradictions. She was a loving and devoted mother to her oldest three children. But after she became empress, she became more remote and detached to the two youngest. She was an anti-Semite, yet treated Jews with kindness. She wasn't the most intelligent woman, but she was clever, witty and possessed a strong political acumen. Marie had a talent for toning down her often stubborn and autocratic husband. It wasn't until after Sasha's death that she became stubborn herself, as well as selfish and demanding.
After the revolution, Marie lost almost everything including two sons, five grandchildren, assorted in-laws, her palaces, her wealth and most of her possessions. She lived the rest of her life in her native Denmark, supported by her two nephews, King George V (England) and King Christian X (Denmark). Her meager allowances did not allow her to live as an empress, although she certainly tried.
Unfortunately, there are a number of problems that detract from this book. First, there are a number of typos and errors that are unacceptable. Little Mother of Russia is generously sprinkled with Russian terms without explanations. I had to go on Google to discover that a panikhida is a memorial service. The ending was rushed and not well documented. On page 357, she states that the remains of two bodies, believed to be Alexis and the missing grand duchess, were discovered near Ekaterinburg and were awaiting DNA testing. She does not document where she got this information, and I have not seen this mentioned anywhere else.
Even with these problems, Marie led a fascinating life and Little Mother of Russia is quite interesting. Just the photos are worth the price of the book-many never before seen. So while I thought this book was good, it could have been much better.
Very nice..........2004-03-16
From Dagmar of Demark to Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia, this beautiful woman was nonetheless a remarkable person. One doesn't see many biographies as of late on the last living Empress of Russia. Coryne Hall does a good job in helping us remember a great icon in Russian history.
An Incredible, Tragic Life.......2003-06-04
I can't improve on the reviewers below, but I must say this is a very comprehensive, yet readable biography, one that is a "must have" for any Romanov fan. The life of Empress Marie is one of extremes. Born in a rather insignificant branch of royalty, she is catapulted to one of the most glittering kingdoms of its time. And yet, despite the tremendous wealth, her life is marked by tremendous tragedy. I had always wanted to learn more about Marie since reading Robert Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra", and this book does not disappoint. My only two (minor) complaints are 1) rather sloppy editing (in one family tree a member is 130 years old when she dies) and 2) I find the book slightly overpriced at [item price]. Despite this, however, I do recommend this biography of an incredibly interesting woman. I think you will enjoy it.
Book Description
At the age of 14, Tara Lipinski became the youngest figure skater to win the World Championship title. Tara's own words, accompanied by thoughts from her parents, coach, choreographer, and others close to her, turn this stunning pictorial into a colorful, remarkably candid visual journey of a skating phenomenon and her Olympic experience
Customer Reviews:
Snooze-a-thon with a hint of self-glorifying........2003-04-20
How concieted can you get? This book does nothing but glorify it's subject and belittle her competitors. To add, the writing in this book is minimal. It's more of a picture book for the elementary school student as it has little literary value. If you want a book on figure skating, buy Culture on Ice instead.
A picture book.......2003-03-10
This book is 145 pages long, and nearly every single one of those pages is a picture. Some of the pictures have words written on them, but this is a picture book. Don't get me wrong though, these pictures do a good job of showing Tara's preparation for the 1998 games, and her experiences while she was there. You get a good look inside her training, and her mind set entering the games.
So, if you want to see a LOT of pictures of tara, and get a somewhat limited idea of her life, buy this book, but if you're looking for an autobiography...this isn't one.
Tara-Ice Princess.......2001-10-21
I think this is a great book! They could of put a little more writing in. But then again it was great the way it is! Tara is a wonderful skater and it is cool to see pictures of her on her way to reaching her goal! I love this book!
Totally Tara? Indeed!.......2001-09-23
Why is figure skating my favorite sport? Actually, there are several reasons. First, it is a truly international sport. Also, it has both athletic and artistic sides to it, and it is performed to a great variety of beautiful music. And most of the female competitors look like fashion models, with glamorous costumes that only heighten the illusion. And then there are the rivalries, which range from friendly (The Battle of the Brians, for instance) to highly acrimonious (Tonya vs. Nancy, "Pasha" vs. Maia), giving the sport its gossipy appeal.
The greatest rivalry of the late 90's, of course, was Tara vs. Michelle, as they battled on almost equal terms for the U.S., World, and ultimaltely the Olympic championships. This seemed to be a classic case of the "athlete" (Tara) versus the "artist" (Michelle) as each had the reputation (and higher scores, overall) in these respective areas (although both were great all-around skaters). The advantage, of course, would go to the "athlete" most of the time, since a fall on a jump is marked down much more severely than, say, an inferior leg position on a layback spin. Also, Tara benefitted from being the "underdog" in most of the big competitions, since there is always more pressure and distractions for the "favorite" to contend with. It also didn't hurt that Tara has the perfect body for figure skating (very short and pencil-thin), which no doubt contributed to her ability to rotate incredibly fast on jumps where she barely seemed to leave the ice. And switching coaches to Richard Callaghan was also a wise move, given his outstanding track record, not to mention having a hard-working and dedicated training partner and "role model" such as Todd Eldredge.
The words that seem to best describe Tara would, I think, be precocious (youngest U.S., World, and Olympic champion), focused (having the ability to "bounce back" after lackluster performances), and gregarious. In other words, when it comes to Tara's skating style and accomplishments, she gets 5 "stars" (as does Michelle Kwan, for that matter), but as far as this book goes, I would only give three. Although the photoghaphy is certainly very nice, there is very little text (116 pages to 26) and it is mostly superficial and, as is typical in a semiautobiographical book, tends to look only at the good side of Tara (for a more "in depth" and not nearly as flattering look at Tara, see Christine Brennan's excellent figure skating "storybooks", Inside Edge and Edge of Glory...
Great book!.......2000-10-24
This book is wonderful if you are a big Tara Lipinski fan. It showed Tara on the ice, at home, and just having fun. I loved every single picture in the book!
Average customer rating:
- A good guide for those first starting....
- excellent resource
- Sell your kids to buy this book
- FIVE STARS, excellent, excellent, excellent.
- Great source of info...
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Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films and Videos Third Edition
Alan Rosenthal
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Making Documentary Films and Reality Videos: A Practical Guide to Planning, Filming, and Editing Documentaries of Real Events
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Documentary Storytelling for Video and Filmmakers
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The Documentary Film Makers Handbook: A Guerilla Guide
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Directing the Documentary, Fourth Edition
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Video Shooter: Storytelling with DV, HD, and HDV Cameras (DV Expert Series) (DV Expert Series)
ASIN: 0809324482 |
Book Description
As Alan Rosenthal states in the preface to this new edition of his acclaimed resource for filmmakers, Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films and Videos is “a book about storytelling—how to tell great and moving stories about fascinating people, whether they be villains or heroes.”
In response to the technological advances of the last six years and the demands of cable TV stations like Discovery and A&E, Alan Rosenthal reconsiders how one approaches documentary filmmaking in the twenty-first century. Foregoing theory and hardware, Rosenthal tackles the day-to-day problems from initial concept through distribution, emphasizing the research and writing approach.
He offers examples of interviewing, narration writing, and the complexities of editing. Simply and clearly, Rosenthal explains how to write, direct, and produce the documentary, whether film or video. New aspects of this third edition include nonlinear editing techniques, a complex budget example and its analysis, plus a chapter on “Staying Alive,” which details how European and U.S. stations approach documentary and how the Internet can help filmmakers find new markets. A new chapter has been added to address the growing genre of family films.
Customer Reviews:
A good guide for those first starting...........2007-04-05
In starting something new, the potential making missteps that can derail the whole process is always present. This book helps you avoid those and has advice on how you can develop a quality product that people will want to see. Very worthwhile.
excellent resource.......2002-04-27
Even while reading this book I was able to pitch an idea for an event and documentary project, my first, and gain acceptance for the project. The concepts are helpful as well as practical.
I read a lot of books once I am interested in a subject and I would place this one at the top for documentaries.
Sell your kids to buy this book.......2001-09-27
There is little in written text that summarise the worth of this book. I was so moved by its detailed and incisive content and direction that I sold my kids to afford the time and space, the peace required to absorb the rivetting content.
As I sat at my video production terminal I realised that the nirvana of books on docudrama had been produced. This is the sort of book that makes you go and get the authors name tattooed on your butt.
Buy , buy , buy ..
FIVE STARS, excellent, excellent, excellent........2001-06-25
This book is a masterful resource for any filmmaker regardless of their expertise.
No one has come close in their summation of the documentary process. It is 2001, the book was released in 1996, it is timeless. The best book on the market, a better book could only be devised by the author.
Four years of preperation in one book. Every student, professional filmmaker, enthusiast should have it. I have even allowed persons/subjects whom I was documenting to read this book. It made the process that much easier. They were extremely thankful. PURCHASE THE BOOK.
Great source of info..........2001-03-21
I find myself opening this book up over and over again . I have learned alot from the writer of this book . I would tell anyone who is going to make a documentary , they should have this book on there desk.
Average customer rating:
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Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films,
Alan Rosenthal
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Documentary Storytelling for Video and Filmmakers
ASIN: 0809316366 |
Book Description
"For me, working in documentary implies a commitment that one wants to change the world for the better. That says it all."—Alan Rosenthal
An international documentary filmmaker with more than 60 films to his credit including the Peabody Award winner "Out of the Ashes," Rosenthal has written the first book to address the realities facing a documentary filmmaker. Rather than dealing with theory or hardware, this book tackles the day-to-day problems of the documentary filmmaker from initial concept through distribution. Rosenthal explains in a down-to-earth manner how to approach, create, write, and direct the "new" documentary He emphasizes the research and writing of documentaries, from approach and structure through interviewing, narration writing, and the complexities of editing.
The organization of the book follows the process of making a film. Part 1 discusses ideas, research, and script structure; parts 2 and 3 go over preproduction and production; part 4 explores film editing and narration writing; part 5 discusses distinctive film styles; and the concluding chapter offers a perspective on the entire filmmaking process.
Book Description
How big is a 500-puzzle Sunday omnibus? Over 60,000 clues and more than 150,000 boxes make this America's biggest crossword book and its best value, too!
Customer Reviews:
Great value.......2007-04-26
Took the advice of another reviewer and am glad I did! The puzzles aren't so hard that you feel defeated, but just difficult enough to get your brain really working. None of those 3,4,or 5 letter easy answers! All Sunday-sized with themes! Only one small drawback related to the book's layout: all the puzzles are positioned in the lower right corner of each page; makes writing in answers a little awkward. That aside, I'm having a blast with this book!
Monster.......2006-08-19
Excellent crossword book. Puzzles are not extremely hard but just difficult to test your brain.
Gosh, A must buy for crossword fans........2000-11-29
I rarely solved sunday crosswords--- it took too much time. But puzzles in this gorgeous book are so good that I can not help but looking up my dictionary and encyclopedia over and over, trying hard but happily to fill each box. This book contains not only tremendous number of puzzles(500 in all!) but also in very high quality. Let me introduce first pages: the puzzle no.1 is by Mike Shenk, no.2 by Merl Reagle, no.3 by Trip Payne, no.4 by Stanley Newman, the incredible editor of this book, himself, no.5 is by David A. Rosen.... These names are so thunderous and famous in this field. I adore Stanley Newman for editing such a high-level collection of puzzles, offering endless joy for crossword fans.
Contemporary Masterpiece.......1999-08-25
It's a great collection of puzzles not only in sheer quantity but quality as well at an almost unheard of price (less than 4 cents/puzzle!). These puzzles are a great example of the new breed of constructors who rely more on clever wordplay than arcane knowledge. The difficult, on average, is a little less challenging than the normal Sunday NY Times. Stanley Newman shows again why he is one of the most respected crossword puzzle editors and a very fine constructor in his own right.
Book Description
Four Agreements for Marketers
100 Customers in 100 Days
Customer Reviews:
Practical and great advice!.......2007-07-08
As a new person to MLM, I found this book to be applicable and love the suggestions and examples on what to say without sounding insincere. I highly recommend this book to anyone new to MLM.
A Different Strategy.......2005-08-31
The popular strategy for making money from MLM is to find other business builders. In this book, Kim Klaver presents a different strategy for making profit, one which short-circuits the usual complaints about MLM being pyramid schemes.
However, this strategy does require that your company provide consumeable items which generate repeatable sales with relatively high absolute margins. E.g. if your cost of delivering the product to a regular monthly customer is $3, and your profit is $10, and you can only deliver to 100 customers a month, then your maximum profit is $700. This does not take into account factors like the cost of getting the product inventory, the cost of getting the regular customer, or the life-time value of the customer.
A breath of fresh air..........2005-07-17
Kim has the track record of success that deserves immediate respect and through her training methods she makes networking marketing fun again. She tells the truth about the numbers game. This is by far the best book I have read in the field of direct sales in the last 10 years. She allows you to get prepared for cold and warm markets by telling your personal "hot button" story and going for that market niche'. Kudos to Kim for being real and NO hype. I'm 100% sold.
Joe H (...)
Book Description
Orlandito “Dito” Montiel, son of Orlando, a Nicaraguan immigrant, and an Irish mother, grew wild in the streets of Astoria, Queens, pulling pranks for Greek and Italian gangsters and confessing at the church of the Immaculate Conception, gobbling hits of purple mescaline and Old English, sneaking into Times Square whore houses—“Kids from nowhere going nowhere.”
This is the quintessentially American story of a young man's hunger for experience, his dawning awareness of the bigger world across the bridge, and of the loyalties that bind him to a violent past and to the flawed and desperate saints that have guided him: Dito’s father, Antonio “our insane warrior hero,” Bob Semen, Frank the dog walker, Jimmy Mullen, Cherry Vanilla, Ginsberg and all the others, the drunks, coke-heads, junkies, the insaniacs like Santos Antonios who said, “Now Dito remember, in life you gotta be crazy.”
Customer Reviews:
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.......2007-07-31
After watching the movie I expected a much better story, in the end it's nothing more than the life of a pseudo model, pseudo musician in NY, nothing interesting to tell.
See the movie but skip the book.......2007-04-18
I really liked the movie version of "Saints" for its gutsy portrayal of Dito's experience coming of age in Astoria. Unfortunately, the screenplay is far superior to the book. The book starts with Dito's early years but merely skims the surface and proceeds to a disjointed, sprawling narrative about Dito's adventures (mostly drunken or drug addled) as a punk rocker. He drops a lot of names but the story never goes anywhere. It sounds like he dictated this into a tape recorder and had someone transcribe his musings. And I'm not convinced he didn't make a few things up along the way. And, by the way, Yogaville is not close to either Farmville or Richmond and Raleigh, North Carolina is not a small town (if you read the book you'll understand the references). There's really no point to this book and after a while his stories are pretty tedious.
Music magazine quality.......2007-03-16
It's no suprise that Montiel's screenplay, while portrayed as a memoir, deviates significantly from this book that lacked the ingredients to create an adequate movie.
I'd never heard of Gutterboy, but reading Montiel's memoir reminded me of every other punker's -- Rollins, for example -- observations of the 80's punk/harcore music scene: discordant shows, odd characters, serendipitous record deals, and starstruck meetings with major celebrities.
Montiel repeats himself throughout the book, contriving to be like the beat writers he admires, but never getting it to sound genuine.
Father Angelo and Astoria.......2007-03-10
I just finished watching the movie.I got goosebumps.
I grew up in the neighborhood and moved out to Long Island about 6yrs ago.
I went to Immaculate Conception Grammar school and graduated in 86'
Dito captured Astoria down to the very minute detail
Too bad they didnt show Father Angelo in the movie. He was the best !
I hope the movie gets some awards, it was eerie watching your childhood caputured in such astounding detail by such a fine writer.
Excellent.......2006-11-02
Really enjoyed the book...........not to mention Dito was a neighbor of mine in Astoria.....
Average customer rating:
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Post-Cold War Defense Reform: Lessons Learned in Europe and the United States
Manufacturer: Potomac Books Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1574885774 |
Book Description
Beginning with the landslide political changes in Europe in the early 1990s, politicians and military planners started to contemplate the possible effects on military postures. Most countries, however, did not enforce plans for post-Cold War reform because they lacked political will and money, their conservative militaries resisted, and they felt no real pressure from any clear and present threat. September 11 was seen in many cases as a loud wake-up call, but nonetheless it did not elicit a clear response. Even in the United States, where calls for defense reform were the strongest, real defense reform seems to be another casualty of the terrorist attacks.
Fortunately, debates have begun about the future of military forces, the "revolution in military affairs," and the plans for NATO and European security and defense cooperation. Whether these initial discussions will lead to real strategic thinking, to threat analysis, and finally to a meaningful strategic review is uncertain. This publication serves as a timely contribution to the debate on determining which lessons have, and have not, been learned while suggesting possible courses for the way ahead.
Book Description
New York State Government: What It Does, How It Works is the first comprehensive examination of New York State government in over two decades. Robert B. Ward's book gives readers a thorough grounding in the state Constitution, the three branches of government in Albany, and the broad scope of state activities and services. This highly readable text presents rich and valuable insights into the competition that powerful actors engage in to develop and carry out public policies.
The treatment of each major topic -- such as health, education, public safety, environment, jobs and welfare, and transportation -- starts with historical development, critically important given the Empire State's leading role in the making of America.
Overall, the book sheds light on the reasons and the ways that New York State government changes over time in response to motivated leaders and the will of the people. It includes assessments of the State's leading governors and other instrumental players involved in the governmental process.
Customer Reviews:
Not your ordinary read.......2003-03-15
New York State Government: What it does, How it works
By Robert B. Ward
Publisher: Rockefeller Institute Press, Albany, New York 12203-1003, 2002
Robert Ward, who has been involved in New York State government for over 20 years, gives us a great road map to what has happened in the Empire State politically and substantively in his book New York State Government: What it does and How it works. This readable, one volume work gives a great overview of the structure, purpose and implementation of New York's large government on both a legislative, judicial and administrative level. It is a nice review for those involved in government and a good beginning for those who seek to be in or who are new to government. Directors of associations directly impacted by government, new legislators and regulators and public policy students will find this a useful start in learning the somewhat complex way in which the Empire State operates and carries out its government mission.
As Ward points out, it is the administrative governmental structure, which has grown significantly since the 1970's, that carries out the nuts and bolts of New York State Government. Ward's premise that "the power of an agency executive with a vision, personal drive and the support of elected leadership can make an enormous impact on state government" is carried out in his summary of changes in the Department of Motor Vehicles. A State agency most New Yorker's must visit during their lives, Ward, on page 285 of his book, shows how the "bureaucratic ineptitude" of the way in which licenses and motor vehicle registrations were issued was changed by Governor Cuomo's Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner, Patricia Adduci.
The involvement of employees as well as customers combined with focused "executive support" lead to greatly reduced lines and improved customer service at the Department. In a more micro way, this example highlights how committed attention and creative thought can change the way the State administers its programs. This portion of the book also highlights how the Pataki administration continued these reforms through the implementation of several technology-based improvements. These efforts, at a minimum, have resulted in less waiting time at the DMV, and, in a broader context, prove how effective leadership and commitment can garner positive change in a administratively detailed government structure.
In the end, Ward's book posits, what is the role of state governments? A great question in a time when state government decision-making is beginning to dissipate. As Ward points out, the federal government's role in a traditionally state issue--- insurance--- has become more pronounced with the repeal of Glass-Stegal. The federal government's involvement in the lowering the drinking age and education are significant signs in the reduced role, based on the significant financial needs of state government, states will play in policy making and control of their agenda. In the end, says Ward, voters who care about these issues "should recognize federalism matters." In his concluding remarks, Ward gives us a glimpse of his view that, "perhaps the only safe prediction is that the balance of power will continue to shift. Governors, legislators, and elected leaders at the federal level will push and pull to control the policy debate. Such competition over ideas and political influence will serve all America-as long as an informed citizenry is a full partner in the conversation." It is difficult to argue with this advice.
For a good, basic understanding of New York State's government, Ward's book, New York State Government: What it does, how it works, is a good reference.
New York State Government: An owner's manual.......2002-11-14
This should be required reading for anyone who lives in, does business with or reports on New York State government. Ward combines a bird's-eye view, honed through years of thoughtful observation, with an intellectual appreciation for the nuances of politics and policy.
Many have criticized -- with considerable justification -- the rat's nest of rules, regulations, traditions, politics and georgraphic considerations that so determine what happens and doesn't happen in New York. But few have taken the time to understand that there is indeed a method to this madness. Ward is among those very few, and his book is both insightful and practical.
Average customer rating:
- America's Great Ocean Adventure
- Core Information is Brilliant, Presentation is Marginal
- Waxing poetic on oil rigs
- THIS BOOK IS GREAT!!!!
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Blue Frontier: Saving America's Living Seas
David Helvarg
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0805071350 |
Book Description
A fascinating account of Americas oceans and ocean politics, Blue Frontier explores the impact of history, commerce, and policy on marine lifeand by extension all life on earth. From the legacy of navy-funded research and development since World War II to the current newsworthy topics such as beach closures, collapsing fish stocks, killer algae, hurricanes, and oil spills, Blue Frontier takes readers on an adventure-filled tour of Americas last great wilderness range. Despite todays wide-open development along our coasts and in offshore waters, Blue Frontier argues that sensible policies can still halt the onslaught of industrial destruction. An impassioned call for a new approach to ocean stewardship, Blue Frontier is essential reading for anyone interested in saving our maritime culture and heritage.
Customer Reviews:
America's Great Ocean Adventure.......2001-12-14
David Helvarg takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of America's last great frontier - Our ocean wilderness. In lively, informative and often amusing writing he introduces us to the people and the critters who populate wet America, our 200 mile wide Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which,he also points out, is larger than the continental United States and far more challenging than the Wild West ever was.
From aircraft carriers, to underwater science labs, offshore oil rigs to Antarctic waters, he shows us both the tremendous environmental dangers facing our living seas as well as the watermen and women who are working to right things. If you're going to read one book about the seas, or encourage students and young people to learn more about our maritime heritage and future, this is the book to pick up and pass along.
Core Information is Brilliant, Presentation is Marginal.......2001-06-02
This is the worst of several environmental books I have reviewed, largely because its style is too chatty, the type and presentation formats chosen by the editor are terrible and make it difficult to read and enjoy, and there is isn't a single map or chart or table or figure in the entire book. Bearing in mind that this book made the cut from hundreds that I could have bought and read, and it made the second more rigorous cut to be reviewed, these comments should be taken as they are intended: this is a super book that got screwed up by the publisher and a lack of decent editorial guidance. It should be fixed in the second edition, and I hope it gets to a second edition. Given the author's clearly superior access to and understanding of the individual personalities and organizational players across America, I am really stunned and disappointed that there is not an appendix to the book listing all of these, with contact information and URLs.
There is so much solid, worthwhile information in this book, including valuable insights in why Western political interests are undermining proper representation of our national oceans, coasts, and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in Congress, that I would urge those interested in the oceans (hugely more important to our future than the Amazon or globla forestry, just to make the point), to buy this book, suffer its limitations, and ultimately benefit from the wisdom and experience of the author, for whom my respect is unqualified and whole-hearted. In passing, it would probably be helpful if the first thing we all demanded was that EEZ stand for Exclusive Environmental Zone, rather than treating the oceans as a for-profit target area.
There is one other information-related observation I would make that emerged from reading this book: both the United Nations and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are clearly doing heroic and deeply important work vital to the future of the oceans--and they are doing a terrible job of communicating the basic information about the oceans and their work to the larger world of voters and concerned citizens. What really came home to me as I reflected on what to emphasize in this review is that there is a very wide, almost impenetratable, barrier between what the UN and NOAA know, and what is being communicated to the citizens who have the right to know (they paid for that information with their tax dollars) and the need to know and the desire to know. From this I would say that the next big step for those who would seek to save the oceans, is to demand that all UN and US Government information paid for by the taxpayer be put online henceforth, available at no further cost to the public. It is this information, the bullets and beans of the information war between corporate and citizen interests, that will decide the future of the oceans.
Waxing poetic on oil rigs.......2001-05-30
Helvarg offers front-line account of fight to save the Blue Frontier
By David Liscio
If it's possible to wax poetically about the way offshore oil rigs attract fish, while still remaining a staunch environmentalist, then author David Helvarg has succeeded.
Aboard a helicopter, he writes, "We circle around the flat-topped platform called Pompano. Owned by BP-Amoco, it is the second tallest bottom-fixed structure in the world, drilling into the ocean floor 1,310 feet below the surface. About 700 feet wide at its base, it is taller than the Empire State Building."
Another platform, Amberjack, is described as "the ultimate Tinkertoy. An active drilling rig, it towers 272 feet from the waterline to the top of its bottle-shaped derrick. Its density of utilized space is a structural salute to human ingenuity."
Author of "The War Against the Greens," Helvarg's latest book, "Blue Frontier: Saving America's Living Seas," (New York: W.H. Freeman & Co., 2001), delivers in-depth reporting on subjects such as ocean mining, reef management, oil exploration, over-fishing, and government ineptitude when it comes to formulating sound environmental policy. The author clearly has divided his time between research libraries and the field. He has visited the underwater living quarters of scientists off the coast of Key West, climbed the towering oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, and gone diving off Monterey where Californians keep sharp lookout for white sharks, all with the intention to see up-close what's going on.
At the start of the chapter on offshore petroleum drilling, Helvarg quotes an oil company spokesman recalling the Huntington Beach oil spill of 1990. The spokesman says, "Then this Hollywood star pulls up in his limo, must have been half a block long, wanting to know what we've done to his beach. And I'm thinking, hey that limo of yours doesn't run on sunbeams you know."
Helvarg has been beneath the surface of the sea to examine precisely the rampant devastation of fragile ecosystems, the destruction of coral reefs by disease, human waste, phosphate blanketing, and sheer overuse, particularly dive boats that anchor rather than use fixed moorings.
Although the Alaskan coast dominates the news in 2001 whenever discussion turns to offshore drilling, Helvarg noted, "There are some 4,000 platforms operating in the Gulf of Mexico today. Offshore drilling accounts for 20 percent of U.S. oil production and 27 percent of its natural gas. Despite heated debate over drilling off California, Florida, Alaska, and North Carolina, 93 percent of all present offshore production takes place in the gulf." He found that many of those expensive rigs are run by disciplined crews who produce lucrative returns for investors.
Helvarg has meticulously and colorfully described how the oil industry was created in North America, and included a brief review of the movie industry and the media impact it produced. For example, he cited the 1953 film "Thunder Bay" starring Jimmy Stewart as an oil geologist confronting suspicious shrimp fishermen in Louisiana's bayou. As Helvarg put it, the film reflects the dominant view of the time when progress and industry were thought to be synonymous, while today, an oil gusher would be viewed as an ecological disaster.
Key Largo, off Southern Florida, epitomizes another dilemma. In Helvarg's words, "Branching corals that once grew here remain only as skeletal sticks in bleached rubble fields. Many of the abundant rock corals are being eaten away by diseases that have spread in an epidemic wave throughout the Florida Keys. The names of the diseases tell the story: black band, white band, white plague, and aspergillus, a fungus normally found in terrestrial soil that can shred fan corals like moths shred Irish lace."
Through interviews and an exhaustive search for truth, Helvarg has broken new ground. He has managed to explain in a clear and straightforward writing style such issues as beach closings, oil spills, collapsing fish stocks, killer algae, pollution, reckless development, and the failure of the U.S. government to protect what may be its final frontier - the Blue Frontier.
Most importantly, he has found reason to remain optimistic. Consider his closing remarks: "Our oceans remain full of strange wonders and grand experiences that will thrill generations yet unborn. Despite all the problems and challenges we face fighting for America's living seas, that is still enough to give one hope. After all, it is not every great nation, forged by its earliest frontier experiences, that gets a second chance."
(David Liscio is the environmental reporter for The Daily Item newspaper in Lynn, MA, an ecology professor at Endicott College in Beverly, MA, and the Massachusetts correspondent to the Society of Environmental Journalists.
THIS BOOK IS GREAT!!!!.......2001-05-09
It's not just a book -- it's an adventure!
This book is full of interesting information yet amazingly fun to read as it takes us on an exciting journey around America's oceans. I learned much about various threats to the marine environment and the struggles dedicated people are launching against those threats.
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