Foremost are the photographs. I would call Annerino's canyon portraits the best of a really good lot, even over big-time large-format photographers. While the large-format works are stunning artistic studies of light and color shot with impossibly huge f-stops, Annerino's canyon photographs give expression to the phrase "wearing one's heart on the sleeve." His photos have an active passion that others lack. Anyone who knows him will say he is among the "hardmen' to tackle the Southwestern mountains and canyons, but that he is definitely the most sincere in his passion for place. Perhaps, because of this he lacks a calculated commercial view of the places he photographs. His images also record his own passion, creating compelling and unique photographs. More than any other contemporary outdoor photographer, Annerino's photos mirror his love of the land's people. In the text, Annerino portrays canyonlands people as part of what makes the places special. He has a deep affection for past and present native peoples, but unlike some Anglo North Americans, Annerino isn't a lost 20th century soul. Rather, he seems to have a straightfoward and genuine admiration for native people, and has learned a great deal about them. His research on each canyon's history is impressive. Annerino writes with an immensity commensurate with his subject. His style is old-fashioned, evoking an older, more grandiose era of writing of explorers like Powell and Pattie. While many modern writers seem bent on infusing themselves into as much of the story as possible, Annerino's style is not so full of himself as full of the intensity of his canyon experiences...Annerino is at his best when he writes about Mexico, especially the Big Bend passage where he talks about the injustices served the Mexican across the river at the hands of our national park there. An optimist who sees great things in the canyons, Annerino neither ignores nor dwells on the obvious problems facing the West like pollution and development. And fortunately, CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST is not a treasure map guidebook to these areas. -Desert Skies

John Annerino's pictorial celebration of the canyons of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico is a handsome momento for those who have heard the wind whistling in these haunting canyons, and a beckoning invitation for those who have not yet made the journey. Annerino has spent much of his adult life exploring this territory -- as a wilderness runner, adventurer, and photojournalist -- and here combines his firsthand knowledge with his expertise as a nature photographer and author to create an intimate portrait of some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. Scores of stunning full-color photographs make plain the basis for the region's appeal. From the centuries-old Anasazi ruins to the breathtaking buttes of Monument Valley, from the Narrows of Zion National Park to the barrancas (canyons) of the frontier of Mexico, CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST is a memorable record of one of the earth's most spectacular bioregions.

Everyone knows about the Grand Canyon, but what many of us don't know is that the Southwest is laced with canyons less traveled but no less spectacular. Lucky for us, Annerino spills a few secrets in this book, describing in words and fine photographs such places...an encticement to visit or revisit, in person, this stunning terrain. -Outside Magazine

By 1963, the Rhodesian Cobra is an established assassin with Lumumba among his victims. His current assignment in Havana is to kill Castro, but he purposely misses shooting a cigar instead. When the Cubans catch him, Cobra explains that he intentionally missed. He proves his boast by reconstructing the shot using a "volunteer" from Texas, Rupert Justice Tolliver as the target. Cobra successfully demonstrates his abilities. The Cubans send him to meet J. Edgar Hoover's South Florida contact Fernandez who provides Cobra with his next job. In late November in Dallas, Cobra carries out his assignment. To escape the country, he joins the Marines.

Over the next three plus decades, Rupert becomes a TV evangelist and governor of Texas. Cobra buys a large farm in his homeland that he finances with an occasional hit. By 2001 Rupert is the president while Cobra continues to work his farm. Rupert believes that he is the world's savior and begins a religious war as described in Revelations. The international financial community panics and hires Cobra to kill Rupert. However, Cobra is unaware that the real brain behind the presidency is the First Lady and she has no compunctions to walk both sides of the conflict to gain what she wants.

BEHOLD A PALE HORSE is an exciting political thriller that keeps reader attention from start to finish. The story line never rests as the 1963 scenario ties back into the 2001 potential apocalypse. Though the characters are not going to gain any empathy, the audience will admire Cobra's chutzpah and gasp at Rupert's obsession with Revelations. Franklin Allen Leib had forged a triumphant tale that will send his fans searching for his previous novels.

Harriet Klausner

a wonderful tale of the apocalypse set from dallas in 1963 to washington and brazil in 2001, when the third millennium really begins. characters-president tolliver, his wife clarissa, his pursuer, cobra--excellent. highly recommended. roger.

This is an exciting book. You have a hired killer who took part in the original Kennedy assasination. The other character is a Texas Governor named Justice Tolliver who moves to the Presidency. The hired killer named Cobra has an interesting biography and an impressive list of hits. The President and his first lady are as wild as they come. They have shady land deals, the President was also a draft dodger. This book has every kind of scenario that you could ask for. The plot is outstanding as well. This will be one of the better books that you will read this year. You will be wondering if Cobra is sucessful in his newest assignment. You this book. It is a thriller.

BORICUAS is an eye-opener for both Puerto Ricans and non-Puerto Ricans. I never knew there were so many Hispanic, especially Puerto Rican, high profile names out there. For instance, did you know that Reggie Jackson and Sammy Davis, Jr. have at least one parent who was Puerto Rican? I didn't.

This book serves as a reference book, a novel, a selection of poetry, among other things. I recommend this book for everyone who is into multicultural thinking and studying, and even to those who are not open-minded.

Also for the young Puerto Ricans in the world who have assimiliated into the melting pot of society: read this book and learn about your ancestry.

Art, Poetry, Short Stories, Drawings. Stories of Religion, from Catholic, to Santeria. From growing up in hungry in the streets of Spanish Harlem, to growing up in the rural areas of La Isla. From being a street hood, to being a Chico and The Man Tv Star. Boricuas, is destined to be a classic. In this collection you get only the best, from the best Puerto Rican writers and poets. Piri Thomas, Esmeralda Santiago, Judith Cofer, Nicholasa Mohr, just to name a few of these talented writters. What I love the most about this book is that it will introduce many Puerto Ricans as well as the rest of the world to the many talented Boricua authors there are. This book will fill you with pride and joy, if you are ever thinking of that perfect gift for that young adult Boricua in your life, this is it.

Boricuas Influential Puerto Rican Writings is a perfect book to use to introduce people to Puerto Rican history and culture. My son who I always thought hated to read loves this book and carries it around like it was his bible. The book fills you with Puerto Rican pride. When I first heard about Boricuas I was afraid that it would be one of those snobby literature books written by college professors. You know the boring ones that you are supposed to read to get smarter but never do. When I saw the friendly cover I knew the book was for me and my son. Boricuas is not a book for the intellectual elite but for everyday people. I hope all my latin sisters and brothers will check this book out

If you love gymnastics and/or Dominique Moceanu, you have got to read this book. I have read it several times which I usually don't do with many books. I definitely would recommend it to anyone interested in gymnastics. Krista Quiner has done a great job on the biographies she has done so far. Making them easy to read and understand. Well, what are you waiting for go buy the book and read it. It's the best, you will agree when you are done reading it.

This book unravels the world of Dominique Moceanu. We saw her in Atlanta as a gymnast, but what does she do when she's not in the gym? Krista gets behind the scenes of Dominique's life. It tells her life story. If you thought of her as the sweetheart of Atlanta, you will love hearing how she got there. She found out what happens in Dominique's life. When I read this book I was stunned at some of the things I read. I recommend this book to anyone that likes Dominique. Personally I thought that it was the best look at Dominique in print.

This book is the best! It gives so much information and a lot better than other Dominique books. It actually tells you lot about her coaches before Bela and her friends from her old gymnastics club. It tells you every little detail of her life and I loved it! Read this book!

I picked this book up in a thrift store last week and have just suffered with Paul and Roger as I read. Immediately I searched Amazon.com looking for other writings by Paul Monette and learned of his death in 1995. Now I'm really depressed. I'm straight, white, female, a wife and a mother of a 2 year old. Probably not Paul's expected audience yet he reached me deeply. I feel tremendous compassion for anyone dying of AIDS and for those that love them. I will look for an opportunity to demonstrate love to someone with AIDS.

Like its prequel "Becoming a Man", Paul Monette's Borrowed Time is exceptionally well-written, and together they form one of the most important autobiographies our times. Borrowed Time, the story of Paul Monette's and his partner Roger Horowitz's struggle with AIDS, is sometimes emotionally too hard to go on reading, but at the same time too engaging to put down. While reading it I literaly had those feelings. If Becoming a Man is the ultimate growing up/coming out story, then Borrowed Time is the ultimate AIDS story. Together they tell the story of gay life in our times better than any other book I read.

Nothing I have ever read has moved me like this book; even though the medical side of HIV is far better these days, those of us in the war are still going through the same emotions. I cannot believe how brave Monette was to share all this with us, yet I know stories like these need to be told. He does a creditable job of holding in his anger, as I'm sure even today he must still be very bitter towards those who made treatment so long in coming. This is an incredibly powerful book, a testament to love and a terrible indictment of our society and some of our values. Everyone should read this book; while it's a true emotional roller coaster, and ultimately heartbreaking, it's only through works like this that we can hope for a broader understanding of what HIV means for the patient and their family. My thanks to Paul Monette for sharing this ordeal.

I have been a bit
disappointed with this book. It's a great starting point for finding
places that are dog friendly, but I wouldn't rely on it solely. For
example, I found the information on Santa Cruz County to be pretty
inaccurate. Contrary to what the book tells you, New Brighton Beach
does allow dogs on leash ($1 fee) on the beach; and the
"trails" mentioned are just paths between the campgrounds
and the beach itself.

We stopped at a local gas station and picked
up a map with all parks indicated and it was more accurate about which
places allow dogs and on what terms.

Perhaps the author does a
better job in the more specific "Dog Lover's Companion to the Bay
Area".

We have used the California Dog Lover's Companion for travel all over northern, central, and southern California, and it has never let us down. All recommendations for lodging, outdoor activities, restaurants have been completely accurate in terms of quality and price -- unlike some other books we have used. Also, the author provides charming anecdotes about her dogs which make the book an enjoyable read, and not just a dry reference tool. We actually wore our first copy out (our dog ate the first few pages, and then it got all wet from a romp in the snow), and had to order a second!

In our opinion and our dogs', this book is truly the best thing that ever happened to dogs, at least California dogs!!! It's written with such a sense of humor and a love of dogs that sometimes we just read through it like it's a regular reading book, not a guidebook. Our dogs want to meet the author one day and shake her paw. We took a coastal vacation, staying at only places in this book, and the dogs were in total heaven, from Mendocino down to Santa Barbara. No other dog travel books compare.

I've purchased many homeschooling books, but this is the one that I use constantly in planning lessons and unit studies. If you prefer to put together your own curriculum, rather than purchasing a series of textbooks, The Complete Home Learning Sourcebook will save you time and money. It is a great starting point - classified by subject area and sub-divided into topics. This is the place to get a sense of what's available in catalogs, games, kits, books, cd-roms and more, with contact info and web addresses, so you can find what you want! Rebecca Rupp includes sections from her homeschool journal to illustrate what worked for her family. If I could only have one book on homeschooling, this would be it.

When I borrowed this book from the library I actually read it cover to cover. It is more than just a list of books. Rebecca Rupp has done exhaustive research. She has given the home schooler (or the parent wishing to augment the education of their kids) a tremendous resource. Rupp has divided the book up into different sections according to subject-not just the three 'Rs, but also such things as philosophy, art, music...you name it. The age suggestions seem very accurate as well. Since people home school for a lot of different reasons, she also mentions if a book is religious or Christian, or a purely secular resource. I have used many of the websites that she lists, as well as sending away for a number of the catalogs that she lists. As someone relatively new to the home school scene, I also enjoyed the personal accounts of her three sons' educational experiences. I borrowed the book from our library first, but have since purchased my very own copy!

I do professional reviews of a lot of books about homeschooling, and I must say I found this one unusually fun to read, because there's so much packed into it about so many interesting and unusual resources, with something for everyone. It's gratifying to see a reference book so well done.

The Complete Home Source Book is quite literally a huge delight: with 865 pages, this book is 8 1/2" by 11" and almost 2" thick! The subtitle says it well: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators, Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology.

The book is nicely organized into subjects of study, and the subject titles are thoughtfully printed at the page edges in dark blocks to show even with the pages closed. Each entry is tagged with the age group for which the resource is intended. Symbols are used to identify whether the resource is: a book, curriculum, kit, video, software, magazine, audio, game, on-line resource, hands-on activity, or catalog. The price might at first seem expensive, but this is a huge reference resource for long term use, and should save the average person money in the long run, or even perhaps in the short run.

Just a few of the enormous range of subjects thoroughly covered are reading, writing, math, history, foreign language resources, the arts, sciences, journalism, research, mythology, libraries, ethics, religion, economics, philosophy, and life skills. The format consists of well-annotated lists of books, catalogs, games, hands-on materials, on-line resources, CD-ROMSs, tapes, and videos, along with Rebecca Rupp's comments, insightful observations, and delightful, thought-provoking, stories about her family's own experiences. The personal stories should be very helpful to a beginning homeschooler, in that they open a window into what homeschooling looks like in the real setting of one family's daily life. There's no reason, however, why a school-going family couldn't also enjoy and make good use of the book in the same way.

I really think this is one of the best resources to ever grace the home education market.-Lillian Jones

Early drafts of Joan's book still occasionally appear in the scrap paper tray at Springwater Center. I worked there with Joan during the time she wrote the journals that became Bare-Bones Meditation. Hers in an honest account of life in a spiritual center and the development of a relationship with a teacher. From early idealization, she enters into the struggle all of us in such communities face, of reconciling the imperfections of the teacher and residents with the clarity of the teaching itself. I am looking forward to Joan's next book.

I have read this book several times and it still moves me profoundly. Joan describes wonderfully the search for a more meaningful life. The book is in part an engaging story, in part a portrait of a period and, more importantly, an insightful meditation that I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in the search of the real self.

Joan Tollifson writes with such directness she causes us to see. Taking us through the muddy waters of her early life--born without a hand, rejected and rebellious, she takes us through her coming out as a lesbian, her fierce love affairs and battles with alcohol and drugs, with being a victim. And yet the book is not about any of this. It could be any life struggle; the essence is seeing it clearly. And through the aid of several meditation leaders she finds her own ability to see and know. Her writing is a cup of tea thrown against our face. When we recover our breath it is easy and full, relaxed with her. Our vision penetrates to the bottom of the pool. At a time when "meditation" books are overflowing the market, this is one you'll want to take into your life. -Larry Smit

This is a wonderful book with detailed pictures and descriptions of aliens light and dark,good and evil, cruel and kind, and large and small. It has vibrant illustrations that grab the eye, and descriptions that send the mind and imagination to worlds millions of light years away. You will not find these alien faces anywhere else but in this book. I would recommend it to any science fiction lover who can get their hands on it.

Awesome. COOOL. A must get book that every sci-fi lover should have. It not only has pictures of the aliens but it tells its entire life!

I first read this book when I was 10, and it freaked me out. It was one of the major reasons I began reading science fiction. This book can be reread endlessly without losing an ounce of wonder, for Barlowe's representations of alien anatomy are truly inspired. I constantly recommend this to my friends, and they are never disappointed, even the ones who can't stand sci-fi. Unfortunately, his paintings are much more interesting than some of the books they're taken from.

Thomas Vasseur's Discovering The World: Collected Stories is an outstanding anthology of thirteen stories set in the disappearing rural South, the New South, and the grand world at large. Variety spices the tales, from a little boy who discovers the wonder of flight to the rocky relationship between a German woman who has immigrated to the Deep South and her troubled teenage daughter. In the title novella, a "Southern Native" and a veteran of the Vietnam War travel to an island in Fiji to repair a damaged sailboat. A common theme of looking within the self unites all the tales, which take a hard look at America's class structure and at human spirituality. Thomas Vasseur's stories are as original and thought-provoking as they are highly recommended.

Thomas Vasseur's Discovering The World: Collected Stories is an outstanding anthology of thirteen stories set in the disappearing rural South, the New South, and the grand world at large. Variety spices the tales, from a little boy who discovers the wonder of flight to the rocky relationship between a German woman who has immigrated to the Deep South and her troubled teenage daughter. In the title novella, a "Southern Native" and a veteran of the Vietnam War travel to an island in Fiji to repair a damaged sailboat. A common theme of looking within the self unites all the tales, which take a hard look at America's class structure and at human spirituality. Thomas Vasseur's stories are as original and thought-provoking as they are highly recommended.

Author Thomas Vasseur's Discovering The World: Collected Stories is an outstanding anthology of thirteen stories set in the disappearing rural South, the New South, and the grand world at large. Variety spices the tales, from a little boy who discovers the wonder of flight to the rocky relationship between a German woman who has immigrated to the Deep South and her troubled teenage daughter. In the title novella, a "Southern Native" and a veteran of the Vietnam War travel to an island in Fiji to repair a damaged sailboat. A common theme of looking within the self unites all the tales, which take a hard look at America's class structure and at human spirituality. Thomas Vasseur's stories are as original and thought-provoking as they are highly recommended.