Open-book

There are reflections on the role of biologists, from communicating between scientists and shipmates in the arctic to their role in a whale stranding. Perhaps he thinks biologists have greater insight, but he also understands the need for mystery and direct experience.

For Paul Winter fans there is a description of the raft down the Grand Canyon that produced the album "Canyon". As a current update, the snow geese written about in one essay are continuing to boom and damage their arctic breeding grounds.

Readers will cross open ground in these essays and enter the natural world, becoming immersed in its much larger meanings. "Wildlands preserve complex biological relationships that we are only dimly, or sometimes not at all, aware of" (p. 80). These essays are rich in wilderness wisdom, enough wisdom to please any fan of Ed Abbey or Wendell Berry. "We grasp what is beautiful in a flight of snow geese rising against an overcast sky as easily as we grasp the beauty of a cello suite," Lopez writes; "and intuit, I believe, that if we allow these things to be destroyed or degraded for economic reasons we will become deeply and strangely impoverished" (p. 38). He quietly observes, "wilderness can revitalize someone who has spent too long in the highly manipulative, perversely efficient atmosphere of modern life" (p. 82).

Whether I'm reading his stories or essays, Barry Lopez is among my favorite writers. He will bring you to the edge of your senses: "Everything found at the edge of one's senses--the high note of the winter wren, the thick perfume of propolis that drifts downwind from spring willows, the brightness of woodchips scattered by beaver . . .all this fits together" (pp. 149-50).

G. Merritt

It's a quick and easy way to go around your way while administrating Linux machine provided you have some familiarity with the operating system environment.

The book gives you solutions and answers to lots of common (and uncommon, and sometimes too simple to be worth mentioning in any other book) problems and questions. The book is ordered according to topics and each topic contains related questions and answers. Each question also has reference to other possible questions. For example, in installing a printer, a question such as 'How to connect to Windows printer from Linux' refers to 'How to install printer on Linux and access it from Windows'.

Very useful for someone who is actually working with Linux and need to refer to a book every now and then for quick answers, but definitely not for someone who is just starting to learn Linux administration or hoping to learn it by using this book.

I am a conservative Christian, who believes that the only path to truth lies through God's grace as presented to us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians confess to be the Messiah. I, personally, believe that Buddhists and followers of non-Christian religions are wrong.

BUT... My personal faith claims do not undermine the wisdom of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama's teachings on meditation and compassion. In his little book, the Dalai Lama lays out for us a path to a more inhabitable planet. Demonstrating that he fully comprehends the flawed, sinful nature of all people, His Holiness goes on to show us how all creatures can live together in a more peaceful world. He gives us a practical method by which to change ourselves for the good of all.

AND... He even warmed this grumpy, old Lutheran's heart.

Read the book.

I particularly enjoyed the case studies and examples sprinkled throughout the book. I found myself nodding, taking notes and putting stickies in the book - a sign that this is a book I can come back to and use again and again. I plan to reference it in my next online facilitation course!

Nancy White