Pacific

This book is so accurate and descriptive it made hiking the Tahoe Desolation Wilderness a pleasure. The authors describe the trails in detail, steep, vertical, not for beginners etc. The map included in the back is an assest, the detailed book a must for anyone heading into the wilderness of Tahoe.

This is the best book to get for hiking around Lake Tahoe - it is written clearly with step by step descriptions of each hike, the flora and fauna of the area and the difficulty level for each hike. Definitely a must when visiting the Tahoe basin area.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly, from it's interesting tidbits on historic uses of plants, to the explanations of known toxic principles within plants. The cautions about harvest, use, and overuse are well-stated. The descriptions enhance the line-drawings, and each plant description comes with an excellent photograph, making this a terrific guide for identification of wild edibles!

I just got this book (fourth printing, 1998) in my mail, and I can testify that it's well worth the money. It's a really good field guide to plants of The Far North, be it Alaska or Finland.

In addition to excellent pictures (which really show you clearly how to tell this plant apart from others) you'll frequently run across a sentence that goes something like "So-and-so says in his/her book that it's edible after it's been dried /boiled /whatever, but my taste tests implied ...".

Truly outstanding research and practical information, both on medicinal and culinary uses of these plants, make this an invaluable addition to the library of anybody interested in plants in the Far North.

Great work, Janice!

One of the activities that I want to pursue while in Hawaii is diving. I bought several books on Hawaii, but was particularly drawn to this diving book.

I was rather surprised that it only had an average review score of 2.5 until I noticed that one reader who favorably reviewed the book neglected to give it a rating.

The pictures are BREATHTAKING! The dives are grouped according to island - which really makes it easy. The dives give depth level, skill level required, and how to access such as boat, shore, etc.

There is specific information on each dive although once you have an interest in a dive, you might find it helpful to try to get the most recent, updated info online. This book is great to get you started!

Once again we have an excellent combination of Author and Publisher who have collaborated to provide an invaluable guide book for any diver contemplating a trip to Hawaii. "Diving Hawaii" is another Scuba Diving guide book in the medium size format favoured by Aqua Quest. These publishers have a reputation for high standards - in terms of quality of information and standard of photography, and it is easy to see why.

"Diving Hawaii" is clearly laid out with chapters on; An introduction to the Hawaiian Islands, Diving in general, the specific dive sites of Oahu, Maui, Hawaii and Kauai and local Marine Life. The book concludes with some very useful Appendixes containing; Emergency information, details of local Scuba Diving centres, miscellaneous useful numbers for visitors and some brief notes on another 20 dive sites.

Chapter One begins with an all-important historical précis of Hawaii. This gives the visitor a brief insight into the country's first Polynesian settlers, the way in which the country was then ruled by it's own system of chiefs for something like 1,000 years, the islands' discovery by Captain Cook, the importance of sugar plantations, the time when Hawaii became a US territory and, eventually (in 1959) the 50th State. All of which is followed by equally important notes on present day Hawaii and all the essential information the visitor needs to know.

Chapter 2 is an overview of Diving in general with notes on; boat, shore and night diving as well as conservation. There is also a very important and well written description of the unusual underwater lava tubes and cave formations created by the flow of volcanic lava into the sea. These are probably very different from any other form of Cave Diving found anywhere else in the world and Page 21 is rightly devoted to a full-page warning of the dangers involved here.

We now come to those Chapters individually dedicated to each of the four main islands in the Hawaiian group and these take in any smaller adjacent islands as well. Once again, we are treated to an introduction to the island itself before getting down to diving specifics. This commences with a map of the island(s) showing the primary dive sites as numbers - each of which is then described in more than adequate detail and headed by the relevant depth, experience level required and access.

Altogether a well-rounded book containing all the information required by anyone considering a diving trip to Hawaii.

According to the Author's biography on the back page, Steve Rosenberg specialises in underwater photography. As a fellow professional "Underwater Photographer & Author," I congratulate him on some truly outstanding pictures.

NM

Most books only list lodgings that accept pets-- this book lists all kinds of things to do with your pet-- like outdoor concerts, restaurants, etc. This is the stuff you really need to know when vacationing with your pet. I, too, would love to see a Portland version!

Add this to your travel reference library! Not only does this book cover the most amazing part of North America, it includes excellently researched dog-friendly references and rates them on 4-paw scale (aren't we dog-lovers silly!). The author has taken the time to ask about the definition of "small" dog so I'm not wasting time on places that preclude my 80-pound love puppy. I have used it for park and lodging information in the Seattle and Victoria, BC areas and have found all to be accurate. The book covers the Seattle metro area, 11 counties in Western Washington and parts of British Columbia. Be advised that if you are traveling to Seattle with your pooch, it lacks the most current info on Seattle's trial off-leash program. Call Seattle or King County Animal Control for accurate, up-to-the-moment sites and restrictions which changes as often as the City Council and Parks Department like. If only this author would do a Portland version! They do have Bay Area, California, Boston and Atlanta versions as well. Happy reading & traveling! Woof!

Urban explorers, take note: this book is absolutely great for pointing out all the landmarks, attractions, terrific displays of art, and unique features that comprise downtown LA. And a huge added bonus are the clear directions, locations of restrooms, and an extensive list of restaurants, including prices. I've been downtown many times with friends, and never fail to take this book!

This book tells you about things people don't bother to listen to about L.A.. It's a great guide for a suprisingly delightful tour of downtown with extensive and interesting information. It's a definite must have for any interested in Los Angeles or in California.

eat.shop.portland is a true treasure trove of what Portland has to offer. If you're looking for authentic portland-style restaurants and shops, this is the book to own. I've been here seven years and there are places in it I have never heard of ... but can't wait to try. In my opinion every Portlander should have a copy of eat.shop.portland with them at all times.

Guides to city restaurants and shops are a dime a dozen. How many Web sites were propped up in the late 1990s, purportedly to answer just this simple question: where is a good place to eat/shop? About a trillion dollars worth. And yet, in 2004, the answers are not to be found online but instead in this simple, elegant guide, eat.shop.portland. Not only can you read this purse-sized treasure from cover to cover (like a day and night on the town!), you can trust it as a barometer of cool. Unlike some travel writer's 12-hour synopsis of a town that they just parachuted in on, Wellman dishes out a hip-yet sensible guide to the real Portland that is as well-designed as it is well-written.

eat.shop.portland should be required reading for anyone about to entertain guests from out-of-town or in from the suburbs.

Not only is it one of the more delightful books I have read recently, it could very well be the best autobiography ever written by a lifetime resident of my hometown.

"The Eighth Lively Art" is at once a colorful history of Seattle in the 1950s, a thoughtful exploration of the artistic process, and a celebration of the connections that exist between people.

Wesley Wehr recounts his life as a young man in Seattle in the 1950s where, as a student of music composition at the University of Washington, he was befriended by such luminaries as painter Mark Tobey, poet Elizabeth Bishop, and actress Margaret Hamilton. He meets painters Morris Graves, Guy Anderson, and Helmi Juvonen, all of whom become lifelong friends. He has encounters with famous twentieth-century figures like photographer Imogen Cunningham and composer Ernest Bloch who offer there wisdom, hospitality, and encouragement.

The book is divided into chapters that focus, for the most part, on individuals he has known and people he has met. The artists convey their ideas about life and love while sharing their personal experiences with and approaches towards the composition process. Wes Wehr also relates his own, often unsuccessful, forays into music and painting during this early stage in his life.

For those of us who have grown up in Seattle, this book is a reminder of how this place has shaped our own sensibilities. How many of us, like the young Guy Anderson, wandered through the Burke Museum as a child looking at Northwest Coast Indian Art or, like Wes himself, spent our late teens hanging out on the Ave?

This book is, most significantly, about the power of friendship. I am so accustomed to living in a world where everything is assigned value based on net worth or earnings potential, I often lose sight of the things which have truly enriched my own life. After reading Wes' account of the various friendships he has established and maintained over the years, I recognized more clearly how very important such friendships have been to me.

I have really enjoyed this book. For the first time I feel an insight into the Northwest Artists that I have not felt before. It really leaves me asking for more. I hope that Wes will follow up with more details on these incredibly interesting people and their respective relationships with each other. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in artists and their lives, as well as anyone looking for some honest, open and fun reading.

The extreme weather condition known as El Nino is part of a much bigger world weather system linking the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Asian monsoon, and the Pacific El Nino. Several El Nino episodes took place during the Little Ice Age between 1200 and 1900, especially in the 1570-1740 time frame. Based upon archaeological findings as well as historical records, El Nino: History And Crisis is a superb history of the impact upon human civilizations of this phenomena down to the present day, and offers timely warnings of the likely effects of future weather-affecting climate changes on agriculture and public health. Highly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the environment.

This survey of the El Nino phenomenon examines world systems of climate and change, bringing together the latest historical and scientific discoveries about El Nino and its effects on civilizations. Archaeological records and scientific surveys are used in the course of considering the past effects of El Nino and its possibilities for the future of Earth's climate.

I stumbled across this book by accident one day and it has turned out to be my find of 2001 -- one of the most enjoyable books I have read in ages. Taylor, a youthful New York journalist and poet, was sent out to California to file back dispatches on this wild, gold-filled, lush place in the seminal gold rush year of 1849, when California was a sprawling region, and not yet a state. And what a fabulous job he does -- this reads more like an engaging adventure narrative than non-fiction, and I could not put it down -- a reader is completely transported into another place and time. One cannot fail to be fascinated by the bustling, energetic, multi-ethnic, can-do place that was the west coast. If you know California, especially the San Francisco, Monterey and Sacramento areas, Taylor's descriptions of their still-untamed landscapes will be both familiar and strange, but always utterly lovely. His reports of the gold rush regions are extraordinary, as is his walk -- yes, *walk* -- from San Francisco to Monterey... this at a time when a galloping horse could get from San Jose to San Francisco in perhaps seven *hours*. Taylor is funny, honest, generally very clear-eyed and unsentimental, and his writing is of very high calibre. Kudos to Heyday Press for bringing this wonderful book to a new audience. I am giving it to everybody as a gift this year.

Bayard Taylor, with the eye of the photographer for detail and composition and the writing talent of the professional journalist Horace Greely so willingly paid, provides the reader with a fantastic look at California of the mid-1800's. His vivid descriptions of the people, the events, and perhaps most importantly, the pre-development beauty of California's wild mountains, seacoasts, and valleys, made this reviewer (a native Californian) long for a time machine to allow visits to the wondrous collection of experiences described by Taylor. From his many travels across the land, to his viewing of the first California consitutional convention, his words allow the reader to feel the wind in one's hair as the California-bred horses fly at top speed across the valleys and through the washes, or to be a fly on the wall as the convention delegates reach compromises which shaped and prepared the State for it's Golden future. The pictures he paints of the natural environment of early California are so dramatic that they must certainly encourage all attempts to preserve the tragically few expanses of California landscape remaining. This is a book for Californians (and those who love the state) who wish to return, if only for a few brief moments, to the sounds and the sights of it's birth: raw, chaotic, beautiful, yet with a rich Spanish/Mexican heritage and social codes that provided a useable framework to maintain law and order. Taylor describes it all, allowing us to understand not only what was happening, but also why. It's a great book.

Pacific Asia has become a very important region for commerce since the easing of trade barriers and expansion of the global economy. The effects of globalization have had a tremendous impact on Pacific Asia, not only through the creation of big multinational corporations, but their effects on social values and nature of doing business resulting from this increased competition. In Entrepreneurship in Pacific Asia Past, Present and Future, Professor Leo Paul Dana gives an in-depth description of the entrepreneurial events that have been occurring in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Professor Leo Paul Dana is the deputy director of the MBA International Business Program at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, as well as a Senior advisor for the World Association for Small & Medium Enterprises and the Associate Director of the ENDEC Entrepreneurship Development Center. Along with his expertise on entrepreneurship, Professor Dana has personally visited each location and therefore each chapter is written from his personal travels and experiences.

This book answers all your questions about how countries in Pacific Asia are dealing with the internationalization of entrepreneurship in the new global economy. This includes new and exciting incentives governments are providing to encourage entrepreneurs and create new opportunities for locals as well as the need for foreign experts to help train and work with local talent. The support programs that local governments are beginning to implement and the increasing amount of venture capital that is now more readily available for entrepreneurs, has made Pacific Asia a very attractive region for new business enterprises.

Each chapter begins with a countries historical overview that is essential in understanding the specific events that tailored and shaped the entrepreneurial activities and opportunities in each individual country. By acknowledging the past, we can better understand what strategies need to be implemented in order to support a strong entrepreneurial spirit in the future.

Professor Dana has shown how culture can greatly affect the business practices of a country. From the work-loving, motivated Buddhists in Thailand, to the multicultural, diverse and efficient Singaporeans, each country has its own cultural diversity that has shaped the economy and business community.

One of the main stresses of this book is on the role of the Chinese in entrepreneurship. The Chinese have deep entrepreneurial roots in each of the chapters described. For example, there are one million ethnic-Chinese in Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh they compose 12% of the population yet control up to 50% of the local economy. Usually making up only a small percent of a country's total population, the Chinese have historically been very active and influential on their economies.

This book is perfect for both new business students who want to gain insight into the field of international business and entrepreneurship as well as more advanced students who can gain a more clear insight into the characteristics of Pacific Asian economies and business opportunities available in these 12 countries.

After reading this book, one will be able to see the limitations and advantages offered in each country and compare how these governments have attempted to expand there efforts into stimulating new business opportunities and remain competitive in the new global economy.

Did you know that marijuana is not only legal in Cambodia, but is often used as a flavoring in soups? Or that traditional Chinese law in the fifth century forbade merchants from wearing nice clothes in public? Did you know that in Japan, giving a potted plant to a sick patient is a bad omen, a sign that a malady may take root? Or that Laos produces some three hundred tons of opium annually? How about the fact that the Philippines is the word's third largest English-speaking country (in terms of population)?

In Leo Paul Dana's new book, Entrepreneurship in Pacific Asia: Past, Present & Future, the countries of the far east are presented with both the precision of a shrewd business man, and the sensitivity of one for whom this region of the world holds an obvious and ineluctable charm. Covering the ten countries that make up what is known as the "far east" - Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam - Leo Paul, in short erudite chapters, attempts to convey both the complexity and appeal of a region that harbors extremes of material wealth, divergences of spiritual practice and histories as rich in flavor as they are in turmoil.

The book is the first of its kind, pulling together a wealth of knowledge that will be required reading for anyone - student or professional - interested in getting to know either the culture or the business possibilities that abound in Pacific Asia. In Indonesia, for instance, a carefully constructed balance has been created between the country's massive reliance on agriculture, and the need to modernize and create more opportunities for entrepreneurship. Development programs have been set up to bridge the gap between traditional village life and the needs of a growing world economy. Considering the tensions in East Timor, it is important for entrepreneurs and western businessmen to be sensitive to climates that are undergoing such radical changes. And while it is perhaps impossible to retain the sort of agriculturally based economies that have led us to the present day, it is a worthy cause, as Leo Paul shows, to try and save those cultures within a broader context. Even in France, where the world economy is clipping along, there are fierce battles raging over how to manage GM foods and how the cultural inheritance for today's children will be defined. Leo Paul's book testifies to the presence of an Asian entrepreneurial spirit, and at the same time attempts to show the importance of paying attention to the cultural values that define that spirit. In Singapore, for example, "clan associations" were founded in an attempt to foster co-operation among people who spoke the same language. As Leo Paul says, "Mingling with other members helped individuals understand trends in product development as well as price fluctuations."

The complexity of entrepreneurship in Asia is astounding. The importance and preponderance of Chinese immigrants, for example, is a phenomenon which Canadians and Americans have witnessed on their own shores, but whose effect, perhaps, they have been ignorant of in other regions of the world. The Chinese brought both Mandarin Script and Chinese Medecine to Singapore; and in the Philippines, although they comprise only 2 percent of the population, they control more than half of the market capitalization in that country. Often, despite prejudice from local populations, as well as from colonial powers, the Chines have not only fostered, but helped expand an entrepreneurial spirit throughout Pacific Asia.

Filled with stunning photographs, taken by Leo Paul himself on his trips to the various regions detailed in the book, Entrepreneurship in Pacific Asia is a must read for the business minded of the next generation. That is, those who recognize that the world of business is no longer an isolated one, that to be successful you have to understand, or at least be interested in the whole world. An exciting time indeed to be an entrepreneur!