5 comments about Remarkable Trees of the World.

1. In fall 2006, Lansing's forestry department planted a tiny gingko biloba tree between the sidewalk and the street in front of my house.
   It had four and a half branches, all oriented in one plane like the candlesticks in a menorah. You could barely roast a wiener with it.
   I scrambled into the house for a book I had bought, by sheer coincidence, the previous day -- Thomas Pakenham's "Remarkable Trees of the World."
   Yes! There, sprawling across pages 110 and 111, was a gingko nearly 1,000 years old, still living in Tokyo, measuring 30 feet in girth and 66 feet high.
   Pakenham, a British historian with Irish wanderlust and a gentle sense of drama, has traveled the world to photograph and research the history and lore of 60 of the world's most remarkable trees.
   This oversize book, just now out in paperback, is so relaxed and un-sensational you picture Pakenham walking from tree to tree, a Haydn string quartet playing in the background, not minding the continents and oceans in between. It's a follow-up to another book that's just as good: "Meetings With Remarkable Trees," in which Packenham confined his wanderings to the British Isles. The response to "Meetings" was so warm that Pakenham packed his bags and expanded his search to global proportions.
   Pakenham's style is that of a curious, intelligent pilgrim. He pairs generous full-page or double-page images of his subjects with un-fussy, lightly conversational background information. He clearly respects local lore and legend, but doesn't go overboard with it, nor does he bog the text down in scientific details. The result is almost a set of personality profiles.
   The images are spectacular -- given the subject matter, most of them can't help it -- but sensitively chosen and framed, with an eye toward the unique setting, mood and attributes of each tree.
   It's a low-key approach, but if this book doesn't awaken your sense of awe, nothing can. That little stick of a gingko in my front yard, for example, belongs to a hyper-ancient species/order/family that predates dinosaurs. Its peculiar lineage (it's related to ferns) is betrayed by unique, fan-shaped leaves that have no central fold.
   Of course, trees have their own agenda, and don't care whether they get into a coffee-table book or not (it's tempting to think they'd rather not, insofar as books are made of paper). But it was hard not to think of Pakenham's gargantuan gingko as a thundering encouragement for my little tree's stressed-out, brown-fringed leaves and spindly trunk.
   For one thing, Japanese Buddhists believe the gingko, not the Bo tree of India, was the tree under which Buddha found enlightenment.
   If lore doesn't thrill, Pakenham serves up history and science. For example, a gingko 800 yards from the epicenter of Hiroshima threw up new sprouts even after the atomic bomb hit.
   But enough about gingkos. In this book, the reader will meet a panoply of the world's most amazing creatures: General Sherman, a mega-giant sequoia in California that weights 1,500 tons and is probably the largest living thing on Earth; ancient teapot-shaped African baobabs out of a Dr. Suess illustration; the leaning Italian cypress said to have been planted by St. Francis; wind-lashed cypresses clinging to the rocky California coast; great oaks with hollows where 20 people can sit down to a banquet; bristlecone pines now into their fifth millennium of existence.
   Some of these magnificent trees are near roadsides or chained off in parks, all but ignored by passersby. The wonder of this book is that it tunes the mind to the low-frequency, centuries-long chords only these creatures can hear. Looking at trees that have lived the better part of a millennium make you wonder whether there will be a California -- the home of a disproportionate number of these giants -- or a Lansing in 1,000 years.
   My bet's on Lansing, which is far less likely to slip into the ocean before my gingko grows up.



2. Trees are grouped by various, sensible categories that other books on trees might neglect: Giants: Gods, Goddesses, Grizzlies; Dwarfs: For Fear of Little Men, In Bondage; Methuselahs: The Living and the Dead, Shrines; Dreams: Prisoners, Aliens, Lovers and Dancers, Snakes and Ladders, Ghosts; and Trees in Peril: Do the Loggers always Win? and Ten Green Bottles. Pakenham's text is great fun to read, as can be viewed from those sectional titles, and individual tree titles such as "Tie up my feet, Darling, and I'll live forever" for the Bonsai tree that is the In Bondage section.
   
   I suppose coffee table books really shouldn't be considered exceptional items to read - view, yes; read, not so much. This is an exception. Tolkien's Ents are invoked for a handful of trees, and rightly so; geography students who get a core borer stuck and (somehow) get permission to cut down what had possibly been the oldest tree in the world just to retrieve it are warned against; and, of course, it is mentioned that any fool can climb a gum tree. I've read this about six times this year, high time I count it officially.



3. Great Book will enough the wonder hopefully they have it in the school systems or county systems



4. A very nice book, with remarkable trees, however, from the cover I suppose I wrongly assumed they would be beautiful trees. Quite a lot of the book is spent on African trees of a very strange nature, and to my husband's suprise, very little was done on the banyan tree. I was looking forward to large, ancient trees myself. All in all, it is still a wonderful book, it just wasn't what we were expecting.



5. His abiding love of trees is evident in this deeply personal account of trees he's found and ...respected enough to photograph, research and write about. I bought this because we already had "Meetings with Remarkable Trees" and we were in no way disappointed. The photos are excellent, the trees selected really are remarkable, and the narrative is engaging. Not much else to say, both my husband and I love the book, and it's on the coffee table right now. We have had guests pick it up and also fall in love... attesting to the wide appeal of this photographer-naturalist.

No comments about Fundamentals of Photography: The Essential Handbook for Both Digital and Film Cameras.

No comments about William Wegman: Dogs on Rocks.

2 comments about Berenice Abbott.

1. In 1921, with no money nor any knowledge of the French language, Berenice Abbott moved to Paris. Soon, she began travelling in the social circles of Paris' artistic avant garde. She learned photography from Man Ray and became a good friend of the celebrated Parisian photographer Eugene Atget. Inspired by Atget's passion for documenting the rapidly modernizing Paris, Abbott returned to New York City.
   
   Berenice Abbot spent the 1930's travelling the streets of New York Street with her large format camera. She chronicled a dynamic city that would soon become the world's most important city. Abbot's urban landscapes are not for every taste. But at under ten dollars, this volume permits the unitiated reader to explore the photographs of a major American photogapher. A good value and highly recommended.



2. I you like beautiful books I'd stongly recommend this fine two volume boxed set. We all know the quality of Abbott's work and it is displayed here with care and reverence. This is a special book. I was going to give it to my son who is a professional photographer, but selfisness has overcome me and its staying right here in my library. Edwin Blair

5 comments about First Flight: A Mother Hummingbird's Story.

1. First, a wonderful memoir of their cat, "Happy Birthday", and now an even more surprising story, an example of patience, persistence, perception and love. The adventures of hummingbirds, an entire life cycle in vivid beautiful color, and amazingly intimate details (this from a new Yorker whose only contact with bird life is pigeons). I think you'll be as delighted as I was.
   - Jay Maisel



2. This exquisite book is about loving and caring for what one loves. The Carroll's masterpiece springs from their love for Honey the Hummingbird as they daily devote themselves to watching her from her return from wintering in Mexico, the laying of two eggs in a nest on a clothesline which she had previously built and inhabited, the birth of her babies, which the Carrolls named Ray and Zen, and her nurturing of them until and after their fledgling flights.
   
   Everything about this book is done with devotion and great care. The text, written by Noriko Carroll, is a perfect accompaniment to what seems to me genius level photographs taken by Don Carroll. There are special lighting effects as a background to many of the photographs, and Mr. Carroll explains in an afterword called "Photographics Notes" that a mirror reflecting parts of his flower garden was used to create these stunning effects. I plan to order another copy of this book, take it to a framer and request that several of the photographs be removed and framed, to be hung on a wall of my home.
   
   The description on the inside of the book jacket cover is even unique. It is not the standard patois one usually reads. It is done with great care, depth and intelligence. It is the finest of its kind I have ever read.
   
   You will learn a great deal about hummingbirds, and if you have a backyard feeder, you will find out the proper and best way to maintain it. You will become more aware of the hummingbirds in your yard and in your life. And, unless you have a heart of stone, you will end up loving them, if you do not do so already.
   
   I heartily thank the Carrolls for their magnificent undertaking of introducing us to the life and ways of this wonderful bird and her offspring. It is their artistic skills, their intact sense of wonder and awe (which so many tend to lose in adulthood), and their capacity to love which has brought this book to us. Quite a gift!



3. This is a great book - I bought it for my mom and dad as they have lots of hummingbirds. But I had to check it out before I gave it to them. LOVED IT!!



4. We enjoyed this picture-story of a mother hummingbird. Excellent photographs and clear text. A book every (humming)birdlover will enjoy.



5. One of the nicest little books on Hummingbirds I have ever seen. I have just recently become interested in hummingbirds so this is a great little book to have.

No comments about Ryan McGinley.

5 comments about Our World.

1. Simply the name Mary Oliver causes a shift in my countenance and my being. My steps are different when I am present to who she is as a writer and human being, so it shouldn't surprise me, what happened this morning.
   
   I was minding my own business walking across my local bookstore when I heard the sound of wind rushing from my mouth. It was like the jolt happened so quickly my brain couldn't quite orient around the words, "Our World" and the names Mary Oliver and Molly Malone Cook.
   
   I had no choice. I had to stop all my other book plans and sit with this one, just be with it, soak it in, allow it to do its work on my soul as I knew intuitively it would.
   
   Last winter I became the self-appointed one woman marketing machine for Mary Oliver's "Thirst" - a collection of poetry written as she grieved the loss of her life partner, Molly Malone Cook, someone who I never knew yet felt I knew through reading Oliver's work. I stood at a bookstore crying as I read that book, sobbing, openly - aching and simultaneously being stunned by the beauty of the poetry.
   
   Now, in this volume, not only do I have words - I have Molly Malone Cook's photography.
   
   It is like being invited into the most intimate chambers of a lifetime soul-love affair. It is deeply personal, extremely intense memoir of love. That energy is on each page as Oliver builds a model of appreciation for Molly Malone Cook for us all to follow.
   
   Now, the "other" juicy stuff - photos by Molly Malone Cook that show a deep love and appreciation of books, of learning, of activism, of art and of the "faces of the world" - one of her early childhood ambitions, so it tells us in the text "was to see every face in America."
   
   Well, in these photographs "every" face is, indeed, communicated.
   
   We see photographers, playwrights, restaurateurs, activists and places the writers and artists among us dream about seeing.
   
   There are too many numerous memorable quotes to share here - and I don't want to take away your own discovery of words that speak directly to you.
   
   I know I will be forever grateful for the work of Mary Oliver and this volume amplifies that gratitude by bringing Molly Malone Cook to life for me in a more vivid way than in the past.
   
   I can only hope there will be many more opportunities for my heart and breath to be swept away, simply by seeing this author's name on a book jacket.



2. I just loved this book. Somehow it opened an intimate window into the life of Molly Malone Cook, without ever disrespecting the sacred nature of her life. Mary Oliver does this with grace. They clearly shared their lives together, yet still kept their individuality intact. Mary Oliver remarks, towards the end of the book, on her own recognised gift for attention. She goes on to pay tribute to Molly for teaching her this: "attention without feeling, I began to learn, is only a report. An openess - an empathy - was necessary is the attention was to matter." This tribute inspires me to continue the journey towards greater presence in my life.



3. OUR WORLD BY MARY OLIVER IS A MEMOIR AND A TRIBUTE TO MS. OLIVER'S LONG TIME PARTNER AND FRIEND WHO WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER OF NOTE. MANY OF MS. OLIVER'S PARTNER'S PHOTOS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK. FOR THOSE WHO APPRECIATE MS. OLIVER'S POETRY, THERE ARE NOT MANY POEMS IN THIS MEMOIR. IT IS A THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE BOOK, HOWEVER, AND ONE THAT GIVES THE READER A GLIMPSE INTO HER PRIVATE WORLD.
   
   ANNA M. SEIDLER



4. This is a great read. I had just heard of Mary's work and ordered quite few of her books. They are all wonderful. She has such a wonderful way to look at nature and the world in general.



5. 'Our World' is a pleasingly presented book. Intended to depict the life shared by Molly and Mary (Oliver). It relies on journal notes by Mary and photographs by Molly... recalling conversational moments between them, times with friends,and shared ventures into galleries, publishing, etc.
   
   It succeeds in its intention .. and is a pleasant glimpse into their life... poignant in view of Molly's death in recent years.
   
   I find it to be a little too distant and a good degree removed from their real relationship and life .... rather it relies on anecdotal episodes ... glimpses .. and momentary flashes.
   
   Pleasant - Yes. Deeply told, or fundamentally informing of their real life - No.

5 comments about The Cannabible Collection.

1. Overall I give the collection 4 stars for all that it does well - even though it is not entirely what I had hoped it would be. This is a good collection for entertaining people interested in cannabis, but it is not as informational as I had hoped it would be.
   
   I was hoping for something that would share more useful information about different strains of cannabis: growing characteristics, preferred growing mediums and environments, indoor-outdoor height, potency, nutrient preferences, etc. I keep hoping somebody will produce something like a world wide seed catalog, but written by unbiased connoisseurs and growers who are personally experienced with growing the various strains and with their medical properties and effects.
   
   On the positive side: The photography was great and there were some really interesting articles in the books as well. Also, the price is fantastic for all that you are getting, and the presentation value is very good (including the nice slip case).
   
   One major drawback for me however was how repetitively the author constantly preaches about how "outdoor organically grown" cannabis is so universally superior to every other possible growing alternative. It's fine that he believes that so adamantly, but I didn't feel I needed to hear those same beliefs repeatedly hammered home on virtually every single page of the book(s) and I was really tired of hearing about it only halfway through the first book.



2. If you are familiar with the Cannabibles or are interested in purchasing them, I would say go for it. If you love fine quality herb, and want to know more about it then definately get these books.
   
   Jason king really knows his stuff, and his photography is at times breathtaking. The photos and strain reviews are interspersed with very interesting and insightful articles concerning all aspects of God's sweetest medicine. I guaruntee that if you are not a cannisseur you will definately consider yourself one after a thorough purusal of the Cannabible series.
   
   As to this mini version, I docked a star because they are abridged. None of them have the forewards, which in the case of the second and third volumes are well worth reading. Also a few of the strains present in the large counterparts are omitted.
   
   If you must get this one for economic reasons, or portability (these are considerably smaller than the originals) then by all means get this. However if you can shell out the dough for the larger ones than I would highly (pardon the pun) reccommend getting the complete set so you get the full experience.
   
   The quality of these books is quite fine, well made in a sturdy box and the pictures, although smaller than the full editions are nonetheless vivid and drool-worthy.
   
   Happy toking. erh...I mean reading. :)



3. Well you could if you wanted to but I think tobacco is probably better for your health. Jason King is the undisputed Cannabis Connoisseur of the world! The way he captures not only the visual beauty of the buds and plants he so loves, but he goes into detail about the very soul of these fine herbs. He does so armed with extensive knowledge as to the heritage, strain, and history of all these buds, but also with the passion to do so like no one else.
   
   What makes these books stand out has to be the little side stories commenting on everything like the benefits of vaporization, the importance of reducing the negatives of life on the human body and soul, the proper care of cannabis, a discussion on the positive and negative effects of cannabis use, medical uses, horticulture, botany, and all around living well.
   
   This small collection is great for the casual cannabis caterer. But the full hardcover editions of each Cannabible would be a better choice for the true Connoisseur of Cannabis!



4. I am a fan of Jason's, and have read a lot of his smoke reviews. He is awesome at describing the nearly indescribable. However, I received the first batch of these books and promptly book two fell apart. No biggie, Amazon sent me a replacement set. After receiving the replacement set, book one promptly fell apart, as well.
   
   As I was really soured by this particular set of books, I asked Amazon if they would make me a deal on the Cannabible Deluxe version, to which I received NO REPLY! Amazon really sucked on this order as far as I'm concerned. READ YOUR EMAILS AMAZON! For not doing so in my case -- AMAZON sucks donkey!
   
   As for Mr. King. . . the info is awesome, the pics are drool-worthy, but if you're going to do this, damn-it, do it right! Mr. King considers himself a cannaboisseur, and he may be, but to be one requires a heightened agenda, and this set of books is bottom-shelf, low-rent, and basically not worth the effort. AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS! If you can't afford the real, hardback set or the Cannibible Deluxe, read them at the bookstore (which may be better in the long-run).



5. This is simply an amazing collection. I had previously owned the full-sized, hardcover version of these books, but donated them to my fraternity. When I saw that there was now 3-pack of miniature versions, I knew I needed to re-acquire them.
   
   Each book has a general theme. The first focuses mostly on strains that can be found in Amsterdam, with some from California, Hawaii, and Canada. The second book specializes in only organically grown strains raised and bred in California. The third book is a combination of the first two, but still tends to lean its focus towards Cali strains again. While the third book does re-visit a couple of the more popular strains, there are very few repeats so you don't don't worry that its going to get repetitive.
   
   Along with the amazing pictures and microphotography, there are also a number of articles spread throughout all three books with information on marijuana, breeding history of specific strains, and marijuana culture.
   
   I'm fairly certain that Jason King is the luckiest man alive and definitely has the best job I've ever heard of. I just thank him for sharing his knowledge and experience with the rest of us.

5 comments about Step-by-Step Wedding Photography: Techniques for Professional Photographers.

1. A well written and organized approach to everything you should be doing as a wedding photographer on wedding day. Great photos grace the pages of this book as if you were paging through a wedding album. All aspects of the day are covered with good advice on each section. How the author constructs the content is enjoyable to read. Even though I have shot numerous weddings, I picked up a lot of useful information.
   
   Again, I must emphasize the photographic content here. There are many good ideas to draw from. The images are current and trendy and they are exactly what brides today are looking for. You will always have the traditional poses but its the non traditional that will set you apart. Good advice to try especially if you're still shooting the way you were five years ago. The following quote is from pages 62-63 and stresses my point: "You must really immerse yourself to come up with the goods consistently (and by "the goods", I mean better-than-average photographs). In the competitive market of wedding photography, this is what you must produce to survive".



2. Sometimes I wonder if wedding photography is so competitive that practitioners are always trying to get any edge they can so that they are always willing to buy new books on wedding photography. Or maybe it's that the field looks so lucrative to outsiders that they are willing to buy wedding photography books to try and figure out how to get a piece of the pie. Or maybe it's that so much is on the line that wedding photographers will grasp at any straw to avoid an error. There must be some explanation of why there are so many books published on the subject. Here's another entry in the race.
   
   After a brief introduction that deals with things like the initial meeting with the clients and advice like packing your bag yourself, the author follows the event in a time-ordered sequence from preparation of the bride until the end of the reception. Because he emphasizes the pressures of time to really capture the big day, he provides seven time-saving strategies. There are too-brief discussions of posing, lighting, file formats, lenses and post-production and then a message to find your passion and style.
   
   The author is a great believer in available light photography, made easier by the newest low-noise, high ISO digital cameras. He gives us very little guidance on the use of artificial light. There is no mention of softboxes, or bounce light, or Gary Fong, all so beloved to wedding photographers.
   
   The pictures in the book seem rather standard (except that Tucci loves to pose the bride by herself, without train, against a garishly colored wall or in an unusual setting). However, the information provided for each picture reveals his preference for wide-angle lenses (which on his Nikon camera with a crop factor of 1.5 are generally shot in the near normal range). I wish he had spent more time explaining this preference. He also appears to love a 10.5mm fisheye. It seemed to me that more than one picture like that per wedding album might be overkill, but I suppose when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
   
   Sprinkled throughout the book are lighting diagrams that show the subject, or subjects, in relation to the camera and a reflector, but rarely show the direction of the main light.
   
   This is a fine book if you are interested in a quick look at how one wedding photographer handles his work, and picking up a few tips. But in a crowded field like this, a book really has to be good to stand out above the crowd. My own personal favorite is "Digital Wedding Photography: Capturing Beautiful Memories" by Glen Johnson, which is far more comprehensive than this book, and is the book to get if you are only getting one. Tucci would provide a nice supplement, particularly if you want to follow the available light route. But then considering how much is on the line in photographing a wedding, maybe one should read as many books as possible before undertaking the task.



3. I really enjoyed this book and if I were teaching a intro to wedding class,
   this book would be one of my textbooks. Why? Because it covers the basis first in simple to understand manner. What the book is not it is not the
   intermediate or advanced wedding photography book. One thing I like was the section about packing your equipment and how to do so. Early on I learned this lesson and it saves me time as I know where everything is.
   
   I do believe he could have gone into using flash and modifiers a little more
   but there is only so much you can put in a book.
   
   I have ordered two copies of this book for beginning wedding photographers that I know and I simply ask them to pay it forward.



4. This book makes a great starting point for anyone entering the field of wedding photography. The author explains the entire process from meeting with the bride to shooting on the day.
   
   His style is distinctive. He prefers natural lighting to flash and his posing is interesting and edgey. This is a hybrid of photojournalism and fashion photography. Meticulously posed bridal images that appear to be candid. Nicely create and composed images. I certainly recommend this book.



5. Damon Tucci's STEP-BY-STEP WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY: TECHNIQUES FOR PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS covers all the basics of assuring wedding shots are given meaningful, poignant preparations, from how to embark on a great consultation plan to tips on anticipating photo ops and learning what to look for during the ceremony and at the reception. From the usual lighting and posing techniques to documenting all the emotions involved in a wedding, this offers many keys to success.

4 comments about Introduction To Lapidary (Jewelry Crafts).

1. Introduction to Lapidary by Pansy D. Kraus is a 'breath of fresh air'. Kraus provides a general introduction to Lapidary as a hobby and the many different techniques that can be applied to gems (Agates), precious (Diamonds) and semi-precious stones (Sapphires). Kraus includes many pictures and photos together with an easy to read common sense approach to Lapidary and the equipment.

   Each section provides information on equipment, methods, materials, and techniques for producing that perfect work of art !

   Key sections include; a brief history of lapidary, rock tumbling (polishing rough shaped stones), cabochons (polished curved stones - eg: Agates), lapping gemstones (flat polished stones), gem sphere and bead making, inlay/mosaics, gem carving (eg: Jade), and faceting (eg: Polishing Sapphire and Topaz).

   Kraus has also included a section on general technical data that is essential for any one interested in Lapidary. Tables and charts are provided on; gem and material properties, conversion tables, critical angles and key speeds for cutting and polishing stones.

   An additional section is also provided with useful references and magazines.

   Lapidary for Beginners is an essential for anyone interested in starting this interesting and fascinating hobby. A good place to start for beginners which will give you a great reference as you pursue the different kinds of lapidary.




2. Oh my goodness! Such a great resource for information on all aspects of lapidary and jewelry design! This is a must-have reference!



3. This book is great for beginners. It contains a lot of good information covering a wide range of lapidary subjects; such as faceting, cabbing and tumbling. It also covers most of the equipment you would need and gives advice an purchasing the equipment.



4. The book arrived quickly and was a good price. It is a good book for beginners in rock grinding and related subjects. It will get a beginner started. I recommend it.