Product Description
Written by an expert on marine biology, this title is must reading for the marine aquarium hobbyist. Keeping ocean-dwelling fish and other marine life forms thriving in the synthetic environment of an aquarium requires special knowledge and care, especially in regard to water quality. The author discusses the properties of natural seawater, then gives details on how to create and maintain high-quality synthetic seawater. He describes biochemical cycles and fluctuating conditions that are normal in a flourishing marine aquarium, instructs on adding needed chemical components, and advises on water analysis test kits, instrumentation, and record keeping. Includes illustrations plus informative tables and charts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Good Stuff!
This was a great little book about the chemistry of salt water.It was a little too detailed on the actual chemistry section but the how's and why's were expertly written so that my children and I could learn about the do's and don'ts of reef aquariums.We have read a lot of books over the last few months about it and this one was one of the best.I recommend it to anyone who is as clueless as we were before we started reading up on it.If you are trying to decide if you want to dive into a salt water set up, you need this book.It doesn't just tell you what you need, it tells you why you need it and how to get it.Very cool.A keeper, totally,

Water chemistry for saltwater aquariums
Excellent book dealing with water quality in reef and fish saltwater aquariums. A must for anyone who is seious about the hobby.

good basic information
A lot of good information for the new fish keeper. Save yourself some frustration and expense by starting off with some good clear information.

Oddly outdated
Strange for a book on this topic published in 2005 not to mention live-rock or the chemistry that goes on in the various in vogue substrate filtration systems.

Salt Water Info
Very informative on beginning a new salt water tank. Information on what equiptment needed to provide the type of tank I wanted. Different habitat need different water and light conditions. Very helpful. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection features the first three novels of this highlyacclaimed New York Times bestselling author. Compassionate, satirical,deeply insightful and humorous, these compelling novels have gainedhim millions of fans.

Setting Free the Bears: Siggy and Hannes were disenchantedstudents and fellow conspirators. Astride a 700cc royal Enfieldmotorcycle, they roamed the Austrian countryside. When Gallen, alovely hitchhiker, joined them, they zeroed in on the Vienna Zoo--andSiggy's dream: setting free the bears!

The Water-Method Man: The acclaimed second novel bythe author of the #1 international bestseller, A Prayer for OwenMeany. Fred "Bogus" Trumper is a wayward knight-errant in the battleof the sexes, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, he stubbornly clingsto the notion he'll make something of his life.

The 158 Pound Marriage: Sometimes they looked at each other,aroused half out of their minds by the thought that each had just beenmaking love with another, and it would be enough to make them want todo it--together--all over again. Well, almost enough.

... Read more

Product Description
While sailing alone one night in the shipping lanes across one of the busiest waterways in the world, John Burnett was attacked by pirates. Through sheer ingenuity and a little bit of luck, he survived, and his shocking firsthand experience became the inspiration for Dangerous Waters.

Today's breed of pirates are not the colorful cutthroats painted by the history books. Unlike the romantic images from yesteryear of Captain Hook, Long John Silver, and Blackbeard, modern pirates can be local seamen looking for a quick score, highly trained guerrillas, rogue military units, or former seafarers recruited by sophisticated crime organizations.

Including new, up-to-date information for the paperback edition, Dangerous Waters is both a dauntless investigation and an epic, breathtaking modern tale of the sea. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

book
Not bad. Book will be a christmas present.In acceptable shape. Was shipped quickly.

Dangerous Waters = Dangerous Subject
Book arrived in a timely manner and in great condition as promised. Excellent buy. Thank you.

Highly enlightening
Piracy is an issue that has grabbed a lot of headlines in the last couple years, so it was interesting to find a book on the subject that was published back in 2003. It would certainly be interesting to see an updated version, but it is nevertheless highly informative. The author is well qualified to write about the subject of piracy given his own experience as a victim. But rather than simply dwelling on that experience, he actually did quite a lot of research, conducted numerous interviews, and himself became a participant on various vessels in waters known for piracy. All of which makes for a very interesting and eminently credible book, which I recommend without hesitation to anyone who wants to learn more about the subject.

A walk down the plank
Mr. Burnett provides a detailed and faceted look at modern day piracy.Far from the Hollywood portrayals, the work touches on the dynamics behind this ancient trade, and how it affects the seafarer, law enforcement and ship owners.A well researched work.

The romance of the high seas is gone

The thrill of the high sea has new meaning today.The romance is gone and the adventure is more ominous.In Dangerous Waters: Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas the author, John S. Burnett, has thrown a damper on what was once every boy's dream and every man's secret longing.In startling detail and tight-knit writing, Burnett has presented a new danger that is real, threatening, and not easily set aside by some sentimental vision of wind and water.

John S. Burnett and his family actually survived being attacked by pirates in the South China Sea south of Singapore.Knives and guns were brandished, money was demanded and, because he didn't have much money aboard, Burnett had his head gun-butted before the motley crew sailed away with a meager haul of a set of binoculars and some cigarettes.The incident prompted Burnett's interest and closer investigation of piracy.

Through research, interviews, and personal travel in some of the most set-upon waters in the world, the author has presented a riveting study of the fear of pirates felt by the crews of the ships who pass through every day - and night.One might wonder how a tanker that is larger than three football fields could be compromised by a ragtag crew of four or five hijackers but it happens regularly.Sometimes the crew members escape any real harm, sometimes they don't.

I always assumed that my friends Smith & Wesson could ward off trouble but ship owners are advised not to allow firearms on board.Cooperation and compliance with the terrorists' demands are believed to be a better way to escape harm.That may be true but entire crews still disappear and ships are turned into ghosts, never to be seen again.I understand the principle behind the no firearms policy, but it would take a steely will to face machetes, knives, attack rifles, and even rocket-propelled grenades, be shoved around and threatened, and then trust in the goodwill of the attackers to leave docilely after their mission is accomplished.

Some of the protection techniques outlined by John S. Burnett seem to be effective.The larger shipping companies have resorted to patrols, mercenary protection placed on board, negotiation, and even payoffs to the main forces behind the attacks.Ships no longer carry much money but now the cargoes themselves have become the targets.However, in spite of best efforts, piracy seems to be escalating.As Burnett points out, it's probable that some accident caused by piracy will cause a major environmental and economic disaster.We know that terrorists could intentionally cause enough damage to a Very Large Crude Container (VLCC) ship to spill nearly two million barrels of petroleum product into these vital waterways.But pirates could cause the same damage by taking over a ship and crew while allowing the tanker to continue out of control down a narrow, heavily trafficked corridor only to collide with another heavily loader tanker or to break up on the shoreline rocks.

Burnett leaves you with a lot to think about.There aren't any satisfactory answers as to how to handle the ever increasing threat.I strongly recommend this book as an early warning about a problem that must be solved.
... Read more

Product Description
Shallow Water Dictionary is both a celebration of the richness of our vernacular language and a lament on its passing – and with it, the passing of the words we need to understand our shallow water regions, once the primary landscape of America and now facing extinction, both physical and linguistic.
This small book is an intriguing and valuable addition to our knowledge of a changing landscape. Literary, etymological, historical, and vernacular investigations of such varied terms as "guzzle," "creek," and "chartreuse," Stilgoe’s definitions are lyric explanations of words whose original meanings have been eroded by time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Scholarly essay navigates murky coastal waters
This book is scholarly, poetic and contemplative, which I love.

Thesis is that landscape is always in flux, and with it even our way of looking at it, and talking about it. It's quirky, conversational and absorbing, even if marshland and nautical history isn't your field. The evolution of language is my interest and the main reason I purchased it. The book's strongest point for me was to reveal how dictionaries are constantly changing in their definitions through the centuries, rather like the esoteric landscape this book describes.

I have to advise, though, that this is a medium-length essay, it's not really a book. Opening Amazon's over-sized packaging, I found the smallest book I ever seen. There are some very basic illustrations that are truly disappointing, a fancy printed binding that dwarfs the handful of actual printed pages, and some eccentric typefaces that I hope never to read again. Over the top for an academic essay - ought to be a download from the Harvard archives.

An "essay" into language...
John Stilgoe's "Shallow Water Dictionary" is a fascinating essay onthe "lost" landscape of salt marshes and the language needed to describe them. He tracks down the sources of words such as "skiff" and explores the vagueness of definition found in words such as "creek", "brook", and "flotsam and jetsam". His references to historical dictionaries plot the changing importance of these wordsover time as society's attention wandered elsewhere.

Anyone who spends time in a small boat or who loves the language of the sea will find this book immensely satisfying.

It's about seeing
Many who read this will miss the main point. Of course it's about words, but it's more about "seeing" as in "I see." Frost said that he wrote as he wrote so that the wrong people wouldn't get it and be saved. This book has some of that in it. Don't let its almost being a dictionary or the title fool you.

John Stilgoe gives it away on page 54 where he says,"Landscape-or seascape-that lacks vocabulary cannot be seen, cannot be accurately, usefully visited." It's not just a question of vocabulary or even vision. It's all about perception, experience, and finally, reality.

Estuary English is Fascinating
What a gem of a book! Who would have know that a topic as esoteric as the 19th century English of eastern American coastal marshes could be so interesting, and that such a small book could deliver so much information? One learns the correct usage of the word "creek", the difference between a "gutter" and a "guzzle", the etymology of "schooner", and a detailed description of the elusive "gundalow". John Stilgoe provides some great comparisons of the unabridged dictionaries of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as well.

"Shallow Water Dictionary" is written as a narrative, a lament for the loss of words from dictionary English, arrived at while the author pilots his rowboat, "Essay" (A pretty enough boat, then, with lines more gentle than a skiff...), through the saltwater marshes of Massachusetts.

Don't be put off by its small size; lovers of the English language will find this book to be a good reference that is also enjoyable to read.

a treasure of a book
This book is one of my absolute favorites books of the past several years - a tiny jewel of a book.While it contains lots of interesting facts for boaters and word-lovers, it is also lyrically poetic (Stilgoe's MOST poetic work, quite unlike his other books), evoking the images, rhythms and sounds of an oft-neglected but major aspect of coastal New England - and makes you really want to see for yourself what it's like to paddle through - the coastal marshlands.For anyone who loves the ocean, secret places, history, nature-lovers, book-lovers, this book will slowly unwind it's magic on you. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

great source of info
This book has wonderful reviews of many, many spots to kayak and canoe in VT and NH. The directions to the various spots are usually right on. The places are sorted by which part of the state they're in. We've found this book very helpful when we want to find a spot for a quick paddle, or an all day adventure. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A very good introduction to this topic
A few years ago I came across a magazine article that discussed theimportance of the Ogallala Aquifer to American agriculture, geography, andsociety. Realizing that I knew absolutely nothing about this topic I pickedup John Opie's book. It's safe to say that I now know more about theOgallala Aquifer than I could ever have imagined possible.

The bookbegins with a discussion of the geology of the aquifer, and then moves intothe history of irrigation efforts on the Plains since the 19th century, andfinally to a discussion of the various irrigation technologies currentlyused to exploit the aquifer. There is ample discussion along the way abouthow these technologies have changed over the years as environmentalconsciousness and the problems of declining aquifer levels have become moreprevalent.

This book is not only a very informative look at the OgallalaAquifer but is pleasantly readable as well. And now that it is (finally)available in a more affordable paperback edition, I'm going to go buy acopy for myself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pretty as a picture
Despite, or perhaps because, the illustrations are somewhat stylised, but beautifully set with foliage and flowers, this book is a classic coffee table book (if the table has strong legs!). It will be purely by accident if it helps you identify birds you see (and will take up your whole knapsack if you took it into the field!) but it is a joy to turn through, sensuously, in front of a log fire, remebering those very days in the field and remembering how long birds have been on earth and how long we have watched them.

And, sacreligious as it may seem, at USD30, buy two and take one apart to frame and line the walls of your study.

A classic in every sense of the word! ... Read more

Product Description

Reflecting a rich technical and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas, Water and Life: The Unique Properties of H₂0 focuses on the properties of water and its interaction with life. The book develops a variety of approaches that help to illuminate ways in which to address deeper questions with respect to the nature of the universe and our place within it.

Grouped in five broad parts, this collection examines the arguments of Lawrence J. Henderson and other scholars on the "fitness" of water for life as part of the physical and chemical properties of nature considered as a foundational environment within which life has emerged and evolved. Leading authorities delve into a range of themes and questions that span key areas of ongoing debate and uncertainty. They draw from the fields of chemistry, biology, biochemistry, planetary and earth sciences, physics, astronomy, and their subspecialties. Several chapters also deal with humanistic disciplines, such as the history of science and theology, to provide additional perspectives.

Bringing together highly esteemed researchers from multidisciplinary fields, this volume addresses fundamental questions relating to the possible role of water in the origin of life in the cosmos. It supports readers in their own explorations of the origin and meaning of life and the role of water in maintaining life.

Product Description
Water is the chemical matrix required for life, the molecular chain that connects all organisms on the planet. But in the twenty-first century, water may replace oil as the most prized of resources. Just as gas-guzzling SUVs use more than their share of fuel, water-guzzling regions threaten the water supply for the rest of the world. In Water, writers, scientists, architects, and artists consider the many aspects of water, at levels from the microscopic to the global, touching on subjects that range from new water infrastructures to ancient bathing rituals.

Water includes a chemist's accounting of the true cost of water; photographs taken inside a city's secret waterways; an urban planner's description of how Toronto, New York, Hamburg, and Seoul have redesigned and rethought their waterfront areas; a conceptual artist's series of water bottles "branded" with various modern credos; photographs of a water-damaged ledger from the 1905 Yukon gold rush; two architects' rethinking of how to collect, divert, and transport water from water-rich to water-poor regions; a philosopher's invocation of the spiritual lessons of water; and photographs of a disturbingly beautiful flooded landscape.

Alphabet City 14 ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Great series for Kayak locations
WE have the New England series of the Quite Water books. All the books have good directions, descriptions of paddling locations, and description of wildlife and plants. These books have greatly expanded our kayaking adventures.

Good book if you live in southern or central Maine
I liked the book.Material was readable and well presented.There was not nearly enough information about paddling in northern Maine.We have a lot of good waterways and more could have been included.

Excellent resource for mellow paddling in Maine
There are more places to canoe & kayak in Maine than you can shake a paddle at, and the possibilities and choices can be overwhelming.This is a great book to start out with.Whitewater paddlers need not apply unless they are looking for a change of pace.This book is well suited to beginners and experienced paddlers alike as well as solo paddlers and those paddling with kids & dogs.Nicely detailed and well written.While I can plop my canoe into any one of the lakes and ponds in my area, it's nice to read about some places I've never considered (or even heard about).Variety is the spice of life.So far I've put in at five of the recommended ponds in this book and I have been pleasantly surprised each time.Highly recommended if you are a quiet water paddler looking for a new place to dip your paddle in Maine.

More than 100 ponds, lakes, and rivers in Maine that are particularly suitable for canoeing and kayaking
Now in a completely revised second edition, Quiet Water Maine: Canoe & Kayak Guide identifies more than 100 ponds, lakes, and rivers in Maine that are particularly suitable for canoeing and kayaking. Each suggested trip includes directions, parking, and launch information; tour descriptions with estimates of time, distance and difficulty; notes of flora and fauna to be seen in the area; and more. Written for paddlers of all skill levels from beginner to experienced, as well as for birdwatchers, anglers, and families with children, Quiet Water Maine is enthusiastically recommended both for its attention to detail and its enthusiasm for nature.
... Read more

Product Description

William Jay Smith has been one of the most respected figures on the literary scene for more than half a century. Two of his thirteen poetry collections were finalists for the National Book Award, and the present volume is clearly the work of a true American master.

The volume opens with a poetic sequence, "The Atoll," concerning the tiny coral island of Palmyra during World War II. Finding himself on the narrow rim of an extinct volcano at almost the exact center of the Pacific, water on all sides, breakers pounding the reef, the poet evokes the distinct sensation that he had of being at the heart of Herman Melville's "oceans vast." In lines resonant and memorable, he recalls the "terrifying beauty" of standing at night on what seemed then the very edge of the earth.

The poet next addresses our current daily terror -- war and destruction. In "Invitation to Ground Zero" he presents a moving tribute to a victim of the September 11 disaster, while in "Willow Wood" a soldier, having recently lost both his legs in a roadside blast, utters without a trace of self-pity strong words on future wars. Tragedy marks many of these pages, but Smith does not forget his lifelong commitment to witty and satiric verse. To introduce several hilarious pieces, he reprints the celebrated poem "Dachshunds." Simplicity and musicality have given his wedding songs a wide audience. Several of them are here, including an extraordinary new one, "The Bouquet."

Variety has always characterized Smith's work. Words by the Water is particularly varied and unusually youthful and fresh.

Customer Reviews (1)

An anthology of one of the great American minds of poetry, William Jay Smith
Chosen by the government as a consultant on poetry, "Words by the Water" is an anthology of one of the great American minds of poetry, William Jay Smith. Drawing on his massive experience as a man and a scholar of poetry, he presents some of his own, and fails to disappoint. "Words by the Water" is very much recommended reading for poetry fans. "Contemplation of Conspiracy":Where the table-leg projects into the yellow autumn/sunlight/like the poor premise of an argument,/the plotters gather, rotting wood at a creek's end/tirelessly planning the devastation of the spirit,/wiring the heart for a final explosion.//Where can they lead you but over the bridges of beetroot/into the country of spiders?//Do not follow them to their camp pitched in a cranny; bring your fist down hard on the table .../ and send them flying.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Nicely Updated
This new edition clearly has updated information which in some cases, needed to be. It makes this book more useful and a fine resource for good paddling choices. It added a few new areas but left some still not included, which, in my opinion - is good - something should be left for the explorers out there. This series continues to improve and offer new paddlers some great choices to find and remind experienced paddlers some places they may have over looked.
Rick

Need more water sites
Disappointed; very little in my area. I have AMC guides when I lived in New Hampshire; this is nothing like those little books. There is good info, but not all lakes, rivers covered. Sometimes they refer you to other books for info!?!

Could have more useful info...
Definitely a nice book overall, with thorough descriptions of calm bodies of water in New York State.However, I'm disappointed with the lack of map detail.In addition, there are no coordinates given (i.e., lattitude and longitude).This is an updated book and should definitely include coordinates for modern-day GPS users.I had to cross-reference another book that had better map detail and included coordinates (title: The Hudson River Water Trail Guide-6th edition).

very helpful
In time for spring and summer, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) has released a new, second edition of Quiet Water: New York, a Canoe and Kayak guide to the Empire State compiled by John Hayes and Alex Wilson.



As the title suggests, the authors are very clear that their new guidebook is designed for the canoe and kayak enthusiast who is look for quiet or solitude.There is no whitewater assistance offered here.However, ninety different options around New York State including nine locations within Central New York are suggested in this book.



"Quiet Water" also includes a plethora of helpful suggestions to plan your next outing on the water.The books provides maps, habitat descriptions of each area, phone numbers, websites, even a description of animal habitats one might encounter on the water.Scattered throughout the volume are photos from the water and profiles of local animals.



A great companion guide to anyone who looking to paddle this summer. ... Read more

Product Description
How to Build a Solar Hot Water System will not only show you how to build solar collectors and heat storage vaults, but it will also explain how to install and run the entire solar heating and hot water system. A CD-ROM multimedia show called SUN HEAT is included to get you off to a good start. Back up support from is available from www.JC-SolarHomes.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

too specific
This book is step by step instructions for building the system that the author built. There is no general information, and no engineering data. If you live on Long Island and want a cookbook approach this is a good book. Otherwise it's not so hot.

Everything I need and more!
The step by step procedures are excellent; the clear and comprehensive explanations of basic solar thermal heating concepts make the book invaluable. I never thought I'd be able to build and install my own solar hot water system from basic construction materials... until now! Thank you for blazing a trail into the "Solar Age" :-)

Excellent hands on introduction to solar heating
This book provides an excellent means of getting started with a hands on solar water heating project that pays for itself in less than 5 years. John Canivan has a method of bringing solar energy harvesting devices down to earth. He was a science major in college with a background in teaching, but most of his life has worked as a general contractor. I believe the best way to explain how something works is to do it yourself. The step by step procedures are nice guidelines but John goes beyond this. Once you understand the principles of solar heat gain, heat exchange and heat storage you'll be designing your own solar home with basic inexpensive construction materials and asking John for more information about his solar thermal roof system :-) All John's books are great, but this is the best one to get started with... and don't forget about the free CD-ROM multimedia show that comes with every book...

Cost Effective Solar Energy
A major obstacle in the way of solar acceptance is cost. Istalled PV systems take more than a generation to pay for themselves. Professionally installed solar hot water systems have a shorter payback period, but not short enough for most people. If you're a do it yourselfer with basic carpentry and plumbing skills you could build and install your own cold climate SHW system that could pay for itself in less than 5 years. How to Build a Solar Hot Water System explains the basics of heat transfer in plain language with step by step procedures to facilitate the process of building your own cost effective solar hot water system. ... Read more

Product Description
Like many apparently simple devices, the vertical water wheel has been aroundfor so long that it is taken for granted.Yet this "picturesque artifact" was for centuries man'sprimary mechanical source of power and was the foundation upon which mills and otherindustries developed.

Stronger than a Hundred Men explores the development of the vertical water wheel fromits invention in ancient times through its eventual demise as a source of power during theIndustrial Revolution.Spanning more than 2000 years, Terry Reynolds's account follows theprogression of this labor-saving device from Asia to the Middle East, Europe, andAmerica--covering the evolution of the water wheel itself, the development of dams andreservoirs, and the applications of water power. Reynolds also considers the social, economic,and technological influences of the water wheel; scientific research into water power technology;and attempts to adapt the wheel to unusual operating conditions.

This extensively documented and well-illustrated study has become a standard reference in therole of energy in human history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Nature harnessed
Setting out to restore a dam and millpond on my farm, I felt the need to understand something about the history of waterpower. This book was very helpful. (I also consulted a book from 1939 titled LOW DAMS.)I found 100-Men very informative, especially regarding its more recent history of smaller waterpower over the past century, when this technology was, sadly, allowed to decay, and was lost and largely forgotten, due to cheap oil.Trying to recover this resource is doubly difficult today, due to scarcity of know-how and restrictive ordinances.I also bought a book titled MICROHYDRO, by Davis, which is very up to date.

I've completed work on the dam. The waterpower feature will come in phase two. For now, it's fun to watch the water rush through the spillway and be able to vary the elevation and flow. The pond, which had been reduced to a rivlet for many years, is now more than seven feet deep.

Fascinating - reading it now
This is the only book I've read on water wheels, but it's fascinating. It seems like a pretty thorough history going back as far as possible, and it discusses theories about how the ideas developed and includes many drawings and a few photographs. Lot of material here. Seems pretty thorough and interesting and authoritative for a textbook on *any* subject.

Oustanding!
If you are interested in the History of Technology , especially waterpower, I highly recommend this book. It is the best overview of the impact and development of all styles of vertical waterpower that I have read. ... Read more

Product Description
Here are three more of John Waters's most popular screenplays — for the first time in print, including an original introduction by Waters and dozens of fun film stills.

John Waters, the writer and director of these movies, is a legendary filmmaker whose films occupy their own niche in cinema history. His muse and leading lady was Divine — a 300-pound transvestite who could eat dog shit in one scene and break your heart in the next.

In "Hairspray," a "pleasantly plump" teenager, played by Ricki Lake, and her big-hearted hairdresser mother, played by Divine, teach 1962 Baltimore about race relations by integrating a local TV dance show. "Female Trouble" is a coming-of-age story gone terribly awry: Dawn Davenport (again, Divine), progresses from loving schoolgirl to crazed mass murderer destined for the electric chair — all because her parents wouldn't buy her cha-cha heels for Christmas. In "Multiple Maniacs," dubbed by Waters a "celluloid atrocity," the traveling sideshow "Lady Divine's Cavalcade of Perversions" is actually a front for a group of psychotic kidnappers, with Lady Divine herself the most vicious and depraved of all — but her life changes after she gets raped by a fifteen-foot lobster. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

John Waters Scripts
This book captures the written screenplay to 3 more of John Waters films. They read great if you are into his films and will find yourself laughing and wanting to see the films again. Only major complaint: the addition of Hairspray in this book is so out of place. The script for Polyester should have been chosen instead as it is much more of that period of his work than the famiily movie Hairspray. ... Read more

Product Description
Purported to "cultivate sleaze like a rare orchid," (Baltimore Sun), John Waters is indeed a rare breed of director. He has numerous magazine articles, three books, and 11 films--including Hairspray--to his credit, and his next film is scheduled for release in 1992. 35 photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mondo Baltimore
A must buy for any Waters' fan, Ives' book provides much in depth information heretofore unavailable.The author interviews Waters at the subject's residence covering John's entire life.This comprises about 3/4of the book.The remainder is interviews with surviving Dreamlanders andlater actors and actresses who appeared in Waters cinematic canon. Additionally, many rare and unusual letters, stills, illustrations andephermera are provided throughout the book from both Mr. Waters owncollection and from the Weselyan University collection of Mr. Waterspapers.Great fun and a essential addition to your bookshelf beside ShockValue, Crackpot, The Trash Trilogy, not to mention Divine's biography andthe "witings" of Cookie Mueller.Selah! ... Read more

Product Description
A beautifully illustrated, comprehensive guide on the planning, preparation, and training for cold water diving. More than 100 full-color photos illustrating in detail the techniques and procedures for safe and comfortable cold water diving. Special sections on safety tips, dry suits, and diving equipment, including items for thermal protection, cylinder valves, and regulators. The author, past president of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, is an ice diver with more than 15 years of cold water diving experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great reference book
When I found out that my PADI Ice Diving Specialty Course did not provide
any reference material, I decided to search the web for a book on ice
diving. After an exhausted search, I came across this book and bought it.
Being well informed before taking a course gives you a definite edge and the confidence to be able to ask intelligent questions about the material being taught. This book gives you that edge as well as the desirable knowledge every diver wants when he or she begins a new diving activity. The book is filled with great color photos and illustrations, and is packed with first-rate information. Anyone taking an Ice Diving Course should read this book. For the price, it's worth the money. Plus, it's nice to have a good reference book to refer to at a later date.

Very good info in this book
Bought this book as an additional source of info prior to doing my PADI Ice Diving Course.I've found instructors teach what they know which isn't always what is safest so I wanted to make sure when I made decisions they were informed ones.This book helped me ask some questions regarding my own safety I would never have thought about had I not read it.Anyone considering taking an Ice Diving course should buy this book and read it prior to taking the course.Remember singnals are different depending who your instructor is but as long as everyone is using the same ones it's OK.This book is definately worth the money.

Great Book!
I am taking the YMCA ice diving course now and although the YMCA has it's own text, I decided to read this book for some additional insight. I'm glad I did. This book is packed with color photos of ice diving activities and was very easy to read. This text made a great addition to my course's text. A MUST read. ... Read more

Product Description
Sincere and ironic. Hip and stodgy. Academic still lifes and ready to hang museum pieces. When you ask over 300 artists, "What was your first work of art" the results are vast. An inspirational collection, No.1: First Works by 362 Artists showcases works by a variety of contemporary painters, photographers, sculptors, and filmmakers. The artists were asked to submit what they considered their "first" work of art--not necessarily the first piece they ever created, but the one that first successfully represented who they are as an artist today. Some of the works are first "mature" works, others are seminal or pivotal, others are catalysts, some are new beginnings. These submissions, along with written artists' statements, make up this fascinating look at the process of art-marking. No.1 is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in art and the process of discovery and creation.Featuring first works from over 300 artists including Marina Abramovic, Vito Acconci, Richard Artschwager, Matthew Barney, John Baldessari, Georg Baselitz, Bernd & Hilla Becher, Ross Bleckner, Christian Boltanski, Louise Bourgeois, Sophie Calle, Chuck Close, Maurizio Cattelan, Tony Cragg, Tacita Dean, Wim Delvoye, Thomas Demand, Marlene Dumas, William Eggleston, Olafur Eliasson, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Peter Fischli/David Weiss, Sylvie Fleury, Gilbert & George, Liam Gillick, Nan Goldin, Dan Graham, Rodney Graham, Richard Hamilton, Mona Hatoum, Thomas Hirschhorn, Jenny Holzer, Roni Horn, Anish Kapoor, Mike Kelley, William Kentridge, Imi Knoebel, Anselm Kiefer, Richard Long, Robert Morris, Shirin Neshat, Albert Oehlen, Gabriel Orozco,A.R. Penck, Raymond Pettibon, Richard Prince, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Pipilotti Rist, Thomas Ruff, Edward Ruscha, Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith, Thomas Struth, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Antoni Tapies, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rosemarie Trockel, Luc Tuymans, Bill Viola, John Waters, Gillian Wearing, Lawrence Weiner, Franz West, Christopher Wool, and many, many others.Edited by Francesca Richer and Matthew Rosenzweig.Paperback, 7.75 x 9.25 in./424 pgs / 356 color and 142 b&w. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Full of Artists
Though you only get one example of their work (their earliest ne at that) there is still a lot to love about this book. Along with the photo of the work is a very insightful artist statement. Variety is also the book's strong suit. You should find a handful of works that that are pleasing if not all of them.

Interesting concept
This book is exactly what the title says -- first works by 362 different artists.The artists were asked to submit what they considered their first work, so isn't always the first piece they displayed, but instead, what they considered an important piece in their career or something else like that.

Regardless, it's an interesting concept that provides a brief glimpse of many artists whom you probably haven't heard of before.The works span several decades and also span media: there are paintings, photos, film, sculpture, mized media, etc.Each entry is one or two pages, with commentary by the respective artist that can range from a couple sentences to a full page.

One thing to note -- the Amazon description is misleading.The authors are not the 5 artists listed; they are just five of the 362 whose works are included. ... Read more