Mythic Woods: The World's Most Remarkable Forests

Book Description

These magnificent and evocative color photos reveal why forests have been a source of inspiration to humankind throughout the ages. The bestselling author of Meeting with Remarkable Trees has chosen 15 "mythic woods," from the famous Sherwood Forest (so unlike its legendary image) to the little-known Valley of the Giants in Tasmania, home to some of the world's tallest trees. Some are huge and ecologically vital, like the Amazon and Canadian rainforests; others are tiny remnants, like the Black Wood of Rannoch. The rich and diverse gallery includes the Petrified Forest of Arizona and the towering underwater groves of the Californian Kelp Forest. If anyone questions the need to nurture and protect Earth's forests, these images offer a supremely eloquent answer.

Customer Reviews:

not great.......2006-03-17

Great fron cover an internal cover, but that is where all the fun stops with this book, unfortunately. The rest of the book consists of strangely chosen and bad quality photographs with lots of huge text. I do not recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a great photograhic book on forests - it is very deceiving!

Slightly disappointing........2005-06-16

I bought this book with the expectation there would be many more detailed photographs in it. Though the photos that were there were stunning to be sure, there were too few of them! More photos, maps to said forests, etc. would have caused me to give this a full five stars.

Green splendour revealed.......2004-11-21

Approximately one third of the earth's land area is covered by forest habitats. Some are well-known, but there are magnificent forest areas that have not gained major attention. Mythic Woods explores the individual character of both familiar and unknown forests on all continents, revealing new worlds of majestic beauty. The forests include:

The Amazon
Black Wood of Rannoch
Sudarban mangrove forests of the Ganges delta
Cloud forests of the Andes
Blue Cedar forest of the Atlas Mountains
Taiga of Northern Russia
Valley of Giants, Tasmania
Mediterranean Maquis and Garigue
Petrified forest of Arizona
Sherwood Forest
Kauri Pine Forest of New Zealand
Baobab woods of Madagascar
Great Bear rainforest of Canada
Ancient rainforest of Cape York Peninsula

The engaging text comes alive through the breath-taking full colour photographs and the book concludes with a Forest Fact File that lists factors such as the Area, Rainfall, Temperature, Access and the most interesting trees and animals for each forest. The absence of maps in a book of this nature is baffling, though. Besides that omission, Mythic Woods is a classy and informative guide to some of the most impressive forests of the world.

Mythic Woods: The World's Most Remarkable Forests

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Mythic Woods: The World's Most Remarkable Forests
Jonathan Roberts
Manufacturer: WN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORTMWG

Book Description

Are they needed? To be sure. The Darwinian industry, industrious though it is, has failed to provide texts of more than a handful of Darwin's books. If you want to know what Darwin said about barnacles (still an essential reference to cirripedists, apart from any historical importance) you are forced to search shelves, or wait while someone does it for you; some have been in print for a century; various reprints have appeared and since vanished."
—Eric Korn,Times Literary Supplement

Charles Robert Darwin (1880-1882) has been widely recognized since his own time as one of the most influential writers in the history of Western thought. His books were widely read by specialists and the general public, and his influence had been extended by almost continuous public debate over the last 130 years. New York University Press' edition makes it possible for the first time to review Darwin's public literary output as a whole, plus his scientific journal articles, his private notebooks, and his correspondence.

This is the first complete edition containing all of Darwin's published books, featuring definitive texts recording original paginations with Darwin's indexes retained. All illustrations and plates are presented, inclucing 82 color plates of birds and mammals and several folding maps and plates. The set also features a general introduction and index, and textural introductions in each volume.

Book Description

Stroll along formal footpaths in the Jardin du Luxembourg and lose yourself in the halls of the Louvre. Whether you are traveling there for the first time or returning to recapture past magic – Paris is sure to offer you thousands of visual, cultural and culinary delights, making your trip an extraordinary experience! Before leaving on your journey to Paris, be sure to pack your Fodor's guide to ensure you don't miss a thing!

The San Francisco Chronicle sums it up best: "Fodor's Gold Guides are saturated with information."

- New two-color interiors make it easier to find the information you need.
- Fodor's Choice ratings tell what not to miss.
- Hotel and restaurant reviews cover all budgets.
- New ¢ sign category flags the best budget options.
- Multi-day itineraries help readers build the right trip for them.
- Smart Travel Tips, a complete chapter packed with contacts and great advice.

Customer Reviews:

lightweight.......2004-05-20

Of all the larger guidebooks, this one is not very heavy. You must forgo all color and glossy pages, since this book apparently has been printed on newspaper paper. This a good thing, as the book is very light, which is a major bonus when you are lugging stuff all over Paris. It is an adequate guide. It seems, in general, poorly researched but organized well. The hotel recommendations seem as if they were pulled off the internet and nobody even bothered to check them out in person.

paris fun.......2004-03-08

i recently returned from my first trip to paris. in preparation, i reviewed multiple guidebooks and took with me two. the four i considered most promising were let's go paris, rough guide paris, frommers paris from $90 and fodors paris. it was frustrating that i could not find a comparative review of guides which is why i share this info with you.

of these, after the trip, i must say that let's go paris was the most helpful with copious useful maps and tips, in addition to accurate and abundant recommendations on housing, dining and entertainment. frommers was the second most useful in planning and understanding the city.

although i thought that the rough guide would be beneficial, the maps were limited in detail and annotation. also, dining etc was not listed by arrondissements which made searching very difficult.

fodors was nice, but not particularly useful for the moderate income traveler compared to the others. frommers paris i briefly reviewed but found much less useful than the other frommers guide.

You're kidding!.......2004-02-22

I bought this book because the Fodors 2002 Italy guide was superb! Well, so much for crossing countries and years. First of all, the Paris guide contains no color photos (no photos at all)! That might be acceptable, but the lack of color extends to the map of the Paris Metro as well, rendering it useless because the various metro lines, only shaded with an orange or gray, are virtually indistinguishable. Indeed, had I tried to utilize it for my travel, I'm convinced I would surely have routed myself to Berlin! Furthermore, the meat of this work seems to have been gutted: although there are brief one-page inserts called "CLOSE UPs", which provide handy concise tips, the restaurant and lodging guides are limited, with very few if any inexpensive recommendations. More disturbing is that the text often, if not always, refers the reader to somewhere else for the essentials. To wit: " . . to research prices, get advice from other travelers, and book arrangements, visit [...]." Are you kidding? I don't have access to the internet when I'm on the street. That's why I bought a guide BOOK, Stupid! While prices for goods and services understandably often change, this edition should at least have supplied those that are accurate up to the publishing date. Why else would someone buy the 2004 Fodors as opposed to the 2003, etc.? Unfortunately, too often these particular items were absent.

The book does possess some merit, found primarily in the various walking tour sections which provide helpful itineraries for what can be covered in a day (or two or three or more), each including a map. Trouble here as well, however. An adroit editor would have numbered these sections for easy reference. Instead, the reader is forced to constantly flip back and forth through pages in order to find the appopriate section (paste-up book marks are not supplied in this edition, either). What's more, even the respective maps are only practical to a point. Supposedly micro-views of the area being discussed, such as the one for the "Bastille to Nation" section, just a few major streets are named, and there is no supporting detail (- what sense does it make to have a magnified map without labeling more streets?!?). Conclusion: the uninitiated traveler had better have another resource close at hand in order to navigate the various rues and boulevards. As for travel advice in general, there is some accurate information here, but woe unto those who rely on it exclusively. Indeed, more than a few of the explanations are downright confusing, and a tourist surely can do without anything that is more confusing!

Overall, I'd have to say that this book is not worth its price. The publishers obviously pinched and skimped on their costs, and the result was an inferior product. Even the page paper wrinkles and tears very easily because it's composed of the cheapest weight and quality available! I certainly expected a lot more in a much better package. Thank goodness I chose to bring along other guide books and maps with me to the City of Light [by the way, that's City of LIGHT, not Lights]. I suggest therefore that you pass on this supposed traveler's "aide" and opt instead for either the Frommers Paris or the Paris Eyewitness Guide (which among other things contains an exceptional street guide index, well worth the extra money). You'll then be more prepared for the daunting, though exhilarating, experience of visitng one of the most exciting cities in the world!

As a vacationer's guide to Paris, it can't be beaten.......2004-02-16

I've looked at a lot of books lately for Paris vacationing. The Fodor's book beats them all, hands down.

This book explains the sites, gives a little historical perspective, and suggests itineraries. It also suggests off-the-beaten-path places, and things you might not realize are even there.

The eating and hotel parts don't just give you lists of hotels and restaurants. It lists by arondissement (important in Paris, where you'll be walking a lot), and lists by price group. It also lists what is a particularly good value. This book doesn't just give a generic blurb. All places are evaluated by the people writing the entries. You get honest, up-to-date appraisals by people who've been there. They tell you what to look out for.

The book lists good travel suggestions, such as how to pack, what to take with you on an international flight, etc. Overall, it's a good preparatory instrument for a trip that is such a big undertaking.

I enjoyed reading the book. It is comprehensive, well-written, and very informative. And I love being told where to look for the best deals.

Book Description

France is a country where café-sitting is a culture, a meal is an almost sacred ritual, and country landscapes look like three-dimensional Monets. You'll discover there is not one France, but many – the southern France of the Riviera; the northern France of medieval cathedrals; and central France, home to the storybook Loire Valley and the ageless poem that is Paris. Before leaving on your journey to discover the many regions of France, be sure to pack your Fodor's guide to ensure you don't miss a thing!

The San Francisco Chronicle sums it up best: "Fodor's Gold Guides are saturated with information."

- New two-color interiors make it easier to find the information you need.
- Fodor's Choice ratings tell what not to miss.
- Hotel and restaurant reviews cover all budgets.
- New ¢ sign category flags the best budget options.
- Multi-day itineraries help readers build the right trip for them.
- Smart Travel Tips, a complete chapter packed with contacts and great advice.

Customer Reviews:

Ca m'a aide beaucoup...........2004-06-09

Bonjour.
I relied heavily on Fodor's France 2004 for my recent travel through France. Reading this book before and during the trip gave me the insight and historical detail I needed to appreciate more fully the wonderful sights in France that we were visiting. The layout is good. Maps and references are user friendly. Used it in Paris, Normady, and Loire Valley.

This book really helped my wife and I, especially in the Loire Valley with all it's awesome Chateaux and villages. One example: We discovered the medieval town of Loches while we were leaving the chateau Chenonceau and saw the signs on the road for Loches. Looked it up in Fodor's and thought we should see it, since it was also listed as a Fodor's Choice and not too far away. We learned the historical details before we arrived, which I believe enabled us to have a greater appreciation of the town and it's contents, thereby having one more great memory from France. The medieval town of Loches lived up to the Fodor's rating; we loved it so much.

The Fodor's France '04 doesn't rely heavily on photos, which I like, but instead is loaded cover to cover with detailed information on every region in France and typcially, the more known sights. However, there's some off-the-beaten path stuff too. I hope you discover something memorable on your travels through France!!

Amusez-vous!!

Average customer rating:
Deformation Mechanisms, Texture, & Anistropy in Zirconium & Zircaloy 966 (Deformation Mechanisms, Texture, & Anistropy in Zirconium &)

Manufacturer: American Society for Testing & Materials
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books
General & Reference | Chemistry | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 080310958X

Book Description

This book describes the evolution of several socio-biological systems using mathematical kinetic theory. Specifically, it deals with modeling and simulations of biological systems—comprised of large populations of interacting cells—whose dynamics follow the rules of mechanics as well as rules governed by their own ability to organize movement and biological functions. The authors propose a new biological model for the analysis of competition between cells of an aggressive host and cells of a corresponding immune system.

Because the microscopic description of a biological system is far more complex than that of a physical system of inert matter, a higher level of analysis is needed to deal with such complexity. Mathematical models using kinetic theory may represent a way to deal with such complexity, allowing for an understanding of phenomena of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics not described by the traditional macroscopic approach. The proposed models are related to the generalized Boltzmann equation and describe the population dynamics of several interacting elements (kinetic population models).

The particular models proposed by the authors are based on a framework related to a system of integro-differential equations, defining the evolution of the distribution function over the microscopic state of each element in a given system. Macroscopic information on the behavior of the system is obtained from suitable moments of the distribution function over the microscopic states of the elements involved. The book follows a classical research approach applied to modeling real systems, linking the observation of biological phenomena, collection of experimental data, modeling, and computational simulations to validate the proposed models. Qualitative analysis techniques are used to identify the prediction ability of specific models.

The book will be a valuable resource for applied mathematicians as well as researchers in the field of biological sciences. It may be used for advanced graduate courses and seminars in biological systems modeling with applications to collective social behavior, immunology, and epidemiology.

Modeling Complex Living Systems: A Kinetic Theory and Stochastic Game Approach (Modeling and Simulation in Science, Engineering and Technology)

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Modeling Complex Living Systems: A Kinetic Theory and Stochastic Game Approach (Modeling and Simulation in Science, Engineering and Technology)
Nicola Bellomo
Manufacturer: Birkhäuser Boston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

Mathematical Physics | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Using tools from mathematical kinetic theory and stochastic game theory, this work deals with the modeling of large complex systems in the applied sciences, particularly those comprised of several interacting individuals whose dynamics follow rules determined by some organized, or even "intelligent" ability. Traditionally, methods of mathematical kinetic theory have been applied to model the evolution of large systems of interacting classical or quantum particles. This book, on the other hand, examines the modeling of living systems as opposed to inert systems.

The author develops new mathematical methods and tools—hopefully a "new" mathematics—toward the modeling of living systems. Such tools need to be far more complex than those dealing with systems of inert matter. The first part of the book deals with deriving general evolution equations that can be customized to particular systems of interest in the applied sciences. The second part of the book deals with various models and applications.

The presentation unfolds using the following common approach in each chapter:

* Phenomenological interpretation of the physical system in the context of mathematical modeling

* Derivation of the mathematical model using methods from mathematical kinetic theory for active particles

* Simulations, parameter sensitivity analysis, and critical inspection of the derived model towards validation

* Overview of presented ideas to improve existing models, with special emphasis on applications

Specific topics covered include:

* Modeling of the competition between cells of an aggressive invasive agent and cells of the immune system

* Modeling of vehicular traffic flow

* Modeling of swarms and crowd dynamics in complex geometric environments

* Methodological aspects related to multiscale modeling of large systems viewed as interconnected subsystems

Modeling Complex Living Systems is a valuable resource for applied mathematicians, engineers, physicists, biologists, economists, and graduate students involved in modeling complex social systems and living matter in general.

Modeling in Applied Sciences: A Kinetic Theory Approach

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Modeling in Applied Sciences: A Kinetic Theory Approach

Manufacturer: Birkhäuser Boston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

General & Reference | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

Mechanical | Engineering | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0817641025

Book Description

Modeling complex biological, chemical, and physical systems, in the context of spatially heterogeneous mediums, is a challenging task for scientists and engineers using traditional methods of analysis.

Modeling in Applied Sciences is a comprehensive survey of modeling large systems using kinetic equations, and in particular the Boltzmann equation and its generalizations. An interdisciplinary group of leading authorities carefully develop the foundations of kinetic models and discuss the connections and interactions between model theories, qualitative and computational analysis and real-world applications. This book provides a thoroughly accessible and lucid overview of the different aspects, models, computations, and methodology for the kinetic-theory modeling process.

Topics and Features:

* Integrated modeling perspective utilized in all chapters

* Fluid dynamics of reacting gases

* Self-contained introduction to kinetic models

* Becker–Doring equations

* Nonlinear kinetic models with chemical reactions

* Kinetic traffic-flow models

* Models of granular media

* Large communication networks

* Thorough discussion of numerical simulations of Boltzmann equation

This new book is an essential resource for all scientists and engineers who use large-scale computations for studying the dynamics of complex systems of fluids and particles. Professionals, researchers, and postgraduates will find the book a modern and authoritative guide to the topic.

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A literary review of the Central Valley

Valley of the avenals

Panoramic view of the Valley

An eye-opening extravaganza of an oft-unknown California.

Outstanding - I lived there (1933-1951) real, honest,moving

Highway 99: A Literary Journey Through California's Great Central Valley

Manufacturer: Heyday Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Classics | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | History & Criticism | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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The Great Central Valley: California's Heartland (Centennial Books)

That Ribbon of Highway II: Highway 99 from the State Capital to the Mexican Border

The Other California: The Great Central Valley in Life and Letters (Western Literature Series)

Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water, Revised Edition

Inlandia: A Literary Journey Through California's Inland Empire (California Legacy)

ASIN: 0930588827

Book Description

From the myths of the Yokuts Indians to stories and poems of famous contemporary writers, this ground breaking anthology showcases the best of California's Great Central Valley writings.

Unlike New England or the South, the Central Valley has never been recognized as a region of literary significance. And yet this flat farming region, nestled between the Sierra Nevada and the coast, has produced a surprising body of magnificent writing. This anthology includes more than 70 writers, storytellers, and poets, each interpreting the Valley from their own perspective and personal experience. Together, they provide a rich view of the region's physical and emotional landscape.

This is American literature at its best - literature as authentic and as powerful as the land that inspired it.

Customer Reviews:

A literary review of the Central Valley.......2006-01-21

Through poetry and prose, a fair amount of it sprinkled with Spanish, editor Yogi presents the natural history of the Valley along with absentee landlord farmers who dammed, diked and irrigated it, or got the government to do it for them... and the various underclasses of different races and ethnic groups imported to the Valley to do the grunt work of farming it.

But this is much more than farm and nature history. The sociological distinctions of the different inhabitants are a central part of this book. See the kalidescope of California.

Valley of the avenals.......2003-05-28

Highway 99 in California, as the maps in the front of this book show, covers a lot of ground. It is, as Joan Didion describes in this volume, a highway in which the landscape never varies.

From Tehachapi to Tehama; from Lebec to Linden and beyond, one sees little mountain range, and what Didion refers to as the monochromatic flatness of the terrain through which the highway runs, to some (including some residents), symbolizes the monotony of life in the Central Valley.

You wouldn't expect it to be an inspiration for its own literary genre, and few of the works in this volume, prepared by editor Stan Yogi as a California Council of the Humanities project, could be classified as great literature. Two exceptions to that would be the contributions from Fresno native son, William Saroyan: "The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse" and "Fresno", a story of how Fresno's economy rose and fell on one man's vision of making it the raisin capital of the country (it's noteworthy that this honor today belongs to neighboring Selma).

And there's a gritty working-class feel to some of the other stories in this collection that makes them worthwhile reading.

The collection contains a fairly even distribution of prose and poetry, and the poetry would probably be appreciated by someone a little more highbrow than myself, whose head spins when confronted with too much blank verse.

Most of the prose and poetry centers on the hardships of those in the Valley who work the land. It's often a very stark picture, and artists and government projects being what they are, it's no surprise that this collection would have its share of infantile leftist temper tantrums such as Luis Valdez's "Quinta Temporada" and Cherie Moraga's "Heroes and Saints".

And isn't Catherine Webster a caution? Her poem "Child of Highway 99" seems intended as some sort of protest over the paving of Highway 99 but it comes out as a touchy-feely gush of female empathy, in which she mentions her own name twice. "I hear in ten-thousand sweet rye heads rubbing a song that I Catherine am Holy/I'm the Kingdom of HEAVEN", she informs us, and I have no doubt that she believes it, though it is the land she purports to identify with that is attempting to crown itself with glory. The poem is ostensibly intended as a glorification of the farmers who work the land. But it does make one wonder how the loonies managed to steal the conservation movement from conservatives.

The most horrific description of life on the farm is a Depression-era piece from John Steinbeck called "The Harvest Gypsies". Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel's "Picking Grapes 1937"about a "magic seventeen" girl working in "bursting sweet vineyards" and fantasizing about becoming Jean Harlow, following immediately after the Steinbeck piece provides a welcome upbeat contrast to it. There are other contributions in this volume which demonstrate Yogi's attempt to balance a harsh portrayal of life in the valley with a dignity often possessed by those who work in it.

One of the other poems that registered with me was Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's "Yuba City School" about a young Indian boy, persecuted at school by children and teachers alike, attempting to tunnel his way back to Punjab to "his grandfather's mango orchard, his grandmother's songs lighting on his head, the old words glowing like summer fireflies".

Art Coelho's "Papa's Naturalization", situated on a dairy farm in King's County, provides a more positive view of the immigrant experience. Franz Weischenk's Jewish family finds refuge from Hitler's Germany amidst the honest toil in the city of Madera, and Alan Chong Lau's early 20th century Chinese village in Lodi turns out for a visit from Sun Yat Sen. "Never having learnt the language I just have to go by hearsay," Lau says, explaining his own inability to read an old Chinese newspaper clipping describing the visit, possibly intending to hint at a generation gap familiar enough to this reviewer, who himself has learned only a few words of Yiddish.

Thiphavanh Louangrath's attempt to capture her experience as a Laotian girl in contemporary Fresno ("Old Maid") seems rather pointless, and it's hard to see what benefit is derived by her decision to substitute one extreme mode of behavior for another. Surely, it should have been possible for her to balance a normal social life with care for her grandmother.

If Yogi includes a variety of ethnic experiences in this volume, the employment experience is not so heterogeneous, centering mainly on life on the farm. But James Houston and William Rintoul provide an interesting look at life on the oil rigs of southern Kern County and in the communities centered around those rigs. Bill Barisch's offbeat social commentary, "Prison Valley", describes the city of Avenal`s attempt (and the attempt of other cities in the Valley) to use the prison situated locally as a cash-generating industry. "Avenal", Barisch remarks at one point, "made Coalinga look like a cultural mecca". Now THAT has to hurt.

All in all, a creditable collection - and perfect for reading on the Amtrak as the unbroken plane of the great valley whizzes by outside your window.

Panoramic view of the Valley.......2001-12-15

This book was my text in a university class about the life and literature of the Great Central Valley of California. It was the perfect companion piece to the course, deepening my understanding of writers who came from the Valley, and of the immigrant groups that settled there.

An eye-opening extravaganza of an oft-unknown California........1999-01-04

As a SF Bay Area resident, I thought I knew California. Not a chance. Highway 99 has always had a special allure for me - as I take it to go camping in the summer. The magical names of towns that linger on the fringes of recognition are compelling. As a private pilot I often fly over the great central valley, privileged to zoom overhead at 100mph. Now, having read the stories, the land is so much more alive, with textures and passions soft-spoken, waiting for the patient listener. I'm off to read Ernest Finney - Winterchill, having been totally captured by the snippet in this book.

Outstanding - I lived there (1933-1951) real, honest,moving.......1998-07-01

Having lived on the fringes of 99, Bay Area-Delta (Antioch, Brentwood) I know the Okie stories from living it, cutting "cots" the whole 9-yards. These are wonderful writers because they lived their words.

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