Reviews (6)

Extremely informative, with excellent photography
I though this was an excellent resource for identifying hawks in flight. The photos are very informative, and attractive as well. The guide is, in my opinion, very comprehensive and extremely well written.

Hawks from Every Angle
A super-useful reference guide that goes well with HAWKS IN FLIGHT -- and actually I would probably look at this one first. Photographs and text both contain a lot of helpful information to assist in raptor identification -- though the "pitfalls" shots make it clear that not every bird will be identifiable.
another mistitled hawk book
If you're looking for a book that covers all the raptors that regularly occur in North America, forget it. A more honest title would've been 'Raptors of Northeastern Hawkwatch Sites.' Even then, northeastern hawkwatchers won't find Harris' Hawk in the book. The raptors Liguori does cover are done well, by and large, and I was particularly impressed with the treatments of both Harlan's Hawk and the Northern Harrier. But if you live in the West, as I do, you'll find the book less useful than the title suggests. Get yourself a Clark and Wheeler--it'll serve you much better. I'm looking forward to that frabjous day when hawkwatchers will escape their eastern bias, and discover that we have hawks in the West too. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Falconiformes    3. Flight    4. Identification    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - Ornithology    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. North America    10. Pictorial works    11. Biological Sciences    12. Birds & birdwatching    13. Birds (ornithology)    14. Birds and Natural History    15. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (4)

A good one
The Backpackers Handbook is more informative and easier to read than the other two books I bought recently (Hiking Light Handbook, and Everyday Wisdom).Save your time and read this one alone.

Best book of its kind i have seen
I got three backpacking type handbooks at a library and read all three this is by far the best one. It has the most in depth information and is enjoyable to read.

The title says it all...
This is, without doubt, the best book on backpacking I've read. Just the right balance between specific recommendations and general advice, objective information and personal opinion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Backpacking    2. Camping    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Hiking    5. Mountaineering    6. Outdoor Life    7. Outdoor Skills    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Sports & Recreation / Hiking    11. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Editorial Review

Attention landlubbers: If you don't know your port from your starboard, tacking from jibing, then you need to experience clear sailing with the Dummies. With the usual cargo of good humor and demystifying tone, this mast in the Dummies armada lifts the fog on confusing nautical language, teaches the basics about maneuvering a sailboat from dock to open ocean, floats important safety information, and offers advice and info on a variety of related issues (knots, racing, sailboards, how to buy a sailboat). Whether you want to learn to sail or just talk like a sailor, Read more

Reviews (16)

Sailing for Dummies?That's us!
We are buying our first sailboat and needed to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible.This book is easy to follow and really is very helpful in helping the reader to get a solid understanding of what is what and how it works and what to do.I also found it entertaining and humorous.We will give this book a prominent place of honor in our new boat and will refer back to it often.If someone wanted to learn to sail, this is the first book they should read.

Not the best for THIS dummy.
The authors have maybe a bit too much expertise and experience to effectively write for "dummies" like myself.Somehow after reading this, I had just as many questions as before.Part of the problem is this book is way too comprehensive, covering such topics as sail-boarding.I would rather have had more in depth explainations of the basics and more diagrams/illustrations.

Well-organized and incredibly useful
Hard to beat this book if you're just getting your hands on the mainmast for the first time.A wealth of info on every topic you'll need to know, presented in pictures and entertaining quotes and headlines.There are sections that deal with all the tricky details of actually getting the boat out of the dock and into the open sea, as well as a crucial section on what to do if, well, your sailing experience doesn't exactly go as planned.Pay attention to what the Islers say here-- you'll protect yourself from the most common (and often dangerous) mistakes beginners make if you've barely dipped your feet into water, and you'll improve your skills to a surprising extent even if you're more advanced. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sailing - General    2. Seamanship    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Sailing    6. Sports & Recreation / Sailing   

Reviews (1)

Welcome to College.
Welcome to College my friend!How do I know you are in college?Because public K-12 education would never spend $90.00 per textbook.Private K-12 education would have administrators smart enough not to buy this book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Education / Teaching    2. General    3. Physical Education    4. Sociology    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Sports & Outdoor Recreation    8. Sports & Recreation / General   

Reviews (6)

Good, but slightly flawed
Pete Dunne's latest tome, Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion, has been reviewed several times by various bloggers already including As Necessary as Binoculars, for Making/Confirming I.D.s
I won't repeat the (well-deserved!) accolades. Rather, I write to ensure that potential buyers are aware of one particular feature which is as profoundly helpful as it is unique. Each bird discussion includes the assignment of a V.I., that is, Vagarancy Index. This is best explained by example.
A different approach to identification
Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion: A Comprehensive Resource For Identifying North American Birds is weightier than most similar/competing field guides; and for a reason: it too offers a different approach to identification, doing so by bird structure and shape as well as observer's general impression of size and shape. When size, color, behavior, flight pattern and vocalizations come into play in the identification process, much mystery is cleared up: this provides hints and clues to streamline identification efforts and builds a fine guide for all levels of birders. No color photos here; just plenty of tips and description.
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Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Identification    5. Individual Species Of Birds    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (7)

A must read book
It is for the technically minded. Don't buy a propeller without reading it first. And after you've read it, you will probably buy a new propeller, because you will likely to find out that the old one is not right.

Very technical and interesting
This is a very interesting book. It goes deeply in the theme.
Boat Propellers
This book will answer almost every propellers related but needs little update for todays raceboats props.. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Hobbies/Crafts    3. Sailing - General    4. Ship Maintenance And Repair    5. Ships & Shipbuilding - Repair & Maintenance    6. Ships & Shipbuilding - Small Boat Maintenance and repair    7. Transportation    8. Marine engineering    9. Motor / power boating & cruising    10. Shipbuilding technology & engineering    11. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Reviews (10)

Great Book!
I thought this book was great!If you are thinking about training or starting to train, you definitely need to read this book.They give great advice and give you the confidence to do things you never thought you could.

Informative and inspirational
I love this book!After completing many marathons, I received this book as a gift, and it made me want to go right out and do another.As a coach for endurance athletes, I give this book to each of them during their training for marathons/half marathons.Full of good information for the first timer and inspiration for the multi-race finisher.

Very inspiring
This is a great book for anyone thinking of training for a long distance event. I ordered this as an extra copy for another first time race participant. It is very easy reading and lots of laughs. It is the bible of our walking group. Last year 6 of us completed our first ever half marathon at Disney. This year we'll have over 10 with some doing their first marathon. It truely helps the average Joe believe he can complete a long distance event. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Marathon running    3. Running & Jogging    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Training    7. Walking   

Reviews (3)

Rooster! Is A Pheasant Book Winner.....
If you love pheasants and pheasant hunting you will love this book.While it may seem a bit costly compared to other pheasant books, it is well worth its price. The large color photos are beautiful and the the narrative (chapters) of the book are well written and interesting.You will find yourself reading this "coffee table" book over and over. Being a pheasant and quail hunter, I would love to see a similar book called "Bobwhite."That's a hint to the authors and photographers of Rooster!It's time to tackle a new project.

A Must Have!
This is a great read as well as a great visual book--it'll get you fired up to hunt!
A most enjoyable visual and narrative tribute
Majestically illustrated throughout with full color photographs by award-winning photographer Dale C. Spartas, Rooster! A Tribute To Pheasant Hunting In North America showcases the outdoor hunting experience in glowing and memorable terms. A most enjoyable visual and narrative tribute to the pheasant hunting experience, written with deep respect for the wiley and tenacious birds themselves, Rooster! A Tribute To Pheasant Hunting In North America is an enthusiastically recommended title for personal and community library collections. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hunting - Bird Hunting    2. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (6)

Dust Collector
Good intentions but no substance. If you own an outboard, you know that each size and brand are quite unique and generalizing the repairs of them is about as useful to an owner as a dry lake. This book is very small and it WILL collect dust or end up beneath a repair manual. Believe me.

Excellent overview- but buy the service manual too
This book provides a thorough explanation of the workings of 2-stroke & 4-stroke outboard engines, with conscientious troubleshooting guides & meticulous maintenance schedules.However, it works best as a companion to the service manual (not the general Owners Manual, but the Service Manual) for your specific model.Consider the number of outboard engine types and it's easy to see that diagrams and descriptions included are necessarily generic.If you're the kind of person who likes to know the theory behind the black box before fixing anything, order this & the manual.If you just want to learn how to clean your carburetor, call your manufacturer & get the manual.

Great info for 99% of outboard owners
I'm not quite sure what the reviewer from Raleigh, N.C. expected from this book. It is clearly not written with the intent of teaching you how to tear down and rebuild outboard motors. The editor's review above clearly says that. But If you are looking for a good common sense all-round outboard motor troubleshooting guide, then this book, combined with the specific shop manual for your motor, some moderately cheap test equipment (which you may have a lot of already) and anyone with a descent mechanical aptitude will probably be able to fix 90% of all the problems they will ever encounter with an outboard motor. The other 10% I personally will leave to the pros. It will also teach you how to avoid a lot of problems in the first place which is the biggest savings when your talking outboards. I am just a hobbyist, not a mechanic and this book has already helped me get two old motors back up and running and has been well worth its price to me. The book is well organized and is easy to understand. The author keeps things simple and down to earth and isn't trying to impress anyone with a bunch of techno-jargon. Sure the text could have been larger, maybe the pictures a little better, but hey what's perfect for everyone? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Maintenance and repair    4. Outboard Motors    5. Sailing - General    6. Ship Maintenance And Repair    7. Ships & Shipbuilding - General    8. Ships & Shipbuilding - Repair & Maintenance    9. Sports    10. Transportation    11. Boating    12. Engines & power transmission    13. Shipbuilding technology & engineering    14. Ships & shipping: general interest    15. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Editorial Review

At first glance, you may think that Nealy isn't serious about teaching riding skills. The hand-printed pages--colored with hilarious animations--give the guide a comic-book appearance. But instead of assaulting his readers with dry chapters on technique, Nealy leads his readers on an entertaining tour of the mountain-biking world and how to survive it. He explains how to bunny hop, how to downhill, how to ride powerfully, and how to crash with style. He also includes a "Stupid Bike Tricks" section. One trick, The Invisible Mountain Biker, explains how to jump off of your bike and let it glide, unmanned, Read more

Reviews (20)

Kids book
Personally I found the style of this book irritating. Its 100% hand written text and cartoons, which don't provide a lot of detail and the jokes were lame. The information is not incorrect - I just found it didn't have enough detail to replicate the moves. And its old... eg, the importantance of pedals with toe clips! Best left for the kids

Funny with Great illustrations and Information!
Love this book! It's a classic. I have bought it for many friends when they buy their first mountain bike.
Are you Kidding?!
If you only have one book in your personal mtn bike library, this is the one.Funny!Interesting!Great illustrations!Originally purchased back in the old school days of the sport and is still the number one to have, mine is on the coffee table...and another copy in the office... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. All terrain cycling    2. Cycling    3. Cycling - General    4. Mountaineering    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Sports & Recreation / Cycling   

Editorial Review

World-renowned birder Kenn Kaufman addresses a long-running paradox of bird field guides with his Read more

Reviews (35)

Kaufman Field Guide to Birds - Excellent
This field guide is a clear, concise, easy to read manual that contributes to the enjoyment of bird watching.I found that the birds I see in my back yard and neighborhood were easy to find and identify correctly.I would recommend this publication for use by any level of bird watcher from beginner to the most experienced.The graphics and color are wonderful.The color coded maps, showing summer and winter ranges for each species, are very helpful.

EXCELLENT CHOICE FORFIELD GUIDE
I do recommend this one highly!I have been birding for well over fifty years now and have used and own quite a number of guides.This work is a great choice.I have used Peterson's guides for years and will probably go to my grave using his guides as my primary choice, but old dogs can learn new tricks and I carry this guide with me along with a few others anytime I am in the field.It is a great supplemental.For myself, as one who has a horrible time with shore birds in particular, often times just one guide will not work.This field guide gives me more information and I find myself turning to it more and mroe for verifications.It is well designed, well organized and quite accurate.Recommend this one highly.

The handiest field guide to North American birds
According to the author, Kaufman Guides are "the best and fastest way to get started... to send you outside quickly, putting names on what you find". If that is the objective, the 'Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America' has realised it admirably.
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Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. Identification    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Pictorial works    10. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (9)

"What does 'rky' mean? Oops!"
Since the current U.S. Administration saw fit to cease publication of CHART NO. 1, the government's own guide to reading maritime maps, back in 2000 (maybe they figured Dubai might pick up the slack around our harbors), HOW TO READ A NAUTICAL CHART is an absolutely crucial educational volume for those of us new to reading charts.
Nigel is among the most informative
Got about all Nigel's books - as I had expected, he gives a good clear insight on nautical charts and how to read them. Not much else to say! Thanks Nigel for helping make the dream come true!
great resource
A great resource even for experienced skippers.Also makes you very aware of the limitations of modern cartography (ie how many charted depths are based on a survey done 50 or 100 years ago!). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Boating And Sailing    3. Military Science    4. Nautical charts    5. Navigation    6. Sailing - Navigation    7. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Symbols    10. Transportation    11. Boating    12. Sports & Recreation / Sailing   

Editorial Review

Hook-and-bullet adventures had by tough guys such as Teddy Roosevelt and Papa Hemingway may be out of favor inthese times of eco-awareness, but Peter Hathaway Capstick's account of big-game hunting in Africaremains a classic. With humor, grace, and supreme tension, Capstick takes the reader on safari, eloquentlystating his case for blood sport while portraying the intensity of the hunt. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

Capstick was the master story teller of a passing era.
Peter Capstick was capable of capturing the spirit and danger of the hunt like no other author in recent history.
The Africa Before This One.
There was an Africa before this one. Before the continent was torn apart by war, AIDS and poaching. Before elephants and other exotic species were slaughtered to the point of endangerment. Before Africa was one big, hopeless charity case in the sense of both it's wildlife and it's people there was Peter Capstick's Africa. While reading this book let go of what you think you know about endangered species on that continent and let go of your judgement about hunting there. Because otherwise you're really missing out.
Thriller
This book is a good read for people who can tolerate some blood and gore. Scenes of animals killing people and people killing animals have been very graphically described. At times you cannot agree with the author when he tries to justify the killing of animals just for kicks and to collect trophies. I have never set foot in a jungle, so I cannot be a judge about such matters, but I sometimes felt that the author is bluffing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Big game hunting    3. Fiction    4. Hunting    5. Hunting - General    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery/Suspense    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Crime & mystery    10. Sports & Recreation / Hunting   

Reviews (5)

Best Book Ever
This book is the most insightful book into becoming a great climber.The writers of this book are experienced climbers and have been in the climbing community for a long time(lots of connections, try Boone Speed and Tommy Caldwell)This book is a must read, and the DVD is a must see, especially about redpointing.BUY THIS BOOK!

Groundbreaking
I've read and been through just about eery other training book for rock climbing. This is the first book that reads like a textbook for school. It breaks things down into a science, increasing your understanding and vocabulary of how climbing works enabling you to cognitively apply practical skills immediately. Unlike other books, this one instructs the reader how to actually construct a training plan and what excercises to perform for his/her level based on what level they are trying to reach instead of simply stating the obvious, "to get better you need to train." This book is a must read for anyone looking to train for climbing and a bible for any serious climber looking to amp up their training regime.

A good guide to climbing movement
The Self-Coached Climber provides superb instruction on the subject of climbing movement, yet only limited coverage of the important subjects of strength and mental training (and no coverage of injuries, injury prevention, recovery, and nutrition). Read Self-Coached Climber as a complement to the more comprehensive Training For Climbing (which provides excellent coverage of the"missing" topics in SCC) and The Rock Warrior's Way. All three books are good reads that will help you climb better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Mountain Climbing    2. Mountaineering    3. Rock climbing    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Training    7. Climbing & mountaineering   

Reviews (10)

Excellent training book
This book delivers what it says, "Training for Climbing". It is not a technique book but very specifically a guide to training most efficiently for climbing. If you want to climber harder, this book provides lots of good advice.

Thank you for this book!
I am an intermediate climber and have been searching for a good source of training techniques to better myself and accomplish more advanced climbs. "Training for Climbing" was suggested by the folks that work at my gym, so I ran out and bought it. This book is so full of information, that I'll be devouring it for weeks! Everything I've read so far is very fact based and straight forward. The parts on developing mental skills are especially interesting to me, as concentration is one of my biggest areas to work on.
Just what I was looking for...
I've been climbing for a few years and I wanted to begin a more serious, structured training program to help me break through to the higher grades. Training For Climbing is the book I was looking for, given its scientific look at improving technique, strength and the mind. While such a detailed, measured approach to training may not be for everyone, it has great appeal to me as a longtime athlete who engaged in formal training for other sports. Training For Climbing helped me understand the many unique aspects to, well, training for climbing, which I found to be much different than what I had been used to from my previous sports experience. Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing the many research references and footnotes, and more importantly I was pleased by the overall LACK of "do as so-and-so hot-shot climber does" or "train like I train." Training For Climbing helped me diagnose and design the best training program for me, and I sense that the book will remain a key resource for me for many years to come. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Mountaineering    2. Outdoor Skills    3. Rock climbing    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Training    7. Climbing & mountaineering    8. Sports & Recreation / Outdoor Skills   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Travel - General    2. General    3. Parks & Campgrounds    4. Restaurants    5. Special Interest - Family    6. Travel    7. Travel - General    8. Travel Guides    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Travel   

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds, Fossil    3. Earth Sciences - General    4. Evolution    5. Fossils    6. Mesozoic    7. Paleontology    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Birds (ornithology)    11. Palaeozoology    12. Science / Earth Sciences   

Reviews (9)

A must for the duck hunter
This booklet is for the duck hunter, not a PETA activist.The duck needs to be in your hand so you can match the bill and feet to the pictures for accurate ID.This is an excellant booklet for waterfowl ID.

Rip off
This wasn't a "book".It was a few flimsy pages of very thin poor quality paper, tied together with a plastic ring.It did nothing to help identify water fowl in flight.Anyone can identify a duck once it is in hand.This pamplet was a big disappointment.A fair price for it would have been about $1 dollar, not $10.

A Duck Hunter's Must Have.
Great book for in-flight and in-hand ID.The bill ID/comparison charts are excellent.NOTE: The pages are water resistant, not water proof. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Hunting - General    4. Identification    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Waterfowl    8. Birds & birdwatching   

Reviews (1)

From The Inside Flap:
Organized by lake and by connecting waterway, each chapter of this guide includes three categories of information essential to planning successful cruises: conditions encountered on the water, such as weather and sea patterns, navigational aids, radio and rescue services and navigational hazards; marinas and yacht clubs for every port with a summary of services, as well as anchorages in wild and remote aread; tourist attractions, sights to see, recreational activities and commercial servives in each port.
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Subjects:  1. Boating    2. Boats and boating    3. Canada    4. Great Lakes    5. Inland navigation    6. Sports    7. Travel - United States    8. United States    9. United States - General    10. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (22)

Our July in Hawaii
We just returned after spending one solid month on the Big Island.It wasn't until we got there that we realized a guidebook was absolutely essential and we picked this one up at a bookshop in Hilo.After that essential was out of the way, our exploration of the island really began.This book scored big points for accuracy and wealth of outdoor information.The only trail we found closed was to Alakahi Falls so scratch that one off your list. There's a whole section on biking and another on camping and we had time to do both.We would recommend this guide to anyone seeking a supercharged Hawaiian experience.

A hikers dream
This is the only travel book going with me when I go to the big island. The details in the book are great, and I look forward to seeing how accurate the directions are. If you want to get off the beaten track, this is the book for you.

Get this book
We were impressed with the huge scope of information and activities they fit into 256 pages.The trek into Waipio Valley filled up the whole day and was one of the most memorable days of all our vacations.Most tourists descend in vans and are zipped out in an hour. What a beautiful untouched place! It was tempting to swim at the beach but the advice in the book changed our minds.If you go, be sure to take this hike. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Sports & Recreation / General    3. Travel - United States    4. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)    5. United States - Pacific - Hawaii    6. General