Reviews (12)

Should Be A Required Reference
I sincerely feel that the NOAA Diving Manual should be a required text for anybody who is a diving professional.The information presented is valuable to all divers:recreational, technical, scientific, and commercial.I refer to this text often and bring it to all classes I work.

Best dive related book in print today.
If there's only one dive related book you ever buy, it should be the NOAA Diving Manual. This is THE Diving Bible!
This is by far the most comprehensive publication on Dive related topics I have ever seen. It is a well organized manual that goes into great detail on every topic. The manual itself is a work of art. Each page is high quality glossy paper full of excellent diagrams and illustrations. I started reading it and can't put it down. A great addition to your dive library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    2. Scuba & Snorkeling    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Water Sports    6. Sports & Outdoor Recreation    7. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (5)

GPS Book
I belive this book is just a little more them a book for dummies. I still don't think I picked the right book for me. I still feel like I am in the dark.
Great Book for beginners and advanced users
Tons of good information to get started with using a GPS, goes beyond the basics. Really a very good starter book. Once you get this book, I would also recomend "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching" and the Owing's "GPS Mapping". With GPS for Dummies and my Garmins 60CS manual, I was able to hit the trail in a few hours. With the other books as complement, I have become very accurate locating waypoints when I do horse riding or 4x4 trips.

Not for outdoor beginners
This book sends people out in the field with a GPS but without the knowledge of whatto do when the batteries die or the electronics fail (it happens!). If you really are a "dummy," you should also learn the basics of navigation before relying on an electronic device that can leave you stranded. Better choices that are very readable: The Land Navigation Handbook (new edition includes GPS info) and Wilderness Navigation (less detailed). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Global Positioning System    2. Microcomputers    3. Navigation    4. Outdoor Skills    5. Satellite Communication Technology    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Boating    10. Sports & Recreation / Outdoor Skills   

Reviews (6)

A beautiful introduction to an addictive hobby
Honestly, we didn't expect this to be an in-depth letterboxing tool, just a neat way to explain the hobby to our kids, and interested family members.
The Gate to a New Hobby
This compact little book is both a great overview of the wonderful world of letterboxing as well as great "how to" practical knowledge about this hobby.

The Letterboxer's Companion
Good material to get you started.Very good reading for the beginner.However, this book will soon be sitting on the shelf as it has no advanced information. Still, worth the purchase. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games/Puzzles    2. Hiking    3. Letterboxing (Game)    4. Outdoor Skills    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    7. Sports & Outdoor Recreation    8. Sports & Recreation / Hiking   

Editorial Review

Before titanium drivers, before oversized heads and bubble shafts, before electronic systems to tell you how far you are from the pin, golf was much the same game it is today. The lessons Harvey Penick taught in the pre-gadget daysstill stand. The golf swing is basically the same, and Penick could teach it better than anybody. For most of his life, he never intended to publish his Read more

Reviews (47)

A must-read for all golfers
If you are serious and passionate about golf, you must read this book.It's a quick read and you have nothing to lose.

great read for the right golfer
This book should be read in conjunction with taking lessons from a qualified professional instructor.Its message is a valuable one, but not so much for the beginning golfer, and the book is quite clear in stating as much..At no time does the book pretend to be an instructional guide for those who've never played the game.

Great for Duffers
If you do have the finances necessary for personal pro instructors, this is the next best thing to improve your game, being a "seasoned citizen" I especially took note and used his suggestions for senior golfers-this book is still a classic! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Essays    3. Golf    4. Golf - General    5. Golf - Instruction    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. United States    9. Sports & Outdoor Recreation    10. Sports & Recreation / Golf   

Reviews (18)

A Very Good Effort
I've had this book for several years and I've found it to be a very useful resource.The hatch charts are extremely helpful, especially for trout anglers.While the author made a better than average attempt to cover the warmwater opportunities in the Keystone State, for the most part only the most well known sites were covered.While Pennsylvania has some world famous trout streams, the variety and quality of our warmwater fisheries is truly extraordinary.Some of the streams that were covered specifically for the trout they hold probably offer better bass fishing over most of their length.Trout centered thinking is far too common in the fly fishing community and as a result this sort of overemphasis on trout is typical of many fly fishing guides.Indeed, the Pennsylvania Fish Commission is guilty of killing thousands of trout annually by stocking them in waters so warm they are sure to die by Memorial Day.I know that Mr. Wolf is a skilled and avid warmwater fly fisher.I hope in the future he will update this guide and give our warmwater fisheries the coverage they deserve.

flyfisher's Guide to Pennsylvania by Dave Wolf
If you are looking for a book to give you general knowledge on better known trout fishing streams in Pennsylvania, then this book will meet your needs.Unfortunately, the author does not do a good job of covering remote streams in many parts of the state that are excellent producing streams and beautiful places to fish.I was especially disappointed in his lack of coverage of streams in McKean and Warren County.I would not recommend this book to an avid Pennsylvania fisherman.The book is adequate for an out-of-state fisherman who is looking to fish some of the more popular streams in PA.

WOLF PUBLISHES NEW BOOK
"It's a comprehensive and exhaustively researched offering and a fine addition to Wolf's career in helping Pennsylvania anglers better know and respect their home waters.With its detailed maps and hatch charts, italso will help traveling anglers find and fish their way around theKeystone State." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flyfishing    2. Fly fishing    3. Guidebooks    4. Pennsylvania    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Travel    7. United States - Mid Atlantic - Pennsylvania    8. United States - West - Mountain (General)    9. Fishing   

Editorial Review

When Irene Pepperberg, a professor at the University of Arizona, says goodnight, she typically hears the reply "Bye. I'm gonna go eat dinner. I'll see you tomorrow." Though the response itself is not unusual, the source is, for it comes from Alex, a gray parrot, Pepperberg's main research subject for the past 22 years. That parrots can talk is well known; what Pepperberg set out to study was their cognitive abilities. By teaching the bird the meaning--not just the sound--of words in order to communicate, she hoped to discover how his brain worked. She exhaustively details her fascinating results in Read more

Reviews (8)

Excellent information, but ridiculously tough to read
The work that Irene Pepperberg and Alex have done is incredible, and this book would be fascinating if the "Notes" were included in the text and the references were footnoted at the end of the book or at the bottom of the page.While the use of APA style substantiates the credibiltiy of her research and increases the book's value as an intellectual property, it is difficult to find a complete sentence without multiple references cited in parentheses scattered throughout. This makes the normal "flow" of reading almost impossible, and unnecessarily compromises both enjoyment and ease of comprehension.Definitely read this book if you're interested, but keep the aspirin close for the headache you're bound to get while trying to sort out the legitimate text from the references.

A bit too technical for my tastes...
Yes, the intelligence and ability of parrots to communicate concepts IS interesting. But wow! This book has far too much technical detail to keep me turning pages. I bought the book to learn abouthow Alex was trained and how he progressed through the training. But the book goes into too much detail about Pepperberg's scientific and psychological study to keep me awake. Certainly not bedtime reading. I only wish she'd written the book I wanted to read.

No parrot jokes please
I can almost hear Irene Pepperberg saying that to us as she describes the significance of THE ALEX STUDIES. She herself offers a few humorous anecdotes about Alex, but for the most part there is definitely nothing funny about this book. It's written in a deliberately prosaic style for the following reasons. The very tendency for the media and general public to treat Alex as simply the "talking parrot", when in reality his vocalizations represent something much more important in terms of animal cognition and communication. Also stemming from the fact that her findings about bird cognition are so significant, Pepperberg in making her case to scientific colleagues, writes with them in mind. She is incredibly detailed in describing her experiments and the controls used. This is in order to avoid the possibility of cueing and thus comparisons to "clever Hans"; she wants to remove the possibility of persons saying the evidence is that most dreaded scientific epithet - merely "anecdotal". The book is replete with references and Pepperberg places them in the body of her text instead of as footnotes. The book is not a smooth read and only a scientist could describe it as "a delightful and easy read" as ethologist Marc Bekoff says on the cover. This is not a popular science book. But equally it takes an evoltionary biologist and ornithologist to see the "groundbreaking" significance of the book as Bernd Heinrich does. Read more

Subjects:  1. African gray parrot    2. Animal communication    3. Behavior    4. Birds & Birdwatching - General    5. Cognition in animals    6. Cognitive Psychology    7. Communication    8. Experimental Psychology    9. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    10. Psychology    11. Science    12. Animal behaviour    13. Birds (ornithology)    14. Birds, including cage birds    15. Cognitive theory    16. Science / General   

Reviews (9)

Just the facts
Style wise, this is the opposite of The Sailmaker's Apprentice by Marino. This is not a book to pick up while sitting by the fire sipping tea. It is a great reference book with concise "how to" information. I have a friend who told me that there is nothing beyand repair on a fiberglass boat. After reading this book, I'm beginning to belive him. Good explanations of both materials and techniques - including safety.

Go ahead and get the grinder!
A sweet book that gave me the confidence to 'go for it' and tackle some ugly holes in my dinghy hull. What's more it was not that bad after all!It's all here, from finishing the gelcoat scrapes/cracks to repairing gaping holes- you may want to buy in conjunction with 'sailboat refinishing' to help with that final effort. Fully recommended!

Good advice
This book covers the basic as well as some advanced topics about repairing all types of fiberglass hulls, decks, through hull fittings, teak wood, and other related topics.I recommend the book for the beginner who needs basic information about fiberglass repair. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Boating - Boatbuilding    3. Boating - General    4. Decks (Naval architecture)    5. Hulls (Naval architecture)    6. Maintenance and repair    7. Reference    8. Sail Powered Craft Maintenance And Repair    9. Sailboats    10. Sailing - General    11. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    12. Sports    13. Sports & Recreation    14. Boating    15. Shipbuilding technology & engineering    16. Ships & shipping: general interest    17. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Reviews (12)

Solid Information for Living Full-Time in an RV
My husband wanted to try full-time RVing, but I was too attached to having a house.Anyone trying to make that decision, needs to read this book.
A "must have" for the RV enthusiast!
This was our "introduction" to the RV world and became our "what-to-do-now" bible on the road.The Moeller's cover everything you need to know about your RV and lots of common sense advice about living on the road."Live Your Road Trip Dream: Travel for a year for the cost of staying home" was written to help would-be travelers get from dreaming about a long road trip, to actually doing the trip of a lifetime.The Moeller's give you the nuts and bolts of doing it--The Complete Guide is a must-have traveling companion.

The Basics, soup-to-nuts
Author of DISCOVER AMERICA DIARIES: 50 STATES, 50 STATES OF MINDRead more

Subjects:  1. Parks & Campgrounds    2. Transportation    3. Travel - United States    4. United States - General   

Reviews (11)

A SAFARI STORY WITH SOME ASTUTE OBSERVATIONS
This book is the rousing and interesting story of writer Robert Ruark's two month Safari into the wilds of Africa. This was done in the 1950's and he was accompanied by his wife who also hunted by his side. Gritty and often frightening descriptions of the chase and the kill are acompanied by astute observations on the Africa of that time. He had strong opinions of many of the African tribes. Some he praised highly and others he condemned and he explains why. If you are wrapped in the fog of political correctness don't bother to read this. If you want an unvarnished, honest, very interesting tale, by all means, buy this outstanding book.

from another bwana
you know how they say''anticipation is sweeter than the possession'' thats what happened with me.Before buying this book I'have read the other reviwes,with no disrespect to other readers, but I think they have over done it a little.I am a long time big game hunter,what I found what is missing in this book is a thru heart of an hunter. The horn was there, but not the hunter. After reading the book, I remember more of the memsaabs hair care than the hunting adventures.I felt ,for Mr Ruark the shooting part of the safari was the most booring bit.Well that is his styl and I respect him BEST BOOK About an African Hunting Safari
This is by far and away the BEST book I've ever read about a hunting safari in Africa. Ruark and his writing are in a class by himself. ALL the other books about him like Use Enough Gun were published after his untimely death. NONE of them compare. They are collections of articles and/or very short stories (some fiction) that collectively don't hold a candle to Horn of the Hunter. His writing makes you feel like you are beside him sharing his experiences. You will not regret buying this book. Simply the best!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hunting - General    2. Sports & Recreation    3. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (4)

Amundsen was funny!
This book was a lot of fun, in a geeky documentary sort of way.
The Norwegian Method
Roald Amundsen's "The South Pole" is a detailed, even exhaustive account of his successful 1910-1912 expedition to the South Pole.Amundsen's expedition was the first to reach the South Pole, after failures by other expeditions.
Preparedness Leads To Success
In the Foreword, Roland Huntford describes Amundsen's narrative as "all that Scott's is not".How right he is!This a very large book, but nonetheless an easy read.Amundsen relates a fascinating tale of fortune, misfortune, hardship, and ultimately - success.The narrative is detailed, but not overly so.In many places, a dose of humor is weaved in.Complete with numerous photos, maps, and scientific data, this book should be considered one of the great narratives of exploration.The great moral lesson of this tale is that preparedness ultimately leads to success.Is it any wonder that Roald Amundsen and his comrades won the race to the South Pole? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1872-1928    2. Amundsen, Roald,    3. Antarctica    4. Discovery and exploration    5. Expeditions & Discoveries    6. General    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Norwegian    11. Polar Regions    12. South Pole    13. Travel    14. Geographical discovery & exploration    15. History / General    16. True stories of endurance & survival    17. c 1900 - c 1914   

Reviews (8)

The bible for adventure motorcycling
I read this book and fount a wealth of information about how to organize travels - infos that I was unable to find on the web until I bought the book.
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, a must have for dual sport touring enthusiasts
If your planning a trip, this is a must have.Covers everything from bikes, upgrades to them, paperwork, riding gear i.e. luggage, clothing and how to pack it all in.Also what to expect while travelling through various countries.General maps of possible tours through 5 continents.How to handle border officials and what to look out for.Stories of travellers and their experience while riding.Even if your a seasoned motorcycle traveller you will still find it an informative and interesting read.

Adveture Motorcycling Handbook
I found Adventure Motorcycling Handbook to be an excellent guide in helping me plan my upcoming world tour.Beyond the dos and don't of where to go, the "Equipment Checklist" and the pages with profiles of the Riders/Equipment/Adventures offered it oodles of information to help determine many of the factors required to take a safe and fun trip.I would recommend this book to anyone planning for such an adventure.It is also enjoyable for those who are in any way, shape or form passionate about world travel and motorcycling.Nice job Chris Scott! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Automotive    2. General    3. Motor Sports    4. Motorcycle Racing    5. Motorcycles - General    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Transportation    9. Cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading    10. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    11. Travel / General   

Reviews (8)

Great Content, Terrible Presentation
The single most noticeable thing about this book is how poorly it was manufactured. The spine seems to be made from steel making it impossible to ever fully open the book and an exercise in frustration to read. This problem is greatly exacerbated by the fact that the text runs way down into the deep dark recesses of the crevasse created by the horrible binding. The actaully printing however is very good. The pictures are clear with good color and the paper is of high quality. This makes it even more ofa shame that the binding is so bad.
Terrific information
Well written, good information, well organized. Not a field guide but one of the best reference books I've seen.

Best Bird Book Available
In typical National Geographic fashion, this book is excellent.It is extremely comprehensive with outstanding artwork.This is a must have for anyone who enjoys birding.You should also buy the National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America as an easy to carry companion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. General    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Birds (ornithology)    10. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (2)

WONDERFUL BOOK
If you didn't want to take the time to read the review by Stan Moore, take my word for it...
The best book on peregrine falcons ever.
There have been many books on peregrine falcons over the years, including some very good ones.I have read most of them.Jim Enderson's new book is probably the best book on peregrines I have ever seen, especially if one includes the peregrine/human interface.Jim Enderson not only knows peregrine falcons intimately, but he is intimately acquainted with most or all of the major peregrine falcon biologists in the world, not to mention falconers who train and fly both wild caught and captive bred peregrines.Many of Enderson's generation of peregrine biologists were and are falconers, and the unique and substantive insights of these people, including Enderson, are what make this book so special.
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Naturalists, Gardeners, Environmentalists    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Peregrine falcon    7. Personal Memoirs    8. Birds (ornithology)    9. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (2)

Zaggats of cruising
I am not a world cruiser and have only ventured a few miles from shore and then not too far from the other side of the sound within which we sail every summer.This book was a disappointment.It is basically a distillation of the periodic surveys the author conducts of people who cruise in small yachts either on their own or as part of an offshore rally such as the ARC.The problem for me is that the book amounts to a collection of advice, not from people who necessarily know that much about cruising, but instead from those it was convenient for Cornell to interview.It's like a Zaggat guide, filled with lots of pepole's opinions but not necessarily people who know anything about food.Frankly, I don't know enough to judge whether this interviewees ideas are right on, or that interviewees ideas are nonsense-- that's not my point.I was looking for a single authoritative voice, not a report on what a collection of people with the funds and gumption to cross oceans happen to believe.This one is going back.

Excellent source of information
Cornell offers his own viewpoints as well as those of others, does a good job of labeling facts vs. options, and answers a lot of questions I had about cruising. Safety equipment, storms, piracy, dangerous areas, firearms, and communications are all covered well. Common equipment failures are given, along with statistics to back them up. For example, how often does the mast of a cuising yacht really fail, and how? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Boating And Sailing    3. Equipment and supplies    4. Evaluation    5. Military Science    6. Recreational surveys    7. Sailing - General    8. Seamanship    9. Sports    10. Sports & Recreation    11. Yachting    12. Motor / power boating & cruising    13. Sailing    14. Sports & Recreation / Sailing   

Editorial Review

Whether you own a wooden boat or are just toying with the idea of buyingone, Read more

Reviews (7)

Great read, but a bit thin in critical areas
This is a very entertainingly written book, essential for anyone restoring a wooden boat - worth it as a fun read alone.The book is full of fun wooden boat philosophy, interesting personal anecdotes, and great stories.On the practical side, the author provides a good introduction to wooden boat types and construction, excellent information about selecting, evaluating and purchasing a boat for rennovation; planning and initiating projects; necessary tools and supplies; repairing holes in a wooden hull; and even some tips about building in cabinets and furniture.
Great Read
I found the book both entertaining and very useful.
Decent info - but proceed with caution.
The previous reviews touch on the good points of this book, so I won't bother to repeat these.Suffice to say, there's plenty of good info to be had from this book.I would however express one word of caution.It has to do with the author's tendancy to push the reader toward approaches and methods that may not be appropriate for boats with truly historic or aesthetic value.Mr. Trefethen makes no bones about the fact that he wants to get the boat back in the water ASAP and minimize maintenance.To use his own words, "authenticity be damned".
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Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Boats and boating    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Maintenance and repair    6. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    7. Small Craft Maintenance And Repair    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Wooden boats    10. Woodwork    11. Woodwork - General    12. DIY    13. Ships & shipping: general interest    14. Sports & Recreation / Boating   

Reviews (27)

The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference
A must have reference for anyone seriously interested in all aspects of Fly Tying.Even though I consider myself a reasonably adequate tier, this book will provide many answers.Knowledge never comes cheap but this reference sure helps bridge the gap.

Best Fly Tier instruction book around!
This book is fabulous. My husband says it is all a fly=tier would ever need and he has been fishing and tying his own flies for years.He couldn't be happier with it. You can't go wrong with this book!

Excellent Instruction Manual
This book provides exceptionally clear concise instructions for all aspects of fly tying.I've been tying flies for years, but this book has taken my abilites to a whole new level ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flytying/Lures    2. Fishing - General    3. Fishing Sports    4. Fly tying    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Fishing, angling   

Subjects:  1. Artists, Architects, Photographers    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Individual Photographer    5. Mountaineering    6. Personal Memoirs    7. Photo Techniques    8. Photography    9. Pictorial works    10. Travel photography    11. Travelers    12. Voyages and travels    13. Individual photographers    14. Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering   

Reviews (8)

woodalls north american campground directory 2005
This is the first book we bought about anything related to camping and we brought it with us on our second trip. It was a life saver. We wanted to stop somewhere else on our way home and were able to find all the information we needed. The size of our space is important to us along with privacy and distance to local attractions. We found a lot of that information at each areas listing, along with a map of each state. Every camper needs a directory.

Woodalls
Excellent book, sometimes the woodalls ratings are quite my opinion but otherwise a great source.

Woodall's NA Campground Directory has got it all
The directory is great.You can find all the campgrounds in the area by looking up the city name.It tells you all the facilities available at the campground. You can find the phone number, web site information...anything that you need in order to make reservations. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Mexico    3. North America    4. Parks & Campgrounds    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel - General    8. United States - General    9. Caravan & camp-site guides    10. Travel / United States / General   

Reviews (2)

Benchside is great!
I finally got a chance to use this great book last week. I had taken a fly tying class earlier this year and couldn't remember how to tie a couple of flies. The book is well written and gives precise instructions - with pictures - on how to tie each and every fly. The instructions are easy to follow.This is a must have for any person who ties flies!!

An impressive collection of fly recipes, tying steps, and techniques
Collectively compiled and authored by fly fishing experts Ted Leeson and Jim Schollmeyer, The Benchside Introduction To Fly Tying is an impressive collection of fly recipes, tying steps, and techniques. Guiding readers through a compendium packed from cover to cover with professional, in-depth information on the artistic nature of fly fishing, The Benchside Introduction To Fly Tying provides a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to color blending, knot tying, hook measurements, fly proportions, threads and materials. A core addition to any dedicated fly fishing reference collection, The Benchside Introduction To Fly Tying is very strongly recommended as the ultimate illustrated guide for the fly fishing enthusiast from novice to veteran.
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Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flytying/Lures    2. Fishing - General    3. Fishing Sports    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation   

Subjects:  1. Bodybuilding & Weight Training    2. Skiing - General    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Sports & Recreation / Bodybuilding & Weight Training    6. Sports & Recreation / Skiing    7. Sports & Recreation / Training    8. Training    9. Athletic Training And Conditioning    10. Exercise    11. Health & Fitness    12. Physical education and training    13. Skiing