Dark Life: Martian Nanobacteria, Rock-Eating Cave Bugs, and Other Extreme Organisms of Inner Earth and Outer Space

Amazon.com

The microbes that caver Michael Ray Taylor calls "dark life" are found deep in the earth, in boiling oceanic vents, Antarctic ice, and lots of other places far from the reach of the sun's energy. These "extremophiles" are energy opportunists, subsisting on chemicals, radioactivity, or the faint light of molten rock. The study of these organisms is quite new, and scientists are learning that examining them may provide hints about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Dark Life is a first-person tour of the places Taylor has looked for archaebacteria and other strange microorganisms--Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico, the hot springs of Viterbo in central Italy, NASA laboratories, and the halls of academia. Taylor met with passionate scientists searching for answers about how things can live deep in the earth and if they can survive in the unimaginable cold of outer space while hitchhiking on meteors. Dark Life chronicles the triumphs and disappointments of this new field of science with engaging and personal stories.

The steady but frustrating progress of science is never more apparent than in the passages relating to the rise and fall of ALH84001. The potato-sized meteorite from Mars (and the scientists who analyzed it) enjoyed brief but frenzied attention when it was announced that microscopic forms in the rock may have indicated the presence of nanobacteria. But if you're expecting resolution to this question in Dark Life, be warned: to Taylor, it's the journey that's most exciting. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

In a narrative that combines cutting-edge science with intense physical adventure, Dark Life tells the fascinating story of the quest to find life far underground and deep in space.

Able to thrive without sunlight or oxygen, dark life is a mass of subterranean bacteria that would likely tip the scale if weighed against all other living matter combined. Journalist Michael Ray Taylor takes us from Antarctic lakes to Hawaiian volcanoes to the satellites of Jupiter in search of these mysterious underground creatures that are redefining our understanding of evolution.

Taylor serves as a field assistant on several key scientific expeditions. He descends deep into New Mexico's tortuous Lechuguilla Cave and focuses powerful NASA microscopes on never-before-seen life-forms. He accompanies a young NASA intern who unknowingly kicks off a raging international scientific debate when she uncovers traces of dark life in a rock extracted from nearly two miles below Washington State -- traces that appear identical to the "micro-fossils" found in a Martian meteorite. He meets another scientist who has staked his reputation on using dark life to generate a cure for breast cancer. Throughout his adventures, Taylor gains unique insight into a growing controversy about the very definition of life itself -- an issue that scientists had long ago considered settled. Whether he is exploring the structures of a mysterious cell or reconnoitering tropical caves, Michael Ray Taylor is an adventurer for the new millennium.

Customer Reviews:

Politics, personalities, and science of the dark world .......2004-12-18

_Dark Life_ by Michael Ray Taylor was a very interesting book. The author began it writing as a science journalist - having written a previous book on cave exploration as well has having articles published in such magazines as _Audubon_ - but over the course of the two and a half years he worked on this book went from becoming an observer to an active participant, a point he himself made several times in amazement and wonder. Originally he had set out to chronicle what was known about "dark life," microorganisms that dwell far underground or in the deep sea, organisms that derive their nourishment from sources independent of sunlight. These organisms, which have been found in such varied places as salt domes, Antarctic ice cores, and in highly acidic caves, have continually challenged notions of what life can tolerate, organisms so common that they may outnumber surface organisms (indeed Taylor rejected the commonly used term "extremophile" as he believes the term implies that these organisms are a "rare curiosity"). Taylor wrote of the history of the search for these microbes, the personalities involved, and where current research was in the field (as well as possible applications of this research).

Somewhere along the way he became part of the story, as he became the friend and later colleague of several of the researchers he covered. While not a trained scientist per se, at least not in the field of microbiology, he assisted in and even proposed a number of experiments in the search for controversial nanobacteria (microbes with a size of less than 0.2 micrometers, once thought to be too small to be an independent functioning organism or at least too small for a prokaryotic organism, including known bacteria and archaea; not a virus) in a variety of environments, mostly notably Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. By the end of the book he was regularly exchanging email with researchers, providing samples for them, and even had co-authored a few presentations at various seminars.

Much of the book is focused on personalities - understandable given Taylor's increasing personal involvement in the story himself - though mainly in the context of research on the topic at hand. The main characters (if you will) in the book were Larry Mallory (a scientist who had devoted his career to harvesting and culturing cave microbes in a promising search for a cure for cancer, particularly from microbes from the fascinating Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico, an interesting place described in great detail in the book), Bob Folk (a colorful scientist who discovered nanobacteria and their presence in a number of substances and had been in the lead in efforts to prove that microorganisms are vital in the formation of travertine in caves and hot springs as well as in some cases at least entire caves and cave systems), and Anne Taunton (an undergraduate student who as part of a NASA internship became embroiled in the efforts to determine whether or not the famed Martian meteorite ALH 84001 contained fossils of extraterrestrial nanobacteria). Others are followed to lesser degrees, among them Finnish nanobacteria expert E. Olavi Kajander, who had done pioneer work showing that nanobacteria may be the possible agents of many maladies such as kidney stones, Alzheimer's, and Mad Cow Disease that involve mineral precipitation in the body. In large measure these and other personalities faced considerable skepticism, criticism, and worse in their studies, as scientists found it hard to accept (in different instances) what was thought of as "impossibly" small bacteria, biological origins for various types of minerals and mineral formations, and the presence of microfossils in ALH 84001. Mallory had to leave his university because he was essentially denied tenure, the administration not believing his study of cave microorganisms important, Folk faced considerable criticism for suggesting that such substances as travertine owed their origins to bacteria, and Taunton (and the team she worked with) had a very difficult time with several scientists - including even her own undergraduate academic advisor - over efforts to demonstrate that the ALH 84001 microfossils were evidence of Martian life or even life of any kind. Although Taylor did a good job of showing the fact there was sometimes intense and even rather personal criticism in science, I don't know if he always showed why people had such a hard time accepting bold new theories. In particular some of the opposition to ALH 84001 fossils was quite heated.

Though much of the focus was on personalities, politics, and the process of research the microbes were much discussed as well, many with bizarre biologies. Some cold-loving organisms were termed "psychrophiles," capable of growth below freezing, at -5 degrees Celsius, organisms that exhibit slower metabolisms at temperatures above freezing and death at anything approaching human body temperature (organisms that for years - like many other examples of dark life - proved difficult to study and culture in the lab). Some organisms found in apparently solid rock two miles deep, existing only on hydrogen and water, have unbelievably slow metabolisms, appearing to divide cells no more than once per century. Though many caves and indeed individual pools in caves produced unique microorganisms there were also astonishing similarities; the closest relatives to some sulfur-oxidizing thermophilic (heat-loving) bacteria from a cave in Kentucky were found to be a sulfur-oxidizing, symbiotic bacterium from a deep sea polychaeta worm, a relationship that has not yet been explained.

At least as far as this reader is concerned Taylor made his case that nanobacteria exist, that they are key in the formation of some minerals and many caves, and I am very open to the idea that ALH 84001 may indeed contain Martian microfossils. I enjoyed reading about the discussions scientists had about whether or not subsurface Antarctic lakes such as Lake Vostok and Jovian moon of Europa might have dark life and hope that both can be analyzed in the not too distant future.

Geology & Biology Intwined.......2001-05-21

For starters I will never look at my mineral collection quite the same again. Dark Life has shown that nanobacteria (only recently confirmed)is the absolute frontier of a new world. Minerals and "life" coexist and the nanobacteria "feed" upon the chemical compositions of minerals. The scientific world will be turned on its' head in the near future as a whole new science emerges. This book is easy to understand for those of us who aren't scientits but who are interested. As one who also has Multiple Sclerosis the possible connection with nanobacteria and mineral plaques in the brain was astounding as I read it.

Damn interesting, heavy on the human drama.......2001-01-21

I read this book after buying on a discout shelf in some clearance book seller. It was a pleasant surprise. It, as I wrote in the title, a little heavy on human drama and soap operatic themes. The science behind it is absolutely interesting and has spurred me to read further on the topic of nanobacteria. This is a great starting out book, but not a great book for those reading for the science of it.

Nanobacteria, A New Form of Life and Its Pathology in Humans.......2000-10-16

Nanobacteria have been researched by many prominent scientists worldwide. This book looks at the findings of scientists with respect to Nanobacteria and the science of Geology. Nanobacteria, specifically Nanobacterium Sanguineum, have been studied by scientists and medical researchers as they pertain to causing human disease or Pathology as well. Nanobacterium Sanguineum is a Nanobacteria that is approximately 10,000 times smaller than regular bacteria. It replicates from 1000 to 10,000 times slower than regular bacteria as well. It grows in the human system in blood, and has been found by various medical researchers and scientists to cause many human problems. Some of the various diseases that it has either been implicated to be involved with or to cause are: Calcification in atherosclerotic plaque, kidney stones, calcification in the lenses of eyes that ultimately causes "cataracts", soft tissue calcification in scleroderma, calcification in tumors, calcification in arthritis or osteoarthritis and other pathological disease states in humans. These Nanobacteria colonize and secrete a "biofilm" over themselves that causes them to be covered by a calcium "shell". These Nanobacteria are implicated to be the cause of all calcification in the human system that you were not born with, that you subsequently develop as you age. These Nanobacteria are also implicated in causing some forms of cancer and "apoptosis" or cell death. Scientists are now working on ways to eradicate Nanobacterium Sanguineum with prescription medications. Please keep your eyes open for further research regarding Nanobacteria. Try surfing on the web for "nanobacteria". Sincerely, Gary S. Mezo, President of the Academy of Medical NanoScience, Tel:813-264-2241.

Space science can still be an adventure - here's your guide........1999-12-02

This book documents journeys of discovery and transformation at several levels. It documents a journalist's personal journey from observer to active participant. It also serves as a chronicle of the journeys being taken by scientists all over (and underneath) the Earth and across our solar system to obtain an understanding of life's amazing ability to exist and thrive in the most improbable places.

The author starts out as a spelunking (cave exploring) science journalist and ends up as an active participant in the science he had originally set out to cover. In so doing he has provided an interesting mix of observer and participant perspectives. Being a seasoned cave explorer, the author is at home and adept at describing the techniques and hazards of natural laboratories such as Lechuguilla Cave located in New Mexico.

Astrobiologists have found caves to be excellent laboratories for the extreme environments that may be found on other worlds such as Mars. Moreover, the amazing adaptations Earth life has made to these environments also serve as indicators of what is possible in terms of life's ability to adapt - and may be indicative of what we might find underneath Mars. Getting around in these caves is not your run of the mill field trip. Sulfurous and caustic fumes, anoxic conditions, temperature extremes, risk of injury, and a myriad of other hazards all combine to make these explorations something that only skilled individuals should undertake. In so doing, the rewards to the risk takers are obvious - and are thoroughly documented by the author.

There is much more to this book than crawling around stinky caves with excited astrobiologists. There is tedious work back at the lab, and the inevitable politics that accompanies academic life and government-sponsored research. Given that the discoveries being made about life in extreme environments are brushing aside long held views about biology, the politics can get rather nasty at times. The author provides a cogent description of what happens when the politics and dogma of science collide with new data and ideas. As you read this book you can almost hear the old paradigms crumbling as life's very definitions get an overhaul.

In describing some of the research done at NASA on the ALH84001 Martian meteorite, Taylor provides a classic description of paradigm crumbling - and the threat it can represent to the status quo. The events described surround the work of a student involved in a career-making discovery (possible fossils within a piece of Mars) and an advisor who disputes the findings and seeks to thwart her education at every turn.

While not nearly as dramatic, the author describes many other situations wherein old accepted notions about what life is and where it can be found are challenged. As you travel around - and under - the world with Taylor, you learn about life at abyssal ocean depths, within rocks miles under the Earth's surface, in the cold dry Antarctic, within volcanic deposits, and within highly radioactive environments. Such are the abodes of Earth's so-called "extremophiles".

If astrobiologists have learned anything in the past decade or so, it is that Earth life is capable of existing everywhere that it can theoretically exist. Since some of these "extreme environments" may well pass for "normal" elsewhere in the solar system, the chances of finding life elsewhere start to become quite probable. It is that exciting prospect which is woven by the author throughout the fabric of this book.

The author has gone to great physical extremes to write this book - and it shows. If you want a status report on how astrobiologists are using the Earth as a laboratory for what life may be possible on other worlds, this is it. Moreover, if you are looking for proof that science can still be a bona fide adventure in this Internet-shrunken world, then this book offers that as well.

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Dark Life: Martian Nanobacteria, Rock-Eating Cave Bugs and Other Extreme Organisms of Inner Earth and Outer Space

Manufacturer: Scribner's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 096579685X

Product Description

Martian Nanobacteria, Rock-Eating Cave Bugs, and Other Extreme Organisms of Inner Earth and Outer Space

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Dark Life: Martian Nanobacteria, Rock-Eating Cave Bugs, and Other Extreme Organisms of Inner Earth and Outer Space.(Review): An article from: American Scientist
James L. Botsford
Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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out of date

Good advice and training but boring

your tax dollars at work!

Pistol Marksmanship Guide
United States Army Marksmanship Unit
Manufacturer: Fredonia Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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How To Become A Master Handgunner: The Mechanics Of X-Count Shooting

The Advanced Pistol Marksmanship Manual

Advanced Master Handgunning: Secrets And Surefire Techniques To Make You A Winner

Rifle Marksmanship

Surgical Speed Shooting: How To Achieve High-Speed Marksmanship In A Gunfight

ASIN: 1589636317
Release Date: 2003-08-29

Book Description

The United States Army Marksmanship School has compiled this guide with the intent of providing assistance to pistol marksmen throughout the United States. Much of the information has been contributed by championship caliber U.S. Army pistol shooters and coaches. The text is designed for ready reference and contains the fundamentals of pistol marksmanship and the most advanced techniques known to these experts. The data presents a comprehensive coverage of the many facets of pistol marksmanship and related subjects.

Customer Reviews:

out of date.......2007-03-30

This book is out of date - stating that *the* correct way to fire a pistol is by holding it with one hand, keeping the other hand at the side.

Good advice and training but boring.......2007-03-30

This manual is good for what it is, which is an Army manual. It's a little dry to read but the information is useful.

your tax dollars at work!.......2003-12-08

This guide is indispensable for the student of precision target shooting. Note that this is a _target shooting_ manual, and does not offer any tactical instruction whatsoever. With that said, it is a thorough, well organized manual based on years of research and it offers a no-nonsense, straightforward procedure for learning and improving your ability. You can get the free PDF version on the web somewhere, but a paperback version would be handy for the range.

The United States Army Marksmanship Training Unit Pistol Marksmanship Guide

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The United States Army Marksmanship Training Unit Pistol Marksmanship Guide
William H. Harper
Manufacturer: United States Army Shooting Team
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W0R5IS

Product Description

146 pages.

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Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2007-03-09

I read the Hardy Boys series of books to my special needs son. They are all great. The Yellow Feather Mystery really intrigued him! They are easy chapter books and keep the interest all the way through!

Who (or What) is Yellow Feather.......2005-09-06

"The Yellow Feather Mystery" begins when Frank and Joe Hardy meet Greg Woodson at their boathouse. Greg wants the Hardy boys' help in searching for his grandfather's will, which is missing. Greg expected to inherit Woodson Academy, but his grandfather's unexpected death in combination with the missing will has left his inheritance in doubt. Part of the confusion comes from Henry Kurt, who is the temporary headmaster of Woodson Academy. Kurt insists that he will inherit Woodson Academy.

The boys agree to help Greg, and visit Woodson Academy, where the soon run into difficulties with Benny Tass. It often seems that every time the boys run into problems with their investigation that Bennie is involved. The boys later discover that there is some kind of relationship between Tass and Kurt, though they have yet to discover what that relationship is.

As the boys continue their investigation into the mystery of the will, they soon encounter evidence that someone else is searching for the will. That someone goes by the name of the Yellow Feather! Just who is the Yellow Feather? Greg Woodson's grandfather had promised to tell him about the Yellow Feather, but died before he could pass the information along. In spite of Frank and Joe's usual care, they are knocked unconscious without warning more than once in this story. Clearly their enemies are playing for keeps! As the tension in this story mounts, the Hardy boys are sealed inside a huge snow fort with no way to escape.

As usual, Chet Morton is instrumental in this tale. This time Chet has a unique sort of air propelled snowmobile. Frank and Joe use this unique device when their car is disabled. Chet also helps rescue the Hardys from the snow fort and serves as the temporary cook for Woodson Academy. Whatever would the Hardys do without Chet?

There are some interesting places in this book. However, I struggled to keep interested in this story. The pacing is a bit slow in some places and the story of Yellow Feather had little appeal to me. When the true nature of Yellow Feather was finally revealed I think I was relieved that the story was nearly over. While I am glad that I read the story, this story is one of my least favorite Hardy Boys stories. I will recommend it to hardcore Hardy Boys fans, but if you are looking for a place to start reading the series, I recommend you start with the beginning of the series.

The Hardy Boys series is recommended for ages 8 to 12 because the series is relatively tame for the previous target audience of ages 10 to 14. This particular book is a good fit for that age range. Earlier books in the series have more noticeable social differences, but this book seems to be reasonably modern. It could be that the 1971 re-write modified some of the bigger social differences. It may also be that the re-write made the story less interesting than the original. However, a collector of the series will want this book regardless of the faults.

Better than You'd Expect!.......2003-01-20

Published in 1953 - This was one of the first books painted by Ruddi Nappi. The Hardys live at Woodston College and try to help their friend solve the mystery of The Yellow Feather thought to be a dangerous character stalking their friend. William Dougherty the author of this book wrote only two HB books. The Secret of Wildcat Swamp and this one. Upon learning that fact I realized why this book was as good as it was. A pitty that Dougherty did not write more than he did. Many parallels can be seen between the two. I think of the Chapter in Wildcat Swamp "Three Odd Letters" when it is discovered that Wildcatters were buried in the swamp and not Wildcat. In Yellow Feather we learn minor was mistaken for miner - which leads to the conclusion that the Yellow Feather was not a young man - but a mine in Canada. We are kept in suspense throughout the book as to the identity of The Yellow Feather and as to the true intentions of Kurt the Headmaster at the College. Hardy Boys books were never "scary". But the scene around page 110 where Joe is walking alone outside a cabin back in the woods when he hears a rustling in the trees makes my spine tingle every time I read it. Only scene I can think of that has that Stephen King element about it. Very well written. Overall this was one really fantastic book, a brilliant detailed cover art drawn by Nappi. After this volume the series declined. RATED A-

An Interesting Mystery.......2002-01-27

This review concerns the original 1953 edition as well as the revised 1971 edition, which is a shortened version of the original. Greg Woodson, the grandson of the recently deceased owner of Woodson Academy, Mr. Hardy's old school, asks Frank and Joe to locate his grandfather's missing will which would prove that Greg is the rightful heir to the academy. However, a crook, who uses a yellow feather as his symbol is trying to stop them. Frank and Joe must find out who or what the Yellow Feather really is. This mystery reminded me of a Nancy Drew mystery, although, for those that aren't a fan of that series, don't let that discourage you from reading this book because it was actually rather good, despite having only one criminal. The book was well written and had a fair bit of action. I think most Hardy Boys fans would enjoy this one.

Classic, well-written Hardy Boys book.......2001-02-08

Frank and Joe are at it again. This is a well-written book that keeps you (or your kids) occupied. (Which is always good!) Definitely add this one to your Hardy Boys collection.

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Try this at home-with luck you can fly.
Enchanting.
A truly insperational novel
AN UNDERSTANDING AND SUSPENSEFUL READING

Feather Boy
Nicky Singer
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440418585
Release Date: 2003-11-11

Amazon.com

It is a rare author indeed who launches her first novel for young readers so conclusively into the "must-read books of the year" category. In Feather Boy, Nicky Singer traces a character-defining sequence of events in the life of a boy named Robert Nobel. He is often the butt of classroom jokes and pranks--and being called Norbert No-bottle all the time isn't much fun either. He secretly wants to be somebody. To have a voice. To have friends.

Robert's participation in the Elders Project changes his life forever. Selected members of his class are chosen to visit and interact with the elderly residents of Mayfield Rest Home--to find out about their lives and to "counter ignorant attitudes about such senior members of society." Robert's main attacker, classmate Jonathan Niker, considers the old people "vegetables," but Robert's own buried true-life personality is slowly unearthed by Edith--a prickly resident who singles him out. Edith is considered quite mad; she's haunted by the unhappy memories of her son's tragic death at her previous home, Chance House. As Edith's condition deteriorates and the Elders Project heads towards its conclusion, Robert is drawn deeper and deeper into her story. His visits to the derelict Chance House become more frequent, and one fateful trip to sleep there overnight as a dare with Niker heralds the first step on Robert's own journey in search of his real self.

Feather Boy is more than just a story about bullying. It's about finding your voice, shouting from the rooftops about something you believe in, refusing to back down, helping a friend, and never giving up. An enormously uplifting, accomplished, and satisfying novel. (Age 10 and older) --John McLay, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Catherine would say it all began in a time that is yesterday and tomorrow and eternally present. But then Catherine’s a storyteller. I’m not a storyteller. I’m just the guy it happened to.

Everyone knows a Robert. He’s the guy who’s never picked for the team, the one who sits alone in the classroom. So no one is more surprised than Robert himself when a strange old lady sends him on a quest to solve the mystery of derelict Chance House. Legend has it that a boy once fell to his death from an upper window. But what has this past to do with Robert’s future? To get to the truth, Robert must learn what it really means to fly.

Customer Reviews:

Try this at home-with luck you can fly........2007-06-03

Awesome book, reminiscent of David Almond's Skellig. Robert becomes a hero when he faces the room at the top of Chance House. Not only does he rescue Edith Sorrel from death, if only briefly, but he saves himself from the frightened boy who is bullied by others. There is a magical quality to the writing that transports the reader to the places so hauntingly described in the book.

Enchanting........2005-12-27

I enjoyed this book very much. It was a great story of a shy little boy named Robert. I'm shy too sometimes so I can relate to him. And who hasn't been bullied at school? I'm glad he finally stood up for himself. It was a sad ending but it felt right. People live, people die. That's just the way things are.

A truly insperational novel.......2003-08-20

My gradmother gave this book to me for my last birthday. When I read the back of the book, I pretty well made up my mind that this isn't the kind of book for me. When I was getting to the end of my book pile this summer, I figured that it was about time to read it. And now, I'm very glad that I did! This book inspired me to follow my dreams, and not many novels have done this. It says in the last chapter, it says that luck is something that you have to make for yourself, which I found a very interesting perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone who is feeling left-out or under any strong emotion. This book truly lifts your spirits, and makes you feel like you can fly.

AN UNDERSTANDING AND SUSPENSEFUL READING.......2002-05-24

Not much is more cruel than the way young people may treat the one they consider to be the "class nerd." Such is the case with Robert Nobel, often called "Norbert" by his primary bully, Jonathan Niker.

Like every other youngster Roberts wants to have friends, to be recognized as a person of value. It seems this will not happen until he takes part in what is called the Elders Project, an endeavor in which members of his class visit the elderly residents of a rest home. Jonathan considers these older folks "vegetables," but Robert sees something more and this is a vision that changes his life.

Edith, thought to be quite a bit off, becomes Robert's friend and it is through her story that he eventually finds himself.

Director/actor Philip Franks invests understanding and suspense into this unforgettably moving tale.

Book Description

Boys are like birds: in the dating world, it can be hard to tell the prized specimens from the bad eggs. But with this handy fully-illustrated field guide, boywatching is about to get easier. After years of intensive study, authors (and intrepid boywatchers) Amy Helmes and Meg Leder give women key facts about the most common species, such as:

- Turkeys are shameless in their pursuit of an intended mate
- Ladies have to dress trendy to bag a Parrot
- Women can flush out Hummingbirds at speed-dating clinics
- Doves won't brag to their friends the morning after a date
- Pigeons are the "Average Joes" of the male world
- It's almost impossible to ignore a Flamingo
- Run away from becoming a Vulture's prey

Both novice and experienced boywatchers will appreciate this definitive survey of men in all their full-feathered glory.

Customer Reviews:

So Funny.......2005-06-27

I got some strange looks while reading this book on the subway, because I was laughing out loud. The writing is so smart and funny. It really rings true. I can think of examples of every bird/boy in the book. I am going to buy a copy of this book for all of my single friends! I love it.

"Boys of a Feather" .......2005-06-16

Girls: If you're like me, "normal" dating guides leave you feeling nauseous. This tongue-in-cheek guide finally treats dating (or "mating") with the levity it deserves. Wonder which bird you're nesting with? Want to seek out your dream bird in his natural habitat? Whether you're dating or in a serious relationship, finding out which bird you're naturally attracted to--or identifying the one you're with--will help you avoid ruffled feathers. After reading "Boys of a Feather," I discovered that I'm continually pursuing a swan but what I really should be after is an eagle. Now when I meet a guy I can't help but try and determine which species of bird he is, which if you think about it, makes the whole process that much more fun. It's kind of like picturing your date in his Calvins. Whether or not you subscribe to Amy and Meg's theory, this book is a hoot.

Boys of a Feather: A field Guide to North American Males.......2005-06-11

This book is a sensational read. Very indepth, very interesting and easy to understand. Amy did a fabulous job on this and I want my copy signed. This is a nationally known writer and reporter for a very distinguished publication and I can see she used all of her learned skills to make this book well worth buying.

The Blue Heron's Feather : The Story of a Dutch Boy in the American Colony of New Netherland

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The Blue Heron's Feather : The Story of a Dutch Boy in the American Colony of New Netherland

Manufacturer: J. B. Lippincott
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E7BT22

A Crow in Borrowed Feathers the Boy Who Cried Wolf!

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A Crow in Borrowed Feathers the Boy Who Cried Wolf!
Aesop
Manufacturer: Peter Haddock Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000X66M3K

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Feather Boy
Nicky Singer
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8VMAK

First Plays: Wurzel-Flummery; The Lucky One; The Boy Comes Homes; Belinda; The Red Feathers

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First Plays: Wurzel-Flummery; The Lucky One; The Boy Comes Homes; Belinda; The Red Feathers
A. A. Milne
Manufacturer: Chatto & Windus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QRGN1C

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First Plays: Wurzel-Flummery; The Lucky One; The Boy Comes Homes; Belinda; The Red Feathers

Manufacturer: Chatto and Windus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I76KIG

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Hardy Boys 033 Yellow Feather Mystery
Franklin W Dixon
Manufacturer: GROSSET & DUNLAP
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WU9S0G

The Yellow Feather Mystery (Hardy Boys, Book 33)

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The Yellow Feather Mystery (Hardy Boys, Book 33)
Franklin W. Dixon
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K6LGWA

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