Book Description
In the womb, surrounded by the beating of our mother's heart marking time, we begin to sense that we are "someone" as we stretch tiny arms and legs to the beat of swimming-like rhythms. But at birth, we are exiled--destined to a lifelong sojourn through time and space. For some, this pilgrimage is an impossible effort to "return." For others, it is a frightening but exhilarating search for an unknown land. Kansas or Oz, Eden or the Kingdom--our life becomes an ongoing pursuit of that place called home.
This thought-provoking book explores the concept of time not only as a defining dimension of our existence, but as the natural pulse of Christian spirituality. Imparting practical tools and spiritual insight from his own fascinating life journey, W. Paul Jones peels away our standard perceptions of time and demonstrates the potent beauty and intuitive rhythms of time within the Christian tradition.
Customer Reviews:
Such Promise, Such Disappointment...........2007-08-16
I have tried several times to read W. Paul Jones work in this book because I am sympathetic to his concerns that spirituality must come to terms with the dimension of time in order to bring meaning to life. I believe like him that time is the natural pulse of Christian spirituality. Also, his writing is easy to read and never boring. However, in the end I find little of what he shares as truly helpful. He is simply to speculative in his theologizing, open to all influences, Christian and otherwise. I was most disappointed in the cursory role that person Jesus plays in his spirituality. To me, this should be key to a "Christian" spirituality.
This spirituality is interesting, maybe headed in the right direction, but overall much to generic to be helpful for a Christian follower.
A fascinating and informative excursion.......2001-02-15
In A Season In The Desert: Making Time Holy, Paul Jones (hermit, Trappist monk, and Professor Emeritus of Theology at Saint Paul School of Theology) explores the concept of time in the Christian tradition, comparing the monastic rhythm of life with that of the secular world. Included are daily psalm reading for two weeks and daily monastic offices for devotional use. The final pages are exercises, question guides, and prayers that can be employed by readers as tools for personal spiritual direction. Highly recommended, engaging reading, A Season In The Desert is a fascinating and informative excursion into the meaning and nature of time, and its potential impact on daily life from a Christian perspective.
Book Description
Flash floods spread violence and fear over the land. And yet, they sometimes bring peace and grace. You will meet survivors whose stories explain such a paradox. Gripping stories of five flash floods that raged in the Grand Canyon and elsewhere in Arizona within a two-month span and killed 22 people.
Customer Reviews:
outstanding.......2007-03-01
This is a superbly written page turner, and not just for those who are attracted to the power of the southwest. The book is thrilling without being sensationalist. Childs is a lyrical writer who immerses the reader in his environs. I bought this book after thoroughly enjoying The Secret Knowledge of Water, and was not disappointed.
Narrative Nonficiton At Its Best.......2004-03-19
While on a recent trip to Anza Borrego Desert State Park, I saw The Desert Cries: A season of Flash Floods in a Dry Land on the shelf in the visitor center. Since I knew a thing or two about flash floods, I flipped through a few pages. Yikes. I was in it, and it wasn't an entirely flattering depiction. But of course, I had to buy the book. That night, while camped in a desert wash, I read The Desert Cries by flashlight. "This is good!" I said to my husband who was waiting for me to stop reading so I would turn off the headlamp and he could get some sleep. The book was too suspenseful to put down.
In this harrowing tale of nature's beauty and wrath, Craig Childs vividly depicts the fates of people whose lives have been changed forever by five flash floods. Unfortunately, not all of them make it out alive. The illustrator, Regan Choi, provides grim and shadowy views that supplement the stories well. Even if you've never seen a flash flood, you will have "felt" one by the time you finish this book. The author's fine balance between detail and drama builds a cinematic tension that both satisfies and horrifies. Set in the stunning landscapes of the Southwest, these stories are outdoor adventure narrative at its best. And they are all true.
Average customer rating:
- Susan Tweit reveals the abundance of life in deserts.
|
Seasons in the Desert: A Naturalist's Notebook
Susan Tweit
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Microscopes & Microsocopy
| Experiments, Instruments & Measurement
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Natural History
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Nature Writing
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Deserts
| Ecosystems
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Seasons on the Pacific Coast: A Naturalist's Notebook
ASIN: 0811816850 |
Book Description
Bargain Books are non-returnable.
Seasons in the Desert is a rare and wonderful combination of lyrical writing, natural history, and fine art. Esteemed nature writer Susan J. Tweit reveals the hidden life thriving in the deserts of the American Southwest, from the tiny fairy shrimp to the regal saguaro cactus. Her witty, factual, and heartfelt reflections combine with Kirk Caldwell's beautiful illustrations to illuminate the ways and mythologies of forty eccentric plants and animals. Sharing the qualities of the works of Terry Tempest Williams, Sue Hubbell, and Gretel Ehrlich, Seasons in the Desert is a wondrous and thoughtful foray into the living world of vast desert spaces.
Customer Reviews:
Susan Tweit reveals the abundance of life in deserts........1998-07-07
The American Heritage Dictionary defines a desert as "a region rendered barren or partially barren by environmental extremes." Susan Tweit obviously does not agree with the writers at American Heritage.
With her book in hand, readers will come to the same conclusion. Consider a desert pothole, one of those shallow, soil-filled pits in sandstone. At first glance they seem lifeless, but after a desert rain supplies the water, eggs and larvae that have lay dormant in the soil for months or years burst into life. Within hours animals as exotic as tadpole shrimp, which resemble miniature horseshoe crabs, and their crustacean cousins, fairy shrimp, begin to ply the pool. Other pothole denizens may include microscopic mites, that only occur in South Africa and the desert southwest, or spadefoot toads, which have been buried two feet deep in soil near the pothole waiting for the revivifying moisture.
During the ephemeral life of the pothole the animals spend most of their time feeding and breeding. As the water evaporates the frenzy continues with cannibalism a common occurrence. Before the soil dries out again, though, eggs and larvae will settle down into the mud to wait for the next rain storm. And the next miracle of the pothole.
In her new collection of essays, Susan Tweit circumvents the sterile dictionary definition by exploring 40 desert lives as diverse as rattlesnakes, fairy shrimp, Christmas cholla, and screwbean mesquite. The 900-word-stories are told with a naturalist's sensibility and care for the natural world. "I think of these desert characters as my relatives, in the sense that all life is kin." She does not, however, preach or anthropomorphize. Nor does she slip into new-age polemics.
The book is organized by season, starting with spring. Each essay focuses on one animal or plant but also interweaves a kaleidoscope of pollinators, predators, scientists and explorers. The stories paint a full picture not just of the star of the story, but of the lives that rev! olve around it. Tweit also adds voices of researchers and writers who offer another level of insight into these desert lives.
Tweit's language conveys her intimate knowledge and deep care for the flora and fauna she describes. She concludes her essay on Couch's spadefoot toad with: "To hear the swelling nighttime chorus of spadefoot toads is to know joy. When I hear sapitos [the Spanish term], I am overcome with the urge to dance barefoot in puddles, ... to celebrate the return of water to this parched land."
In the early 1900s the great naturalist John Burroughs wrote "Indeed, nature-study, as it appeals to us in books, fails of its chief end if it does not send us to nature itself." Susan Tweit's new book admirably meets Burrough's standard-seducing its readers to go out and make their own discoveries in the desert.
Average customer rating:
|
Desert Seasons
Samuel Mike
Manufacturer: Rio Nuevo Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0918080495 |
Amazon.com
With language as colorful as a Canyonlands sunset and a perspective as pointed as a prickly pear, Cactus Ed captures the heat, mystery, and surprising bounty of desert life. Desert Solitaire is a meditation on the stark landscapes of the red-rock West, a passionate vote for wilderness, and a howling lament for the commercialization of the American outback.
Book Description
"A passionately felt, deeply poetic book. It has philosophy. It has humor. It has its share of nerve-tingling adventures...set down in a lean, racing prose, in a close-knit style of power and beauty."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOKREVIEW
Edward Abbey lived for three seasons in the desert at Moab, Utah, and what he discovered about the land before him, the world around him, and the heart that beat within, is a fascinating, sometimes raucous, always personal account of a place that has already disappeared, but is worth remembering and living through again and again.
Customer Reviews:
Great writing from the old curmudgeon.......2007-08-20
I think this is far and away Abbey's best book. The prose is careful, precise, thoughtful. In my first year teaching, I would read a short section of this book every morning before climbing into the trenches, to remind myself what beautiful prose could be--regardless of the subject matter. (As an animal lover and vegetarian, I still have a hard time with his description of beaning the rabbit.) The book, I think, is definitely a "guy" book--but that's how my taste in reading goes, so I loved it back then, still love it today.
Abbey's season in the wilderness ages well..........2007-06-11
Edward Abbey reflects and reports on a summer he spent as a ranger at Arches National Park in Utah. At that time, Arches was in a pre "industrialized park" state. Desert Solitaire is his tale of adventures and his book of memories. Below is a sprinkling of quotes to give you a taste, a flavor, of what you can expect.
"Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary" (p. 1).
"... I have personal convictions to uphold. Ideals, you might say. I prefer not to kill animals. I'm a humanist; I'd rather kill a man than a snake" (p. 20).
"Don't actually care for ants. Neurotic little pismires" (p. 30).
"We need more predators. The sheepmen complain, it is true, that the coyotes eat some of their lambs. This is true but do they eat enough? I mean, enough lambs to keep the coyotes sleek, healthy, and well fed. That is my concern" (p. 35).
"We are kindred all of us, killer and victim, predator and prey, me and the sly coyote, the soaring buzzard, the elegant gopher snake, the trembling cottontail, the foul worms that feed on our entrails, all of them, all of us. Long live diversity, long live the earth!" (p. 38-39).
"An increasingly pagan and hedonistic people (thank God!), we are learning finally that the forests and mountains and desert canyons are holier than our churches. Therefore let us behave accordingly" (p. 60).
"A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled surfaces. We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it" (p. 148).
"'Ralph Newcomb', I say, 'do you believe in God?'
'Who?' he says.
'Who?'
'Who.'
'You said it,' I say" (p. 180).
"'Newcomb, for godsake where do we come from?'
'Who knows?'
'Where are we going?'
'Who cares?'
'Who?'
'Who'" (p. 185).
"But the love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need - if only we had the eyes to see. Original sin, the true original sin, is the blind destruction for the sake of greed of this natural paradise which lies all around us - if only we were worthy of it" (p. 190).
"What does [the desert] mean? It means nothing. It is as it is and has no need for meaning. The desert lies beneath and soars beyond any possible human qualification. Therefore, sublime" (p. 219).
"I am almost prepared to believe that this sweet virginal primitive land will be grateful for my departure and the absence of the tourists, will breath metaphorically a collective sigh of relief - like a whisper of wind - when we are all and finally gone and the place and its creations can return to their ancient procedures unobserved and undisturbed by the busy, anxious, brooding consciousness of man" (p. 300).
Enjoy. Abbey is a writer first, a naturalist second. He takes liberties as necessary to tell his story, so this only seems like an autobiography. Obviously, he was less concerned then about "political correctness." I suspect he would be as irreverent today.
Solid writing about the Utah desert.......2007-06-07
What makes this a highly readable book is the author's revelations about his own feelings and shortcomings. It made me feel like I was there in the desert with him.
"Resist much, Obey little".......2007-04-29
It's been almost 40 years since Desert Solitaire hit the bookshelves; and perhaps it is more appropriate reading now than it was in 1968; certainly "Industrial Tourism" has come to pass.
This book is not gibberish from some "eco-hermit", whatever that is. Yes, old Cactus Ed is cranky and contradictory, full of hyperbole at times. This is his stamp as a prose-poet and unsurpassed storyteller; if you don't get this, you may be reading the wrong books.
Abbey's iconoclastic philosophy of conservation over human "progress" has rendered Desert Solitaire as a true environmental classic. This book is most likely sitting on many home bookshelves between The Mountains of California and A Sand Country Almanac.
Ed Abbey was well steeped in philosophy and literature; when he muses on the civilization vs. culture subject, you can see the meld of anarchism and german existentialism occuring. His impassioned rants reflect his love of the solitary places - landscapes unscathed by that "turbo-monkey" known as man. The humor is as dry and sharp as the the landscapes he describes: episodes with his pet gopher snake; the search for a dead tourist; and the idiocies of The National Park Service.
Like many authors, Abbey's non-fictional writing outshines his fictional stuff. Hands down, Desert Solitaire is his finest work: Rough, Tough, and Combative. This classic is a must read if you are of the "Resist much, Obey little" mindset. Infinite thanks, Cactus Ed . . .
Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
Desert Solitaire.......2007-03-08
A classic that should be read by all thinking Americans who care more for our country than they do about the exploitation of the earth for temporary gain.
Product Description
This is a fifty-two page book of art and poetry observing changes the different seasons bring to the plants, animals and inhabitants of the state of Arizona. The pride the author-
artist feels for her native state is beautifully captured in full-color, gallery quality drawings and poetic lines. Its a book all will cherish through the ages.
Product Description
A celebration of the beauty of living in a harsh and hostile land.
Product Description
The wind will not stop. Gusts of sand swirl before me, stinging my face. But there is still too much to see and marvel at, the world very much alive in the bright light and wind, exultant with the fever of spring, the delight of morning. Strolling on, it seems to me that the strangeness and wonder of existence are emphasized here, in the desert, by the comparative sparsity of the flora and fauna: life not crowded upon life as in other places but scattered abroad in spareness and simplicity, with a generous gift of space for each herb and bush and tree, each stem of grass, so that the living organism stands out bold and brave and vivid against the lifeless sand and barren rock. The extreme clarity of the desert light is equaled by the extreme individuation of desert life-forms. Love flowers best in openness and freedom. "This book may well seem like a ride on a bucking bronco. It is rough, tough, combative. The author is a rebel and an eloquent loner. His is a passionately felt, deeply poetic book. It has philosophy. It has humor. It has its share of nerve-tingling adventures... set down in a lean, racing prose, in a close-knit style of power and beauty." --Edwin Way Teale, New York Times Book Review
Book Description
"Wolfe Lowenthal's quiet little memoir will with window-opening wisdom reinforce, I think, my view of how Cheng stood on Tai Chi. It tells how a young writer reacted to this strange Chinese man when he appeared in New York City in the mid-1960s and stayed there for a decade before returning to Taiwan to die in 1975. In a nickel town where neurosis is a cardinal virtue, the Tai Chi center established by Cheng soon became an oasis of learning. In my visits there I was invariably approached by a quiet fellow with a ready smile and loads of questions. His form and sensing hands improved but he never lost his kindly ways. This led me once to tell the three seniors that the one person in the club who best exemplified Tai Chi was this junior. That man who has since become a teacher of the art is the author if this book."
-Robert W. Smith, from the Preface
Customer Reviews:
Insight.......2007-09-28
Fabulous insight into aspects of Tai Chi hinted at but never fully revealed in previous texts I have read. Definately worth adding to evrybody's library of information to enhance understanding of Tai Chi Chuan.
No secrets, just simple truths........2007-04-28
I cannot recommend this book highly enough to all martial artists. The author has done a first class job of capturing the humor and joy in life despite the many setbacks and disappointments suffered along the way.
The chapter on "Investing in Loss" alone is worth the price of the book many times over. The book as a whole is stuffed to the brim with lessons of one sort or another. I have bought and given out many copies of this book to fellow martial artists and plan to keep doing so.
Actually, There WERE Secrets . . . .......2005-12-04
In taiji circles (no pun intended) it's common knowledge that Cheng taught select students a set of nei gong exercises that he found invaluable for taiji and even calligraphy. William C.C. Chen mentions receiving this training from Cheng in his book about taiji's body mechanics, and there was a group of Malaysian students (some of whom still teach) who got this training. Cheng didn't teach any of his American students this all-important nei gong (internal work) that is an essential part of taiji. He was known rarely to discuss it. Cheng was very secretive and he usually taught only the hand form. The hand form without the nei gong is really only half an art (though some would say the nei gong is in the form). Lowenthal learned the form and push hands, and had a great time, and his enthusiasm for Cheng comes through, as does much of Cheng's personality, which was wise, mischievous, and cultured. So if you want to read a series of anecdotes, which is what the book contains, it's defintely worth buying--particularly if you're a Ching devotee. But don't expect instruction. It's not a textbook or manual, but a memoir.
Pieces of Gold, interspersed with Psychological Angst.......2004-06-03
Pieces of Gold, interspersed with Lowenthal's Psychological Angst
All of the preceding reviewers points of view are mostly true, this book has some great gems and insights into Professor Cheng Man-ch'ings Mastery of Tai Chi. Unfortunatly much of the book is like wading through a "bad" Woody Allen movie, full of Upper middle class, eastern U.S., psycho-babble and Angst.
Lowenthal would have written a much much better book if he had stayed with Tai Chi Chuan and left his tortured/guilt ridden pysche & memories out of the book. What Lowental's memories of Professor add to the text, his personal commentaries about his own past, psychological "insights" etc. take away.
If I had a very limited amount of money to spend, and I wanted to maximize my reading on Tai Chi, I would go for those books written by Prof Cheng, like His Thirteen Treatises, or the Essence of Tai Chi by Lo/Inn and save Lowenthal's books for when I am interested in much lighter fare.
Relax, Live Pure, Train Hard.......2004-03-06
This is an easy to read book that is part one man's insights (Wolfe Lowenthal) into a legendary Tai Chi master, and part revelation of those pearls of wisdom for the Tai Chi practitioner that are so valuable. I finished this book in an hour it's so easy, and gleaned much about Master Cheng as Tai
Chi Master, as person. In some ways it was a nice story because
he had human failings just like the rest of us, despite his obvious ability to impress those he met with his Tai Chi skill.
The pearls are essentially to relax, relax some more, relax some more. Build root. Live Tai Chi, both in terms of training and in terms of philosophy and perspective. Have faith in relaxation, and submerge any ego to gaining sensitivity and gentleness. This will ultimately bring unrealized prowess.
I liked how Mr. Lowenthal unpretentiously stated this, and gave examples. But I was a little disappointed when he talked up how arduous it was for him to finally understand how to project power while his arms were completely relaxed, but then never even attempted to describe his epiphany, leaving me wondering, at least until I figure it out for myself.
A nice little book. A nice little tribute to Master Cheng.
Book Description
A practical nuts and bolts guide for teachers from any discipline who want to design interest-provoking writing and critical thinking activities. Engaging Ideas:
- Shows how teachers can encourage inquiry, exploration, discussion, and debate in their courses.
- Presents a wide variety of strategies for stimulating active learning and for coaching writing and critical thinking.
- Offers teachers concrete advice on how to design courses, structure assignment, use class time, critique student performance, and model critical thinking activities.
- Demonstrates how writing can easily be integrated with such other critical thinking activities and inquiry discussions, simulation games, classroom debates, and interactive lectures.
Customer Reviews:
The Best.......2006-11-10
This book has revolutionized my teaching procedures. Bean shows us how to be more effective teachers without adding to the time we spend prepping and grading. The students are more engaged and writing better essays, and I am spending the same or less time preparing and grading. There are tips on everything from in-class exercises to constructing formal writing assignments. I recommend it to anyone teaching composition or any class with a critical thinking/writing component.
Excellent practical advice for the college teacher.......2004-08-22
Professor Bean provides the theory behind his recommendations but, as any teacher who has delved into this literature knows, theories about effective teaching aren't in themselves necessarily very helpful. What one needs is practical advice, and this book has it---lots of it. Bean identifies different writing activities for students; shows how to design tasks for active thinking and learning in the classroom; suggests effective ways to make use of small group discussion in the classroom; explains ways to increase active learning in a lecture course; discusses the mechanics of grading papers; and shows how to enhance learning in essay exams. Even for the experienced teacher, there's a good deal of worthwhile material here, and it's cogently presented. A highly recommended book for the professor who wants to increase active learning in the classroom and get more out of a lecture course.
Epic Resource.......2002-06-20
John C. Bean presents a thorough, logical discussion covering issues that (may seem basic) but that I for one, still struggle with - successfully integrating critical thinking writing assignments into my courses.
Bean blends relevant research and studies to explain and justify what works and what fizzles. His text offers strategies and assignments - from short, informal writings to involved research projects. His work considers learning styles - (students and instructors). The author models rich critical thinking and writing - the discourse allows learners to make their own connections and discoveries (while absorbing the valuable resources and information provided) Readers, like students engage in the journey of sense-making.
In sum, this is not just a book of potential exercies - it is a rich resource for instructors grappling with issues of assessment, critiquing, and the fear of grading overload. These topics and more provided me with some wonderful "aha" moments.
It's the "aha"s that spark my spirit of inquiry - and this is what I strive to share with students.
insightful, thoughtful, and full of useful classroom tools.......1999-01-08
Bean's text is a thoughtful and useful pedagogical "storehouse" of ideas that teachers can use in their classrooms. Not only does the text provide the theory _behind_ collaborative/cooperative approaches to teaching, but it provides such ideas for a wide array of subjects. Anyone who values the teaching of writing--whatever the subject area--will find good value in Bean's text.
Books:
- Almanac of World History (National Geographic)
- American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
- An Introduction to the Study of Tropical Plankton
- Aquarium Fish Stained Glass Coloring Book (Stained Glass Colouring Books)
- Bees
- Biophysical Labeling Methods in Molecular Biology
- Bioremediation (Recent Advances in Marine Biotechnology, V. 8)
- Botany for All Ages: Learning About Nature Through Activities Using Plants
- Brazil: Amazon And Pantanal (Travellers' Wildlife Guides)
- Breastfeeding the Newborn: Clinical Strategies for Nurses
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Guerrilla Marketing: Secrets for Making Big Profits from Your Small Business
- Blue Book Dolls and Values, 16th Edition
- Women in 1900: Gateway to the Political Economy of the 20th Century
- Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: An Updated Guide To Stress, Stress Related Diseases, and Coping
- Africa and the International System: The Politics of State Survival
- Best Short Stories
- Anatomy and Physiology for Speech, Language & Hearing
- Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy
- Wall Street Journal Guide to Planning Your Financial Future : The Easy-to-read Guide to Lifetime Pla
- Jump Start Your Business Brain: Win More, Lose Less, and Make More Money
A Table in the Desert: Making Space Holy
Teaching the Dead Bird to Sing: Living the Hermit Life Without and Within
Hermits; The Insights of Solitude
In the Silence of Solitude: Contemporary Witnesses of the Desert
Facets of Faith: Living the Dimentions of Christian Spirituality
