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Ultraviolet Reflections: Life Under a Thinning Ozone Layer
Annika Nilsson
Manufacturer: Wiley
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ASIN: 0471958433 |
Book Description
In the stratosphere, ozone performs a vital role by absorbing ultraviolet (UV) radiation and acting as a protective layer for life on Earth. Ultraviolet Reflections: Life Under a Thinning Ozone Layer examines the effects of increasing UV radiation on people, plants and animals. It takes the reader on a journey from the Antarctic ozone hole to the Arctic birch forest, to see how plankton and plants will fare against increasing UV radiation. We know the dangers for skin cancer, but this book also raises intriguing questions about the evolution of our immune system and uncovers scientific controversy in the discussion of eye disease. The accessible style of this book gives readers at all levels an insight into the complexities of how life has evolved to deal with the destructive power of the sun. Moreover, it gives the reader a chance to follow international policy, as well as current research in the field. The book is aimed at those who do not have time to follow the scientific literature in all the fields, but who are not satisfied with simple answers: science teachers trying to convey basic ideas about the environment, students who want to know things that you cannot find in the text books, environmentalists and policy makers needing more than statements of scientific consensus. Most of all it is written for anyone ready to reflect on one of the major environmental issues of today.
Average customer rating:
- Hmmm...It isn't a horrible book but...
- Helpful for Families
- Highly Recommended for New RVers!!
- Same book as Frommer's book.
- A really, really good book for dummies like me!
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RV Vacations For Dummies (Dummies Travel)
Shirley Slater , and
Harry Basch
Manufacturer: For Dummies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Frommer's Best RV and Tent Campgrounds in the U.S.A. (Frommer's Best Rv & Tent Campgrounds in the USA)
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to RVing, 2nd Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to)
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2007 Trailer Life RV Parks, Campgrounds and Services Directory (Trailer Life Directory : Campgrounds, Rv Parks & Services)
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The RVer's Bible: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing, Using, & Enjoying Your RV
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RV Owner's Handbook, Revised (Rv Owner's Handbook)
ASIN: 0471772585 |
Book Description
From New England to the Oregon Coast, from Texas to the Tetons, America is full of fascinating and friendly places — and your RV is a great way to get to any one of them. This fun, friendly guide shows you how to get the most out of your RV vacations with fun itineraries and handy tips on:
- Choose the right route and the right season for travel
- Picking the RV that will get you where you want to go on a budget you can afford
- Eating and sleeping comfortably on the road
- Tying up the loose ends before you leave
- Planning ahead to take care of special travel needs
- Tips on fun museums and special getaways for snowbirds
Like every For Dummies travel guide, RV Vacations For Dummies, 3rd Edition includes:
- Down-to-earth trip-planning advice
- What you shouldn’t miss — and what you can skip
- The best restaurants and hotels for every budget
- Lots of detailed maps
Customer Reviews:
Hmmm...It isn't a horrible book but..........2007-09-18
I dunno, maybe I expected more. It is a nice book...if you're a complete dummy. I shouldn't complain when it's full of fluff mostly.
It only cost $11.50 on Amazon so I shouldn't really complain. But I feel I should warn you not to expect much. It's not a bad book really just kinda not too much information. I mean, do you really need to be reminded to take money and credit cards with you? I dunno-maybe it's just me.
Helpful for Families.......2007-04-30
Used this book before renting an RV out of our area (eg we flew to AZ, then rented RV), so we had to pack in advance. This book was the most helpful of the few I purchased. Packing Checklist and chapter on packing was invaluable. I would recommend this book to first time RV camping families!
Highly Recommended for New RVers!!.......2006-10-28
A terrific book for anyone thinking about giving RVing a try. "RV Vacations for Dummies" opens with about a hundred pages of information on planning an RV vacation and about actually living in an RV. Some of the information in the first two parts of the book ("Getting Started" and "Ironing Out the Details") is a bit sketchy; however, it is more than adequate to get the traveler on the road. And that, after all, is really the point. Books are helpful in gathering the information needed to get started, but RVing is about "doing" . . . not just reading about "doing".
Our favorite parts of "RV Vacations for Dummies" are the 14 driving tours presented over nearly 200 pages in the latter part of the book. There is nothing like having a trip actually planned to stir up a severe case of "hitch itch" in the most experienced of RVers. The trips set forth in "RV Vacations" are enough to get even RVing "Old Timers" off of the sofa and onto the road.
We highly recommend this book for those new to RVing; however, even those with hundreds of thousands of RVing miles behind them will find value in these pages.
Same book as Frommer's book........2005-05-26
FYI: This book and the
Frommer's Exploring America by RV (2nd Edition) are identical books.
A really, really good book for dummies like me!.......2002-10-15
I was initially struck by the early sections, which so clearly laid out all the elements of preparing for an RV vacation, including renting or buying, eating and sleeping on the road, and everything from cell phones to the pros and cons of carrying a gun. The remainder of the book has 14 trips around all parts of the US from New England to Florida, Route 66 to California, and the Northwest.
Very handy are details of attractions and campgrounds, which are laid out simply and enjoyable to read. Each trip has a detailed map showing the locations of campgrounds and things to don't want to miss. Anyone who's thinking about RVing will want to get this book.
Average customer rating:
- Good information across many topics
- Beginner Book- For Sure
- family focused, if you like that kind of thing
- For serious adventure camping only!
- camping for dummies
|
Camping for Dummies
Michael Hodgson
Manufacturer: Hungry Minds
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Camping Made Easy, 2nd
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Camping & Hiking (2nd Edition)
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Basic Essentials Cooking in the Outdoors, 2nd (Basic Essentials Series)
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Backpacker's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Hiking & Backpacking (Start-Up Sports)
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Camping's Top Secrets, 2nd: A Lexicon of Camping Tips Only the Experts Know (Camping)
Accessories:
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Rayovac SPHLTLED 3-in-1 LED Head-Lite
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Panasonic ES3830NC Grooming Travel Pack with Single Foil Wet/Dry Shaver and Wet/Dry Nose/Ear Trimmer
ASIN: 076455221X |
Book Description
You love the great outdoors, but you’re not always sure the great outdoors loves you. You can pitch a tent, start a campfire, build furniture by lashing tree branches together – in theory anyway! But while you may not have gotten your Girl Scout Gold Award, or your Eagle Scout with cluster, you can still enjoy a night out under the stars with those near and dear to you, or even work towards becoming a more serious outdoorsman, right?
Sure as a bear lives in the woods, Camping for Dummies shows you how to get out there and enjoy the best Mother Nature has to offer. With the helpful advice this common sense guide provides, you’ll be prepared when it comes to:
- Destination
- Gear
- Shelter
- Clothing
- Food
- Weather
- Safety
Written by journalist Michael Hodgson, veteran of Utah’s Eco-Challenge and numerous other outdoor adventures, Camping for Dummies cuts out gear-head jargon and antiquated methods to give you, plain and simple, what you need to know to make the smart choices that lead to great adventures. You’ll find out:
- How to tie a bear bag
- The delicious caveman style for cooking fresh fish
- The limitations of GPS
- How to predict the weather by observing birds, frogs, and insects
- Ten survival essentials
- How to go canoe, kayak, or bicycle camping
- What features make a good backpack, boot, and other equipment
- When and how to bring along children
Whether the dictionary definition of “tenderfoot” has your picture next to it or you already consider wilderness your home away from home, you’ll appreciate this handy, concise reference. Full of illustrations, diagrams, and directions for finding additional camping resources, Camping for Dummies is your complete ticket to America’s great outdoors.
Customer Reviews:
Good information across many topics.......2007-09-09
I already camp and hike but was looking for a book that would cover areas that I wasn't familiar with yet. It does a very good job of filling this need. It would also be an excellent starter for someone who hasn't camped or hiked before. Once you decide on a specific interest there are deeper books on specific areas available.
Beginner Book- For Sure.......2007-05-10
I bought this book because I have learned alot from other "Dummies" Books. This book is a good introductory book for someone who has never went camping. It mostly has common sense ideas and isn't for the advanced camper (although one might find the lists helpful). Few illustrations and the way that it is set up doesn't provide much field use. Overall, a pretty good reference for a novice which I suppose is who the author intended to reach.
family focused, if you like that kind of thing.......2007-04-03
Plenty of good information in here, but there is a persistent "camping with kids" focus that can be irritating to the child-free reader. It seems obvious that the publisher didn't mention this in the title so as to broaden the book's marketability, but it does reduce usefulness for those who won't be camping with children.
For serious adventure camping only!.......2006-07-10
This book is great for people who want to go pitch a tent up in the hills, but only has a few things to say to those who are headed to the local campground for a family weekend. If you need to know where not to pitch a tent to avoid flash floods, or how to consolidate everything you need into a small compact carry bag, then this is for you.
camping for dummies.......2005-09-12
this book covered most camping situations in detail. i would recommend this book to any novice camper.
Average customer rating:
- Becker on Writing
- a quick yet comprehensive read
- To the Point, Easy Language
- Valuable
- The book is helpful
|
Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)
Howard S. Becker
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
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Tricks of the Trade: How to Think about Your Research While You're Doing It (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)
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Educational Research: An Introduction (8th Edition)
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Evaluation: A Systematic Approach
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The SPSS Video Guide
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Mastering APA Style: Student's Workbook and Training Guide Fifth Edition
ASIN: 0226041085 |
Book Description
Social scientists, whether earnest graduate students or tenured faculty members, clearly know the rules that govern good writing. But for some reason they choose to ignore those guidelines and churn out turgid, pompous, and obscure prose. Distinguished sociologist Howard S. Becker, true to his calling, looks for an explanation for this bizarre behavior not in the psyches of his colleagues but in the structure of his profession. In this highly personal and inspirational volume he considers academic writing as a social activity.
Both the means and the reasons for writing a thesis or article or book are socially structured by the organization of graduate study, the requirements for publication, and the conditions for promotion, and the pressures arising from these situations create the writing style so often lampooned and lamented. Drawing on his thirty-five years' experience as a researcher, writer, and teacher, Becker exposes the foibles of the academic profession to the light of sociological analysis and gentle humor. He also offers eminently useful suggestions for ways to make social scientists better and more productive writers. Among the topics discussed are how to overcome the paralyzing fears of chaos and ridicule that lead to writer's block; how to rewrite and revise, again and again; how to adopt a persona compatible with lucid prose; how to deal with that academic bugaboo, "the literature." There is also a chapter by Pamela Richards on the personal and professional risks involved in scholarly writing.
In recounting his own trials and errors Becker offers his readers not a model to be slavishly imitated but an example to inspire. Throughout, his focus is on the elusive work habits that contribute to good writing, not the more easily learned rules of grammar and punctuation. Although his examples are drawn from sociological literature, his conclusions apply to all fields of social science, and indeed to all areas of scholarly endeavor. The message is clear: you don't have to write like a social scientist to be one.
Customer Reviews:
Becker on Writing.......2006-11-03
This was the best $10 I've ever invested. The book is wonderful; clear and concise. It's made a big difference with my papers through understanding that writing is a process that mostly begins with angst, that there are a few quick tricks that can make any paper much better and that big words in scientific papers don't make the paper scientific (or readable). BUY THE BOOK!!!
a quick yet comprehensive read.......2006-03-23
I actually purchased the book for the person I share an office with. He is currently working on his dissertation and kind of at a stand still on page 5. After reading the book, within two weeks he was on page 50 and continues to progress ahead. He really liked the book and has recommended it to several other people. The book helped him focus less on making sure everything he was writing was perfect and more on trying to get a first draft done. While the book assisted him with this, it will probably not be helpful once the draft is done.
To the Point, Easy Language.......2005-10-26
The author provided a guide to assist the social scientist in writing clear, concise articles, books, etc. Tips for revising/editing were helpful, as were the suggestions for overcoming procrastination, and finding critical colleagues to assist in the process. The tips, I think, were helpful; however, as the author points out, many scientific journals are not interested in articles that are clear and concise.
Valuable.......2004-09-14
Writing for Social Scientists is written primarily for individuals who wants to hone their writing skills.
Howard Becker's primary intent is to desmitify and remove the fear of writing.
Becker explores the fear of the black page and suggests techniques for getting started. He advocates for simple, direct language, avoiding the curse of "one right way", and challenges stodgy academic writing. He offers insights for solving writing problems based on his 35 years of experience as a researcher, writer and teacher.
Becker succeeds in making the reader more comfortable with the writing process. However, he leaves writers with the dilemma of writing for the target audience, writing for the "ear", or standards of taste, or to compromise.
The reader will find his perspective valuable and useful fro the writing process. Lastly, the book is well written and highly readable. (Class PAPA 6014)
The book is helpful.......2003-08-21
Having read a bunch of books on the topic of doing your thesis, I was a bit desperate since none of them seemed to offer really practical advices on how to tackle the problem of starting to write. I got lost in "how to read and write a literature review" and "how to talk to your committee members", and only when I start reading Becker's book I found this seemingly crazy but increadibly fine advice: sit down and write - just about everything that comes into your mind. If you get stuck, put it down. Your first draft will be much of a weird writing, but only through materializing it you will be able to make further steps forward. I've read this book in less than two days and have brightened my view of this huge task in front of me. The only redundant thing is the chapter on using the computer, since it became a usual stuff since this book was published. Everything else is a true confidence booster!
Average customer rating:
|
Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book or Article
Howard S. Becker
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPG0LE |
Average customer rating:
|
Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing and Publishing)
Howard S. Becker
Manufacturer: Univ of Chicago Pr (Tx)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPAN4E |
Average customer rating:
- Intrigue abounds
- A Not So Historical Novel
- Riveting Historical Fiction
- extraordinary historical mystery
|
The Siren Queen: An Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court
Fiona Buckley
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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The Fugitive Queen
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A Pawn for a Queen : An Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court
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Queen's Ransom: A Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court Featuring Ursula Blanchard
-
The Doublet Affair: An Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court
-
Queen of Ambition
ASIN: 0743237528 |
Book Description
The year is 1569. Ursula Blanchard, illegitimate half sister to Queen Elizabeth I and sometime spy on the Queen's behalf, is happily married to wealthy Hugh Stannard and living quietly in the country. Ursula's thoughts are on domestic matters as she watches her daughter, Meg, grow up. Meg will soon be fourteen, so perhaps it is time to think of a betrothal.
When an invitation to visit arrives from the powerful Duke of Norfolk, Ursula and Hugh welcome the chance for Meg to meet an apparently worthy young man of the Duke's household, Edmund Dean. Is he a possible husband for Meg?
It's love at first sight, at least on Meg's part. Young Dean seems to admire Meg as well, and he's even more impressed with her promised dowry. Ursula, though, has her doubts. Does she see something cruel in the man's eyes?
Soon, more weighty matters demand Ursula's attention. Two men are dead under mysterious circumstances, and there may be a new plot to put Mary, Queen of Scots, on the English throne. A letter written in cipher may contain the information Ursula needs -- but can she decode the letter in time to save the half sister and Queen she loves? And what shattering personal discovery will the letter reveal?
Surrounded by treachery, Ursula wonders whom she can trust. Is the great Duke of Norfolk himself part of the plot against Queen Elizabeth? And what about the young man who would marry Meg?
With richly drawn characters and riveting historical accuracy, The Siren Queen sweeps us into a suspenseful and passionate re-creation of one of the most tumultuous and colorful eras of English history.
Customer Reviews:
Intrigue abounds.......2006-02-17
This is the 8th book in the Ursula Blanchard series, which I have been reading since it began.
In this story, Ursula begins to plan a betrothal for her daughter, Meg. The suitor in question is a secretary of the Duke of Norfolk's, and the Duke himself has proposed the match. Ursula and her husband accept the invitation to travel to London, so they can scout out their prospective son in law to see if he is right for Meg.
Together with Fran and Roger Brockley, Gladys Morgan, Sybil Jester, and of course, Meg, they arrive in London and soon meet Edmund Dean, the suitor in question. Ursula takes an immediate dislike to him, but is not quite able to put her finger on just why. Meg, on the other hand, is smitten and is eager for the betrothal to take place, even though she is only 13. Ursula tries to gently discourage her daughter from pursuing Dean, citing that as of yet, she is still too young to consider marriage and she would prefer that Meg wait until she was 17. Nonetheless, Meg's attachment to Dean grows, and she sneaks off to spend time with him whenever she can.
Amidst of all this, the Duke tells Ursula of a private correspondence he has been having with Mary, Queen of Scots, who is currently deposed. The Duke is obviously in love with Mary, although they have never met, and he harbors hope of one day marrying her and becoming her consort. Norfolk is very outspoken in regards to his feelings, not realizing that Ursula does espionage for Queen Elizabeth and Sir William Cecil.
Then, murder strikes the household, and a courier who had been carrying the Duke's correspondence is the victim. Along with the Duke's letter to Mary, there was also a letter from an Italian banker, Roberto Ridolphi, as well as a letter in cipher, which hints at a plot to bring the Scots queen back to her throne.
Despite wanting to stay out of such things as court intrigue, Ursula is inexorably drawn into the mix yet again. She feels honor bound to Elizabeth and Cecil and can't in good conscience let what news she has learned go unshared. Therefore, Ursula becomes embroiled in trying to unravel this latest caper, while at the same time, trying to control her headstrong daughter.
And so, Ursula ends up staying in London as a guest of Ridolphi's, under the pretext of helping his wife become better accustomed to England, while teaching her the language. Ridolphi is a friend of Norfolk's, and a fellow conspirator in the plot to reinstate Mary.
To make matters worse, Ursula's willful charge, Gladys Morgan, wreaks havoc everywhere she goes. Gladys gets into fights with other servants, the town vicar, a gardener; everyone. And when she gets angry, she curses whomever she is angry with and wishes them ill. This eventually catches up with Gladys in an unpleasant manner, when she is accused of witchcraft yet again and is in danger of losing her life.
This book was good, even though I could figure out parts of it. If you've read the series, you know of Ursula's 2nd marriage to Matthew De La Roche. In this book, you learn more about him, when Ursula unwittingly uncovers information that could drastically affect her life. Sorry to be cryptic, but I won't give everything away!
Also in this book, Gladys has a shot at romance, with the topiary gardener, who is as old and ugly as she. It seems he likes to clip the hedges into rather suggestive looking shapes, much to the ire of Ridolphi, one of his employers. But, Gladys and he strike up a pseudo-relationship and bicker like a pair of children.
Like all Fiona Buckley novels, this one is full of its red herrings, and will keep you interested as you try to solve the crime along with Ursula.
A Not So Historical Novel.......2005-06-16
Actually the tie-in to actual history is quite good, this period is something of a passion of mine and I haven't caught the author in a historical mistake yet. I particularly enjoy her characterization of Elizabeth I.
On the other hand however her period detail is simply awful. The Duke of Norfolk's household is Victorian rather than Elizabethan. A nobleman would not have a housekeeper but a Steward for example and the servants would not eat in the kitchen but in hall. The use of first names by all and sundry is irritating, in those days a lady would call even her husband 'Master Stannard', and a man-servant would not be called 'Master Brockley'.
Ursula herself is far too Nineties in her sensibility, especially in her attitude towards religion. Interesting as the mysteries are I simply cannot cope with the anachronisms.
Riveting Historical Fiction.......2004-12-31
Fiona Buckley has written another winning entry in the Ursula Blanchard series. The series takes place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Ursula is the illegitimate half-sister of the Queen and has many times been in the middle of Court intrigue. At the start of the novel, Ursula is finally able to enjoy a more sedate life with her marriage to Hugh Stannard.. Her daughter, Meg, is soon fourteen and marriageable age. The Duke of Norfolk invite the Stannards to visit him and meet his secretary as a possible suitor for Meg. From almost the moment of arrival, Ursula's quiet life is over. Men are dying under mysterious circumstances, her host may be in on a plot to overthrow the Queen, and her old retainer is in jeopardy of being accused of witchcraft.
Both primary and secondary characters are vivid, compelling, and memorable. The plot is well paced and engrossing. It beautifully entwined historical fact with fiction. A must read if you like your detective fiction with a historical twist.
extraordinary historical mystery.......2004-11-01
The Duke of Norfolk is attempting to matchmake his secretary Edmund Dean with Ursula Blanchard's daughter Meg. While Ursula isn't crazy about the idea, but she, her husband and their servants head to London to get their servant Gladys away from the villagers before she is declared a witch. While at Norfolk's home Ursula realizes that the man wants to marry Mary, former queen of Scots both for love and political power if she can win back the Scottish throne.
Two men involved in Norfolk's home are murdered and Ursula believes it has something to do with putting Mary on the Scottish throne and making her Elizabeth's heir. Sir Cecil has Ursula go to the banker Roberto Rodolfo's house to act as a companion to his wife. Rodolfo is the middleman between Norfolk and the Spanish Ambassador. While Ursula is spying she comes across encrypted papers involving a plot to put Mary on Elizabeth's throne after Elizabeth is killed. Sir Cecil uses Ursula to defuse the situation before the lords in the north make war on their sovereign by taking Norfolk and Leicester out of the equation.
Fiona Buckley weaves historical facts so seamlessly into her storyline that readers will find they are reading an extraordinary historical mystery. It comes as no surprise that the heroine makes a very good spy and her loyalty is to Elizabeth I, her queen and her half-sister. Although Mary Queen of Scotts is not present in THE SIREN QUEEN, plots and counter plots revolve around her and influence the course of politics during Elizabeth's reign. Fans of Sharon Kay Perman and Roberta Gellis are going to be very happy reading this fine work.
Harriet Klausner
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- Vectors: Cloning Applications: Essential Techniques
- Water, Culture, and Power: Local Struggles In A Global Context
- With Their Eyes: September 11th--The View from a High School at Ground Zero
- Working With Nature: Resource Management for Sustainability
- Yeast Stress Responses (Topics in Current Genetics)
- 365 Penguins
- A Dog Is Listening: The Way Some of Our Closest Friends View Us
- A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia
- A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail)
- Acid Atmospheric Deposition and its Effects on Terrestrial Ecosystems in The Netherlands (Studies in Environmental Science)
Books Index
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