Designing with Succulents

Book Description

Succulent plants offer dazzling possibilities for garden design and require only minimal maintenance to remain lush and alluring year round. Featuring the work of more than 50 professional garden designers and creative homeowners, this complete design compendium is as practical as it is inspirational. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 photographs, it gives design and cultivation basics for paths, borders, slopes, and containers; hundreds of succulent plant recommendations; and descriptions of 90 easy-care, drought-tolerant companion plants. Beginners and experienced designers, landscapers, and collectors alike will find what they need to visualize, create, and nurture the three-dimensional work of art that is the succulent garden.

Customer Reviews:

informative.......2007-09-20

As a newcomer to succulents, I found this volume to be full of beautiful photos and wonderful information. It is a joy to peruse during a lull or sad moment. I had no idea how vast the subject is...........Debra Lee Baldwin has earned earned her prized reputation.

Just what I needed.......2007-09-18

Want to reduce water use in the garden and had no idea where to start with succulents. This is a great balance of practical and inspirational (pretty pictures).

Just in time.......2007-09-09

Hello Debra,

I am writing to tell you how much I love your book! I moved to
Carefree, AZ
two years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area (where I did garden
design and
everything grew) and have immersed myself in the study of all things
desert.
Your book is beautiful and informative and a breath of fresh air in
landscape design.

Thank you, thank you!
Erin

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

This book provides stunning photo's of some of the most beautiful landscape design work with succulents I have seen. As an owner of a retail shop selling pots for the garden, I leave it on my counter for my customers to refer to for ideas. Good, good stuff.

Wonderful resource for the Southwest gardener.......2007-08-24

This is an outstanding resource for gardeners of the Southwest and in particular Southern California. Excellent photos and very informative text. Provides numerous intriguing examples of what you can do especially if you are seeking to save water and reduce irrigation. What is surprising is all the wonderful variety and amazing color succulents provide year around.

Average customer rating:

A must have for cactus collectors
I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD ABOUT THIS WORK
Simply the Best
Excellent reference for those avid in the hobby of cacti
Outstanding Reference Source!

The Cactus Family
Edward F. Anderson
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0881924989

Book Description

Only now, at the beginning of the new millennium, is there an up-to-date, comprehensive study of the cactus family. This long-awaited, monumental work covers the Cactaceae in an encyclopedic manner, addressing 125 genera and 1810 species. The most comprehensive single resource on the subject available today, it includes more than 1000 color photographs in addition to other illustrations. The introduction to each genus concentrates on the discovery of the cacti, and the improvements in our understanding of them, many of which result from relatively recent investigation. As stated in the foreword, "Cacti have a special fascination all their own. Miniature spiny dwarf cacti less than an inch in diameter are hidden in the arid regions of North and South America; the majestic columns of the giant saguaro, Carnegiea gigantea, dominate the deserts of Arizona. Yet all these cacti, given time, offer the surprising paradox of brilliant flowers, their delicacy a striking contrast to the strong spines that keep the viewer at a respectful distance." This remarkable diversity is fully described and illustrated in this authoritative encyclopedia, which is both scientifically accurate and readable. It also includes a chapter by Roger Brown on the cultivation of cacti, making the book even more useful to growers and hobbyists, as well as to taxonomists, ethnobotanists, and conservationists — indeed, anyone interested in succulent plants.

Customer Reviews:

A must have for cactus collectors.......2007-07-24

This is considered the 'Bible' for cactus collectors and researchers alike. Well worth the money for the information and photos.

I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD ABOUT THIS WORK.......2006-08-01

I can start with the old line "I I had only one book on cacti....." Well, this would certainly be the one. I spend a great amount of time traveling and photographing flowering and interesting plants, cactus being among them. I also collect this type of plant. I have found this work to be almost absolutely necessary for identification purposes and it certainly enhances by hobby of collecting and attempting to raise. As one reviewer points out, this is not a simple book of pretty plants. This is the real thing. There is absolutely a wealth of information here. I never travel area where cacti grow without it. The text is quite readable. There are indeed many, many wonderful color plates. It makes by hobby much more interesting and enjoyable. Recommend this one highly.

Simply the Best.......2004-10-28

Where do you start with a book of this magnitude? (well I had to borrow a review copy from an editor friend of mine, unfortunately he wanted it back). The author a Senior Research Botanist spent most of his lifetime amassing the information that forms this book and then sadly died only two weeks after publication. This is a book for the serious hobbyist. If you are looking for nice photographs of plants in pots, this is probably not the book for you. Having said that there are enough photographs in this book to satisfy even the most avid plant spotter (1016 colour plates.) "Is this plant an Acanthocalycium or an Echinopsis?" This book will give you the answer. In one form or another the book covers most of the Cactaceae family. It is certainly one of the first books to use the nomenclature of the IOS Consensus group. This is a big book 776 pages, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested" Francis Bacon 1561-1625. This book certainly falls into the latter category and it is a great shame that the author is not with us to take the acclaim he surely deserved, but what a legacy he has left. I would love to own this book and it will be one of the first things I order from Amazon after I've sorted everyone elses Christmas presents out.

Excellent reference for those avid in the hobby of cacti.......2004-08-31

This book is a comprehensive reference of cacti. It contains desciptions of most all the species within each genus. It also has a fairly a good section in the front of the book about the origins and botany of cacti. There are pictures for about half of the listings, though because this is more of reference books they are relatively small. Also very helpful, each listing has the previous or other accepted botanical names for each species.

Outstanding Reference Source!.......2003-12-19

Between 1919 and 1923, a landmark publication in four volumes, The Cactaceae, was published by the Carnegie Institution. It remains a landmark publication in the world's literature on cacti. Edward F. Anderson has produced a massive one volume encyclopedic work, which expands and extends the work of Carnegie Institution. This marvelous resource has been well worth waiting for as it is based on Anderson's forty-five years of research on cacti.

The unique attributes of cacti are discussed in five chapters. Cacti occur naturally and are native to what is called "The New World." Only one species of native cacti is found in tropical Africa. In all other countries of the world where cacti are present, their existence is owed to the early explorers who carried cacti back to Europe on their ships and to birds that dispersed cactus seeds throughout the world.

Cacti as food, both for humans and animals, is addressed along with the medicinal uses of cacti. Cacti have long been used for ceremonial and religious purposes by indigenous peoples of the New World and as a source of dyes, especially the beautiful red cochineal dye. A chapter on cacti cultivation has been contributed by Roger Brown. For those interested in growing cacti in their homes and gardens, Brown's advice on containers, potting and repotting, air circulation and ventilation, pests, pesticides, and propagation is a valuable bonus to this specialized encyclopedia.

Pages 105 through 681 contain over 1,000 stunning color photographs (many photographed by Anderson), which are overwhelming in their portrayal of both the beauty and the idiosyncratic nature of cacti. Examples of the photographic artistry found within these glossy pages range from close-up snapshots of cactus flowers and large photographs of intriguing oddities. It will be difficult for cacti enthusiasts to wean themselves from this prodigious book, which weighs almost ten pounds.

Book Description

Learn how to use the hottest new Java open source tools for eXtreme Programming
eXtreme Programming (XP) is a new development methodology for building software systems quickly without sacrificing quality. New Java open source tools have appeared recently that help with the most time-consuming and difficult part of the XP process-testing, integration, and deployment. Java Tools for eXtreme Programming is the first complete guide to using those tools for XP. Throughout the book, author Richard Hightower uses a sample application to demonstrate how each Java tool is used. For each tool, he provides a concise description of key concepts, plenty of code examples, and directions for setting up scripts for automating the development step in which the tool is used. The book also features a detailed reference to each of the major tools, complete with coding examples.
* XP is the most popular new development methodology
* A practical, code-intensive guide to the tools that enterprise Java developers need when using the XP methodology to build applications
Companion Web site features sample code, XP software tool updates, and links to useful XP sites.

Download Description

What is this book about?

Professional Java Tools for Extreme Programming is a practical, code-intensive guide to the tools that Enterprise Java developers need when using Extreme Programming (XP) methods. It covers the key tools used to automate the most complex parts of the XP process: application integration, testing, and deployment.

What does this book cover?

The book covers major new releases of Ant, JUnit, and Cactus, plus important new tools, inlcuding XDoclet, Maven, Anthill, and Eclipse.

The book begins with a brief introduction to XP methods. It then jumps right into the tools, providing a brief overview of the uses and features of each tool. Next come tutorials showing best practices for using the tools — the authors show how each tool is used to develop and test the same sample application, based on Sun's well-known Pet Store example. For each tool, the author provides lots of code examples and directions for setting up scripts for automating that development step.

Customer Reviews:

Almost useless now.......2007-05-21

A majority of the content are out of date now. A typical example is the chapter for Maven that is almost useless. Instead of reading this book, I'd rather go Google.

Don't buy this book !!.......2006-04-18

I am an experienced Java developer and new to the J2EE field.
I bought this book to learn how to use the open-source tools with the XP attitude. Mostly for the XDoclet and JUnit.
Well, the examples are not so bad.
There are SO MANY ERRORS *in the code itself*. It happens, I know.
So I entered the web site to check for more information. Nothing !!
No errata and the book's forum is not active AT ALL.
I downloaded the source code for the examples. Half of the book's examples is not there. The web site (and the forum) won't mention anything about it.
The other half is filled with errors.

This is not a professional book !
I did learn something from it. A little bit XDoclet and which tools I should learn and know. But that's all.

WROX publication lost a customer. I won't buy any books they publish.

Don't waste your time.......2004-10-13

I bought this book hoping for a quick jumpstart to getting a simple xdoclet/struts app up and running.

The example code from the "Building Struts Apps with Ant and XDoclet" is so bad, it's a disgrace. I spent more time figuring out why their code wasn't even close to working, than I would have if I had just skipped their book altogether. It couldn't work, it never worked, and it shouldn't have been published.

Nice Surprise.......2004-09-29

I ordered this book based on the title and the preview content here on Amazon (I couldn't find it at the B&N near my work). I was very pleasantly surprised at the practical, nuts-and-bolts approach that the authors took to XP and the tools in this book. I was also extremely pleased at how well the authors showed the integration of these tools into a sophisticated and professional development environment. This is not easy, especially when working with a wide range of tools which includes
* CVS
* Ant
* XDoclet
* JUnit
* JUnitPerf
* Bugzilla
* JMeter
* Cactus
* jcoverage
* Swing testing tools like Jemmy
* Maven
* Anthill

And even though all these tools are O.S., some projects are very territorial (eg they consider other tools to be the competition) so just reading the docs will not always help you choose the right tool for the right job or learn how to use the tools together.

The code I downloaded from the Wrox site was a little rough (some missing files), but the version I downloaded last week was *much* better and has solved all the earlier problems I was having. I'm glad the authors were responsive and willing to release fixes. Great stuff!

a solid start for beginners.......2004-06-07

Seriously, I can't find any other book right now that lays Maven out in such an easy to approach way. All the material online is reference based entirely and my fingers are practically bleeding from digging through google every five seconds. If you've never setup Maven before, buy this book while you still have your hair.

Average customer rating:

Informative and helpful
Necessary for the New Collector
CACTI: THE ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY
in a few words
Family Album, but who is missing

Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary
Rod Preston-Mafham , and Ken Preston-Mafham
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0881924008

Book Description

This dictionary concentrates on the globular cacti, particularly Mammillaria, but includes some popular columnar cactus forms such as Echinocereus.

Customer Reviews:

Informative and helpful.......2007-05-23

I have really enjoyed looking at all the different plants in this book. It has helped me identify plants I already owned as well as add to my wish list of exotic plants I want to add to my collection.

Necessary for the New Collector.......2007-01-31

People that have an extensive collection of cacti reference material either don't need this book or, likely, already have it! I use this book in conjuction with other reference books to help me identify the many different species. I would recommend it to anyone.

CACTI: THE ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY.......2005-09-25

SUPERB COMPACT REVIEW OF A VERY BROAD SPECTRUM OF CACTI TO HELP ANY SERIOUS AFFICIONADO OF THESE CRITTERS. ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED, GOOD PICTURES OF EACH BASIC GROUP WITH CLEAR CONCISE DESCRIPTIONS. I WOULD SAY THIS IS A MUST IN THE LIBRARY OF ANY CACTUS LOVER.

in a few words.......2005-08-25

Very beautiful book, with as much colorfull pictures as you wish. The title should be "dictionary of globular cacti", because only such species are presented.

Family Album, but who is missing.......2004-10-28

It is very difficult to find fault in a book that is so comprehensive in what it sets out to achieve, and I have no wish to do so. However I would like to point out to potential purchasers, if your interest lies in columnar cacti (Cereus, Cleistocactus, Pilosocereus, I know I could go on forever), or anthing from the Opuntia genus, you will be disappointed because they are not included in the book. Of course many other species are not included but this would be virtually impossible to achieve. There is a very good selection of species for all of the more popular genera, many in flower, which obviously aids in the identification process. As a plant identifier this book would be very difficult to beat. Plant care is virtually non existent, but this is not what the book is about. Under most photographs you will get details of the distribution of the plant; flower colour; spination and some of the different synonyms the plant may be labelled under. if you have any serious interest in Cacti you need this book.

Java Enterprise in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))

Average customer rating:

Disappointing
Very good
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Java developers will want this as an essential desk reference
Great reference for an immense topic

Java Enterprise in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))
Jim Farley , William Crawford , Prakash Malani , John Norman , and Justin Gehtland
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596101422

Amazon.com

Java Enterprise in a Nutshell gives advanced Java developers a one-stop resource for programming with the disparate APIs required for today's enterprise development, including JDBC, RMI, servlets, and EJBs. Beginning with JDBC database programming, the book gives a chapter-by-chapter tour of various enterprise development APIs, including program strategies for each API. For JDBC, the book includes new Java 2 JDBC enhancements like batch and recordsets.

Next comes Java's Remote Method Invocation (RMI) classes for calling remote code. Then it's on to using Java IDL and CORBA basics. A chapter on Java servlets will get you started delivering dynamically generated HTML using Java on Web servers, including useful material on cookies and session management. After coverage of the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) comes a solid exploration of EJBs with material on both session and entity beans. Specifics here include home and remote interfaces, EJB containers, stateless vs. stateful session beans, and entity beans for accessing corporate databases.

Overall, this handy and readable guide to the latest in Java APIs can be truly invaluable to the developer bringing Java to the corporate enterprise for the first time. --Richard Dragan

Book Description

Nothing is as constant as change, and this is as true in enterprise computing as anywhere else. With the recent release of Java 2 Enterprise Edition 1.4, developers are being called on to add even greater, more complex levels of interconnectivity to their applications.

To do this, Java developers today need a clear understanding of how to apply the new APIs, use the latest open source Java tools, and learn the capabilities and pitfalls in Java 2 Enterprise Edition 1.4 -- so they can plan a technology and implementation strategy for new enterprise projects.

Fortunately, this is exactly what they get with the new Java Enterprise in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition. Because most integrated development environments (IDE) today include API lookup, we took out the main API sections from our previous edition to make room for new chapters, among others, on Ant, Cactus, Hibernate, Jakarta Struts, JUnit, security, XDoclet, and XML/JAXP.

Revised and updated for the new 1.4 version of Sun Microsystems Java Enterprise Edition software, Java Enterprise in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition is a practical guide for enterprise Java developers.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2007-10-05

Warning to all buyers, the 3rd edition of this book does not include the J2EE library reference. While I realize this information is available online, having a printed form of library references is the primary reason I buy the "in a nutshell" series. Included in this book is a very general overview of various enterprise technologies, which unlike the very useful language reference include in other "in a nutshell" books, seems too broad and shallow to be useful. Any developer serious about working in JSP, for example, would be better served buying a book on JSP. Admittedly I just received this book so I can provide a cursory commentary on the usefulness of the material, but the lack of library details alone would have made me not purchase it if I was browsing in a store.

Very good.......2007-03-15

I'm very happy, i have got "java in a nutshell" too and I was very satisfied of my purchase, the book is simple and written very well, a "must" for a Java programmer.

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!.......2006-08-06

Do you have all of the tools you need to build enterprise-class applications? If you don't, then this book is for you! Authors Jim Farley, William Crawford, Prakash Malani, Justin Gehtland and John G Norman, have done an outstanding job of writing the third edition of a book that provides a pragmatic introduction to the latest release of Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE).

Farley, Crawford, Malani, Gehtland and Norman, begin by presenting the general model that J2EE supports for assembling components and resources into full services or applications and how they are deployed to their runtime environments. Then, the authors demonstrate the basic techniques that are used to write servlets using the Sevlet API, including some common web development tasks such as cookie manipulation and session tracking. Next, they look at JSP from a Java programmer's perspective as opposed to that of a web site designer. The authors then provide a whirlwind introduction to programming with JavaServer Faces. They continue by providing a basic introduction to Enterprise JavaBeans. Then, the authors take a quick look at Sun's Java API for XML Processing (JAXP) Version 1.2, which provides a standardized approach to processing XML files in Java. Next, they focus on the JDBC 3.0 API, which includes a modest yet variable set of new features. The authors then provide an overview of transport and application security as well as defining the important concepts of authentication and authorization. They continue by focusing on developing, deploying, and using web services in your enterprise applications. They also examine the Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) API--Java's native scheme for creating and using remote objects. Then, the authors look at an overview of the CORBA architecture and how it allows you to create, export, access, and manage remote objects. Finally, they give a brief overview of transaction terminology, including ACID properties and transaction isolation levels as well as the concepts of local and distributed transactions.

This most excellent book provides concise, fast paced tutorials on a broad range of enterprise Java tools and APIs. More importantly, this book is both a practical guide and quick reference for Java programmers who are writing enterprise applications.

Java developers will want this as an essential desk reference.......2006-05-02

Jim Farley and William Crawford's Java Enterprise In A Nutshell: A Practical Guide packs in tutorials on a number of enterprise Java tools, offering new material covering Xdoclet and Java 5.0 Annotations, JavaServer Faces, and the Hibernate API. Also included are open source testing and build tools, tips on writing SOAP-based web services, J2EE security issues and operations, and much more. Serious Java developers will want this as an essential desk reference.

Great reference for an immense topic.......2006-02-16

Java Enterprise in a Nutshell tries to do the impossible - fit Enterprise Java into a nutshell. I don't think it matters how big of a nutshell you have, it would be a truly impossible task. Farley and Crawford, though, do a nice job shoe-horning as much Enterprise Java as they can into an 800+ page book. They go over many topics including all the J2EE standards like EJBs and JSPs to open source tools like JUnit, Cactus, and Hibernate. The book goes into enough detail to get more than just the gist of the subjects, but not so much detail to overwhelm someone looking for information on a particular topic. The book also has relevant code sections for the various topics outlining how that technology might be used. Overall, a compact, clear, well written reference.

Average customer rating:

Baxter Black Review 3
Get some time alone, buy this for your spouse!
A Will Rogers For Our Time
The Non Political view of America
Funny with a capital "F"!

Cactus Tracks and Cowboy Philosophy
Baxter F. Black
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0140276831

Amazon.com

Baxter Black, a veterinarian turned writer/troubadour/raconteur and periodic commentator on National Public Radio, has produced a collection of his best anecdotes, songs, poems, and wisdom from the range. "My world is one in which people have lots of wrecks," he reports in Cactus Tracks. "Cow wrecks; horse wrecks; financial wrecks; flood, fire, and drought wrecks. Laughing at our 'wrecks' seems to make the tribulations of our lifestyle easier to handle." Here is the complete collection of his commentaries from NPR's Morning Edition. With subjects ranging from naked wrangling to life lessons ("When our opinions get as immovable as a granite outhouse, God has a way of shaking the foundation"), Baxter drops his reader-listener right into the prickly heart of things.

Book Description

Described by The Washington Post as being able "to make a dead man sit up and laugh," Baxter Black--veterinarian/doctor turned poet/columnist/raconteur--has been making living people laugh with his novel (Hey Cowboy, Wanna Get Lucky?), syndicated columns, appearances on The Tonight Show, and regular pieces on National Public Radio. Now this complete illustrated collection of the commentaries that have aired on NPR's Morning Edition presents Black's latest dose of medicine for animal and human alike. Ranging from a riotous account of two cowboys chasing down a cow in the nude to a very touching piece about a rancher who loses his wife to cancer and finds out the true worth of his friends and neighbors, Cactus Tracks & Cowboy Philosophy brings together Black's best-known and most adored work.

Customer Reviews:

Baxter Black Review 3.......2007-07-12

My son in-law LOVES this book. It was a gift to him from myself and my husband. He can't get enough of this author and absolutely LOVES these books.

Get some time alone, buy this for your spouse!.......2001-07-14

My husband can't put this book down! Baxter Black's clean and side-splitting "talk" is entertaining for all audiences. My mother, my husband, and my best friend have all loved this book.

A Will Rogers For Our Time.......2000-03-12

A few years ago I awoke to National Public Radio's Morning Edition and to the voice of some easy going, homespun cowboy reading a poem that had me in stitches by the third verse. As I read "Cactus Trails..." I could hear Black's easy voice utter each word. While his departure from veterinary medicine is a loss to that community, it is a clear gain for easy going, common sense, sanity seeking people caught in the cross hairs of our cell phone, pager, eEVERYTHING society. Thanks to Baxter Black's commentary and writings we have an excuse to slow down a bit each day and get in touch with the basics. Will Rogers would love this guy!

The Non Political view of America.......1999-03-05

Back to basics, the way life IS in America, without all of the Political poles, lies, and propiganda as spread by the media. should be classed as "Must Read"

Funny with a capital "F"!.......1998-11-01

Baxter has done it again. He manages to mix humor with social commentary, kind'a makes you think and belly laugh at the same time. Some of this book is politically incorrect--well, good for it! this country takes itself far too seriously, and it needs a good makin'-fun-of, and Baxter is the man for the job. You don't have to be a buckaroo or farmer, or vet to "get" these poems and short stories. It helps to be human, and not one encased in a shell of narrow-minded political correctness! One story in particular, about the frozen septic tank lid, had me laughing so hard I thought I was going to have a conniption. Moments of side-splitting laughter are intertwined with real stories of real people that are touchingly poignant. Bax hits the mark here. Great job!

Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine: Treatments for Diabetes, Cholesterol, and the Immune System

Average customer rating:

cactus medicine
A unique and invaluable contribution

Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine: Treatments for Diabetes, Cholesterol, and the Immune System
Ran Knishinsky
Manufacturer: Inner Traditions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0892811498
Release Date: 2004-06-07

Book Description

The first complete guide to natural healing properties and uses of the prickly pear cactus

â€¢ Examines the scientific research promoting the cactus as a natural diabetes and cholesterol medication as well as its use in the treatment of obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, skin ailments, and viral infections

â€¢ Explores the healing uses of prickly pears from the perspective of doctor, chemist, ethnobotanist, cook, and layman

â€¢ Includes 24 cactus recipes--from Prickly Pear Bread to Cactus Candy

The prickly pear cactus--a plant that has the distinction of being a vegetable, fruit, and flower all in one--is destined to be the next big herbal superstar, following in the footsteps of St. Johnâ€™s wort and Echinacea, according to author Ran Knishinsky. One of the driving forces behind its popularity is that each part of this plant functions as both food and medicine. It has been a staple in the diets of the people of the southwestern portion of the United States, the Middle East, parts of Europe and Africa, and Central and South America for hundreds of years.

Traditionally, the prickly pear cactus has been used as a panacea for over 100 different ailments. More recently, it has been the subject of blood cholesterol research trials sponsored by the American Heart Association. In addition to the results of this research, Knishinsky includes scientific studies on the antiviral properties of the cactus to treat herpes, influenza, and HIV, as well as its use in treating obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, and skin ailments. A resource section details the natural food companies that supply prickly pear cactus and a chapter of recipes offers 24 traditional and modern dishes using the pads and fruit of the cactus.

Customer Reviews:

cactus medicine.......2005-09-19

This book is an absolute "must have" for anyone interested in natural medicines. It is comprehensive and the studies have been presented in a fair, unbiased way. I believe anyone who reads this book and carefully reviews each study will one day have the opportunity to save lives with this information. I am Native American, we have used this medicine forever, it works.

A unique and invaluable contribution .......2005-03-05

The pricky pear cactus may become a herbal superstar if Ran Kniskinsky, a professional health researcher, has anything to say about it: his Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine: Treatments For Diabetes, Cholesterol, And The Immune System points out this plant has long been a stable in diets and has been used as a remedy for many common ailments for a long time. Chapters document its use in the treatment of diabetes, its importance in treating obesity, and its applications as an immune system enhancer. Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine is a unique and invaluable contribution to alternative medicine reference collections.

Average customer rating:

LOVE IT!!!
Juneau 2nd grader
Science that trips off the tongue.
Superb and Engaging Book
Excellent for young and old alike

Cactus Hotel (An Owlet Book)
Brenda Z. Guiberson
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0805029605

Book Description

It is another hot day in the desert. Birds and other animals scurry about looking for food. When they get tired, they stop to rest at a giant cactus. It is their hotel in the desert!Parents' Choice AwardIRA-CBC Teachers' ChoiceAn NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade BookAn NCTE Notable Trade Book in the Language Arts

Customer Reviews:

LOVE IT!!!.......2007-09-14

Beautifully written. Beautifully illustrated. This is a wonderful story and the kids (ages 7 and 3) were enthralled. It is a science book that reads like the best kind of picture book. We learned so many things from this and had fun doing it. Very highly recommended.

Juneau 2nd grader.......2007-03-23

If you like to read about different kinds of homes and what lives in them, you would like this book. It is about a cactus that lives for 150 years! In that time about 38 animals make holes and move in. After 150 years it falls over and 10 to 20 more animals move in. This is a great book.

Science that trips off the tongue........2005-12-08

A fascinating book about the Saguaro cactus that reads like poetry. Highly recommended. Warning: you will want to take a trip to Arizona.

Superb and Engaging Book.......2005-10-23

Even though it deals with intricate details of the life of a cactus, it has become my almost 3 year old's favorite book. The visual details are very engaging, and our little one loves to point out each of the animals, and "tap tap tap" along with the woodpecker. This book is delightful, and you will learn as much as your child will, as you read it.

Excellent for young and old alike.......2005-09-21

Excellent book for young and old alike. As an adult new to the desert, it gave me a good, quick understanding of the 'circle of life' of the Saguaro and the critters involved with it. It is nicely laid out, simple to read, and even speaks of spiders and other sometimes scary beings in a non-threatening manner. Really quite a good book. I even sent a copy to my good friend's 6 and 9 year olds and they, along with their folks, really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it.

Average customer rating:

All around great book!
Great technology how-to, but not a cookbook
More about the tools you need for Extreme Programming...
Immediately Useful
Great book if you remember to use it

Java Extreme Programming Cookbook
Eric M. Burke , and Brian M. Coyner
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Java | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

General | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books
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ASIN: 0596003870

Book Description

Extreme Programming does not mean programming naked while rollerblading down the side of the Grand Canyon. It does mean a new approach to software development that is both radical and common-sense. Unlike many software development methodologies, XP has been accepted quickly because its core practices--particularly code sharing, test-first development, and continuous integration--resonated immediately with software developers everywhere. Instead of impressing developers with a body of theory, XP got programmers to say, "Yeah, that's how I'd like to work." Oddly enough, although most developers turn to Extreme Programming methods in order to code real, hands-on, and extensible projects quickly ("Code comes first"), most books on Extreme Programming insist on focusing on the theory and not the practice. Not the Java Extreme Programming Cookbook. Brimming with over 100 "recipes" for getting down to business and actually doing XP, the Java Extreme Programming Cookbook doesn't try to "sell" you on XP; it succinctly documents the most important features of popular open source tools for XP in Java--including Ant, Junit, HttpUnit, Cactus, Tomcat, XDoclet--and then digs right in, providing recipes for implementing the tools in real-world environments. Each recipe offers solutions that help you put an extreme programming environment together: then provides code for automating the build process and testing. Although the time saved using any one of these solutions will more than pay for the book, Java Extreme Programming Cookbook offers more than just a collection of cut-and-paste code. Each recipe also includes explanations of how and why the approach works, so you can adapt the techniques to similar situations. One of the biggest challenges facing developers today is sorting through the wide variety of tools available form various source and figuring out how to them effectively. The recipes in Java Extreme Programming Cookbook showcase how to use the most important features of these XP tools. Many of these tools are geared towards unit testing, while others are invaluable for continuous integration; with these practical examples, you'll be able to choose the most effective tools to accomplish your goals, then implement them in a cohesive development environment quickly. If you want to set up a test-driven development environment that allows you to focus on writing testable code--now--this book will prove invaluable.

Customer Reviews:

All around great book!.......2005-08-27

I'll keep this short, since I don't think I can say anything not already said. But I just felt like sharing that I loved this book.

Great technology how-to, but not a cookbook.......2004-02-27

This is an interesting work because while it does have the cookbook format it isn't really a cookbook. The book starts with an introduction to the XP methodology (which is concise and great), and then has chapters on a number of tools (Ant, JUnit, HTTPUnit, XDoclet, Tomcat, etc.). Each of these technology chapters has a number of 'recipes' which are in fact how-to segments about commonly used tasks around these technologies. Now these sections are great and I think anyone looking at these technologies should consider this book a quick and concise way to learn the fundamentals.

That being said the book fails somewhat, and thus the four stars, because it isn't organized in the problem/solution manner of the cookbooks. Most of the chapters are about testing but these are organized around the tool and not the problem. I would have preferred a section on web development that combined information on Tomcat and Ant, and one on web testing that talked about HTTPUnit, JUnit and Ant. In that way the book addresses problem areas without relying on the reader to understand the tool that would address his problem in addition to understanding his problem at hand.

My gripe is not so critical. The content in the book still remains very valuable and if you are looking for a concise how-to in these Java technologies you should have a look at this book.

More about the tools you need for Extreme Programming..........2004-01-08

If you are starting out in the Extreme Programming (XP) methodology, you will quickly learn the importance of running continual builds and unit tests of your code. And if that process isn't easy and automated, realistically it won't get done. Fortunately, there are a number of open source tools out there that are commonly used to take care of this. The Java Extreme Programming Cookbook will help you understand what those tools are, how they are used, and how to solve some of your common problems with those tools.

This isn't a tutorial on XP. Instead, it concentrates on the tools you need to make XP work for you and become part of your normal development process. In some ways, a more accurate title for this book would be the Java Extreme Programming Tools Cookbook. The format provides a nice basic introduction to each tool, where you can download it from (as well as where to find the complete documentation), and then a number of problem/solution scenarios from basic install to more complex automation tools.

For instance, let's take one of the tools; JUnit. JUnit is a tool that does unit testing on your code. You define a test class as well as test cases that should either pass or fail. Once you have your test class and test cases set up, you can quickly test your code after making changes to make sure that all the results are still accurate. In XP methodology, you actually write your test cases first, and then write the code to make them pass. In that way, your testing drives your coding. This book will give you the overall information on what JUnit is, how to install it, and how to run it. You then run into a number of situations, such as running tests concurrently, repeating tests, testing naming conventions, and organizing tests into test suites. Using the problem/solution layout of the Cookbook series, it's very easy to get the base information you need to stay productive.

If you are brand new to XP or the tool set, you might be a little lost since it's not a "step-by-step" how-to of each tool. It assumes you either have a small amount of working knowledge, or that you'll supplement your knowledge with the tool's documentation. Still, you can't look up what you don't know, and this book made me aware of some tools I didn't know existed. An experienced user of these tools might also gain a few tricks that they didn't know about, and it might be worth it for those tricks alone.

For Websphere developers, you might find that a couple of these tools aren't necessary. For instance, Websphere Studio does your build for you, so Ant isn't as critical as it would be if you were running a J2EE server such as Tomcat. Also, JUnit integrates directly into Websphere Studio, so it's very easy to run that tool in your environment. Even so, having this book will help you expand your horizons.

Conclusion
If you are a Java developer using the XP methodology, get this book to learn the tools you need to make your build and testing process flow correctly. Even if you don't practice XP, the automated build and testing tools will help you to write better code.

Immediately Useful.......2003-11-29

I found this book immediately useful. I say immediately because the recipes presented in this book are succinct and to the point. It has already helped me in several consulting assignments.

You don't have to be a die hard believer in all aspects of XP to find this book useful either. If you're a Java developer and you believe in unit testing, this book is worthwhile. It will help you sort through the various tools out there and find the best one for your situation. It will also give you clear explanations and examples of good techniques.

Great book if you remember to use it.......2003-10-23

This book covers a very similar selection of tools and techniques to "Java Tools for Extreme Programming" by Hightower and Lesiecki, and in a broadly similar way. Both use the currently fashionable idea of Extreme Programming (XP) to attract readers to a collection of short pieces about a bunch of useful tools for Java programming.

The XP stuff is covered quickly at the start, the meat of the book is in the "recipes", which walk you through configuring and using tools such as Ant, JUnit, Cactus etc. to build, unit-test and manage the development of a Java project.

The tools and tips the authors have chosen to include are a good representation of current practice, but I have a few reservations about the organization and structure of the book. My biggest worry is whether the target reader is actually likely to find many solutions. The authors seem to assume that everyone will pore over the several pages of "contents" at the front of the book every time they hit an obstacle, but in my experience they are just as likely to flip through pages or head for the index at the back, neither of which works particularly well. Worse than that, they may never think to look in the book in the first place - the "Extreme Programming" in the title may help it sell, but it's not something that jumps to mind when you are struggling to get Ant to deploy a web application to Tomcat.

That said, I'm glad I've got it, and some of the recipes now have little sticky notes to try and remind me that it's often an unexpectedly good place to look for Java development tips.

Average customer rating:

care for your cacti/succulents with a base of knowledge

GREAT ADDITION TO MY LIBRARY

Not Complete but still Very Good

Not the "Complete" Book without Yuccas!

Excellent reference, not just for beginners

Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents
Terry Hewitt
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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The Complete Guide to Growing Cacti & Succulents

ASIN: 0789416573

Book Description

The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents features the history, cultivation, and imaginative use of more than 300 plants -- in step-by-step color stages. This is a feast of in-depth information and eye-catching photography. DK's new line of paperback titles combines all the qualities of its hardcovers with the advantages of the soft cover format. Each of these already popular books will now be available to a large new readership who will delight in the essential elements of every DK title: clarity, educational value, and visual appeal.

Customer Reviews:

care for your cacti/succulents with a base of knowledge.......2007-07-23

I've read this book from cover to cover a number of times, always exposing more useful information. Particularly of interest are the many excellent photographs, which help us longtime cactus fans who've bought various cacti through the years without knowing what we've bought, or purchasing packets of mixed seeds, stand a chance of identifying these plants. Even in the photos that suggest planting possibilities, the plants are identified. Perhaps the most useful suggestion is the purchase of an inexpensive moisture meter (I picked one up at a ubiquitous discount chain for less than $5 that is a marvel of invention), which showed me that my watering habits needed rethinking. The book is printed on heavy stock, loaded with luscious photographs and details concerning the needs of any particular group of cacti/succulents - yes, there are omissions - the book covers; also there are planting tips, information on growing medium, fertilizing, etc.. Overall, this is a very worthwhile and valuable book for the cactii/succulent enthusiast.

GREAT ADDITION TO MY LIBRARY.......2006-09-24

I've been collecting these wonderful plants for a number of years now and am constantly adding not only plants to my collection, but books. I am glad I added this one! No one book can completely cover every aspect of cacti lore and this one certainly does not, But, this work, added with several others, help to round my research library out. Each new addition, i.e. books, helps and this was certainly a good addition. The text is well done as the author is abviously very knowledgeable and I did like the photographs. I did agree with another reviewer in that the shots from the top of the plant, looking down are indeed pleasing to the eye, but they fail, in some cases, to give a true picture of the plant. I photograph plants and find it is helpful to get side views of different subjects. That is not big deal though. This is a helpful book and I do recommend it highly.

Not Complete but still Very Good.......2004-10-27

The book is very well produced and the photography is very good. The author is well known and respected in Cacti circles and the book reflects his knowledge and status. The first section relates to the history and discovery of cacti and shows some amazing photographs of cacti in their habitat. It goes on to show how best to display your cacti in suitable containers and then a chapter on the differing shapes of the plants and their flowers The plant catalogue itself does not show too many of the different genera, but the popular ones are there and what it does do is show photographs of a number of species within a certain genera and this appeals to me. Too many books try to over-reach themselves and try to cram in as many genera as possible, showing a photograph of one species and very short descriptions of one or two other species. In this book the descriptions of each plant give the average height, flower colour etc. and also the min. temp. each plant will stand. The book shares space equally between true cacti and succulents and they are presented separately which makes the book layout clean and easily readable. At the end of the book are several pages on plant selection in sections, i.e. Plants for beginners; Plants for the Greenhouse; Free Flowering plants etc. This is another plus. One criticism I have is that many of the plants are photographed from directly overhead, this may be aesthetically pleasing, but does not give a true reflection of the size and shape of the plant and is not really my cup of tea. But this is a small moan about what is otherwise an excellent book. At this price the book is a good buy and there is something for everyone interested in the care of these unusual plants. I am happy to have this book in my collection.

Not the "Complete" Book without Yuccas!.......2003-09-29

This is a georgeous book, but it doesn't mention Yuccas at all! There is very little on Agavaceae in general.
The outstanding photography makes it somewhat worthwhile. All of the plants are photographed on white seamless, so they really pop off the page.

Excellent reference, not just for beginners.......2003-02-14

If you had to limit yourself to just one book, this should be that book.

For novices, this book has excellent basic advice for getting started, including many pictures and of how to display and plant them. For those with more experience, the book is a handy first reference before searching a specialized botanical tome.

This book makes the specific point that (popular, commonly available) cacti are no more difficult to grow than any other house plant.

The book thoroughly covers the needs of these plants, including what kind of soil, how much water, what temperature and amount of light they prefer.

The largest section has all of the popular genera, including the tropical varieties. This section has excellent photography of the plants at their best. If a person had a cactus that's in this book, that person would very likely be able to identify it from the descriptions and pictures. The book usually describes the distinguishing feature that classifies the plants of that type.

Typical and maximum sizes are given, along with the plants' growth habits and the age at which they first flower (some varieties do not flower until they are many years old).

Also included in this section is the hardiness, or how cold the plants can get before they die. If you don't live where these plants naturally grow, this is very important information. For instance, many kinds of cactus grow where it snows in the winter and can be grown outdoors in most of the USA.

At least one of each of the different general forms of cactus is shown: columnar cacti, prickly-pear types, barrel types, etc.

Following the section on specific cacti is a fairly representative section on popular succulents. There are so very many different kinds of succulents in the world, even a book ten times thicker would barely scratch the surface. This book concentrates on those species which are most commonly planted alongside cactus.

The lists at the back of the book are almost worth the price of the book itself. There are lists that categorize cacti and succulents in every which way, including many species that were not pictured or discussed in the main sections. There are lists by how easy the plants are to grow ("easy", "moderate", "difficult"), lists by temperature range ("cool", "temperate", "hot"), and other useful groupings. These lists help make this book continually valuable, even as one's experience and knowledge grows beyond the basics.

This author (Terry Hewitt) has written other books on cacti and succulents. Those books are also excellent, and worth purchasing for the unique information that they contain, but mainly as supplements to this book.

There are also other excellent cactus books that are more complete, but also more technical - or more specialized (for instance, there is an entire reference work on just the "opuntia" (prickly-pear) species).

This book is perfectly written for the average amateur cactus lover.

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