Integrated Solid Waste Management

Book Description

A junior/senior-level introductory text aimed at civil and environmental engineers taking a basic introduction to Solid Waste Management. The text includes the latest 1990-1991 laws and regulations.

Customer Reviews:

The Authors And The Book.......2007-09-14

INTEGRATED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Engineering Principles and Management Issues

Authors;
GEORGE TCHOBANOGLOUS
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of California, Davis

George Tchobanoglous is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California at Davis.
He received a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of the Pacific, and M.S. in sanitary engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Stanford University.
His principal research interests are in the areas of solid waste menagement, wastewater treatment, wastewater filtration, aquatic systems for wastewater treatment, and individual on-site treatment systems.
He has authored or coauthored over 200 technical publications and 10 textbooks.
He is the principal author of the predecessor of this textbook. Unless otherwise noted, all of the photographs in this textbook were taken, developed, and printed by him.
Professor Techobanoglous serves nationally and internationally as a consultant to both governmental agencies and private concerns. An active member of numerous professional societies, he is past president of the Association of Environmental Engineering Professors.
He has served as a member of the California Waste Management Board.
He is a registered civil engineer in California and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.

HILARY THEISEN
Vice President
Brown & Caldwell, Consulting Engineers

Hilary Theisen is Vice President and Director of the solid waste and resource recovery program at Brown and Caldwell Consultants.
He received a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the University of Santa Clara.
His broad solid waste management experience started as a consultant in 1966.
In the mid 1970s he directed solid waste operations in Sacramento County, CAlifornia, which provided collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services in a community of 380,000 people.
At Brown and Caldwell Consultants, he oversees the production of studies, designs, and reports for public agencies and private industry.
He has provided consulting services throughout the United States, Argentina, Taiwain, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.
He has authored numerous papers and articles on solid waste management and is the coauthor of the predecessor of this textbook, Solid Waste: Engineering Principles and Management Issues.
He is a registered professional engineer in California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

SAMUEL VIGIL
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, California

Samuel Vigil is a professor of civil and engironmental engineering at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
He received a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and M.S. in environmental engineering from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of California at Davis.
His principal research interests are in the areas of gasification of solid wastes, recycling technoloties, computer modeling of integrated waste management systems, and computer-aided engineering.
He has authored or coauthored 26 publications and holds a U.S. Patent in energy conversion.
Professor Vigil is active as a consultant to state and local governments and has also consulted internationally in Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
He is active in the Solid Waste Processing Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Air and Waste Management Association, and the American Public Works Association.
A Navy veteran, Professor Vigil is a Commander in the Naval Reserve Civil Engineer Corps.
He is a registered civil engineer in California and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.

The book is 978 pages with subject index.
Hardback.
This book was set in Times Roman by Publication Services.
The editors were B. J. Clark and John M. Morriss;
the production supervisor was Friederich W. Schulte.
The cover was designed by Nicholas Krenitsky.
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company was printer and binder.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Copyright 1993 by McGraw-Hill, Inc.
ISBN 0 07 063237 5.

[from the book]

Concise, informative and organized.......2000-06-05

The book covers almost all aspects of solid waste management with excellent presentation: regulations, waste characteristics, collection and transfer, landfill, recycling and recovery, thermal destruction, and chemical and biological transformations. Although it does not discuss all the design details of the disposal alternatives, it is one of the most comprehensive coverage in solid waste management. Strongly recommended.

Barrio Gangs: Street Life and Identity in Southern California (Mexican American Monograph)

Average customer rating:

compassionate and astute insights into "la vida loca"

Barrio Gangs: Street Life and Identity in Southern California (Mexican American Monograph)
James Diego Vigil
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Gangs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Rainbow of Gangs: Street Cultures in the Mega-City
Do or Die
8 Ball Chicks
East Side Stories: Gang Life in East LA
Islands in the Street: Gangs and American Urban Society

ASIN: 0292711190

Book Description

"This book is a major contribution to understanding Chicano gangs, and the multiple marginality framework will prove helpful in understanding other Chicano subcultures in very different contexts."

—American Anthropologist

Within the Mexican American barrios of Los Angeles, gang activity, including crime and violent acts, has grown and flourished. In the past, community leaders and law enforcement officials have approached the problem, not as something that needs to be understood, but only as something to be gotten rid of. Rejecting that approach, James D. Vigil asserts that only by understanding the complex factors that give birth and persistence to gangs can gang violence be ended.

Drawing on many years of experience in the barrios as a youth worker, high school teacher, and researcher, Vigil identifies the elements from which gangs spring: isolation from the dominant culture, poverty, family stress and crowded households, peer pressure, and the adolescent struggle for self-identity. Using interviews with actual gang members, he reveals how the gang often functions as parent, school, and law enforcement in the absence of other role models in the gang members' lives. And he accounts for the longevity of gangs, sometimes over decades, by showing how they offer barrio youth a sense of identity and belonging nowhere else available.

Customer Reviews:

compassionate and astute insights into "la vida loca".......2000-03-27

Barrio Gangs is an excellent exploration of the reasons young people gravitate toward street gangs, as well as an accurate, empathic view of the day-to-day reality these young people face. It has enhanced my understanding of the "at risk" children with whom I work, and I recommend it frequently to others in the field of counseling. It is scholarly, yet reflects the author's clear committment to the need to understand these youngsters. A fine source for all those interested in the culture of streetgangs. (I believe that many of the insights the author shares with regard to Latino streetgangs are also applicable to streetgangs of different ethnicities.)

A Rainbow of Gangs: Street Cultures in the Mega-City

Average customer rating:

A Rainbow of Gangs: Street Cultures in the Mega-City
Diego Vigil
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Gangs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Barrio Gangs: Street Life and Identity in Southern California (Mexican American Monograph)
The American Street Gang: Its Nature, Prevalence, and Control (Studies in Crime and Public Policy)
Street Gang Patterns and Policies (Studies in Crime and Public Policy)
Life in the Gang: Family, Friends, and Violence (Cambridge Studies in Criminology)
Raising Children in a Socially Toxic Environment

ASIN: 0292787499

Book Description

"This is an ambitious and significant project—to map the ethnic diversity and gang subcultures of a major metropolis.... The book will almost certainly find a large audience. It makes the gang experience accessible to college students [and others] who might easily dismiss these people as only objects of fear and beneath notice as struggling human beings. The life histories are vivid."

—Joan W. Moore, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

With nearly 1,000 gangs and 200,000 gang members, Los Angeles holds the dubious distinction of being the youth gang capital of the United States. The process of street socialization that leads to gang membership now cuts across all ethnic groups, as evidenced by the growing numbers of gangs among recent immigrants from Asia and Latin America.

This cross-cultural study of Los Angeles gangs identifies the social and economic factors that lead to gang membership and underscores their commonality across four ethnic groups—Chicano, African American, Vietnamese, and Salvadorian. James Diego Vigil begins at the community level, examining how destabilizing forces and marginalizing changes have disrupted the normal structures of parenting, schooling, and policing, thereby compelling many youths to grow up on the streets. He then turns to gang members' life stories to show how societal forces play out in individual lives. His findings provide a wealth of comparative data for scholars, policymakers, and law enforcement personnel seeking to respond to the complex problems associated with gangs.

Average customer rating:

Not up to par with the other Thoene series
My first experience with the Thoenes
Excellent, as usual
BOOKWORM
Historical Fiction at its best from a Christian perspective

Jerusalem Vigil
Bodie Thoene , and Brock Thoene
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Thunder from Jerusalem: A Novel of the Struggle for Jerusalem (Thoene, Bodie, Zion Legacy, Bk. 2.)
Jerusalem's Heart: A Novel of the Struggle for Jerusalem (The Zion Legacy, Book 3)
The Jerusalem Scrolls: A Novel of the Struggle for Jerusalem (The Zion Legacy, Book 4)
Jerusalem's Hope (The Zion Legacy, Book VI)
Stones of Jerusalem: A Novel of the Struggle for Jerusalem (Thoene, Bodie, Zion Legacy, Bk. 5.)

ASIN: 0140298568
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Amazon.com

Jerusalem Vigil is the first novel in a planned Zion Legacy series that will chronicle three millennia of Jerusalem's history. Authors Bodie and Brock Thoene, whose Zion Chronicles and Zion Covenant Series have sold more than 6 million copies, write with the suspenseful flair of Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, and convey the historical knowledge of authors like James Michener and Herman Wouk. Jerusalem Vigil unfolds over a period of five days during the British withdrawal from Jerusalem in 1948. Its Jewish, Christian, and Arab characters (including Holocaust survivors, British military officials, and Arab insurgents) find themselves drawn into a mysterious and violent tangle of events that can only be understood in reference to ancient prophesies, particularly those of the book of Isaiah. The historical detail of this book is impressively deep, and its use of Scripture is always clever and surprising.

Book Description

Bodie and Brock Thoene's superb storytelling comes alive in Jerusalem Vigil, a novel of the struggle for Jerusalem. It is May 14, 1948, in the world's holiest city: today the new State of Israel will be proclaimed and British troops will hand over the key to Zion Gate leaving behind hostile Jewish and Muslim forces poised for battle. Caught up in this historic moment are Moshe Sachar, an archaeology professor who is also a strategist; his pregnant wife, Rachel, who flees Tel Aviv for Jerusalem via a perilous route through the Christian Quarter; and Daoud and Gawan, two orphaned Arab boys who find a father with an unlikely surname. In this engrossing page-turner, the Thoenes combine historical authenticity, unforgettable characters, and gripping drama to create a saga about a fascinating period in world history.

Customer Reviews:

Not up to par with the other Thoene series.......2007-07-30

I was a HUGE fan of the Zion Covenant and Zion Chronicles series by the Thoenes, however after reading the first in this series, I am underwhelmed. This book has little of the suspense that so attracted me to the other series. It is also a painfully long read for it to only take place over 5 days. It is basically the long, drawn out saga of one small fight in Jerusalem after the British left. There simply isn't enough real content in this book. You could take out 75% of it and still get the gist.

My first experience with the Thoenes.......2007-07-03

This was a book that at first reading I kinda felt like it was going on and on and on... but then I realized that I was already half way through the book in a really short period of time. It is definitely not a book for those who are sensitive about war. But I do believe that it is a book for Christian, Jew, and Muslim alike. It shows the good and the bad in all. It's a good read and as an introduction to the Thoene's way of writing, a pull to read other novels as well.

Excellent, as usual.......2007-06-21

I honestly didn't remember the characters, though I think I'm pretty sure I've read the other series. Still, the Thoenes pull off another exciting story. Part of my complaint about a lot of Christian books is that nothing happens. Not so with this book. From the first chapter to the last, Israel's experiencing some serious problems as an infant nation. There's appropriately placed humor and detailed descriptions pretty much everywhere. If you're not a Thoene fan, you might be after this one. (though reading the other series first might be good:-)

BOOKWORM.......2006-11-10

THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK IN A TRILOGY. YOU WILL WANT ALL THREE. THE CHARACTERS ARE PEOPLE YOU WILL LOVE. YOU WILL LAUGH AND CRY WITH THEM. THE RESERCH FOR THIS BOOK IS THE GREATEST, YOU WILL LOVE THE HISTORY OF JERUSELEM. THE BOOKS WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH THE TRIALS OF THE BIRTH OF NATION OF ISAREL. READ THIS BOOK AND YOU WILL BE ORDERING THE OTHER TWO BEFORE YOU READ A THIRD OF IT!!!!
EMILY SIMPSON

Historical Fiction at its best from a Christian perspective.......2006-03-10

This is the first book in the Zion Legacy Series by Bodie and Brock Thoene. The first series dealt with events in Europe from 1938 until the beginning of World War II (ending with the Battle of Dunkirk). Then they jumped to two series (The Zion Chronicles Series and the Zion Covenant Series) dealing with the events leading up to the rebirth of the nation of Israel. This book, the first in this series deals with the events in and around Jerusalem starting on Friday, May 14 1948 and ends on Tuesday, May 18 1948. Such a short period of time but filled with so much history and action. The history is quite accurate, but the riveting development of the fictional characters make it difficult to separate history from fiction, and that is the wonderful result of this book and this series.

My wife and I started with their first series, The Zion Chronicles, and could not stop until we finished this series. The interesting characters, the non-stop action, the intrigue, the interaction with historical figures and events all make this a book and this a series I heartily recommend.

Please note that these books are written from a Christian-Jewish perspective. Having said that, if you are neither Christian not Jewish, I think you will gain an insight in how we look at the events surrounding the rebirth of the nation of Israel in the post WWII era.

...y no se lo tragó la tierra / ...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him

Average customer rating:

Lack of character
A interesting book
Struggle to Survive
Honest Coming of Age Stories.
A Review with a Claim

...y no se lo tragó la tierra / ...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him
Tomas Rivera , and Evangelina Vigil-Pinon
Manufacturer: Arte Publico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Latin American | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

So Far from God: A Novel
Under the Feet of Jesus
Pocho
Woman Hollering Creek: And Other Stories
Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza

ASIN: 155885083X

Book Description

Tomás Rivera's original Spanish-language novel plus a new translation into English by Evangelina Vigil-Piñón. ...y no se lo tragó la tierra won the first national award for Chicano literature in 1970 and has become the standard literary text for Hispanic literature classes throughout the country. It is now an award-winning, motion picture entitled And the Earth Did Not Swaloow Him.

Customer Reviews:

Lack of character.......2007-03-21

Although the book may be poetic and lyrically written, the superfluity of figurative language and abstract narration makes it difficult to extract the true meaning behind its short stories and anecdotes. The lack of definitive characters, names, and personalities make it difficult to tell exactly what is going on and completely renders character development obsolete. The book, although it addresses very real tensions on several factors, fails to drive home the significance of tribulations and common place yet serious issues that the migrant workers deal with because of it's occult language and stream of conscious stylistic writing. If you can read Spanish, the original is far more impactful than the translated version, but still leaves the reader in an unsatisfied state of confusion as to what actually happened. For those of you who do not care for stories without a story, this book is not for you.

A interesting book.......2005-12-13

1A - Laura C.

I really loved to read this book because it help me to understand the difficult times the mexican-americans passed through. While I read this book I identified myself with it. I think the writer of the book did a wonderful job because through this book he let people know how important the challenges in your life are. They help you to become better everyday and inspire other people not to give up. I really enjoyed this book.
"GOOD JOB"

Struggle to Survive.......2005-12-08

This book is about immigrants coming from Mexico to the U.S. and struggling to survive. This book has taught me many things about migrant families. One thing that I learned is that it is not easy to survive in a world were racism exist. One example of racism is that there is hard labor but the bosses rarely care about their workers health. In the first short story "the children can't wait," the boy is just too young and to thirsty to continue on working because he has been working in the fields all day. The sun is the worst enemy a person can have, since it can give you a sunstroke, which is caused by overexposure to sun and heat. The boss wanted the workers to keep on working no matter what. He then noticed that a boy kept on going for water and more water after each couple of minutes. The boss then decided to give the boy a big scare but his plan backfire and instead caused a big problem. I consider this to be one of the saddest short stories. This book includes other short stories about migrant families and their ways of life. For example, large families living in chickens coops, the things children have to give up in order to help their parents in the fields, and the amount of labor that work migrant families have to do for a pathetic low wage of $3.50 a day. Families also are never stable in one place because they have to keep on looking for work every time there is no more work where they are located at the moment. Therefore, I believe that it is not easy being a migrant worker. This book is worth anybody's time to read. I recommend this book to anybody that is interested in learning about some of the hard struggles that migrant families have to endure in order to survive.

Honest Coming of Age Stories........2005-05-17

I took a literature class this semester that focused largely on literature of the Mexican-American experience. "...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him" was one of my favorite books of the semester (though there were a couple that I thought were better), and it was probably my classmates' single favorite. There was certainly a large response from the students, and it was not without reason.

This book consists of several related stories. All of them are about the experience of the poor, migrant farmworker. There is such compassion and humanity in these people as they struggle to survive. The stories depict the cruelty of the life and particularly the way it is inflicted on people. There is also much about the community's ability to come together to help one another survive. Of course, there are also stories that depict the harsh pressure inflicted on relationships by the hardship of these peoples' lives. The stories usually come back to the single character, a young boy coming of age in this suffering community. His plight is particularly emphasized. He has to struggle to quell his hatred of those people who hold his fate in their hands, and he has to struggle with God. The community's faith in God offers them the only hope and meaning they have, but the boy questions a God who seems to be absent in his struggle.

Ultimately, Rivera's work is a compelling read. There are a lot of reasons to read the work. It tells an honest coming of age story, and it depicts the unique pressures of locating identity with such social hardship. There are also so many moving, provocative images in the stories. There is a lot of meaning to be found here.

I'm not a Spanish-speaker, and as such, I can't really vouch for the translation. I've heard a number of people complain about this translation, and I do doubt that it does the original full justice. It's still worth reading though. It seems that reading these stories in whatever form available is better than not reading the book at all.

A Review with a Claim.......2004-04-23

-----Teachers all over America force their students to read many books to help them find self-identity in the awkward years before adulthood. Most students, for example, are forced to read Catcher in the Rye. This book recognizes issues that the white, urban, middle to upper class American youth goes through. Issues like sex, drugs, school, changes and overall life in the city. This book helps much of the youth, including myself, cope with growing up. It doesn't, however, cover the issue of segregation and poverty. These two topics are very common, and have a huge impact on much of the American youth. A book that does cover these topics, however, is one written by Tomas Rivera, entitled, And the Earth Did Not Devour Him. Tomas Rivera creates fictional short stories, from an adolescent's perspective, about real life issues for Mexican-Americans in the early to middle twentieth century. Though the stories are fiction, Rivera articulates truths about the struggles with issues like work, family, religion, poverty and segregation. Rivera has created a book that could greatly serve as a coping tool for youths that struggle with such issues. It should therefore, be brought into American school systems in order to allow students to identify with it as they mature into adults.
-----One of the short stories that pretty much discuss each of the issues including work, family, religion, poverty and segregation is, in fact, the one the book's named after, "And the Earth Did Not Devour Him." It covers not only work related issues like low pay, long hours, hot weather, unreasonable bosses, and young children working, but also poverty, family and religion. This story is about a poor family where almost all members have to help out and work. They all work on a plantation where, during the peak of summer, the sun starts to get to them and they drop like flies due to sunstroke. A young boy is witnessing this and is constantly expressing how he feels. He starts to question God. He wonders why God would do this to his kind, hard working family. He curses God and finally after doing so feels at peace. This story is one of the most powerful stories in the book. It is well written, covering many issues in only a matter of pages. Many children grow up and see their family work so hard without much to show for it. Because of this, many children blame God or question their religion. There is no answer to such frustration but this story can help be a tool to help cope with it. This is just one out of the many stories in this book that is meaningful in some aspect. Each represents a memory in a young boy's life that was important to him, in a good or bad way. Rivera effectively uses the child's memory as a way to jump from story to story. By doing this, the book doesn't get boring and he tackles many different issues.
-----This book definitely takes the role as a deconstruction literary style in the aspect that the stories can be taken more than one way. Readers could use them to cope, as a lesson, or just for entertainment. I, personally, found this book to be very moving, informative and entertaining. I became aware of how fortunate I am not to have to deal with such issues. With the deconstruction literary style in mind, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone of any age, especially a youth that has suffered from work, family, religion, poverty or segregation. Teachers should defiantly bring this book into their curriculum where it can be used to help cope with growing up or to learn about some of the struggles that many oppressed Americans, mostly Mexican Americans, went through and/or still go through.

The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (Star Wars)

Average customer rating:

great illustrations
Wait!!
A fun book, but not essential.
An essential purchase for any Star Wars reader
An excellent book for any Star Wars fan

The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (Star Wars)
Bill Smith , Doug Chiang , and Troy Vigil
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guides & Reviews | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Genre Films | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology (Star Wars)
The Essential Guide to Characters (Star Wars)
The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (Star Wars)
The Essential Guide to Droids (Star Wars)
The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons (Star Wars)

ASIN: 034539299X
Release Date: 1996-03-19

Amazon.com

Every Star Wars fan knows that Slave I is Boba Fett's tricked-out bounty-hunting ride. But how many know about its short-lived successor, Slave II? And what average fan has ever laid eyes on an Imperial MT-AT walker? (Imagine a huge, arachnid AT-AT.) Heck, most SW buffs will even try to tell you that Vader's Super Star Destroyer is the biggest bad-boy this side of the Battle of Endor. Not likely: Emperor Palpatine's probably got bigger shuttlecraft on his 17.5-kilometer-long Eclipse-class ship.

Bill Smith's illustrated Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels--a veritable blue book for the Star Wars universe--lets you kick the tires on all these ships and more. Researching not just the movies, but also Star Wars novels, comics, computer games, et al., Smith tirelessly details 100 different ways to get around--and dish out destruction--in the land of sandcrawlers and speeders. Descriptions of familiar vehicles ("That's no moon... it's a space station!") blend seamlessly with the more obscure (can you name six kinds of TIE fighters?). This is one showroom-floor tour you won't want to miss out on. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

"THAT'S NO MOON! IT'S A SPACE STATION."
But it wasn't just any space station--it was the most famous battle station in movie history, the Death Star, just one of the dozens of high-tech marvels that are found in the movies, the books, the comics, the games, and everywhere the Star Wars epic continues.
STAR WARS(c): THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO VEHICLES AND VESSELS
* Features detailed data on the most important spaceships, vehicles, and
battle machines in the Star Wars universe.
* Describes the development and historical importance of each vehicle.
* Includes detailed illustrations with each entry for instant visual reference.
* Brings you up-to-date on the latest starcraft technology used by the New
Republic, its allies, and its enemies.
THESE ARE THE SHIPS USED TO TRAVEL, EXPLORE, AND CONQUER THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF THE STAR WARS GALAXY.

Customer Reviews:

great illustrations.......2007-01-02

This has great illustrations and information on Star Wars vehicles.
My son loves this.

Wait!!.......2005-06-08

Okay. Before the prequels this was a fantastic book that gave you a ton of information on the ships of the Star Wars universe. Not just the movie trilogy, but also the books. The problem is now this reference book is made obsolete by not only the prequels, but other books.

These books do not have any details from the prequel movies. No Naboo fighters, no Jedi starfighters, no clone army arsenal. So if you want that information you either have to wait for the latest of the latest books or get the revised version (which doesn't include vehicles from Revenge of the Sith).

Another thing I have noticed is that not all of the details in this book coincide with other books like the Incredible Cross Sections and Visual Dictionaries. Which is more accurate? Your guess is as good as mine.

Still take all that away and look at how much this book is going for you are getting a ton of useful and interesting details about these vehicles. If you love getting into the technical side of things this book will suit you in at least a limited capacity. If you really want techinical hit up on the Incredible Cross Sections books. Although you only get a fraction of the ships covered here.

If you want a complete listing wait. If you are happy with just the trilogy stuff and what's from the books before this was published you are in for a treat.

A fun book, but not essential........2004-10-01

I am a huge fan of star wars, and so I decided to read some of the novels. I hated how there were so many ships that I didn't recognize. This book helped alot in visualizing the ships. It's also great if you're obsessed with details like I am. Beyond that though, I don't know if it's essential, as it focuses more on the novels thn the movies. Even then it's still lacking several ships from the novels, so all in all it's fun, but not essential for someone who is just a casual fan.

An essential purchase for any Star Wars reader.......2003-11-24

The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels is a key reference book for the casual Star Wars fan or avid reader keen to know what their galaxy is flying and driving. Combining fun and informative knowledge makes this a great treat, and with the newer edition now out, there's no better time to acquire this when the price is low and many entries don't appear in the second guide.

Each ship or vehicle is rendered with an outline schematic and pencilled illustration. Though colourless, depth and detail are more than sufficient to give you an exact idea what they are. Key systems and functions are labelled, telling you the placement of guns and other technical stuff, which is useful, though some tags are no more than just telling you this a support struts, that an engine nacelle.

Pictures are brought to life by description, and the description for entries varied considerably. It's certainly informative for a casual reader, but many fans will find it light in detail too many places, specifics too vague at times. These guides should provide the basic specs of a ship: like manufacturer, length, number and types of guns, fighter complement, speed, and perhaps cargo capacity. While the Imperial Star Destroyer had extensive stats, the Ubrikkian space cruiser didn't even have a length, while the sandcrawler's height is only given, not its length. Both guides say only the Super Star Destroyer has "over a thousand weapons", but don't provide an extra sentence or two to say its composition.

A considerable percentage of entries came from the Dark Empire comics, whose ships and vehicles have rarely been used outside those three comics. While the World Devastator and various starfighters within are of interest, who would care for the Amphibion water tank, TIE crawler tank or Hutt Caravel, that weren't even important in their respective comics?

The EGVV features many stuff from quaint and obscure sources, like gargantuan insectile Ithullian ore haulers, Star Home, Shieldships, Coral Vanda and private vehicles to name a few. The manufacturer section in the beginning is useful in identifying who makes what.

The errors and consistencies will appear only to the fan well conversant in SW lore. The TIE Defender made no mention of its tractor beam (neither did the NEGVV), the Sun Crusher looks different from its Dark Apprentice book's cover art, Star Home was undergunned from what its book said, are just some of the many but minor tidbits you'll discover.

But it was the excessive redundancy that was the primary failing of this guide. Many important ships were omitted like the Strike Cruiser, Corellian Gunship, Assault Frigate, Floating Fortress and Golan battle stations, all in frequent and popular usage when this was done. Alas, the NEGVV omitted them as well. Yet there are THREE landspeeder entries, THREE Death Stars, TWO swoops and TWO B-wings.

Overall, the EGVV is a great reference guide for those wondering what their SW ships and vehicles look and are, and with most of its contents unseen in the second guide, still have value as a current purchase.

An excellent book for any Star Wars fan.......2003-10-13

When it comes to science fiction, the Star Wars saga is the best. However, the films themselves give very little information regarding the vehicles used by characters in them. This is a shame, because the technology of everyone's favorite galaxy far far away is nothing short of fascinating. Finally, a book entitled Star Wars - The Essential Guide To Vehicles And Vessels was released! Now, fans would be able to learn about the ever-so awesome vehicles characters in the films used! Read on for my review of this book.

PROS:
-If you're a fan of the Star Wars films, and you're interested in reading about the technical aspects of craft like the X-Wing fighter and the Imperial-Class Star Destroyer, this book will have more than enough information to make you happy.
-The book covers the expanded universe! This means the vehicles from Shadows Of The Empire appear here, as do vehicles that show up in later novels, comic books, video games, etc. Even if you're just a fan of the films, the information on the expanded universe will fascinate you.
-This book is readily available in most major bookstores (B. Dalton, Barnes And Noble, Borders, etc.) You shouldn't have any trouble finding it.
-The price for this book is very good, considering all the information it has to offer. This is a worthwhile purchase if you're a Star Wars fan.

CONS:
-The major problem with this book is that it was released circa 1997. This means it came out before 1999, and accordingly the vehicles exclusive to the prequel films, Episode I and Episode II, don't appear in here.
-The only pictures in the book are black-and-white sketches. I would have liked to see some more detailed pictures, preferably in color.

OVERALL:
If you're a Star Wars fan, I guarantee this book will fascinate you. If you're not a fan of the Star Wars series but know somebody who is, this makes a great gift. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Allure of Turquoise
Average customer rating:

Great Book

For those who THINK that they know everything about Turquoise...

Beautiful Photos

Superb

Chapters mix history and cultural and geologic insights with tips on locating authentic pieces, valuation and more

The Allure of Turquoise

Manufacturer: New Mexico Magazine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Rocks & Minerals | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Mineralogy | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Geology | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Rocks & Minerals | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Turquoise Unearthed: An Illustrated Guide (Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones)

A Guide to Indian Jewelry of the Southwest

The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry (Jewelry Crafts)

Hallmarks of the Southwest (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

Indian Silver Jewelry of the Southwest, 1868-1930

ASIN: 0937206873

Book Description

This revised second edition of The Allure of Turquoise, originally published 10 years ago, offers an illuminating look at the cherished gemstone that has come to symbolize the culture and history of the Southwest. Two brand new chapters, updated original chapters, additional photographs and a revamped format mark this absorbing, informative and visually stunning book. The powerful allure of New Mexico's crown jewel comes alive through a diverse collection of feature stories contributed by some of the state's best writers. Their work delves into many facets of turquoise, from the miracle of its geological creation and its centuries-old mining history to its significance and use in the lives of Native Americans.Intriguing chapters touch on the mystery of old pawn, the treasures that reside in the world's first Turquoise Museum, the innovative artistry of New Mexico's contemporary native jewelers and how to distinguish the genuine article from cheap imitations. Readers will find plenty of turquoise lore and a fascinating essay on the strange-but-true relationship between ants and the blue-green stone.

This popular book featuring the crown jewel of New Mexico is back in a revised edition.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-05-13

I found this book very thorough as far as the knowledge of the types of turquoise. But, I also found a lot of good info about traditional jewelry selling, info about fakes and treatments and historical knowledge. Gorgeous pictures.

For those who THINK that they know everything about Turquoise..........2007-03-28

This is the same review I gave to "Turquoise Unearthed"...and for all intents and purposes, they could be classified as companion volumes...both doing an exceptional job in words and images!

"I have been a gem and mineral dealer for over ten years...and a rockhound for a lot longer than that...but this book taught me more in a single sitting than all my years in the buisiness and in the hobby.

I have dug, traded, bought and sold a whole bunch of "Turq"...natural, treated and "color-shot"...and this book instantly became one of my favorite references for the rest of my life.

If you are planning on investing in real American or Persian turquoise jewelry or stones...and it is an investment...then this book is a "Must Have!"

No sooner did I put this book down than I called up one of my suppliers and bought all of the Blue Gem and Turquoise Mountain stones they had left in stock...I am sure they are wondering what precipitated that call!"

My many thanks to Mr. Vigil for his labor of love, a compilation of articles from New Mexico Magazine...on everything from the Lowry "Turq" Museum...to the history and significance of the Cerrillos Mines...to the myth of "Old Pawn" jewelry...and much, much more!

Beautiful Photos.......2007-03-08

This was a birthday gift for my husband. He loved it. He said it was the perfect present since he loves turquoise and making turquoise jewelry. It even arrived on time, gift wrapped. If you love turquoise, the color pictures are worth it. The content is very good too, my husbands states.

Superb .......2007-01-14

This is a wonderful in-depth examination of turquoise and its makers. It is somewhat scientific in the portion about the formation of the stone. There are terrific photographs and lots of information about the handling of turqoise and the art that turns it into expensive jewelry! Recommended for the turqoise lover.

Chapters mix history and cultural and geologic insights with tips on locating authentic pieces, valuation and more.......2006-03-07

One of New Mexico's symbols is turquoise, so it's fitting that a discussion of jewel would come from New Mexico Magazine's publishing arm. Any who wish to learn about the stone must have The Allure Of Turquoise: it appears in its second updated edition to pack color photos on every page with discussions ranging from the history of turquoise in both jewelry and Native American circles to issues surrounding its sale, authenticity and preservation. Chapters mix history and cultural and geologic insights with tips on locating authentic pieces, valuation and more: turquoise collectors will find this essential.

Mastery of Awareness: Living the Agreements

Average customer rating:

words that fit a certain state of mind
Look elsewhere.
go to the source...
Good, but not so original book
FREEDOM

Mastery of Awareness: Living the Agreements
Doña Bernadette Vigil , Arlene Broska , and dona Bernadette Vigil
Manufacturer: Bear & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Self-Esteem | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Metaphysics | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Shamanism | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Four Agreements Companion Book : Using the Four Agreements to Master the Dream of Your Life
The Voice of Knowledge: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace
Beyond Fear: A Toltec Guide to Freedom and Joy - The Teachings of Don Miguel Ruiz
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship: A Toltec Wisdom Book

ASIN: 1879181614
Release Date: 2001-04-01

Book Description

• Doña Bernadette Vigil, the working partner of don Miguel Ruiz and a fully initiated Nagual woman, reveals the authentic tradition of Toltec self-mastery.

• Includes exercises from the ancient spiritual path that take the practitioner from Jaguar Knight and Eagle Knight through Nagual Master.

• Provides a program of 11 Agreements for continuing the spiritual journey.

The Toltec people of ancient Mexico possessed powerful knowledge, passed down secretly through generations of Naguals, that enabled them to achieve a remarkable psychic and spiritual balance. These spiritual warriors learned to discipline their thoughts and emotions, channeling their energy into unconditional love for themselves and others and transforming their world in the process.

With the understanding of one who has walked the path, dona Bernadette Vigil--a full Nagual, or shaman, in the Toltec tradition--guides readers through the effective training techniques practiced by Toltec warriors for centuries. By following the practices of the spiritual warrior, readers will experience the amazing sense of peace and contentment that comes from finally breaking free from layers of self-limiting thoughts and fulfilling their true potential as human beings. More than a handbook for personal change, Mastery of Awareness challenges readers to transform the collective dream of the planet.

Customer Reviews:

words that fit a certain state of mind.......2007-08-31

Hello, I am very surprised at the criticism here . . . I read the book at a moment in time where I was open to it, I have read Don Miguel Ruiz as well, I guess the words have to fit the state or perspective of the listener, and it seems that this book has spoken not to many. It has helped me so much, I have started my quest consciously because of it. It starts with the breath . . .

Look elsewhere........2007-08-29

To make a what should be a long review, short, this is an introductory book to the toltec teaching, and a very poor attempt at that, I don't fully understand how can Don Miguel

endorse these books, this supposed "Nagual" woman shows all along her book that she is full of ego, venom against men, and that some relationship she had in the past, she never

fully healed.

If you are interested in learning the toltec way, go to the sources, Carlos Castaneda, Miguel Ruiz and Theun Mares, don't waste your time and money on these wannabes.

go to the source..........2004-03-31

Go and buy "tales from the time loop" by David Icke. All this and more! It will uncover the mysteries!

Good, but not so original book.......2002-05-21

This is the book written by the apprentice of don Miguel Ruiz, Bernadette Vigil, and this can be seen very easily from the book.

Almost every idea that can be found in this book can be found in Four Agreements or in Mastery of Love.

The most of new things can be found in last three chapters. In 10th chapter author presents 11 spiritual agreements. My opinion is that 11 agreements presented here are not so powerful as don Miguel's 4 agreements. In fact, Bernadette Vigil said the same thing as Miguel Ruiz but with much less powerful words.

11th Chapter gives some exercises and practices as guidelines for those who want to walk on Toltec path. This is, in my opinion, the greatest part of the book. It is practical, and gives you the idea how to start and how to proceed on the path.

If you look at this book regardless to don Miguel's books, than this book is great book, and may even deserve 5 stars. But if you read books written by don Miguel before you read this book, you will have some feeling that the book is not so original nor so powerful.

FREEDOM.......2001-11-14

In the tradition of her benefactor don Miguel Ruiz, doña Bernadette guides us to take steps to reclaim our personal freedom in this book. She reveals practices and techniques to aide the serious reader in his/her own spiritual journey. Although this is an excellent book I did not find it as profound and powerful and don Miguel's.

Road to the Top: A Systematic Approach to Training Distance Runners

Average customer rating:

Road to the Top: how to order immediately
Road to the Top: A High School Coach's Perspective

Road to the Top: A Systematic Approach to Training Distance Runners
Joe I. Vigil
Manufacturer: Morning Star Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Sports Psychology | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1880047349

Customer Reviews:

Road to the Top: how to order immediately.......2003-10-11

Send $32.95 and your mailing address to:
Joe Vigil
292 N. Cedar Crest Dr.
Green Valley, AZ 85614

Road to the Top: A High School Coach's Perspective.......2000-08-01

Vigil is a legend among coaches and he puts his 30+ years of research and wisdom into this book. For the average runner or coach without a science background, it may seem overwhelming with the amount of scientific data discussed. However, once you have a basic understanding of what he is talking about, the material and workouts become clear. His formula for success obviously works and after he breaks it down it can be adapted to fit any level of runner.

Vigil discusses all aspects of running, from trainig to mental preparation. He also describes how he has motivated and molded runners to do things they never thought possible. This is an excellent book for the coach who is trying to develop a total program that helps young people develop into runners and all well rounded young adults.

Lonely Vigil: Coastwatchers of the Solomons (Bluejacket Books)
Average customer rating:

"Forty bombers heading yours"

True story:

Documentation

An exciting, little-known story...

Exciting story of forgotten battles

Lonely Vigil: Coastwatchers of the Solomons (Bluejacket Books)
Walter Lord
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Alone on Guadalcanal: A Coastwatcher's Story

Coast Watching in World War II: Operations Against the Japanese in the Solomon Islands, 1941-43 (Stackpole Military History)

The Luck of the Draw: The Memoir of a World War II Submariner: From Savo Island to the Silent Service

Touched with Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific

Silent Running: My Years on a World War II Attack Submarine

ASIN: 1591144663

Book Description

This is Walter Lord's best-selling account of the Coastwatchers of the Solomons—that remarkable band of individualists who operated deep behind Japanese lines in the dark days of 1942-43. Living by their wits, with the help of friendly natives, they passed along critical intelligence, rescued downed flyers, and saved men from their sinking ships—including John F. Kennedy's PT 109. In Admiral Halsey's words, "The Coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal and Guadalcanal saved the Pacific."

It is also the story of the natives who helped them, the missionaries they worked with, the downed flyers and castaways they rescued, the Marine patrols they guided, the pilots and submariners who serviced them, and even the Japanese who chased them.

To piece the story together, Lord traveled 40,000 miles to interview the participants, pore through archives, and examine private letters and diaries. He even made a three-day hike through the Guadalcanal jungle to inspect the coastwatcher hideout on Gold Ridge, to put readers in their shoes. The result is a major contribution to the history of World War II told by a master storyteller.

"A stirring tale of forgotten heroes, splendidly told by a master narrator."--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

"So much of this exciting tale is new to me. I knew some of these valiant men well. Walter Lord has brought them to life again, and all of us who fought in those distant islands, in the seas around them and in the skies above them, may renew our thanks to those who kept the lonely vigil."--Samuel B. Griffith II, Brigadier General USMN (Ret.)

Customer Reviews:

"Forty bombers heading yours" .......2007-04-23

A few hundred coastwatchers of the Solomon Islands, mostly Australians, played a crucial role in winning World War II in the Pacific. These men -- including one family and one woman missionary -- were mostly planters, officials, and missionaries who had been living in the Solomon islands before World War II and who remained in place in 1942 and 1943, often behind Japanese lines. They set up their cumbersome radios on mountain tops and reported the movements of Japanese aircraft and ships to the embattled Americans on Guadalcanal.

In the early days of the Guadalcanal campaign it was the laconic radio reports -- "forty bombers heading yours" is an example -- of the coastwatchers who gave the American marines almost two hours notice of Japanese bombers heading their way. This enabled the ragtag "Cactus Air Force" to get into the air and swoop down on the Japanese planes when they arrived. Without the coastwatchers the vital battle for Guadalcanal might have been lost. Later the coastwatchers also became rescuers of downed US pilots and sailers, notably of a young naval lieutenant named John F. Kennedy whose PT Boat was sunk. Perhaps the most remarkable story in the book is that of Jacob Vouza, an island native who was shot, bayoneted, and left for dead by the Japanese but survived to report the advance of a Japanese batallion readying an attack on the Americans.

Author Walter Lord tells in "Lonely Vigil" what had been the untold story of the coastwatchers. Much of the book is compiled from interviews with about 100 participants. It's a fascinating and exotic tale of unconventional warriors, heroes, and colorful characters that should be on the reading list of essential World War II books.

Smallchief

True story:.......2006-03-19

Documentation.......2005-04-11

This book documents the history of the Coastwatchers, a little-known intelligence corps operating in the South Pacific during World War II. As war loomed on the horizon early in the 1940s, it became apparent to Australian Naval Intelligence that it would be useful to post observers on key strategic islands off the coast of Australia and New Guinea who could report movements of enemy ships and other military activities. The Coastwatchers, as this team came to be called, were commanded by an Australian officer named Eric Feldt. The men who filled these positions were of varied backgrounds, from military officers to missionaries and British colonial officials, and even an American who managed to get transferred from his regular unit. On each of the key islands in the Solomons, the Coastwatchers established lookout points high in the mountain jungles, from where they could radio in to headquarters their counts of ships and incoming planes. By Lord's account, these reports were vital in the air battles in the Solomons, since they gave warnings to the Allies of incipient attacks, enabling them to prepare and stage effective counter-maneuvers. The Coastwatchers also assisted in the evacuation of Western refugees, both colonists and missionaries. One of their other important tasks was to locate Allied personnel whose planes or ships had been downed and help them make their way back to friendly territory. Indeed, it was a Coastwatcher who found the men of PT 109 and assisted Kennedy and his men in their odyssey back to their units. The book is illustrated with several sections of black-and-white vintage photographs. At the end of the book are a list of contributors and interviewees and an index.

Lord collected this material some 20 years after the war by traveling through the islands and conducting extensive interviews with the Coastwatchers, Solomon Island residents, veterans, and missionaries who had worked with or been rescued by the Coastwatchers. Instead of presenting the material in one long continuous saga, Lord's approach is to describe the events island by island and station by station. For the sake of completeness, he tries to weave in the names of every person who played a role in each incident. As a result, there is not a lot of cohesion to tie the story together. As a reader, I frequently found myself taking note of a person's name and story since Lord made it seem important for the big picture, only to find that the person was never mentioned again. The book is very much the story of individual people, whose contributions to the war effort might have gone untold if it weren't for the painstaking research that Lord undertook. While I am in no position to judge the accuracy of Lord's account, I note that in my copy of the book, which came from the collection of a public library, there are several marginal notes correcting names and ranks, and units of people mentioned in the text.

An exciting, little-known story..........2004-12-21

This book tells the story of the Coastwatchers who scanned the skies, land, and waterways of the Solomon Islands during that World War II campaign. Before reading this story, I had vaguely heard of the Coastwatchers, and I am reasonably well-read about World War II. However, I certainly was not aware of their importance to the eventual success of the Solomons Campaign, and, indeed, the entire Pacific War. If you are interested in World War II history, you will find a new and interesting story here. If you like good, fast-reading, you-are-there history reporting, you will enjoy this book. Highly recommended!

Exciting story of forgotten battles.......2004-05-19

Notwithstanding the impression you might get from some of the other reviewers here, "Lonely Vigil" is not a book about John F. Kennedy. Far from the coastwatchers being a footnote in JFK's biography, I prefer to think of JFK -- at least during these years -- as a minor bit of trivia in the far more interesting story of the coastwatchers themselves. Fishing JFK out of the drink was far from their most important contribution, either to the war effort or to history.

I first read this book when I was in my teens, and I was captured even then by the drama of the coastwatchers and their Melanesian allies, hiding in the jungles while reporting on Japanese convoy and aircraft movements through the evocatively named "Slot" through the Solomon Islands. If you're familiar with Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific," you already know a little about the coastwatchers, since the mission embarked on by Lt. Joe Cable and planter Emile de Becque was modeled on the true-life exploits described in this book.

It's too bad that the exciting story of the coastwatchers is still all but unknown in the U.S. But if it's true, as Admiral Halsey said (and who are we to doubt Admiral Halsey?), that "the coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal, and Guadalcanal saved the Pacific," then this well-researched, well-written, and engrossing book by Walter Lord deserves to be read by all students of the war in the Pacific.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books