The Genera of the Myxomycetes

Book Description

INTRODUCTION

Palm trees swaying over white-sand beaches, pellucid waters with teeming reefs just a flipper-kick from the shore and killer rum cocktails brought right to your lounge chair - this is the Caribbean, as per everyone's favourite tropical fantasy. The ultimate place to flop on the sand and unwind, the region offers sun, sand and corporeal comforts aplenty, and has long seduced those after life's sybaritic pleasures.

Given these obvious draws, a holiday in the Caribbean - anywhere in the Caribbean - is commonly proffered as the ultimate getaway. But buying into this postcard-perfect stereotype - and failing to recognize the individual idiosyncrasies of the islands that make up the archipelago - is the biggest mistake a first-time visitor can make. Drawing on the combined traditions of Africa and those brought here by Spain, Britain, France, Holland and the 500,000 people who arrived from India as indentured workers after the abolition of slavery, no other area in the Americas exhibits such a diverse range of cultural patterns and social and political institutions - there's a lot more on offer here than sun, sea, sand and learning to limbo.

Culturally, this relatively small, fairly impoverished collection of islands has had an impact quite out of tune with its size, from the Jamaican sound-system DJs who inspired hip-hop, to the Lenten bacchanalia that have come to define carnivals worldwide. Over the last five hundred years, each country or territory has carved out its own identity (some much more recently than others, with the onset of mass tourism and the advent of the all-inclusive), and it's hard to think of worlds so near and yet so disparate as the sensual son and salsa of Cuba compared to the dance-hall and Rasta militancy of neighbouring Jamaica or the poppy zouk of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Sport rivals music as a Caribbean obsession, and though golf is well represented by the scores of world class courses, the region's game of choice has traditionally been cricket, introduced by the Brits and raised to great heights by the Windies team, who led the world for much of the 1970s and 1980s. Wins are rather less common these days, but cricket remains central to the Caribbean psyche, with international matches known to bring their host islands to a complete standstill. Other popular spectator sports include football, which has made massive inroads since Jamaica's Reggae Boyz qualified for the 1998 World Cup, and baseball, firmly entrenched in Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

Each island has a strong culinary tradition, too, and while you might come here to sample Caribbean classics such as Trinidadian roti, Grenadian "oil-down" or Dominican mountain chicken (actually a very big frog), you can also enjoy croissants and gourmet dinners in the French islands, Dutch delicacies in the Netherlands Antilles and piles of good ol' burgers and fries in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas - and on every island with a fair-sized tourism industry you'll find "international" restaurants of every ilk alongside hole-in-the-wall shacks selling local specialities.

The Caribbean's natural attractions are equally compelling, its landscapes ranging from teeming rainforest, mist-swathed mountains and conical volcanic peaks to lowland mangrove swamps, lush pastureland and savannah plains. The entire region is incredibly abundant in its flora, despite the sometimes volcanic or scrubby interiors on certain islands. Heliconias and orchids flower most everywhere, while hibiscus and ixoras brighten up the hedgerows, and the forest greens are enlivened by flowering trees such as poinsettia and poui. Not surprisingly eco-tourism abounds, whether it be hiking through the waterfall-studded rainforest of Dominica or St Lucia, high-mountain treks in Jamaica, or birding in Trinidad, which has one of the highest concentrations of bird species in the world. The sea here is as bountiful as the land; besides taking in superlative diving and snorkelling around multicoloured reefs and sunken ships that play host to technicolour tropical marine life, you canturtle-watch on innumerable beaches that see nesting leatherbacks and hawksbills, go whale-spotting from St Lucia, Dominica and the Dominican Republic, or frolic with giant manta rays offshore of Tobago and stingrays in the Caymans.

Beyond their cultural and physical richness, the Caribbean islands share a similar history of colonization. The first known inhabitants, farming and fishing Amerindians who travelled from South America by way of dugout canoes around 500 BC, were swiftly displaced by Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who "discovered" the region for Spain in the late fifteenth century, touching down on the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola and Jamaica, and mistakenly assuming that he had found the outlying islands of India, bestowing the title "West Indies" to the region. Seduced by fantasies of innumerable riches, other European countries soon jumped on the bandwagon. The Spanish were followed by the British, French and Dutch, who squabbled over their various territories for most of the sixteenth century, their colonization of the islands hindered by pirates and state-licensed privateers who plundered settlements and vessels without mercy.

Nonetheless, European colonies were established throughout the region, and by the seventeenth century, the islands had begun to be developed in earnest. The British proved most adept at establishing huge plantations of sugarcane - estates which required far more labour than the colonists themselves could provide, and which gave rise to the appalling business of the slave trade. Plantation life for slaves was one of unimaginable barbarity, and eighteenth-century rebellions, combined with Christian tenets of humanity and charity, engendered the first moves toward emancipation - between 1833 and 1888 slavery was abolished in the Caribbean.

Post-emancipation, conditions for all but the planter elites remained abysmal, and the establishment of unions and subsequent labour strikes led, by the 1930s, to the creation of political parties throughout the region. This in turn nudged the islands to call for independence from their colonial rulers, increasingly so after World War II. The early twentieth century also saw tourism start to take root. Wealthy Brits and North Americans had patronized palatial resorts since the late nineteenth century, and the glitterati followed in the footsteps of Noel Coward and Errol Flynn to Jamaica and Ernest Hemingway to Cuba, thus creating the air of exclusivity which remains inextricably tied to the Caribbean today. But with the introduction of long-haul air travel in the 1960s, tourists began to arrive en masse. While the fenced-off all-inclusive enclave is still going strong today, the region now has as many budget-oriented bolt holes as it does luxury resorts, and as many possibilties for adventurous travel as it does for staid beach holidays.

Book Description

Second in a series of state-by-state pocket guides designed for kids but useful for anyone, Critters of Minnesota Pocket Guide is full of useful and concise information on 50 of Minnesota's “critters.” This handy guide includes such information on each critter as size, number of young, gestation, habits, food and pictures of the tracks they leave.

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Chemical and Botanical Guide to Lichen Products
Chicita F. Culberson
Manufacturer: Lubrecht & Cramer Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 3874291650

Average customer rating:
Second supplement to "Chemical and botanical guide to lichen products"
Chicita F Culberson
Manufacturer: American Bryological and Lichenological Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006CUMVY

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Supplement to "Chemical and botanical guide to lichen products"
Chicita F Culberson
Manufacturer: Missouri Botanical Garden]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B000735TEC

Average customer rating:

clasic, timeless

Design with climate: bioclimatic approach to architectural regionalism: Some chapters based on cooperative research with Aladar Olgyay
Victor Olgyay
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006AX05Q

Customer Reviews:

clasic, timeless.......2007-08-21

I used this book several times for research on climatic design. the principles set forth here, have been built upon, expanded, and developed, but never sidelined. the book contains principles that can be utilized in nearly any climate, and any site. after using the book one gains a more thorough understanding of the climatic effects on the built environment.

Book Description

Pictoral essay of Manitoba, Canada's wilderness. A beautiful coffee-table book containing over 180 color photographs that capture the key images which best convey the subtle beauty and allure of the North. The result is a compelling visual portrait of a little-known place that is bound to linger in the viewer's memory long after he or she has closed the pages of this remarkable book.

Customer Reviews:

Little Trees, Big Sky.......2001-09-04

Very good photography. Beautiful color and composition. Book is worth the money.

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Little Trees, Big Sky
Jr. Beasley Conger
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUDQIG

Customer Reviews:

For any fan of Gloria Estefan's.......2000-04-07

I read this book for a class assignment on biographical non-fiction. I have been a fan of Gloria Estefan's for many years, so I thought this would be a great history of her life. This book is great for children to read because it is a history of such of the Cuban government and what the people who lived there had to endure. I liked that the book gave not only information on how things in Cuba affected Gloria and her family, but it also tells of a historical account of Castro and Cuba becoming a communist country. I also enjoyed the explanation of the record industry and how the artist get their music recorded and listened to on the radio.

The life of Gloria Estefan is inspiring to any young girl who may feel inadequate or talentless. Gloria is very family oriented and this book reflects her values and commitment to her heritage.

The end of the book gives chronological accounts in her life, a record of her releases and chapter notes that are very resourceful.

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Gloria Estefan: Singer and Entertainer
Doreen Gonzales
Manufacturer: Enslow Publishers, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MHTPXY

Book Description

Ultimate investment and business guide for conducting business in the state. Business, investment and export-import opportunities. State economy, government structure, mineral resources, technology, government, political and business contacts and more...

Book Description

The small Central American state of Belize has an unusual history. It was an important part of the pre-Columbian Mayan civilization, which also embraced most of Guatemala, northern Honduras, and southern Mexico. Having fallen between three early Spanish colonial jurisdictions, Belize was then settled in the seventeenth century by British adventurers, many of them ex-buccaneers. This book traces the outline of this complex history in as objective a way as possible, allowing the facts recorded in files in London and Belize to speak for themselves.

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Outstanding for 1985, and still very useful today

The Best of the Working Mother's Breastfeeding books!

The Best of the Working Mother's Breastfeeding books!

Awesome book!

The best book for day to day info on BF

Breastfeeding Success for Working Mothers
Marilyn Grams
Manufacturer: Achievement Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books | Babies & Toddlers | Child Care | Discipline | Emotions & Feelings | General | Health & Nutrition | Morals & Responsibility | School-Age Children | Single Parents | Teenagers | Twins & Multiples
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Pediatrics | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The American Academy of Pediatrics New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding (American Academy of Pediatrics)

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Seventh Revised Edition (La Leche League International Book)

Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers

Eat Well, Lose Weight While Breastfeeding: The Complete Nutrition Book for Nursing Mothers, Including a Healthy Guide to the Weight Loss Your Doctor Promised

The Nursing Mother's Companion: Revised Edition

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0932707149

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding for 1985, and still very useful today.......2004-12-25

This book was written in 1985. Good breast pumps were probably nonexistent or very expensive and hard to find back then. So the chapter "Meals In Minutes" in this book concentrates on hand-expressing. Thankfully, it's not necessary to hand-express at work anymore - you can get a great automatic-cycling double-electric pump (Ameda Purely Yours or Medela Pump In Style) for much less than a year of formula would cost you. But even though the information on how to express milk is out of date, this book still provides excellent information on breastfeeding and how it can fit in to the life of a mother who works outside the home. I returned to work full time when our son was 10 weeks old, and the advice in this book was a great help to me.

The Best of the Working Mother's Breastfeeding books!.......2002-03-16

Reviewed this one by mistake - sorry...

The Best of the Working Mother's Breastfeeding books!.......2002-03-16

I've read a library full of books about breastfeeding - especially breastfeeding for working mothers. This one was by far the most useful. It was told in a very anecdotal way, and yet managed to convey more useful information than some of the other books I've read.

Hand expression isn't for me, but even so most of her advice was really useful for me. I've been using a lot of her tips to keep the milk flowing freely. It's also a fun read.

Awesome book!.......2002-03-02

I didn't get this book until my twins were 3 months old. It saved my life! Her practical suggestions worked. I was able to ditch the pump and hand express, and ended up breastfeeding much longer than I thought I could (8 months!). I give this book to all my "new-mom" friends, and they have like-wise benefitted from Dr. Grams advice. There are other books that are more "technical" , but this is the one you will go back to again and again!

The best book for day to day info on BF.......2001-01-25

This book is great for day to day information on breastfeeding. (If you are looking for technical information, you may want to look elsewhere). I have used her suggestion about babymoon, nighttime feeding, nipple stimulation for letdown, and manual expression. I use a manual pump (Isis Pump), but I use the manual techniques to make sure I have done let down properly. I think that the Isis Manual Pump uses the same theory as Dr. Grahms uses in her manual expression. So if you like Dr. Grahms manual expression techniques, you may also like the Isis Pump. I also like the way that she talks about her personal expriences, sucesses and failures. Even her little pep talks for woman getting started are good. "Just get a little in the bottle, pat yourself on the back, and stop."

Customer Reviews:

cheesy.......2006-08-29

I agree with the Reviewer below. Lots of facts but not a very engrossing story. I'm only on page 100 but there just isn't a whole lot of Lou to sink your teeth into. Alot of the writers theories on popular music over the last fifty years are a little ambitious as well. The prose can be overly dramatic and actually a little embarrassing at times. I'm hoping Transformer is better.

That said. It is a book on Lou Reed. If you are into Lou you are probably going to look past a lot of the books flaws.

FASCINATING PERSPECTIVES.......2000-07-07

A very addictive book. I wanted to re-familiarize myself for this review and couldn't put it down so a few hours later I had read it through again. Reveals the human being and chronicles the ups and downs and the artistry of Reed, for a "thorough dissection of the Rock 'n Roll animal" - and this animal has sharp fangs and a tendency to bite, one might add. The author is obviously a fan, but a very honest writer who never hesitates to tackle controversial issues. Very interesting also for the light it throws on other artists and sometime collaborators like John Cale, Nico and Patti Smith. Reading this book whets one's appetite for the music again - surely the best recommendation. Great pics and an exhaustive annotated discograpy.

Well-Researched Downer.......2000-04-04

A solid analysis of Lou Reed's music and poetry as windows into his personal life. As such, it provides keen insights into his creative processes; often it's a revelation how closely the tone of Reed's writing followed the tumultuous ups and downs of his private affairs and career. Doggett tracks this correlation with sensitivity and precision, working to untangle the conflicts, perversities, and ambivalence of a famously complex man.

Finally, however, most of the credit goes to Reed for his artistic honesty rather than to Doggett. All of the biographical material, including interviews, are from second-hand sources, and the tone is overly cold and even negative throughout. It's unreasonable to expect a music book to be objective, but Doggett shows little enthusiasm for Reed's best work to match the censure of his worst.

Usually biographies (which this essentially is) based on second-hand material bring something new to their clipping-collection: passion, a radical viewpoint, an amount of daring. Doggett's is too cautious to qualify as a first-rate study. Die-hard Lou Reed fans will be disappointed by his clinical remoteness, and newcomers will find little to spark their curiosity.

The book almost makes up for this with its intelligence and muscular concision. But, as usual with biographical studies, the art is analyzed on only one level, and with no obvious pleasure. By the last page you feel ready to pass your Lou Reed 101 final, but also a bit deflated.

Book Description

This is the candid, graphic, and moving story of two Holocaust survivors. Their youth and their wits helped them to survive and put their ordeal to a constructive end. Illustrated.

The Philippines: Agony and hope (Just world order series)

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The Philippines: Agony and hope (Just world order series)
Gerard A Vanderhaar
Manufacturer: Pax Christi USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Human Rights | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00072L5JG

Sapience: The philosophy of John Keats : an epistemological and mythological speculation on his "agonies, the strife of human hearts"

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Sapience: The philosophy of John Keats : an epistemological and mythological speculation on his "agonies, the strife of human hearts"
YuÌ„ichi Midunoe
Manufacturer: Shohakusha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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