Average customer rating:
- All the essential Pitt plot elements, but it drags
- Once again Clive Cussler presents us with a great book!
- A good recommendation for all timedivers
- Not up to expectations
- Treasure of Khan
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Treasure of Khan
Clive Cussler , and
Dirk Cussler
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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ASIN: 0399153691 |
Book Description
Black Wind continued Dirk Pitt's meteoric career with one of Clive Cussler's most audacious, and well-received, novels yet: "Black Wind more than maintains the supercharged Cusslerian danger" (Kirkus Reviews). "Thriller fans will revel in this action-packed yarn" (Publishers Weekly). But now Cussler takes an extraordinary leap, with one of his most remarkable villains ever.
Genghis Khan-the greatest conqueror of all time, who, at his peak, ruled an empire that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Caspian Sea. His conquests are the stuff of legend, his tomb a forgotten mystery. Until now.
When Dirk Pitt is nearly killed rescuing an oil survey team from a freak wave on Russia's Lake Baikal, it appears a simple act of nature. When the survey team is abducted and Pitt's research vessel nearly sunk, however, it's obvious there's something more sinister involved. All trails lead to Mongolia, and a mysterious mogul who is conducting covert deals for supplying oil to the Chinese while wreaking havoc on global oil markets utilizing a secret technology. The Mongolian harbors a dream of restoring the conquests of his ancestors, and holds a dark secret about Genghis Khan that just might give him the wealth and power to make that dream come true.
From the frigid lakes of Siberia to the hot sands of the Gobi Desert, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino find intrigue, adventure, and peril while collecting clues to the mysterious treasure of Xanadu. But first, they must keep the tycoon from murder-and the unleashing of a natural disaster of calamitous proportions. Filled with breathtaking suspense and brilliant imagination, his new novel is yet further proof that when it comes to adventure writing, nobody beats Clive Cussler.
Customer Reviews:
All the essential Pitt plot elements, but it drags.......2007-08-12
Both my son and I thought "Treasure of Khan" dragged, more than a little. Its plot elements are fascinating as usual, but it's too long, I had to force myself to finish it, and the dialogue sounded wooden at times.
Still, it's as inventive as anything in the Pitt saga, from the longlost treasures of Genghis and Kublai Khan to manmade earthquakes that wreak havoc on the world's oil industry. Al Giordino seems to gets more dialogue, and the writers seem to give him more of a love life to compensate for Pitt's now being happily married and no longer in the ladykilling business. Gotta have someone to romance those damsels they always rescue.
All the familiar Pitt elements are there, from treasures and ancient mysteries, to dusty and lost plane crashes, to wicked bad guys with their schemes to turn the world upside down, to heroic rescues on the edge of cataclysmic disasters. There's the cameo appearance by Clive Cussler himself, this time an archaeologist bus driver (or something) in Mongolia.
And, of course, there's a classic antique car Dirk Pitt adds to his collection at the end.
Pitt saves the day repeatedly with his brassy ingenuity. Yes, it's good to have him back at the book's center, rather than on the periphery, as in the last one where his kids came to the fore. They aren't nearly as much fun as he is.
It does strain credibility to have NUMA's director exploring and grappling with bad guys, rather than braving Washington's bureaucratic minefields. But realism has never been a strong suit here. (Cusslers, why don't you make Rudi Gunn NUMA's director and let Dirk go back to being field ops director?)
I attribute the book's flaws to Dirk Cussler's continuing learning curve. This book has all their formula's necessary parts; it's just a matter of polishing the writing a little more next time.
Once again Clive Cussler presents us with a great book!.......2007-07-03
Excellent adventure with a bit of history learning thrown in. Absolutely have loved every book this man has written and highly recommend this one. Took it on vacation and escaped back into Thomas Jefferson's world for a while. Great book!
A good recommendation for all timedivers.......2007-06-30
A good recommendation for all timedivers
"I've never yet found drinking in a bar to be a waste of time....."
(Albert Giordino)
In the year of 1281 a "gods' wind" destroyed the fleet that has been sent by Kublai Khan for an invasion of Nippon.....
.....656 years afterwards the Imperial Japanese Army succeded in forcing ahead from her Chinese satellite state Mandshukuo, that was founded n 1932, to Shang-Tu and occupied the eastern part of the so called "Mongolia Interior".....
These historical facts are serving the authors for two opening short stories and background of the 19th adventure around Dirk Pitt, meanwhile married an head of the "National Underwater & Marine Agency" an his buddy Al Giordino. At the beginning of the plot (Which starts, regarding the publication of the novel, in the near future, namely June 2007) the two NUMA-veterans are saving a patrol exploration team from an enormous wave on the sibirian Baikal Lake. The overnight disappearance of the rescued explorers is followed by several mysterious earthquakes in the Gulf of Persia, which cause a big loss of petrol production and a huge rise in prizes. Meanwhile Dirk Sr. an Al pickup the trail that leads them in the Republic of Mongolia, Pitt Jr., his sister Summer and their colleague Jack Dahlgren are discovering an archeological sensation in the Keliuli Bay of Hawaii....
With "Treasure of Khan" Clive Cussler and his son Dirk again are presenting a plentiful action and tension loaded thriller that connects three different time levels in an intelligent way. Beside usual technical details and ironic elements the original and logical story this time also shows a cameo scene with Clive Cussler (together with his "Dachshund") as a bus driving development aid worker. Apart from Admiral James Sandecker, meanwhile US-Vice President, also heavy weighted St. Julien Perlmutter, NUMA-Vice President Rudi Gunn and computer freak Hiram Yeager are appearing as old acquaintances.
A good recommendation for all timedivers and fans of Cussler, Pitt, NUMA etc. or those who are still willing to become...
4 Amazonstars.
Not up to expectations.......2007-06-20
This latest Dirk Pitt adventure just isn't up to earlier works. The story could be a good one if pared down a bit, but the action just limps along and doesn't hold the reader's interest like other Cussler stories. I was disappointed in Treasure of Khan.
Treasure of Khan.......2007-05-08
reading the book right now--it is SO GOOD. I enjoy all of Clive Cussler books. I wondered why if a movie has ever been made from Clive Cussler's books?
Amazon.com
Daniel Yergin's first prize-winning book, Shattered Peace, was a history of the Cold War. Afterwards the young academic star joined the energy project of the Harvard Business School and wrote the best-seller Energy Future. Following on from there,
The Prize, winner of the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, is a comprehensive history of one of the commodities that powers the world--oil. Founded in the 19th century, the oil industry began producing kerosene for lamps and progressed to gasoline. Huge personal fortunes arose from it, and whole nations sprung out of the power politics of the oil wells. Yergin's fascinating account sweeps from early robber barons like John D. Rockefeller, to the oil crisis of the 1970s, through to the Gulf War.
Book Description
Pulitzer Prize Winner -- and Now an Epic PBS Series
The Prize recounts the panoramic history of oil -- and the struggle for wealth power that has always surrounded oil. This struggle has shaken the world economy, dictated the outcome of wars, and transformed the destiny of men and nations. The Prize is as much a history of the twentieth century as of the oil industry itself. The canvas of this history is enormous -- from the drilling of the first well in Pennsylvania through two great world wars to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and Operation Desert Storm.
The cast extends from wildcatters and rogues to oil tycoons, and from Winston Churchill and Ibn Saud to George Bush and Saddam Hussein. The definitive work on the subject of oil and a major contribution to understanding our century, The Prize is a book of extraordinary breadth, riveting excitement -- and great importance.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting, important, well-written, well-researched history.......2007-10-20
Fascinating account of the history of the oil industry. I would say that just the four chapters on World War II--and the oil role in it--are worth the book. Reads like a novel, where Yergin jumps back and forth between history and details about the industry main players. And the amount of details that enrich the historic account is just perfect. The research done to put this work together must have been mind boggling.
First to cover the topic, but still a facile book.......2007-09-17
Yergen gets kudos for being the first to cover this topic, but his account (perhaps because it's now outdated) is facile and pro-oil company. Every time the oil companies are thwarted he seems to blame straw men for it: tree huggers, the people that hounded poor misunderstood Tricky Dick Nixon, the Saudi sheiks (best friends of Bush, Cheney, et al). He never turns his gaze on the corruption of the oil companies themselves. We hit peak oil in the U.S. in the 1960s. The oil companies suppressed any attempts since then to find alternative fuels. Now we are up the creek, so to speak, with the Oil Men running the Show. Some "Prize". I'd say it's the booby prize. The best overview of our current fix is Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower.
The Age of Oil.......2007-07-04
We are living in the Age of oil.
World and human civilization have experienced different "ages" such as the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Gilded Age, and so on. The 20th and 21st Centuries are indeed, the "Oil Age." We are living in it. This book is one of the most informative and relevant books published in recent years, In my opinion. This work by Daniel Yergin was and still is prescient today, in 2007. "The Prize" tells the story of where we are today, and how we got here. It also latently foresees where we're going in the future. The book doesn't tell us - we just know. We're human. This book is so comprehensive and has so much information only a small portion of it can be noted. Below relates to WWII, and former Iranian leader Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh.
"The Prize" proceeds chronologically. And within the chapters there are numerous mini-subtitles for sub-chapters that connect the big picture. The bibliography and index are excellent and can be used to tie in different figures and historical occurrences. The 'history of oil' is actually the history of the world: humankind, business, innovations, globalization, war, and geo-political power-plays. The very survival of a nation-state is based upon oil.
"The Prize" begins with tiny puddles of black, sticky, goo, in Pennsylvania in the mid 1800s. Locals collected this goo and realized its many uses. In 1859 oil was struck. Almost immediately, the wealth and power amassed from possession and control of oil was realized. The initial trust acts in the U.S. are related to the oil industry, in which Barons quickly gained gargantuan amounts of wealth and political power.
Enter WWII:
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor because of oil. Japanese conquests throughout South-East Asia and the Pacific were motivated not only by the quest for dominance but for securing oil and keeping their oil (fuel) supply lines open. Without supply lines of oil, the war machine would completely break down, as it later did (Chapter 8).
The Americans sacrificed a lot, but Japan in large part lost WWII because of its lack of fuel for planes, ships, and ground forces. Domestically, the Japanese economy collapsed because of its inability to import oil. The Kamikazes were brought into existence after the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Philippines, in 1944. Lack of oil meant lack of fighter plane fuel. Fuel supplies became so low they actually stopped training Japanese pilots at all. Pilots were ordered to "follow the leader" to the attack site because they didn't even have navigation training.
There was even an "Oil Czar" In the U.S. during World War II in PAW, the Petroleum Administration for War. The Oil Czar was Harold Ickes.
In the European Theater's Eastern Front Germany invaded Russia with Operation Barbarossa mostly to get the oil in the Caucuses (In addition to "lebensraum" and "untermensch" beliefs). In addition, a needed land-route to Iron Ore in Scandinavia via the Baltic SSR Republics was a factor. Hitler also began making synthetic oil because without enough of it Germany's war machine, domestic economy, and arms production were doomed. These synthetic oil factories were top targets in Allied bombing missions.
Oil and the Cold War World:
The Soviets dominated Eastern Europe and exerted its influence after WWII for 45 years because the Allies ran out of gasoline. When the British 3rd Army and U.S. 1st Army were advancing eastward toward Berlin chasing demoralized, retreating, and broken German troops in disarray. But because of the lack of gasoline for the Allied Armies, a million people ended up losing their lives and war was prolonged because the Germans were able to retreat and re-organize (page 388).
If someone says "it's not about the oil" today in 2007, tell them to read this book. Oil encompasses almost all things in our daily lives, whether we are are conscious of it, or not.
Oil, Military, and Economic Interests:
Democratically elected governments are overthrown by foreign governments because of oil. In 1953 Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh was democratically elected in Iran. He was an anti-communist. He didn't like the 93% to 7% profit sharing split with a British Oil company operating inside Iran. He changed it to 50-50. The CIA sponsored a coup to overthrow him. Americans were repeatedly told by the U.S. media that Mossadegh was a communist and communist sympathizer, although factually untrue. The American public believed this propaganda, according to poll results. Gullible? Mossadegh was ousted and the Shah was placed in power. Democracy has never been supported in the Middle East and it isn't now by the U.S. government. Also see the Carter Doctrine of 1980.
Most of us as individual consumers literally need oil to function. Dependence upon oil is for the continuation of the nation-state, its military machines, and domestic economy. More critical today, is that nation-states need a *sufficient* supply of it.
This is a positive book. It's a history book.
We're in the heart of the "Oil Age."
Amaze.......2007-06-19
This book is the better form to say what means the oil in the world. The history is well clear end real. There are many important information and who is curious or needs to know the subject this is a perfect one.
It's interesting to know the past to forecast the future..........2007-06-14
I really appreciated Daniel YERGIN's book.
The history of oil is crucial to try to solve the huge demand for future oil. History tells us that oil is limitless in virgin deserts...
Book Description
Oil on the Brain is a smart, surprisingly funny account of the oil industry—the people, economies, and pipelines that bring us petroleum, brilliantly illuminating a world we encounter every day.
Americans buy ten thousand gallons of gasoline a second, without giving it much of a thought. Where does all this gas come from? Lisa Margonelli’s desire to learn took her on a one-hundred thousand mile journey from her local gas station to oil fields half a world away. In search of the truth behind the myths, she wriggled her way into some of the most off-limits places on earth: the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the New York Mercantile Exchange’s crude oil market, oil fields from Venezuela, to Texas, to Chad, and even an Iranian oil platform where the United States fought a forgotten one-day battle.
In a story by turns surreal and alarming, Margonelli meets lonely workers on a Texas drilling rig, an oil analyst who almost gave birth on the NYMEX trading floor, Chadian villagers who are said to wander the oil fields in the guise of lions, a Nigerian warlord who changed the world price of oil with a single cell phone call, and Shanghai bureaucrats who dream of creating a new Detroit.
Deftly piecing together the mammoth economy of oil, Margonelli finds a series of stark warning signs for American drivers.
Customer Reviews:
Geopolitics Xtra-Lite!.......2007-10-16
Irreverence can be important when dealing with weighty topics, so I had high hopes for a few barbs to go with our national crack habit. The problem is that facts matter too, and this lightweight attempt to finesse oil's central role in power and empire scores an E for empty.
The first red flag was a failure to describe the extra 9/10 cent in the price of a gallon of American gasoline, a coffee break's worth of Heavy Investigative Work. For laughs, however, try out the chapter on Venezuela. If you can still draw breath, move on to the one on Iran. Apparently the owners and rulers of the US care deeply/are totally uninterested in overthrowing/supporting/ignoring the governments of petro-barren/oil-rich nations. And the author's feet are tired and she doesn't understand the culture she's visiting.
For a grownup treatment of oil, try Daniel Yergin's "The Prize" or "The Seven Sisters" by Anthony Summers. Though both are dated, they carry far more information and, yes, a handful of laughs.
A far better book I would suppose is.......2007-09-20
"For the Love of Oil" The Fleecing of the American Consumer by Big Oil Companies, The Politcians , and the Wall Street Comodity Traders. by J C McElroy a Professor at a midwestern college. It's only $7.43 here on Amazon and concise to the point and very enlightning yet only 67 pages long, so you don't get bored.
Generally great, but loses steam as it wears on.......2007-09-20
A fabulous look at the world of oil. Margonelli educates the reader and debunks commonly held beliefs by taking you on a trip backward through the petro supply chain. Her writing style is interesting and highly illustrative, and the insights she draws from her observations make the book initially hard to put down.
As the book takes her overseas, however, the insights start to wear thin and the text starts to drag on. In fact, I still haven't finished the book in its entirety, but what I learned in the first 100 pages was enough to make it well worth the cover price.
Fascinating and Informative!.......2007-09-11
Lisa takes readers on a three-year 100,000 mile roundabout trip from the oil well to the pump. During this trip she not only keeps readers' interest, but is informative as well.
At the pump we learn that 20 lbs. of pull takes the nozzle off the pump (preventing disaster to those forgetting to hang up the nozzle), backing over the pump causes it to easily break off at the base and automatically shut off, cell phones do not set off explosions, and sliding across the seat before getting out is not a good idea.
At the tank farm, we learn that many refineries making California's uique blend are at least 20 days away by tanker - Trinidad, Finland, and Newfoundland. Pipelines are now at 90-96% capacity; the fuel moves at only 3-8 mph. We will need 37% more gasoline by 2025, but only 8,000 of our 16,000 miles were built within the last 20 years - probably because another 10,000 miles will cost an estimated $1 trillion.
Next at the refinery, readers find out that those tall towers (fractioning) separate components by boiling point into 40 different trays; steam is the key ingredient in the process - 1.5 gallons of water is required for every gallon of crude. The Carson refinery near L.A. supplies nearly 40% of the city's needs and is investing $1 billion to store CO2 in underground wells; other environmental investments will cost another $300 million. Reducing gas flaring increases profits and helps the atmosphere. Worldwide, refineries are at 97% capacity - a major reason new ones are not being built is that profits are much greater for acquiring oil and refining it, though BP still earned $11.22/barrel in '03 on the West Coast.
Ninety percent of U.S. drilling rigs are looking for gas. Diesel train engines (usually multiple) are used to power the drill, and the unit costs $70,000/day. Twenty years ago only 10% of holes were successful; now 90% are - aided by detailed seismic maps and near real-time analysis of bit location. Workers are paid $13/hour, work 12 on, 12 off for 14 days, then 14 off; turnover is high. The International Energy Agency estimates raising the average well recovery rate from 35 to 40% would create more new oil than now in all of Saudia Arabis. Persian Gulf pumping costs can be as low as $3/barrel, vs. up to $35 in the Gulf of Mexico; another study concluded U.S. oil is 69X as expensive to obtain as that in Saudi Arabia.
Major oil-producing states tend to not invest in other industries, avoid taxing the populace, and are autocratic and corrupt. (So much for "trickle-down" economics?)
In 1970 the U.S. supported the Shah's plan to build nuclear power plants in Iran; in 1976 we also supported them obtaining a nuclear reprocessing facility for plutonium. Fifty-eight percent of Iran's budget goes to organizations headed by clerics answering to the supreme leader - they have the ability to start protests, provide patronage, and suppress dissent. The poor (30-50% unemployment) receive subsidized food; all have access to subsidized fuel. Forty percent of the world's traded oil passes through the Straits of Hormuz. U.S. sancionts keep U.S. companies from helping Iran maintain and expand oil production, while giving China free access. And then there are a few problems in Iraq as well!
Finally, on to China. By 2025 it will import possibly as much as the U.S. today. Meanwhile, it has set auto efficiency standards 5-10% higher than the U.S. (also boosts ability to sell autos in Europe), just developed a hydrogen-powered mini-truck for a cost of $7,000-$9,000, and set another goal for 15% of its energy from renewables by 2020.
Excellent book!
The Price of Gasoline.......2007-08-20
In the interest of full disclosure I want to start off by saying that I worked in the oil industry for 36 years and, in fact, my school years were spent in a community that was very largely dependent on oil refining for its livelihood. So, when it comes to the industry, I admit to being a little bit prejudiced in its favor and more than a little defensive when I sense that it is being unfairly criticized. The industry most certainly deserves some criticism when it comes to its past and to its present and I don't deny that. It's all of the nutty conspiracy theories that raise my blood pressure at times.
Lisa Margonelli's Oil on the Brain is the author's attempt to explain the price of a gallon of gasoline at the pump by tracing that refined product all the way back to its source. Margonelli came to her subject with the very limited understanding of the oil industry that the average American consumer has but, by spending time with industry people working in all of its many branches, she gathered enough information and insight to write an entertaining explanation of how gasoline is priced in today's market.
All of us, even oil company employees, shake our heads and cringe when we roll up to the gas pump for another painful purchase of enough gasoline to refill our tanks. That's why Margonelli begins her story at one of California's multi-pump convenience stores where she spent enough time to get a good feel for what it is like to be the retailer of a necessity for which the consumer feels gouged at every purchase. From there, she traces the flow of gasoline backward to the distribution system that includes truckers and pipeline systems, even riding with one trucker as he carried his dangerous cargo from its collection point to several California retailers.
Of course, she was still nowhere near the ultimate source of the gasoline, so she continued her backward journey and spent several days inside a California refinery where she watched the process of turning crude oil into its various finished products, including gasoline. She completed her journey by traveling to Freestone County, deep in East Texas, where she was welcomed onto one of the dozens of drilling rigs in the area.
Oil on the Brain does a fine job of simplifying and explaining the extremely complicated process of finding and producing oil and gas and I believe that most readers will gain a new appreciation for the complexity of such a risky undertaking. Margonelli also spent some time at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve located on the Texas Gulf Coast and in New York with the oil traders on the floor of the NYMEX. Those are particularly interesting chapters, especially the one concerning the NYMEX traders because it goes a long way in explaining why the price at the pump fluctuates as drastically and as often as it does.
The second half of Oil on the Brain recounts Margonelli's travels to Venezuela, Chad, Iran, Nigeria and China. All of these countries other than China are oil exporters and Margonelli details the effects, both good and bad, that impact the citizens of those countries when their governments become so dependent on the exportation of oil for their survival. Needless to say, the promises made to those citizens seldom morph into anything resembling the benefits listed by the oil companies because the local governments manage to squander and steal for themselves a large percentage of the new money that flows into the producing countries. Margonelli visited China to see for herself the rapid economic growth there that is causing the huge demand in oil imports that is so adversely impacting today's oil price.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand how the search for a predictable oil supply impacts world politics and the lives of all of us. As Margonelli says in one chapter, the hidden cost in each gallon of gasoline might be as much as $5 per gallon if one includes all of the tax money being spent by the United States to make it possible to keep the oil flowing in this direction. That includes money spent on the military, foreign aid, and homeland security spending that has largely become necessary because of this country's presence in the Middle East in search of oil.
Book Description
A necessary resource for anyone interested in alternative approaches to healing, this book contains more than 600 easy-to-follow recipes for essential oil treatments and aromatherapy.
Customer Reviews:
Good start, but I some criticisms.......2007-10-09
This has a lot of interesting explanations on how the oils mix, about synergistic blends. It is a great overview of aromatherapy.
However, I find the book to be a little bit too preachy. When the author wrote this book, did she consider the audience? Every other sentence explains about the toxicity and the poisons of our every day products. It's a bit much. One doesn't need to convert the choir. They are already converted, at least part way. One can do without such overt preachiness.
My second criticism is that the book is designed for a beginner. As a beginner, it seems to me that the recipes should be a little more basic. While in the beginning, she discusses the 10 essential oils that everyone should have in their basic care arsenal, the other recipes often go far beyond those 10. As a beginner, I have yet to acquire all of these costly oils, and then some. It would be helpful to have recipes that didn't contain 6-10 different oils. An example would be: these two oils is a basic recipe for this, and if you really want to go further, add these as well. (There are a number of recipes like that, but they are far and few.) Also, it would be nice to know why one essential oil was chosen over another for a certain mixture. Is it for anti-inflammatory reasons? For general antiseptic? Anti fungal? One has to do a lot of guessing. This is supposed to be a beginners book, after all.
Packed FULL of awesome info to help your health!.......2007-07-28
i bought two! gotta get it!
Keys to Third Heaven...Using Third Heaven Revelation to Impact a World
Seers Handbook
Only one minor flaw.......2007-06-21
Outstanding "British" book, but the Index table could be seriously improved. I hope the next edition will correct this minor detail.
Aromatherapy/Essential Oils.......2007-05-26
I usually use Gel Candles to fragrance my home. My daughter first told me about all types of Essential Oils and what they can do. So I went into the Internet and found this great book. It explains everything there is to know. For example, what is safe to use in the home, around children and pets. Its also explains what the scents are, which I plan to use to making greater Gel Candles. Most Important, what not to use cause it can be dangerous to your health. I really recommend this book.
be careful..........2007-05-26
The information and rememdies in this book are good but I found very important information on toxicity of oils to be lacking. In short, I tried a remedy for bunions by following the instructions given in the book, but I started feeling very strange and it wasn't until I read another reference book on essential oils that I found tagetes oil is listed on the toxic oil list. The warning is to use it only very diluted (which her recipe was NOT)and for only two weeks. There are some other oils in her recipes that are photoxic for the skin but there is no mention of this in her book. It's of vital importance that the consumer know the complete information about all the oils they will be using. I would recommend buying a complete reference book of esential oils as a companion to this one.
Customer Reviews:
Essential.......2007-10-05
This is the one book I would not be without.
It is very informative and helpful.
I am a soapmaker and use the information re: the essential oils to make aromatheray and therapuetic, skin softening soaps.
too general.......2005-10-10
Gives uses for many plants and the essential oils but no complete details for making the remedies with the oils. Eg. how much of each oil to put into the natural remedies?
Encyclopedia of Essential Oils.......2005-08-17
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils is a wonderful book to add to a collection of knowledge of Aromatherapy. It contains very detailed properties of each essential oil - easy to understand and great for reference for all to read, learn and practice. If you can't find what you are looking for specifically for an essential oil, you will most definately find it in this book.
Your Aromatherapy library is not complete if you don't have the book.......2005-08-03
If I had to have only two books in my Aromatherapy Library, this would be one of them, along with The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, by Salvatore Battaglia. I have been an Aromatherapist since 2003, I know - a relatively short time - but a productive time, and I could not have accomplished what I have without this book. It is a very complete list - if not the best list - of essential oils available in book form, with all their properties, chemical breakdown, methods of extraction, history, ancient uses for the plants and oils, modern uses, toxicity and as if this wasn't enough - the photos are marvolous and extremely helpful in identifying plants and the oil colour. Every plant gets a whole page and the format repeats and is so easy to follow. What makes this book stand out among its peers is the ease of use with an excellent index, glossary of terms, botanical index, botanical classification and references (just because a book has these thing doesn't mean they are always good or useful).
The most toxic of essential oils, which are hardly mention in other books , or, we are merely warned to stay away from for aromatherapy use, are also covered in Ms. Lawlwess' book, and I am glad for that because I want to know the "why" of everything. Why is it bad? After all - this is meant as a reference book, not a "how to". It is one of the most important books on essential oils and you are cheating yourself not to have a copy. I don't know if Ms. Julia Lawless is alive, and if she is, when she will come out with an updated version, but I sure hope so.
Illustrated Encylopedia of Essential Oils.......2005-08-02
I love the wonderful pictures and illustrations. This book is great and will get let you see the physical properties of herbs and oils. Great reference guide.
Product Description
By the early 90s, a raging bull market was delivering spectacular returns, causing some to believe that a market collapse and subsequent depression would soon appear. As a result of these fears, some exited the capital markets altogether. Thereafter, the Internet took off causing the market bubble to swell, many high-tech stocks with seemingly limitless valuations. Over the course of its 13-year stretch, the market appreciated by over 600 percent, with average annual returns in excess of 18 percent. And we all remember what happened at the start of the new millennium. Even after the deflation of the Internet bubble, cautious investors who pulled out of the market a decade earlier missed out on spectacular returns since then. Many investors who entered the market near its peak suffered devastating losses. But most who remained invested since the early 90s are still much better off today. While this correction revealed the most recent illusions embedded within the economy, it s only a small part of what will be a larger correction in the coming years. Despite the scandals in corporate America and Wall Street, many investors fail to recognize that the post-bubble period is quite different from the Bull Run in the 90s. But today, the capital markets have been realigned with authenticity, and economics now control the investment cycle rather than hype generated by Wall Street. Accordingly, Wall Street and the U.S. Government can only hide the realities of America s decline for so long. Unfortunately, America entered the free trade paradigm as a losing participant from the start. While America remains as the centerpiece for the global economy, it relies on record debt to maintain its status as the world s strongest consumer marketplace. But this cannot last much longer. America s vulnerable role in the new economy threatens to erode the strength of its empire. Already, America has witnessed a gradual disappearance of its core citizens; the middle class. As well, poverty continues to grow while America s wealthiest quintile increases their wealth. These trends have been masked by record levels of credit-based spending and manipulation of economic data. For over two decades, several nations have benefited at the expense of America s job base and living standards. This led to a long period of excessive consumption relative to productivity. When the economic boom from the post-war period began to lose steam in the 60s, consumption began to exceed productivity, as Americans refused to acknowledge a decline in living standards. Up until the 70s, America fueled this consumption-production disparity using the surplus wealth generated during the post-war boom. During the 80s, America s growing consumption was compounded by massive government spending and a devastating oil crisis. Shortly thereafter, the consumer credit industry grew to meet the demands of a nation experiencing large productivity deficits. And today, America is vastly different than the post-war period. Rather than increases in net wealth, America s growth over the past two decades has been fueled by credit spending which has created the illusion of impressive productivity, while serving to mask declining living standards. As a consequence of these changes, America s financial industry is now one of its biggest and most profitable. Today, America is more dependent on foreign nations than anytime in its history. Declining oil reserves and a foreign-funded credit bubble have positioned the fate of this nation in the hands of the world. Soon, America will face the economic burden of 76 million aging boomers. Beginning in 2011, mandatory expenditures for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will start to grow rapidly. By 2025, these expenses will have swelled to unthinkable levels.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent presentation of data, some mistakes.......2007-10-11
The author did an excellent job compiling data that is extremely important to understand if one is to thrive in America in the next 2 decades. There will no doubt be sweeping changes to rectify our current account deficit and aging boomer population. The author shed light on the politics behind Greenspan & Co's delay when our country needs to address these problems now. Other topics include: the .com bubble, real estate / credit bubble, free trade, health care, social security, energy crisis, and education.
Yes there are typos and some minor implications that are incorrect, but I don't believe they affect the overall concepts presented. I have also read "The Dollar Crisis" and find both books to be honest presentations of America's current economic state. I would have enjoyed even more information on developing nations, but the title of the book focuses on America, so be it. Overall, I felt this book was an excellent read that is neither conservative nor extreme but simply a presentation of data and well-thought hypothetical analysis of what is to come for America. Only the typos keep it from getting 5 stars.
Riddled with inaccuracies.......2007-07-30
This book manages to cover all major problems faced by the United States in the next 20-30 years - trade deficit, healthcare crisis, education crisis, etc. - and it does so in a fairly comprehensive way, with large numbers of facts and graphs.
The reason why I can't give it more than 3 stars for this achievement is that the number of mistakes it contains (from misspellings to factual errors) is absolutely incredible. It seems that no one (other than the author) so much as read the book before it went to the printing press.
First of all, there are spelling errors. English is not my native language, yet I've been able to notice one spelling error every 20-30 pages. "Notices in-lue of gold" (p.2). "Right to bare arms" (p.25). "America will loose its technology edge" (p.61), and so on. There are factual errors as well. According to the author, Statue of Liberty was erected on Ellis Island (p.27), Berlin Wall fell "a few years" after 1991 (p.10), and Albert Einstein immigrated into the United States in 1940. He thinks that women who give birth after entering the United States illegally are guaranteed citizenship because their newborns become U.S. citizens (p.32) - but he either does not know or fails to mention that they have to wait for their child to turn 18 before they even have a shot at legalization. He frequently claims (or implies) that Chinese goods are cheaper because Chinese government and Chinese companies do not provide healthcare or retirement benefits to their workers (p.41), when in fact they do. All these problems make me wary of any other claims he makes in his book.
There are many interesting graphs and charts in the book, but at least some of them were "cooked up" by the author from third-party data, so they are not always reliable. One rather puzzling chart is located on p. 113. It is a pie-chart labelled "Factors Driving Rising Costs in Healthcare (2001-2002, in $ billions)". However, pieces of the pie are labelled with percentage values and clearly add up to 100% (e.g. "Increased Consumer Demand, 15%"). Author comments, "Someone explain to me the economics of increased consumer demand leading to a 15% increase in healthcare costs in one year". It's clear that he has no idea what's really shown on the chart.
The book is heavy on portrayal of various weaknesses in modern U.S. economy, but rather light on attempts to predict the future. There is almost no discussion about the impact of American crisis on the rest of the world. Author predicts major revaluation of the dollar, but does not provide any macroeconomic analysis of consequences of this revaluation. He seems to think that collapse will not occur at least until 2012, but he's not very clear why he thinks it won't be triggered by deflation of the real estate bubble.
Overall this is an interesting and comprehensive book that's worth reading for anyone who thinks that U.S. economy is doing well, but it's not scientific or reliable enough to be of real value for an investor.
I recommend "Dollar Crisis" as a complementary treatment of the U.S trade deficit / credit bubble problem.
A chilling but accurate expose of how we came to be in such economic peril as a capitalist nation.......2007-06-10
In writing "America's Financial Apocalypse: How To Profit From The Next Great Depression", the author draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as a business, financial, and investment consultant for two of Wall Street's largest investment firms and elsewhere in private financial markets. Strathis provides an impressively analytical explanation as to how the liberals on the left and the conservatives on the right are working in differing ways to destroy America's fiscal and economic well-being; how the federal government in Washington is dominated by corporations; how China has taken total advantage of America's trading policies to our nation's detriment. Readers will be shocked to learn how America is legally bankrupt; how today the 'American Dream' cannot be achieved by most American citizens; the truth concerning the future of Social Security; the inevitable and looming consequences of the present pension plan crisis; and why most Americans working today will not be able to retire as their parent were able to in the past. "America's Financial Apocalypse" also addresses just how the American government manipulates economic data; how the Bush administration is responsible for the worst economic recovery in American financial history; how the real estate bubble could cause the stock and bond markets to collapse; how America's political and economic fate is in the hands of foreign countries; why the American government is really allied to the Saudi Arabians despite the established identities of the 9/11 attack; the looming global oil crisis; Alan Greenspans dismal performance as a Fed Chairman; the plummeting value of the dollar in the international currency markets; and the continuing rise in value of precious metals and oil. After laying out all of these 'inconvenient truths' about America's economic future, Strathis also lays out how the wise and savvy investor can still profit from an inevitable depression that will collapse America's economy in the very near future. A chilling but accurate expose of how we came to be in such economic peril as a capitalist nation, "America's Financial Apocalypse" is especially recommended reading for its clear and methodical explanation of just how the individual investor can survive what will prove to be the 'Next Great Depression'.
This Book Has NO Comparable!.......2007-04-05
Finally, an insightful, detailed, and massive compilation of America's economy and investment markets. This book is HIGHY recommended.
The reviewer below is actually wrong in his simplistic assumption that deflation is the exact opposite of inflation. While deflation tends to cause a relative increase in buying power, this effect is only when deflation is modest and in the early stages. During a more prolonged period, deflation creates a decline in GDP and therefore purchasing power due to the relative effects on currency exchange rates.
I find it amazing that a person could give such a bad review over one statement that he thinks is wrong (when in fact it is not) despite all of the massive data and extensive coverage of material. If a reader chooses to cherry pick from within a massive resource such as this book, they will miss the forest from the trees.
Hold on there...........2007-04-05
After spending $55+ for this book, I started to leaf through it and promptly came across the following comment: "...rising gold prices usually result from a deflationary economy not an inflationary one, as investors seek to minimize the loss in buying power of their currency." So far as I know, a deflationary environment INCREASES the buying power of one's currency, as prices generally decrease during a deflationary episode. In other words, one can buy more loaves of bread per dollar in the bank. Gold is generally a hedge against inflation or fiat currency collapse, not deflation. Given what seems to me a basic error of this nature, I will be skeptical of other information in the book.
Book Description
Offers down-to-earth advice on painting gorgeous outdoors scenes through 10 step-by-step demos Teaches painters how to master the art of observation Shows readers how to translate field notes and sketches into fully realized studio paintings The overwhelming beauty of the outdoors is one of the most inspiring - and elusive - subjects for painters. With Landscape Painting Inside and Out, Kevin Macphearson first shows readers how to see like an artist, then teaches them how to recreate their vision into stunningly realistic outdoors scenes. His insightful process encourages readers to focus on the small details to achieve big results.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent examples.......2007-09-19
This book gives practical, specific advice on improving your landscape painting technique. I especially like the illustrations. The paintings are beautiful and "fresh." Not your average landscapes. They inspired me.
shadows.......2007-09-10
Great book Good information but Kevin seems to lose his separation of the lights and shadows in some of his demos in the back of the book He talks about it but then shadows start getting to light in value and too much detail. This could be from the reproductions of his painting
Not as much "color and light" in this one........2007-08-11
Having read this author's previous book on putting color and light in your paintings, I was a little disappointed with this one---I expected more. The book was well organized, (had, once again, pages of stuff about selecting your brushes, etc.); the author set forth his view of a limited palette, and said that you needed to be excited about your painting---but I don't believe that he was excited when he wrote this. If he was, he didn't convey it well. Had a number of exercises, some reasonable, others only for the wealthy (use an entire tube of cadmium red light on your painting (That is, really thick!)
Anyway, having read through the book, I would not buy this book again --- that's the bottom line.
Wonderful instruction for the Plein-Air artist........2007-06-27
Kevin Macpherson gives thorough instructions in his book from colors used to composition. A beautiful book with many demonstrations. I would highly recommend to the beginning or advanced Plein-Air painter in oil.
A "Must Have" Resource.......2007-05-23
If you are an oil painter or even if you are a want-to-be painter, Kevin MacPherson's book is a terrific reference. Personally, I'm a Plein Air painter and Kevin is a master at painting on location. He covers what supplies you'll need and techniques in painting. I've had this book for some time and still refer to it often.
Amazon.com
The End of Oil is a "geologic cautionary tale for a complacent world accustomed to reliable infusions of cheap energy." The book centers around one irrefutable fact: the global supply of oil is being depleted at an alarming rate. Precisely how much accessible (not to mention theoretical) oil remains is debatable, but even conservative estimates mark the peak of production in decades rather than centuries. Which energy sources will replace oil, who will control them, and how disruptive to the current world order the transition from one system to the next will be are just a few of the big questions that Paul Roberts attempts to answer in this timely book.
As Roberts makes abundantly clear, the major oil players in the world wield their enormous economic and political power in order to maintain the status quo. Of course, they get plenty of help from the tens of millions of consumers, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, who guzzle oil as if there is an unlimited supply. And this demand shows no sign of abating--nearly half of the world's population lives without the benefits of fossil fuels and they desperately want to be among the haves. In countries such as China and India, where energy systems are already breaking down, Roberts discusses how they are looking to oil to fuel their race for development, in many cases ignoring environmental considerations altogether.
Though there is much to be pessimistic about, Roberts does uncover some positive developments, such as the race for alternative energy sources, notably hydrogen fuel cells, which could help to ease us off of our oil dependence before a full-blown energy crisis occurs. No one book could cover every aspect of what Roberts calls "arguably the most serious crisis ever to face industrial society," but The End of Oil is a remarkably informative and balanced introduction to this pressing subject. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
You live in this world. You use oil. You must read this book. The situation is alarming and irrefutable: within thirty years, even by conservative estimates, we will have burned our way through most of the oil that is readily available to us. Already, the costly side effects of dependence on fossil fuel are taking their toll. Even as oil-related conflict threatens entire nations, individual consumers are suffering from higher prices at the gas pump, rising health problems, and the grim prospect of long-term environmental damage. In this frank and balanced investigation, Paul Roberts offers a timely wake-up call. He talks to both oil optimists and oil pessimists, delves deep into the economics and politics of oil, and considers the promises and pitfalls of alternatives such as wind power, hybrid cars, and hydrogen. A new afterword brings the book up to the minute. Brisk, immediate, and accessible, this is essential reading for anyone who uses oil, which is to say every one of us.
Customer Reviews:
Fair minded and objective overview of big energy.......2007-09-23
Very readable....Roberts does an excellent job of presenting opinions fairly and from many pro/contra angles. He has fully immersed himself in his topic and the book is chocked-full of fascinating energy facts.
What to do about our energy future has become as politically polarized as abortion - Conservatives favor fossil fuels and the Moderate - Liberal folks want to go Renewable.
Roberts is bare-knuckled about what he feels the agendas are behind the current debate, which leads him to a (slightly) reserved pessimism about our chances of making it out of the mess we've made, by putting all our energy eggs in one basket. He does not hide his contempt for later-day politicians who can't see the forest for the trees and won't take action to avert the coming energy drought.
A must read, but with lots of salt........2007-08-14
This book is both well-written and well-researched. The analysis is sound, in so far as I understand this complex set of issues.
But I have serious doubts. First, I found the writing hysterical and humorless. Granted, he's a journalist, and this is subject is serious, but my first instinct on reading a book written like this is to call BS. I've seen too many books over the years on subjects like Japanese industrial dominance, the death of the whales, economic collapse, etc., to believe that mankind won't self-adjust somehow. To forecast the "end of civilization" in re: Diamond's Collapse, is to make lots of dubious assumptions about causation.
That is not to trivialize the real dangers he exposes with regard to our energy supply. The trifecta of petro-terrorism, climate change, and the energy lobby in DC is surely dangerous. Danger, however, does not spell Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. It spells real problems, that may limit our taste for luxury, but I don't think it's a given that a coming "perilous new world" will make Austin, TX the new Camden, NJ. (Camden's not even that bad).
I think it's instructive to look back to the two basic views on human nature undergirding our liberal legal system: Hobbes and Locke. Roberts seems to believe that a constrained energy supply will lead us to the war of all against all. I'm not so sure we're all that anti-social, and humankind's seen this discussion around 1550-1700. So, if the end of oil poses a crisis in wealth, we will all have to cope, but I'm not sure we'll all become like "dogs fighting in the street over pieces of meat", to quote from the oilman in Syriana.
Wake up call for Americans.......2007-04-15
A lot of these reviews are very good. I think the book is very informative and deeply researhed. I also recommend reading "Blood Oil", look it up.
Great book, but a little scary.......2007-03-15
An excellent, thorough and fair review of the global energy situation and the options for our future. It's just a little scary and frustrating that we really aren't doing anything about the challenges the author presents.
Fantastic! Eye-opening, timely, and useful guide for these times!.......2007-03-09
This book gives you a thorough history of our relationship to energy sources, and prepares us for the bumpy roads ahead. Highly recommended. I can now dive into current oil/global warming/energy issues and headlines with a greater understanding of the overall picture. Thankfully, since this was written, the Inconvenient Truth movie was released, and people are getting clued in to the realities of climate change.
Product Description
This is your highest-yielding oil and gas investment. Period. Do you have money ... or time ... in an upstream oil and gas deal? ... as investor?, landowner?, or professional? in (or associated with) the upstream oil business? If you do, get this book. MONEY IN THE GROUND has been coninuously in print for 19 years. It has become THE standard reference on the subject of oil and gas deals. The industry-standard reference on oil & gas investment by a world-class geologist. He starts at square one to give you the background. Then you get inside information on specific details...with examples. Vital down-to-earth tips on taxes & securities. Plus real-world practical know-how (not theory!) on how the money side of the oil game is played! Required reading for: Land Owners, Investors, Lawyers, Bankers, Accountants, Mineral & Royalty Owners! LET'S TALK AN OIL DEAL--Your Key To Oil Patch Lingo. 1991. 120 pp. $13.50. 4x7" paper. ISBN 0-9615776-2-2. You'll never again be at the mercy of the oil companies, with this key to their oil jargon! Every term you need to know is here: mineral rights & overriding royalties; farm-outs & turnkeys; back-ins & payout; blue-sky laws, behind-pipe, bottoms up, & more. Pocket-handy!
Customer Reviews:
Must Read Book On Oil and gas Well Investing.......2007-07-13
Oil and gas well investing is risky and very profitable. This book provides a great detailed over view of the industry, gas well geology, the risks associated with investing and the science behind successful investing.
Don't tread into the oil and gas patch before reading this book.
Good Primer For Anyone Looking At Oil & Gas Opportunities.......2006-07-05
Mr. Orban has penned a very useful guide to the oil business. He covers all the important aspects of the industry and packages it especially for the investor. After reading this book, you'll know most everything you'll need to know in order to enter an intelligent, informed discussion with most anyone on the subject of oil & gas. The book is particularly helpful in directing you to ask the right questions of the right people to evaluate any deal or project. If you're new to oil & gas investing, this book is a must.
Great Book For Investors.......2006-02-25
I bought this book to evaluate an oil investment opportunity. Prior to reading this book, I knew nothing about the oil business. After reading the book, I felt comfortable enough to invest. The book gave me the knowledge I needed to ask the right questions and to evaluate the fundamental assumptions upon which the investment was based. I'd recommend this book to anyone who knows little about the industry, but wants a good overview to evaluate a potential investment opportunity.
Good book for the novice investor.......2005-10-14
Being a newly acquired employee of the oil and gas industry this has really helped me out in a number of ways. It puts things in very basic terms on what goes on in an oil deal and how all the components of downstream and upstream work together. It has a great section in the book about the tax benefits related to the oil and gas industry. It really should be called "The oil business for dummies" book. I would suggest this book to any one that is a mineral owner or just some one that is interested in investing in an O&G Fund or O&G company.
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