Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

If you want to teach your children to not be afraid of people just because they're different this is the book
This is a fantastic book.All the beautiful colors and different kinds of sea creatures are great.The best part is the message though and it's loud and clear.Rainbow fish is open to new experiences and he isn't afraid to meet new fish just because they're rumored to be a certain way.He checks it out for himself.

Nice book
I wanted a book I could read to my 2 month old baby and have his attention. This book did it. My baby seemed to enjoy all the colorful pictures, it's a pretty book. The only thing I didn't like is that the description says it has 32 pages and it only has 28 (counting the blank pages)

Another good read from the Rainbow Fish
This probably isn't my favorite Rainbow Fish book, but it probably is the one with the most colorful and interesting illustrations.

The moral of this story is about not being scared of people (fish) from other places who look different than you.The Rainbow Fish discovers that, while there is some danger in the deep ocean, most of the odd-looking creatures there are kind and helpful.I'm not sure if that's really true of the creatures of the deep sea, but it's probably good to teach kids not to judge a book by its cover and fear everyone who looks different.

another Rainbow Fish gem!
Ive read a few of the Rainbow fish books to my daughter, but the original and this one are her favorites!Meeting lots of new friends some helpful, some not...and the shiny illustrations...a great bedtime book for any child!My 3 1/2 year old loves it...we checked it out at the library at least 4 times before i finally broke down and bought it :)

Rainbow fish books are a great wholesome thing to spend money on.
We have all the hardcover copies and the memory game too. It's always a hit for sure. And the book this time was very affordable from Amazon. We havn't purchased all the other items that are part of that large collection of Rainbow Fish creations. Watch out cause some of the books are written in other languages. And also, some books are paperback. I have always had a great experience shopping at Amazon, and i think they're doing a super job. ... Read more

Product Description
Expert advice on freshwater aquarium fish.

Illustrated in full color, this comprehensive reference includes 500 of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish. It provides concise at-a-glance information on their behavior, diet and breeding, along with a recommended aquarium setup. Practical and well organized, this book is tailored to the needs of a wide range of freshwater-aquarium hobbyists.

A key decision for the aquarium owner, and also one of the most fun to make, is choosing the fish for a tank. 500 Freshwater Aquarium Fish is a "window shopping" trip, with an expert alongside to offer crucial advice. This thorough directory details every appropriate species. While most of the fish featured require a heated aquarium, there are other popular varieties, such as goldfish, that can be kept in an unheated one.

With more than 500 color photographs, the book is organized by major fish groups, among them:- Cichlids, including angelfish and discus- Catfish- Cyprinids, including barbs, danios, koi and goldfish- Characoids, including tetras, neons and piranhas- Oaches and suckers- Gouramis, including bettas, paradise fish and snakeheads- Rainbow fish and blue-eyes- Livebearers, including mollies and platies.

This comprehensive and useful reference, edited by a highly respected expert, will be welcomed by amateur fishkeepers of any age and expertise. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Good, but not great, reference book for beginners.
Be aware that the physical size of this book may be smaller than you expect.With that said, the size is not so much an issue for me.There are lots of fish covered in this book and it is helpful for beginners.Don't expect much detail though on any particular species.For that, look for species specific books.The summaries are good for general information, though I wish life expectancy was part of the standard information given.Overall good book and glad to have in my library.

Not my favorite
I was disappointed in this book because the type was very light and hard to read. It also does not succinctly state the individual requirements of each species (temp, water chemistry, suggested tank size) in favor of a more narrative approach. I have used it for the photos to see differences between species. My favorite fresh water fish reference is Barron's guide. I hoped this might would have even more info, but instead it had less, in a less accessible format.

great quick ref.book
this is a handy book, I use it more for the quick ref.- each fish has a quick description of what type water the fish requires, lighting, food, etc.it's perfect-

COMPACT BUT INFORMATIVE
GIVES THE NECESSARY BASICS BUT WISH IT INCLUDED WHAT GETS ALONG WITH WHAT INSTEAD OF SUGGESTED SPECIES BEHAVIOR

A HANDY LITTLE BOOK
This is a beautiful little volume.I only gave it 4 stars because of its diminutive size (6x6) which makes it hard to hold while reading.Otherwise, it is a very concise atlas of the more common species of aquarium fishes along with a description of temperment and a brief summation of the proper conditions under which they must be kept.There is a small 3x4 photo of each species included.All in all, it's a very beautiful albiet small book that any fish hobbiest would enjoy owning. ... Read more

Product Description
A greedy fisherman's wife is granted every wish but can't find happiness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great update of a Children's Classic!
This is an updated version of a book that I read as a child. I hope to read it to my daughter when she is a bit older. I love the water color style illustrations in the old version. However, the new version does a good job of capturing the same images with a little extra flare.

The Magic Fish
This is a book we read to our children.The color graphics are much more dramatic in this printing. Now we reading it to our grandson Peyton.Sometimes our basic needs being met is all we really need.More is not always better.

A favorite from childhood
I had to find this book for my own kids since my parents' copy was badly damaged.I have great childhood memories of this book and my daughter loved it by the second reading."Why?" . . . "Never mind why," said the woman. . . "I don't want to go," . . . "Go," said his wife.The wonderful rhyme and nagging wife make this book a classic.I miss the old pictures but it has the original text which no other version of this Grimm's fairy tale has matched.

An introduction to fairy tales, folklore, and magic
This folk tale is unlike most of the storybooks that you'll find marketed towards children. It is much closer to the original grim fairy tales in that it has something of a sense of menace and danger about it, and also lacks the now-requisite happy ending.

It tells the story of a fisherman who earns the favor of a magic fish through his own good-heartedness. He has no thought of reward, but his wife convinces him to ask the fish to upgrade their hut to a house, which the fish seems happy to do. But then the wife continues to convince the fisherman to go ask the fish for upgrades, until she is Queen of the land and wants to be Queen of the Sun and the Stars.

Every time the fisherman goes to ask the fish for something else, the sea is stormier, although the fish says nothing. In the end, the fish decides that the wife has asked for too much, and takes away everything.

There is so much going on in this story that a child can enjoy it for years. The characters and their relationship to each other provide for an instructive discussion about why we do favors, and why we should be reasonable in our requests. It also tells us a lot about what it takes to be happy.

The repetitive nature of the plot should also be comforting to children.

I really recommend the 1967 edition, which was masterfully illustrated by Ed Arno. The pictures are done in blue and black, with a funky thick-line-drawing style which perfectly captures the mood of each page.

a classic tale retold
The Magic Fish is a classic fable of greed that all people (not just children!) should read and familiarize themselves with.An old fisherman and his crabby, demanding wife live by the sea.She demands that he go catch some fish, and the fisherman snags a bug-eyed, yellow talking magic fish.The Fish is really a prince, and the fisherman frees him.His wife, angry that he returned empty handed, demands that he go back and demand a pretty house from the fish.Her wish is granted.

One can see where this leads to:the wife continually demands more and more wonderful things for herself (is this where the term "fishwife" came from??) until the magic fish becomes angry and takes EVERYTHING back.The fisherman, who meanwhile didn't WANT to keep going back to the magic fish, was perfectly happy with what he already had.

"The Magic Fish" is a fable that we simply don't hear enough of these days, and I think it would be good if we heard it more often.Our culture is one where we are constantly encouraged to buy, buy, BUY and our spiritual wealth is often judged by our material wealth:more stuff = happiness.The tale of the magic fish, with it's stout, heavy illustrations by Pels, reminds us that sometimes what we HAVE is all that we NEED, and greed comes before a fall.Highly recommended for all ages. ... Read more

Product Description
This no-nonsense guide to canning, freezing, curing, and smoking meat, fish, and game is written in down-to-earth, informative, everyday language. The third edition of this perennial bestseller is completely revised and updated to comply with the latest USDA health and safety guidelines. Includes dozens of delicious recipes for homemade Beef Jerky, Pemmican, Venison Mincemeat, Corned Beef, Gepockelete (German-style cured pork), Bacon, Canadian Bacon, Smoked Sausage, Liverwurst, Bologna, Pepperoni, Fish Chowder, Cured Turkey, and a variety of hams. Learn tasty pickling methods for tripe, fish, beef, pork, and oysters. An excellent resource for anyone who loves meat but hates the steroids and chemicals in commercially available products. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great book
Before I read this book, I knew NOTHING about preserving meat. Now, if the power goes out, my cabinet will be full and my stomach will be happy. :D

check your pages
This book had pages missing and misplaces.I had to return it for a refund.It had good info, but a bad printing.I will be reordering and hope to get the whole book this time.

Useful


Very Useful for anyone interested in Living off of the Land.

Great Seller!!
Good service.Product arrived in good condition and in a timely manner.Would do business whit this seller again!

Help out alot
I ordered this book to find out how to cure bacon and smoke meat. I found it very helpfull. I was having a hard time in finding a cure, but the book sugested a cure by mortin. I will tell everyone I know. If you need a good meat book this is one of our favorites. ... Read more

Product Description
"A marvelous, compelling tale"(Rocky Mountain News) from the New York Times bestselling author of Salt and Cod.

Gloucester, Massachusetts, America's oldest fishing port, is defined by the culture of commercial fishing. But the threat of over-fishing, combined with climate change and pollution, is endangering a way of life, not only in Gloucester but in coastal cities all over the world. And yet, according to Kurlansky, it doesn't have to be this way. Engagingly written and filled with rich history, delicious anecdotes, colorful characters, and local recipes, The Last Fish Tale is Kurlansky's most urgent story, "an engrossing multi-layered portrait of a fishing community that can be read for pure pleasure as well as being a campaigning plea for the environment" (Financial Times). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great tale of a tragic loss
Similiar in nature to his "The Big Oyster," this book recounts the glory days and tragic demise of the succulent and valuable cod fish.I was very grieved over this ecological and economic disaster, brought on as usual, by human greed and thoughlessness.

Now of course, I can't go to the fish market without feeling guilt which is terrible since he gives the reader wonderous Early American recipes for stews, cheeks, and the wonderful salted cod dishes indigenous to Brazilians, Basques and Africans who have loved this trade fish for centuries.

Another great one....
This guy can't write a bad book.....Cod, Salt, The Big Oyster and now this....a great run of writing for Mr. Kurlansky

"From the beginning they saw fish as limitless...The only obstacles to catching more were the limitations of technology."
Walking the fine line between those who want to preserve the renowned fishing industry of Gloucester, Massachusetts, long into the future and those who see that industry as already nearly dead, NY Times reporter Mark Kurlansky examines the history of the community, its ties to the sea, and its very uncertain economic future.At the same time, he also worries about the future of the Atlantic Ocean itself as a resource, one now so endangered that unless the federal government institutes"overall eco-system management," and not just quotas on specific catches, it will soon die.The government has wasted too much time on short-term "remedies," he believes, and has done no comprehensive long-term planning for the eco-system on which the industry depends.Ultimately, the "scientists" responsible for the health of our ocean have made too many mistakes, and fishermen in Gloucester and elsewhere are paying the price.

Kurlansky describes Gloucester (pronounced "GLOSS-ter") from its earliest discoveries by the Vikings to its first settlements, emphasizing its colonial fishing industry, a time in which people would routinely catch cod that were four or five feet long and halibut weighing 200 - 400 pounds.Between colonial times and 1991, when the unexpected Perfect Storm struck, the city has lost six thousand Gloucester fishermen and many hundreds of vessels at sea, yet the fishing industry persists.The evolution of large trawlers and draggers, and the arrival of mammoth ships from Japan and Russia to fish just offshore, led the local industry to try to protect itself by getting exclusive fishing zones and the two-hundred mile limit established, but "[continued] stern dragging has endangered two-thirds of the world's fish stocks," and the prospects for the future look bleak.

Waves of Jewish, Sicilian, and Portuguese immigrants have kept the city socially vibrant, and the fishing boats filled with willing workers. Their cultural contributions and festivals, especially St. Peter's Fiesta in July, described in detail here, are part of the fabric of society and a fully-attended joy for the entire community.The city also has a long history as an art colony, with Fitz Hugh (Henry) Lane, Winslow Homer, William Morris Hunt, Childe Hassam, John Henry Twachtman, Emile Gruppe, and even Edward Hopper taking advantage of the special light reflected off the sea to give luminosity to their paintings.T. S. Eliot vacationed in Gloucester, Rudyard Kipling wrote Captains Courageouswhile living in Gloucester, and NY playwright Israel Horovitz has produced his plays in Gloucester for almost forty years.

Still, the community sees itself almost exclusively as a fishing port and wants to remain one. In the 1980s, the fishing community convinced the city to zone the entire waterfront for commercial maritime activities only."Someday fishing will improve," they believe, and then they will have the land they need to expand."Otherwise it will turn into Newport."With these zoning regulations in place, there's no possibility that that will happen or that tourism will become an industry to fill the economic gap left by the decimated fishing industry.There are no docking facilities for pleasure boats, and the extensive waterfront is a weedy wasteland with no new building and no hotel.In 2008, the battle continues to rage between the "preservationists" who want to preserve the fishing industry and its control of the waterfront and those who believe that a mixture of uses might better serve both the community and the economy.So far the fishermen are hanging tough, hoping for a renewal of their fishing stocks.n Mary Whipple

Bear of the Sea : Giant Jim Pattillo and the Roaring Years of the Gloucester-Nova Scotia Fishery by Joe Garland
North Shore Fish by Israel Horovitz
North Shore Fish, film with Tony Danza
Captains Courageous, with Lionel Barrymore, Spencer Tracy
The Perfect Storm [Blu-ray] with George Clooney

Gloucester and Fishing History Well Told
The author, in writing about the history of Gloucester, captures the feel of the city and its inhabitants well. Beginning with the discovery of the town, and progressing through the history, the author demonstrates well some of the ups and downs that have occurred in Cape Ann over the past several centuries.

From the history of the city, the author slips gently into the reasons that fish stocks are declining and discusses the animosity found between government regulators and the people who earn a living fishing. While not detailed, it does present an easy to understand look at the problems associated with fish stock management.

In addition, the book compares similar towns in other countries to allow the reader to realize that this is not a problem that exists strictly within the northeast portion of the US or with a single port. He also examines the effect of tourism on the towns and the problems tourism can create in working fishing villages.

This book is a good general look at the history of Gloucester, as well as fish depletion. It is a recommended read to anyone who is interested in the life style in a fishing community as well as how the fishing industry is in trouble.

For people who are interested in more detail on the plight of the New England fish stocks, and the views of both government regulators and the fishermen, I would highly recommend "The Great Gulf: Fishermen, Scientists, and the Struggle to Revive the World's Greatest Fishery by David Dobbs. It is a detailed look at the problems from both sides and goes into detail on the subject.

Another winner from Mark Kurlansky
Anyone with a passion for coastal United States will appreciate Mark Kurlansky's portrait of Gloucester. He captures the essence of Gloucester and at the same time the challenges of its fishing community. While most newsjournalistssimply write off this great working port, Kurlansky leaves us with an appreciation of not only Gloucester's robustpast but its link to today. The Last Fish Tale is tough to put down once you start.The Last Fish Tale: The Fate of the Atlantic and Survival in Gloucester, America's Oldest Fishing Port and Most Original Town ... Read more

Product Description
A delightful romp through history with all its economic forces laid bare, Cod is the biography of a single species of fish, but it may as well be a world history with this humble fish as its recurring main character. Cod, it turns out, is the reason Europeans set sail across the Atlantic, and it is the only reason they could. What did the Vikings eat in icy Greenland and on the five expeditions to America recorded in the Icelandic sagas? Cod--frozen and dried in the frosty air, then broken into pieces and eaten like hardtack.What was the staple of the medieval diet? Cod again, sold salted by the Basques, an enigmatic people with a mysterious, unlimited supply of cod.As we make our way through the centuries of cod history, we also find a delicious legacy of recipes, and the tragic story of environmental failure, of depleted fishing stocks where once their numbers were te fate of the universe. Here--for scientist and layperson alike, for philosopher, science-fiction reader, biologist, and computer expert--is a startlingly complete and rational synthesis of disciplines, and a new, optimistic message about existence.Amazon.com Review
You probably enjoy eating codfish, but reading about them?Mark Kurlansky has written a fabulous book--well worth yourtime--about a fish that probably has mattered more in human historythan any other. The cod helped inspire the discovery and explorationof North America. It had a profound impact upon the economicdevelopment of New England and eastern Canada from the earliesttimes. Today, however, overfishing is a constant threat. Kurlanskysprinkles his well-written and occasionally humorous history withinteresting asides on the possible origin of the word codpiece anddozens of fish recipes.Sometimes a book on an offbeat or neglectedsubject really makes the grade. This is one of them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (140)

"Cod," by Kurlansky. Read this before the WSJ or The Economist.
"Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World"
.
Students!
.
Read this and Heilbroner's "The Worldly Philosophers"
before watching Murdoch's 'Fox News;'
or reading the 'WSJ' or 'The Economist.'

OH MY COD!
I am very disturbed by anything that has to do with harming animals. I am very sensitive to those types of things, being very Spiritual-thoughted in the way that we should feel compassion for everything. That being said, having to read this for a college class, the book still kept my attention.

Of course I feel sorry for all the Cod that died to bring this book to life, but after reading it, I have to admit that I did not really expect so many things to have come about from a simple fish that swims with its mouth open.

Now...I am going to go get a can of soda from my deep freeze fridge, which Cod are responsible for (so the book says).

5/5 (its a quick read, so don't be scared to try it....very approachable and extremely unintimidating

Cod! It's the "fish" in Fish & chips...
Interesting history of the world as seen by a Cod fisherman... We have the Basque "discovering" New England about 200 years before Christopher Columbus manages to get here. (Cabot notes that there were about 1,000 ships fishing the grand banks when he came by in 1497... We have the beginning of fisheries management... "get all you can, while the fishing is hot." followed by fishing stocks crash. And what that horrible tasting medicine in Mary Poppins must have been, "cod liver oil" although for the life of me, I can't imagine it's flavor was improved with a spoon full of sugar. We have the gist of the three Cod wars between England and Iceland.

Seriously, it's an interesting history & economics book. Much better than your average dry overview book. And it highlights the faults of unregulated capitalism. Over production followed by price drops, and finally resource depletion. If you liked King of Fish: The Thousand-Year Run of Salmon you'll like reading about Cod.

Very well-written history of... a fishery!
I've read that navies and explorers survived off the flesh of sea turtles and seals.Towns and economies developed over whales and whaling.

But, according to Mark Kurlansky, the "cod" fisheries (there are more than one species) were influential in maintaining the Caribbean slave trade, were a major basis of commerce and livelihood for hundreds of thousands in the western European countries, as well as Iceland, Canada, and the United States, and fed the world with a cheap and easily transported and stored protein - salted cod.

Kurlansky explores this topic in Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World.

In many regions, cod went from an "inexhaustible" resource to one missing from the landscape.For example,

"Canadian cod was not yet biologically extinct, but it was commercially extinct - so rare that it could no longer be considered commercially viable.Just three years short of the 500-year anniversary of the reports of Cabot's men scooping up cod in baskets, it was over.Fishermen had caught them all" (p. 186).

Kurlansky tells this tale from the beginning, starting with the discovery of huge schools of large fish, and the development and refinement of an industry to exploit this resource.You'll get a visual taste of this exploitation in The End of the Line.

My edition (Penguin Books) apparently won a "James Beard Award."I assume this is because of the cod recipes scattered throughout the text, all from a 500 year stretch.

Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium's site for information on their Seafood Watch program.Only purchase seafood from sustainable sources!

Seemed like fishy topic but loved it the minute I picked it up.
This is a terrific non fiction book that subjects cod and its history in the worldthat mingles geographical, anthropological, etymological, economical, gastronomical, political, and scientific currents to enhance the reader's knowledge in all these areas. If only history classes were as well formulated with Kurlansky's adept talents. The style reminded me of a PBS series that was aired in the early 1980's called "Connections" which had a similar format. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (19)

Reslience Thinking in Historical, Social, Economic & Ecological Contxt
This book offers an excellent practical example of resilience thinking. It tells the history of the menhaden (or moss-bunker or just bunker) and the role it plays in the ecology, economy and society of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. Menhaden are a keystone species, the major food source for many of our favourite eating fish (I had a great bluefish at Hungry Mother in Cambridge MA last week) and an important filter feeder that plays a major role in keeping water clear and the bottom healthy. The menhaden is also an important economic species, directly as a source fertilizer, fish oil and animal feed, and as the main prey of commercially valuable fish. This book is a wonderful social history of this fish and the cascading crisis that overfishing has caused. It shows the folly of any resource management regime that targets single species independent of others - a general rule, resource management is systems management and trying to optimize for any single variable will degrade the resilience of the system overall. Out on the west coast, where I live most of the time, we try to manage salmon stocks more or less independent of forestry, mining and dams. This is contributing to the wild oscillations that are a sign of approaching collapse. A great book that gives an intuitive understanding of how ecosystems and economic systems are co-dependent. I would have liked an appendix with more data and formal modeling, but I understand this is not the purpose of the book.

Read Menhaden in America!
Wow, how did this book escape my notice until recently? This is a great book for anyone interested in saltwater fishing or the marine environment.
I had a pretty good idea about the importance ofmenhaden in the food chain, that menhaden are the prey of many species of fish we angle for and consume. Bruce Franklin elaborates on this topic. Menhaden are simply crucial to fish, birds, marine mammals..... and us!
But, menhaden are not just a source of food for so many species. Franklin also makes a good case for menhaden being essential to the health of the marine environment as filter feeders. Menhaden are likely as important as oysters in cleaning and regulating algae in inshore marine waters. Who knew?
Clearly, the overfishing and decimation of menhaden is yet another chapter in the book of humans' short-sighted abuse of the marine environment. Fishing for menhaden profits a few, but costs many of us dearly. Stop it!

Kind of whiny and repetitive
I really, really wanted to like this book.Unfortunately, I then read it.I love fish and fishing and biology and have thoroughly enjoyed a number of other books superficially like this one.But there is precious little biology in the book and it has almost no natural history of bunker in it.It mostly consists of the same cliched whines repeated repeatedly and in a repetitive fashion.Let me now summarize the book for you:

1) Bunker are abundant, massively abundant, ubiquitously abundant and abundantly ubiquitous.Think of 742 other ways to say there are lots of them - by numbers, by weight, by density, by value, by golly.Add too many adjectives and repeat every few chapters.

2) North America was a paradise in which ecologically sound Natives used to walk across the bays on the backs of the abundant, ubiquitous, prolific, bountiful bunker schools.Birds followed the peaceful environmentalist Indians around whistling Zippity Doo Dah as they practiced ecologically sound techniques like slash and burn agriculture on non-privately owned land (no really, he cites slash and burn as good).But then evil white Calvinist Christian Capitalists arrived and began starving, but unfortunately Squanto taught them to plant fish and now the continent is full of their whiny self-loathing descendants who over-fished the bunker and don't believe in global warming.

3) blah blah blah, and some pictures of Greenpeace protesters (aka whiny pilgrim spawn)

4) Some interesting stuff about fish, hidden between repetitions of 1, 2 and 3.

Read "The Founding Fish" instead - much better book with more tolerable prose, a deeper examination of its subject and less whining about Squanto.

The most important and interesting fish
This book is very informative and interesting. The author, H. Bruce Franklin thinks the fish called Menhaden as the most important fish in U.S. and mentions about this fish from various viewpoint; the role of Menhaden in ecosystem, amount of consumption, how human use the fish, its history, behavior of Menhaden, heavy hunting, and so on. When I read this book, I thought that Menhaden can be the resource of multiple use for human.
This book is well researched and well organized, so it is easy to understand. Because the content is interesting, you may be able to read through the book quickly. I am not U.S. citizen and I hadn't known about Menhaden until I started to read this, however, I could read it without boring. If you are interested in marine biology, I recommend you to read this book. You may find new discovery or your view of marine ecosystem may be changed.

Special Little Stinkers!
It often seems that the unsung heroes are those we only really appreciate when they're gone. Such is the case with menhaden. From colonial times, the United States has been closely linked to this fish "who enriches the land." This was the fish that fertilized the early colonists' corn and fueled the incredible seafood stocks of the Chesapeake. This is the fish most important to the health of east coast marine ecology. And yet, these are also the fish that have only recently been deemed deserving of minimal protection afforded by catch limits. Fishery policy towards the menhaden has followed a pattern of "Gold Rush fever" and subsequent overfishing. These little fish have borne the brunt of America's fishing technology, and it's time they get the attention they deserve.

H. Bruce Franklin really did his homework in researching this invitation to look closer at this unassuming, stinky little fish. Through his presentation of the history of menhaden and man, you'll find yourself endeared to them, ashamed at our mismanagement of them, and cheering for their potential recovery. This is a well-written, quick-reading book. It is enjoyable to read, albeit at times depressing due to the bleak state of our fisheries.
... Read more

Product Description
The women featured in this book successfully challenged one of the last frontiers of male domination - the commercial fishing grounds of Alaska. A generation ago, they might have been celebrated as pioneers. In today's world they were simply living their dreams. They worked every job, from captain to cook and in nearly every northern fishery, even the Bering Sea king crab grounds made infamous by TV's Deadliest Catch.They share eighty mouth-watering seafood recipes and many funny and harrowing stories of their adventures. Tempting dishes such as Seafood and Sausage Gumbo and Smoked Salmon and Egg Salad Sandwiches are practical and unpretentious. Pacific Rim flavors infuse recipes such as Seafood Enchiladas or Salmon Dumplings with Coconut Curry Sauce. And filling feasts could include Thai Clam Chowder and Linguine with Mussels and Cider, Bacon, and Shallot Cream Sauce. These dishes are fresh, original, and surprising easy to make. Your taste buds will never be the same!Also inside: Tips for cleaning, preserving, and preparing fish; how to pair wine with seafood; a glossary of commercial fishing terms; an explanation of fishing methods; on-board fashion tips; and information about sustainability. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Phenomenal Seafood and stories too boot.
I have always been terrified of seafood.The cooking part - I love to eat it.I've lived in the Northwest for over 10 years and never cooked our bountiful seafood at home until now.This book demystified the experience for me.The recipes are delicious, easy to follow, and creative.Cast-Iron Broiled Salmon is a rollicking good time if cooked in a gas oven (try it to find out what I'm talking about!).It was some of the best salmon I've eaten. The stories are entertaining and an insight into a woman's view of the industry made famous by "The Deadliest Catch".These are tough girls, great cooks and entertaining writers.I highly recommend this book.

Need inspiration to cook seafood?
If you need some inspiration to prepare some seafood this book is perfect.The recipes are clear, thoughtfully edited with helpful comments.The ingredients are interesting but not overwhelming.I made the crab and cucumber salad (pg. 58) for a dinner party this summer and it was everyone's favorite.I'm looking forward to trying some of the heartier fare for winter meals.Plus, as the other reviewers have described, the stories that the authors and their friends provide are wonderful. My favorite cookbooks Iread cover to cover like a novel and this one is no exception.

The Fishes & Dishes Cookbook: Seafood Recipes and Salty Stories....
I highly recommend this lovely cookbook, a worthy work by worthy women! It is very well-written, and the recipes are wonderful; the instructions are so clear that even I may be able to learn to cook seafood properly. And then there are the sea stories. Oh, my! Anyone who loves seafood will enjoy this book.

This Alaskan Seafood Cookbook has it all
I liked the title and the picture on the cover and that was just the beginning.What Bright, Brave, awesome woman.This cook book is very similar to reading a novel - I couldn't put it down. And I learned quite a bit too.
The Gals covered every aspect of Alaskan fishing with terminology, types of fishing vessels, methods of preparing and freezing seafood, drinks to inbibe with your seafood and amazing stories of truelife adventures.
Loved every bit of the book and am now reading it for the 2nd time.I have prepared a couple recipes and can't wait to cook some more.
Thank-you girls.

Charming cookbook
There is something so dramatic, so compelling, about the sea and the stories of those who go out to do battle with her, putting their very lives at risk to put food on our tables. I am not sure how many woman are involved in the fishing industry in Alaska, but this delightful book, Fishes and Dishes, as well at giving us 80 delicious seafood recipes, some beautiful photographs, and charming illustrations by one of the authors, gives the reader about 30 short essays..and a couple of haikus ..that are, as the title say, "Salty Stories from Alaska's Commercial Fisherwomen".

There are stories about how Captain Tomi Marsh first bought her boat, the F/V Savage in Brooklyn NY, how she hired her sister Kiyo to work for her one summer, a summer that turned into five years as deckhand and cook, crabbing in the Bering Sea, longline fishing for cod and halibut and tendering salmon. There are stories of love found at sea, fighting 30 foot seas in their little 78 foot boat, and how a small black cat, who oddly shared the name of my imaginary Kitty, came to take up residence on the Savage. One thing they all have in common is giving a little perspective on a group of adventurous women working in the male-dominated fishing industry in Alaska, a "rugged environment, filled with the beauty and stunning fury that is Mother Nature...nothing if not invigorating."

But best of all perhaps are all the wonderful sounding recipes, many with a Pan-Asian flavor.
There are items for breakfast and brunch like Sweet Corn Cakes with Shrimp, Crab Foo Young with Garvy and a Crab, Bacon and Asparagus Frittata. The Jade Dumpling sound delicious and being a great fan of clams, I will have to soon try the Sake Steamed Clams, with sake, ginger and soy. There are salads like Shrimp and Orzo Salad with pesto, Roasted Tomatoes and Snow Peas, soups like Thai Clam Chowder and Catch of the Day Main Courses like Mizo-Glazed Black Cod and Seafood Enchiladas. They even throw in a chapter on Libations like the Ancient Mariner and a Sea Breeze and an essay on how to pair wine and fish.

There is an introductory chapter on basic seafood preparation like how to debone a fish and debeard mussels which many who are a little scared of cooking seafood will find helpful and an explanation of some more unusual ingredients. Most of the seafood used in the recipes...and the authors would certainly suggest we buy Wild Alaskan and substantially fished seafood...are things most of us have access to, with the exception perhaps of a recipe or two for halibut cheeks and geoduck. No, the only place I have ever seen geoduck was on the TV show Dirty Jobs, another favorite.

This is a very nice book that I would recommend not only as a very nice cookbook but also an attractive and entertaining book about fisherwomen in Alaska. ... Read more

Product Description
With their bright colors and friendly animal shapes, these inviting bath books make it easier to get little ones into the tub. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent Visuals
If you are a fish enthusiast, and like to learn visually,
I suggest you buy this Book.

Great Fish Book
This book on fish is terrific and just what my grandson wants...real photographs of fish.It was used but you'd never know...it looks like new.Great find, great price, and shipped promptly.

Eyewittness book - Fish
NG.Not good.I ordered this book twice and both times, although the book was new, the pages inside were all winkled.I returned the book both times.I would still like the book, however, I'm afraid that I'll received another wrinkled book.

Excellent addition to the series
For those who are new to the Eyewitness format, it consists of thematically arranged two-page spreads of brilliant photographs on a white background. There is an intro paragraph in the upper left-hand corner, but most of the text is in the captions that go with the photographs. Generally, the biological sciences titles are the strongest in this series, since other topics often need a more organized progression of topics. You'll get a lot of information out of these books, but you won't get a systematic anaylsis.

This series is strongest in the biological sciences, and this book is no exception.Excellently organized, extremely clear, and with incredible illustrations, this is a book to treasure.

Great Bath Books
Our 4 month-old loves the DK Bathtime books -- clownfish and duck.She looks at them every night; the pages are easy for her to turn and soft enough to chew on.It's hard to find bath books, and the DK bathtime books are the best I've found. ... Read more

Product Description
JO LAROUCHE HAS lived her 13 years in the California desert with her Aunt Lily, ever since she was dropped on Lily’s doorstep with this note: This is Jo. Please take care of her. But beware. This is a dangerous baby. At Lily’s annual Christmas costume party, a variety of strange events take place that lead Jo and Lily out of California forever—and into the mysterious, strange, fantastical world of Eldritch City. There, Jo learns the scandalous truth about who she is, and she and Lily join the Order of Odd-Fish, a collection of knights who research useless information. Glamorous cockroach butlers, pointless quests, obsolete weapons, and bizarre festivals fill their days, but two villains are controlling their fate. Jo is inching closer and closer to the day when her destiny is fulfilled, and no one in Eldritch City will ever be the same. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Bonkers adventure & promising start
A young girl, living with her eccentric aunt, is whisked away to a bizarre, hidden city filled with talking cockroaches, fantastic creatures and a menacing, apocalyptic enemy.The book is best in the middle - when it explores the bizarre daily routine of Eldritch City. If there's a flaw, it's that, between the Big Plot and all the madcap world-building, there's not a lot of time left for the characters. At the end, things get Meaningful (and Unwieldy), but Kennedy wraps everything up tidily.

This will remind readers of the early Harry Potter books, which is no bad thing.

Oddly amazing
At first, I didn't know what to expect from this book. It had gotten mixed reviews for various reasons, especially the ways Kennedy composes sentence structure. However, long, sometimes confusing sentences aside, I feel like the critics were wrong on this one. It's a wonderfully imaginative book the likes of which we haven't seen since The Phantom Tollbooth, and in many ways reminds me of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Kennedy not only creates a totally unique world and landscape, but does an excellent job of defining the rules of this world, and describing how everything looks so that you can imagine along with him. My biggest gripe, often, with alternate world fantasy is that the description isn't enough to really imagine what's happening.

The characters are endearing, and original in their own right. The Odd Fish are exactly what you think they would be, terribly odd. Odd in everything, in fact, including their topic of study, the way they talk to each other and dress, the house they live in, and even the servants are all giant cockroaches who act like pretentious British butlers. I recommend this to all readers 10+.

Lindsey Miller, [...].

Glorious
I first ran into this book near the end of 2008. And the darn thing captured my imagination so thoroughly that it hasn't entirely left me alone since!

Kennedy's first novel is a fantastical, spectacular, random, and exciting ride into a new world, in a novel fashion. The main character, Jo, lives a "humdrum" life of ridiculosity with her eccentric aunt in a huge pink mansion. And then, during a party, her life turns upside down. And no one can tell her why, because no one, not even the instigators of the change, can remember. Be prepared for more of this type of lovely absurdity, because it abounds in this book!

I can't say much more...it's a classic tale of growing up, of exploration, and of fun. Enjoy!!!

The Order of Odd-Fish
Plot Summary:
Jo Larouche lives with her elderly, former actress Aunt Lily in a ruby palace in California. All Jo knows about her past is that she was found in Aunt Lily's washing machine one day soon after she was born, with a note attached to her saying that she was a very dangerous baby.

On the day of Aunt Lily's Christmas party, a large Russian gentleman arrives at the Ruby Palace with a giant butler cockroach, saying that his digestive system has told him that he must protect Jo from Ken Kiang. He also has a box for her from The Order of Odd-Fish. Ken finds them, Jo and her friends escape in a plane only to be shot down and eaten by a giant fish, which eventually spits them up on the shore of Eldritch City. There, Jo learns that her aunt, the Russian and the cockroach are all members of The Order of Odd-Fish, a knighthood dedicated to the pursuit of useless and often baseless rumors and conjectures. Jo herself has a history with the knighthood and Eldritch City. After making friends with some squires, going on some quests, hiding from the Belgian Prankster and fighting a duel, Jo realizes that she must face her past and help save Eldritch City from the ravenous hunger of the All-Devouring Mother Goddess and her cult of Silent Sisters.

My Thoughts:
This book would be excellent to read out loud with someone- I bet the audiobook version is great. I enjoyed reading it, too; the plot is somewhat ridiculous, the dialogue witty and hilarious and the characters are certainly one of a kind. For example, Ken Kiang got so tired of doing good things that he tries to become evil. But he isn't very good at it, so he has to try very hard, and must focus on making his laugh truly evil.

The Order of Odd-Fish is fun, frothy and full of flavor. Just be prepared if you're reading it- it's Nickelodeon-like in its ability to really gross you out with bodily functions and fluids!

Truncated from full review at: [...]

A new classic...
JK has created something truly special here.For both young and old, once you pick it up, you'll be happily caught inside the vortex and wish that you too could become part of the Order of Odd-Fish. ... Read more

Product Description

A comprehensive guide to keeping fish healthy for the serious hobbyist.

A healthy environment is crucial for any aquarium. Fish need more than a tank of water and a daily sprinkle of food to stay healthy, and the fish-keeper is regularly challenged to understand irregularities that can cause trouble.

Manual of Fish Health is a fully illustrated and highly informative reference that concentrates on:

• Maintaining a healthy aquatic environment
  
• Recognizing and coping with pests, diseases, parasites and bacteria
  
• Balancing water chemistry so the fish's environment is always healthy

The book also includes an A to Z directory of common pests and diseases and a practical guide to their control and treatments.

The expert authors explore the vital aspects of health care for all types of fish, including freshwater and saltwater, tropical and temperate, and pond and aquarium. The clear and concise text is abundantly illustrated with underwater photography, charts and diagrams.

Customer Reviews (16)

Indispensable
If you want going deep in your hobby and learn to right take care of your fish, dont loose this book.

Good Addition to your Library
Fancy Goldfish by Dr. Johnson and Hess is still the bible of goldfish care, but this book is a good addition.

Have No Worries About Fish With This Book
This is a huge information database on fish health and diseases in my opinion that greatly signifies the authors authority in that field. I have nothing but gratitude for this book as I have already cured my fish once with its help. The only negative is that I bought this book once on amazon and the order was canceled because of damage to the book. I got it as a birthday present later though.

recommended read
I like that this book is more focused at experienced aquarist who want to further their understanding rather than people who are completely new to the hobby. I also like that it is a heavy read relative to other aquarium books, In some places I felt like I was reading a microbiology textbook. Its all around aquarium health info but it has a big section on fish health. It has a lot of detailed pictures for identifying fish sicknesses, and is actually kind of gross, but I have never seen a book with so much info on the topic and I think that is its strongest point. The weakest point is there isn't much on plants which to me is just as important as the fish, I guess that's a different book.

Useful but not an exhausive resource
The book is pretty good for most aquarists as all should have something to help with the diagnostics and treatment of their pets. There's some pretty good photography of various diseases that simplifies the text, and in each section there is a little box of explanation of a point in the text, be it a bacteria type or similar. Where the book falls slightly short in my opinion is in the treatment section. I would not advocate the use of all the chemicals in this chapter and some may well be impossible to obtain for most people. In this case, I would recommend using the book then visiting a professional fish keeper, specialist shop or vet with your diagnosis after consulting the treatment section to see if there is an alternative.

All said and done anything that can help easy diagnosis and lead to the correct treatment of fish disease is a good thing. ... Read more

Product Description
In The Fish’s Eye: Essays About Angling and the Outdoors, Ian Frazier explores his lifelong passion for fishing, fish, and the aquatic world. He sees the angler’s environment all around him—in New York’s Grand Central Station, in the cement-lined pond of a city park, in a shimmering bonefish flat in the Florida Keys, in the trout streams of the Rocky Mountains. He marvels at the fishing in the turbid Ohio River by downtown Cincinnati, where a good bait for catfish is half a White Castle french fry. The incidentals of the angling experience, the who and the where of it, interest him as much as what he catches and how. The essays contain sharply focused observations of the American outdoors, a place filled with human alterations and detritus that somehow remain defiantly unruined. Frazier’s simple love of the sport lifts him to a straight-ahead angling description that’s among the best contemporary writing on the subject. The Fish’s Eye brings together twenty years of heartfelt, funny, and vivid essays on a timeless pursuit where so many mysteries, both human and natural, coincide.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Comments on "The Fish's Eye"
Until recently, I didn't know that Frazier could write "fish." In fact, he does it with great wit and humor. What a surprising range of experiences, and not all strictly fishing: there's getting to the right water, shopping for gear, listening to advice, even tasting the bait. I enjoyed every essay, though would give a special nod to Frazier's journal of discovery related to the spring melt along Montana's Pattee Creek.And, as a character study, you'll rarely find anyone more memorable and interesting than Jim D. in "An Angler at Heart."

Tracker-Outdoors.com Review of The Fish's Eye
Author Ian Frazier's new book, "The Fish's Eye" is a wonderfully crafted collection of 17short essays about fishing and the great outdoors.The essays bring to life all of the mysteries both human and natural thatmost anglers take for granted. Ian's writing techniques paint vivid pictures of the angler's surrounding whether its a bait shop, a bass lake or the Hudson River."The Fish's Eye" captures the spirit of the angling life experience from every angle. This book is a "must read" for every angler and outdoorsman.

Regards,
David Selman
Tracker Outdoors
www.tracker-outdoors.com

Spotty as a trout but just as tasty
I am a big fan of Ian Frazier's writing, so I snapped this up even though I am not an angler.The material is uneven, "spotty": some good, some indifferent.It contains essays previously published in magazines like the New Yorker and Outside magazine.In fact, if you've read either of those often you will be disappointed to find relatively few new material.

If not however, the anglers will like some pieces, the Ian Frazier fans will like others but tire of the fish stories.The one that is most successful on both counts, in my opinion, is the one about the fellow who ran an angler's shop near Grand Central Station.It is more a personality piece than a fishing piece but combines both of Frazier's great abilities (writing that is funny and generous in spirit, and...of course...fishing).

good stuff
I'm not sure that anyone's ever adequately explained the fact that fishing, baseball, boxing, golf, and horse racing have produced nearly every page of worthwhile sports writing.Baseball has more truly great writing
than the others--from songs and poems, like Take Me Out to the Ballgame and Casey at the Bat; to daily journalism, like Red Smith's Miracle at Coogan's Bluff; to essays, like John Updike's Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu;
to classic novels like Bang the Drum Slowly; to even great B-movies, like It Happens Every Spring--but fishing literature offers perhaps the most consistently high quality of writing (I don't think it has many songs,
poems, or movies and only a handful of worthwhile novels).

The great Red Smith of course excelled in writing about all of these sports and his fishing essays are marvelous.Robert Traver--perhaps best remembered now for Anatomy of a Murder, with its fishing-mad
attorney--wrote a number of great essays, collected in Trout Magic and Trout Madness.Nowadays, John Gierach seems incapable of putting pen to paper without producing an amusing fishing tale.All in all,
there's an embarrassment of riches to choose from.It seems not too much to say that you can grab nearly any collection of fishing essays and find writing of a high standard.In fact, it may be looking a gift horse in the
mouth, but there's so much good writing about fishing that it takes on a certain sameness--all those magnificent trout rising to the mayfly hatches in Montana and Idaho start to blend together at some point.So,
though it seem perverse, it takes more than "just" great writing to get at least this casual fan to grab a new fishing book.An author'd better have a well-barbed hook, to haul us in.

Ian Frazier's writing reputation precedes him--author of such well regarded books as On the Rez and Great Plains--but what's most appealing about this collection of his essays, mostly from The New Yorker and
Outside, is that many of them, especially the early ones, concern the fishing in and around Manhattan.Mr. Frazier takes this unlikely environs and lets us see that its just as fish-happy as any stretch of the Big
Blackfoot River.There are also some really lovely reminiscences of boyhood, including a charming essay about his Dad, who would become so disturbed by the notion of his son catching and hurting a fish that today it
is those occasions when he gets skunked that remind Mr. Frazier most clearly of his father.For my tastes the book loses a little steam when Mr. Frazier moves his family out West.Suddenly we're back in the
familiar--to me overfamiliar--waters of Montana.But such quibbles are more than forgiven because of a few quite humorous essays that are mixed in. One on eating bugs is quite good and one, called Bad Advice,
has an opening scene that's as funny as anything I've ever read anywhere.I hope I'll be forgiven for quoting at length :

Some years ago, on a camping trip in the pine woods of northern Michigan, my friend Don brought along a copy of an outdoor cookbook
that appeared on the best-seller lists at the time. This book contained many ingenious and easy-sounding recipes; one that Don especially
wanted to try was called "Breakfast in a Paper Bag." According to this recipe, you could take a small paper lunch sack, put strips of bacon
in the bottom, break an egg into the sack on top of the bacon, fold down the top of the sack, push a stick through the fold, hold the sack
over hot coals, and cook the bacon and egg in the sack in about ten minutes.

I watched as Don followed the directions exactly. Both he and I remarked that we would naturally have thought the sack would burn;
the recipe, however, declared, "grease will coat the bottom of the bag as it cooks." Somehow we both took this to mean that the grease,
counterintuitively, actually made the bag less likely to burn. Marveling at the "who would have guessed" magic of it, we picked a good spot
in the hot coals of our campfire, and Don held the sack above them. We watched. In a second and a half, the bag burst into leaping flames.
Don was yelling for help, waving the bag around trying to extinguish it, scattering egg yolk and smoldering strips of bacon and flaming paper
into the combustible pines while people at adjoining campfires stared in horror and wondered what they should do.

That's just good stuff and, by itself, makes the book worth reading.

GRADE : B+

Fish tales....and other cornucopia
My father has been passionate about fishing for as long as I can remember. I never have been. I didn't have the patience and lets face it, if you're not catching fish, then you're standing there holding a stick dangling string into a monumental body of water. As I've gotten older (and wiser?), I try to fish with my father whenever possible and, preconceived notions aside, I'm really enjoying myself. Consequently, when I ran across Ian Frazier's new offering, THE FISH'S EYE, I immediately purchased a copy for both my father and myself (reading is a passion we share). I thought I might glean some insight into an experienced fisherman's psyche as I read this set of 17 essays and thus, a snapshot of my father's fishing experiences. The essays, written by Mr. Frazier over the last 20+ years and presented in chronological order, present the reader with Frazier's experiences in the fishing life....and his experiences have been wide and varied.

As an incredible admission, this reader had no clue that there were people who actually fished in New York City proper (it just didn't seem to fit) but Frazier sets this misnomer to rest in his first essay, "Anglers." Here, he describes his experiences of observing and listening to a few of those throwing their lines into one of six ponds in the City's park system near Harlem Meer.

One of the better and more detailed essays is "An Angler at Heart." This essay details the story of Jim Deren, the owner of Anglers Roost, in none other than New York City! Frazier tells of his many conversations with Deren as he frequents The Roost. This 47-page essay is actually several essays rolled into one, all featuring Deren and his experiences in the fishing life. At one point in the essay, Frazier spends nearly two full pages informing us of the different types of lures one would be confronted with when visiting Angler's Roost. In this reader's opinion, if there is one essay epitomizing the spirit of this book, it would be this particular one.

"Guiding Guys" is a hilarious spoof on fishing guide services. Frazier describes the "guarantees" one receives in the propaganda distributed by many of these services. In this essay, Frazier writes from the point of view of a guide making just such guarantees of outings ranging from great fishing to extremely great fishing. And, he provides the reader with several different guides to choose from. There's Craig, 6'7" and 275 lbs. who grunts and answers in one-word sentences; Potter, who will never stop nagging you the entire outing as to how badly you're doing; and, last but not least, former President Jimmy Carter. Now, you have to pay a little extra for Mr. Carter but its well worth it as the former President will regale you with tales of his Presidency as you sit around the campfire.

Perhaps the most poignant essay for me was "Fishing Without Dad." This essay is specifically dedicated to Frazier's memory of his father, who never liked to fish and moreover, thought it was cruel. This particular piece details Frazier's penchant for fishing while growing up but without the fatherly advice and companionship he seemed to yearn for. This is probably the most touching piece in the book.

The only downside to this collection of essays were those pieces that had absolutely nothing to do with fishing. This fit more into the life stories portion of the book. "In The Brain" has almost nothing to do with fishing but regales how Frazier tormented his brother (as brothers will do) on family vacations. "It's Hard To Eat Just One" describes Frazier's experiences with eating his bait, specifically bugs. In my opinion, these pieces (and a couple others) should have been modified or removed as they had very little if anything to do with fishing.

Frazier's penchant for spinning a story is outstanding. That said, anyone who loves fishing will enjoy THE FISH'S EYE; anyone who isn't a fisherman at heart will most likely find these tales slow and possibly boring. ... Read more

Product Description
From the author of the New York Times bestseller* Why You Shouldn't Eat Your Boogers and Other Useless (or Gross) Information About Your Body: the be-all and end-all compendium of odd, quirky, and otherwise nauseating information.

H ere is another thoroughly distasteful yet utterly compelling book from the author of the New York Times (extended list) bestseller Why You Shouldn't Eat Your Boogers and Other Useless (or Gross) Information About Your Body. In Why Fish Fart and Other Useless (or Gross) Information About the World, Francesca Gould sifts through the world's most unpleasant creatures, diseases, physical deformities, culinary delicacies, ritual practices, and hideous torture tactics to uncover every horrifying and stomach-turning fact under the sun. This book is full of questions you never thought to ask-and perhaps will wish you'd never had answered-including:

-What exactly is maggot cheese?
-How did anal hair help to lead to the conviction of the Great
-Train Robbers?
-What is the job of a "fart catcher"?
How exactly do "crabs" cause such intense itching around one's private parts?
-The real story behind why the toilet is often referred to as "the john."
-Why you might want to steer clear of some coffees. (Hint: If poo isn't exactly your idea of appetizing . . .)

Why Fish Fart and Other Useless (or Gross) Information About the World is sure to delight any and all hard-core fans of the obscure, esoteric, and-last but not least-grotesque. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Interesting reading
I got this book for my 17-year-old for Christmas. Full of all sorts of "interesting" stories relating to the "whys" of the world, such as why fish fart! Doesn't everyone want to know that? We've had a blast perusing this book.

This Book is Tasteless! And Impossible to Put Down...
Do you want to read about anal hair? Of course not!!!

The only problem is... secretly... you DO! I thought this book was as interesting and funny as it was gross. A better gift for a man, but oh well, my husband has a sense of humor. Remember those old Encyclopedia Brown stories you read when you were a kid? Well, this is the adult version. A perfect book for any fact junkie who likes to be the center of attention at parties.

Really, though... the book is really funny. If for any other reason, buy this book so you can find out what kind of coffee is made with an added sprinkle of poo. Seriously. Yes, I'm serious. Poo. Now you HAVE to buy it.

Recommended: with a laugh

... Read more

Product Description
Prospective tropical aquarium hobbyists will find vital information on many fish varieties--cichlids, swordtails, and many others. Readers will find tips on species identification, feeding, behavior, approximate and purchase prices. Quick-check data requirements are given regarding aquarium size, water temperature, food, compatibility with other fish, and much more. This title is one in Barron's new series of pet buyer's guides, all of them filled with practical information and approximately 250 vivid color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

excellent book
Full color photos of each fish. Useful information, simple format that is easy to read.

Great investment...
This is a super easy read, has great information!!! Good for all ages, definately worth the money.

Awesome fish book!
This is a great book. Each page has a picture of a fish on it and information about that species of fish. From barbs to tetras to guppies to catfish, this book has it all! Buy it now!!!!!! (: ... Read more

Product Description
THE ANGLER'S PRACTICAL GUIDE

The good, the bad, the ugly--for the very first time, they're all here together in a book of their own, a book that illustrates and describes virtually every kind of fish an angler in Florida--or the Bahamas or Caribbean Islands--could expect to find on the end of a line.

In this book you'll find the scoop on every hook-and-line species from the mightiest Marlin to the lowliest Lizardfish, along with advice on how to catch each one and how good it is to eat.

Because it's designed as a practical guide for fishermen, every effort has been made to keep biological jargon at bay. However, there is one nod to the world of science that is unavoidable--the inclusion of scientific names so that each of the species can be definitely pinpointed. Without scientific names, confusion would reign, because most species are known by more than one common name and, in many cases, two or more different species share the same common name.

It would have been nice to sort the species by their preferred environment--offshore, inshore, reef, flats or whatever. But as fishermen realize all too well, fish have tails and can swim where they please. The same kind of fish you catch on a flat today and in a bridge channel tomorrow may well strike your bait out on the deep reef next weekend. The constant element of surprise is one of the most appealing aspects of angling in this great area.

Alphabetical and strictly scientific classifications would have other drawbacks, so it was decided to use a mixed system that lets the species fall into whatever groupings would be natural. Most of the chapters cover a particular family of fishes. Some, however, deal with species that are not related but have certain habits or attributes in common. All are listed in a complete index at the end of the book. BE SURE TO ABIDE BY THE LAW

A great many kinds of fish are protected by conservation laws that may include licenses, daily bag limits, possession limits, minimum and maximum size limits, permitting and other legal requirements. Many different jurisdictions and agencies are involved in managing the fisheries--at least a half-dozen in Florida alone, to say nothing of other countries-and their regulations sometimes conflict.

In Florida, information is available from such sources as Florida Sportsman Magazine, county courthouses and many tackle shops. Visitors to Florida or the Islands usually are able to get the needed information from their travel agents, resorts, fishing camps or charter captains. BEWARE OF TOXIC FISH

Ciguatera is a type of poison carried by certain individual fish in tropical waters. Although only a minute number of fish are affected, people sometimes acquire the toxin, mostly by eating very big specimens of predatory types, such as the Great Barracuda, Amberjack, and even some larger varieties of Grouper and Snapper. The resulting illness can be serious and lingering, but is rarely fatal.

Ciguatera seems to be more common in some species than in others, but its occurrence is rarely predictable. In a given area, a few fish of a particular species may be carriers of the toxin while the majority of individuals of that same species are perfectly safe to eat.

The toxin comes from microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates that attach themselves to marine algae. Grazing fishes acquire the toxin by eating the algae. Predators acquire it by eating the grazers; however, it must accumulate in the muscle tissue of the predator for a considerable amount of time before reaching levels that are dangerous to human beings. It is always wise to let the big predators go and eat the smaller ones.

A second kind of marine fish illness--Puffer poisoning--is more serious--often fatal, in fact. But it is also far more easily avoided. All you have to do is refrain from eating a ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Sport Fish of Florida is a good book for Angulars
The book, Sport Fish of Florida, is a great book for Angulars.I also read the Book "Letusgo-[...]" by: Lonnie L. Williams, it is a Winner too.All Angulars, both Novice and Experienced will learn from both books.

If you fish in South FL this is a Must have.
This book is ideal for anyone planning on fishing in South FL. even if you've been fishing your entire life or just picked up a rod...the information is easy to understand and very useful.

Sport Fish of Florida
The product was in great shape, just as promised, and showed up right on time.I would definitely buy from them again.

Excellent
Good, well organized information.I wish all authors of fishing books were as competant as Vic Dunaway.

Good general knowledge book
Nice for most fish in Florida but not all....
Saltwater and freshwater species listed. ... Read more

Product Description

Brighter Child Go Fish Game Cards allow children to developthinking, decision-making, turn-taking, and social skills while playingthis fun game at the same time.Offering reinforcement in wordrecognition and following directions these cards feature fascinatingscience and nature facts about different kinds of fish.A parentinformation card to explain the benefits of card games in teachingchildren social skills is also included.

Customer Reviews (4)

Fun family game
We play this game atleast three times a week.These cards are big, bright, and nice to have the fish pictures, names, and a number so you can play many different ways.Great price also.

Attractive Go Fish cards
I had to actually research Go Fish card sets to find one that is not ugly.If I am going to spend hours playing cards with my little grandchildren I would like for all of us to enjoy the colors and designs.The fish pictures are based on real fish and labeled.I wish they were more like pictures of fish, but this deck is far better than the rest of the pack of Go Fish sets.

Here I make a plea that manufacturer's place more emphasis on realistic plant and animal life as well as good design.

Nice cards!
I liked these cards, but wish three things: 1) that they included more interesting fish pictures (like sharks, whales, etc).All the fish sort of look alike to me! 2) I wish that the pictures of the fish were more distinct in how they appear on the cards (the fish are 'lost' in the pictures by all the background colors & scenarios). And 3)I wish the numbers on the cards were larger.

The kids I work with love this game
I see quite a few kids in my work as a therapist.I have found that the kids who are old enough to understand the rules (usually 5+) really love this game.This game, in my experience, can benefit kids who are learning their letters, learning to read, and/or kids who are working on their speaking abilities.They like it since it's a fun way for them to practice and learn without it feeling like school or homework.I would actually recommend this to parents and I'd say you should set aside some time a couple nights a week to play this and other (educational) games with your kid(s) since part of what makes the kids like it is that you're there playing with them.It's a great way to encourage and support them as they learn.Also, this doesn't have to just be about the letters since each card has an animal on it and the type of animal written out below so it can also help with reading.For example, I'll ask the child, "Do you have an 'A' as in 'Alligator'?" and they will have to do the same on their turn so they learn to associate the picture of the animal with the word.And, of course, they love to win and then count out how many pairs they got (good for learning/practicing counting too!).Basically, I can't speak highly enough of this game.It encourages learning, practicing numbers, letters, reading, speaking, and healthy competition, and gives them some always needed attention at the same time.
P.S. - For kids who don't get the rules just yet, it can be played as a matching game! ... Read more

Product Description
It’s two minutes to 8:00. Time to put on your tights and cape.

As an educator, every time that bell rings, you face dozens of challenges. Students with overwhelming personal and academic needs. Creativity-stifling mandates. Administrivia. Cynicism. Apathy. The things that keep you from being the educator you want to be.

The FISH! Philosophy -- four simple principles: Be There, Play, Make Their Day, and Choose Your Attitude -- has helped educators around the world build more effective, fulfilling relationships that lead to better learning. It is also backed by tons (OK, about a hundred pounds) of research on classroom management.

Schools of FISH! is full of inspiring and instructive stories about people just like you -- with hopes and challenges just like yours. It’s about real-life heroes who give the best in themselves to help their students find the best in themselves.

Schools of FISH! offers practical ideas on classroom management. It addresses the issues you deal with every day—improving learning, respect and personal accountability, self-discipline and internal motivation, and finding ways to make learning more fun. Because you’re not just teaching students to learn . . . you’re inspiring them to want to learn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Not what I expected
I bought this book after a teacher at a conference shared how the Fish philosophy improved her work climate. I expected the book to be more like typical teaching books with concrete examples of how to implement strategies in the classroom. Instead it is more of a collection of inspirational stories from teachers who have followed the philosophy.
I then went to the website listed in the book for curriculum ideas, only to find that I have to pay for them.
Overall, it was an interesting and rejuvenating read, except for the constant plugs for their video, which of course can be bought separately on their website.

School of Fish
This book is concise and well organized. It is inspirational no matter what the age of your students.

Heather Hanson, D.D.S.
Dental Practice Management Consultant
Former Junior School Teacher

Schools of Fish
I bought this book as my daughter has just started teaching and I love the philosophy in it. We have been using it in our school in Australia and it guides the way we teach and communicate.

Will inspire any teacher!
FISH! A REMARKABLE WAY TO BOOST MORALE AND IMPROVE
RESULTS by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen
has become one of my favorite business books . . . so when I saw
that the principles have been applied to education in a book, SCHOOLS OF
FISH! by Philip Strand, Christensen
and Andy Halper, I knew that it was something that I had to read.

And am I ever glad that I did, in that it inspired me with its ideas and
techniques for better classroom management . . . though all the
many examples were from grades K-12 situations, I do believe that
they could be related to any level of education--up through and
including graduate school.

One quote from the book says it all: "We're very serious about
learning; play is just how we feel while we're doing it."

It got me thinking about the fact that education should be more
fun . . . for the teacher, as well as the student . . . you don't
have to be a rocket scientist to make this happen . . . just utilize
some of the methods that have worked for others, apply them to
your situation, and you'll be all set.

There were several memorable passages; among the ones that
I especially liked were these:

* That duality also transfers to adult relationships. As daily pressures
compete for our attention, it's amazing how people can seem rude
or, equally, how simple gestures stand out. For example, a certain
principal never answers his phone when talking with a visitor. "It
will ring and the other person will say, "It's OK if you get that," he
explains. "I tell them, `No, you're more important to me right now.'
They're always surprised," Why? Possibly because it's such a
powerful statement of respect and commitment.

* When it came to dealing with parents, Puntenney wanted to make sure
she not only called home to discuss problems, but also to congratulate
students. She sent good-news postcards home, and sometimes she
just called parents to tell them about their child's success.

"Some parents were in disbelief when I called," she says. "They
said things like, `Are you sure you have the right student?' One
said,`Nobody from school has ever called with good news before!
Thank you."

* At Avon Intermediate School, there's room at the table for everybody.

"Recently I bought furniture for the staff dining room--four tables with
four chairs for each table," says principal Scott Raftery. "The next day,
when I came in the dining room, the teachers had pushed all the tables
together to create one huge table so they could eat like a big family."

The above is just basic stuff, but it works . . . if you're looking for the ideal
gift for any teacher (past, present or future), then you won't go wrong
buying SCHOOLS OF FISH!

Very Inspirational!
I happened across this book completely by chance in a bookstore. I was looking for new ideas for my elementary classroom. I remember thinking that the title seemed funny. Once I picked it up though, I was literally hooked (pardon the pun)! I couldn't put it down, and it has inspired a great many new ideas for me to use in the classroom. The advice and examples are so practical and inspiratioal. As a philosophy, it is a perfect fit for the classroom setting. It intends to make school what it should be... a place we all enjoy going and spending time. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Lovely story on eye catching pages
Our kids love this book.They were truly engrossed in the beautiful colors and gentle flow of the story.The sparkly fish on each page are just lovely to look at; the book captured their attention because the character of the whale was able to teach a lesson both obvious and hidden. The obvious lesson was that you can't judge a book by it's cover, since the fish were intimidated and frightened by the whale's constant staring. Little did they realize that the whale was in awe of their colorful, peaceful beauty, and this is why he gazed at them each day. When I asked the kids to figure out if there was another message in the story, they thought long and hard and eventually came up with the perfect answer:kindness brings friends together!Read this charming tale and you will see what they mean.

Disappointment
It was advertised as "like new" but when I opened it a page was ripped in half with words from the story missing.Would never order from this site again!!

Oceans Alive
Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale (Rainbow Fish)
Purchased this book for our Oceans Alive museum teacher at her request. I haven't received any feedback from her about the book. The book was in good condition when received. Purchased several other books about the same subject at that time. All were in good condition. Everything I've purchased from Amazon I've been pleased with. There's a great deal of selections to choose from and the price is always good. Since our museum is a non-profit organization I'm always looking to save money.
Thank you,
Joyce

Another Winner!
I enjoyed reading this book to my elementary students.This book teaches kids not to judge others based on appearance as well as the cons of making assumptions about others (before actually getting to know them).I think the story itself could have been a little bit longer ... it seems to be too quick of a read for even primary students.Overall, a great book!

RAINBOWFISH
I like reading this book because the fish are sharing scales and
beingkind to the other fish. I felt that this is not a true story because fish can't talk , or give other scales to another .
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (12)

Great book for toddlers!
Both of my children (and all of their friends) love this book.The touch-and-feel elements are all well done and the content and narrative is much better than some of the other books in this series (Touch the Art: Tickle Tut's Toesis particularly weak).There are just enough words per page to keep the narrative consistent and helpful, but not so much as to bore kids (or adults).

Note, that the books says this is for children 3+ because small parts can potentially detach and be a choking hazard, but the content is great for kids 12+ (supervised of course).

Feed Matisse's Fish and Touch the Art: Brush Mona Lisa's Hair are both excellent books from this series.Touch the Art: Make Van Gogh's Bed is also pretty good (although not quite as good as the other two).

Fabulous idea, shockingly bad execution
This book is neither interactive nor a good introduction to art for kids. There are 9 paintings, 7 of which have a single textured touch space (actually some of them aren't even textured). There is no textured touch space in the paintings by Modigliani or Frida Kahlo. The portrait by Modigliani has a single tiny braid and Frida Kahlo's scarf has a little bit of fringe at the end of it. That's it. Part of the problem is because the book itself is too small. If it were larger, more of these touch spaces or interactive elements could have been added. If the book were truly "interactive" Modigliani's Girl with Braids would have a full head of hair so you could braid both braids. Frida Kahlo's scarf would be made of real fabric so you could tie it or play with it. The entire blackboard in Jacob Lawrence's painting should have been cut out and painted with chalkboard paint so children could really write on it. The neon bulbs in Edward Hopper's work could have been replaced by little beads and rhinestones so they would have texture and sparkle. The "interactive" elements of the book could not be more disappointing.

Out of all of the colorful and fantastical paintings of last century that the authors could have chosen to excite children's imaginations and foster their interest in art, it is inconceivable that they gathered together such a static and wholly uninspiring collection. Except for Matisse's fish, all of the paintings are portraits or pictures of people, all of whom have somber expressions on their face. I don't think a portrait of a girl or a picture of two women sitting at a table is going to excite children, much less turn them on to art. The subject matter should be more varied. Also, if this is a book on 20th century art, why is Seurat included?

It's a shame that in a book about art, the left page is wholly blank except for 4 little lines of text. Either the painting should have covered both sides and the text been written much smaller, or better yet they should have eliminated the uninspired text and included a small biography or story about the artist. The book does include a section on each artist, but it's in the back of the book, so you have to flip back to it - not very kid friendly. In my opinion, the details about the artists are not geared to 4-8 year olds.

My 16-month old loves touch and feel books. Understandably this one did not hold her interest long. It's only redeeming feature for us is that she is currently learning the parts of the face, so we will be able to get in a lot of practice with this book.

So Cool
What an original way to bring art to kids. This book is one of my twins favorite. I read it to them at least 3 times a day they love the touch and feel aspect, I love that it is full of famous painting's. Recently my 6 year old was at a museum and recognized one of the artist because of this book. Really a great book. I have given it as a gift and everyone loves the originality. The whole series is great.

A step up from Pat the Bunny
This is the second in this series of books I have bought for my 14 month old nephew.He has always enjoyed "touch" books, and I thought these were a wonderful way to entertain him and introduce him to some art as well.Each page is a work of art with something to touch (scales on Matisse's fish, the glasses on the man in American Gothic, a girl's braid in a Frida Kahlo painting, etc.) and a simple rhyme to go along.The text of the books are OK, this one assigns a chore to every hour of the day and is less pandering than the text in Pop Warhol's Top.

I knew it was a winner when my sister texted me the day after Christmas to say that my nephew had gotten the book out and was "reading" it all by himself!

Touching the art?
The books in this series are all cleverly designed and I like the choice of artwork. The biggest issue I have with the entire series of these 'Touch the Art' books is the concept of 'touching' the art. Have the authors been to an art museum lately or ever? Are they not aware of the fact that art is observed, admired but not touched? I can just imagine how the youngsters, after reading these books, would jump to the world famous paintings at an art museum and start touching them - that would be the day when an average art museum attendant would get a heart attack - so please, let's save our museum attendants (and Mona Lisa or two) and teach our children to appreciate art through viewing and not touching unless they are the artists creating the works of art. Here are a couple of examples of what happens when art gets 'touched'. In 1956, one madman 'touched' Mona Lisa (Louvre, Paris) with acid causing severe damage to the painting and another - with a rock, causing some loss of color pigment in the affected area of the priceless painting. In 1972,another madman 'touched' Michelangelo's Pieta (St. Peter's Cathedral, Vatican) with a hammer causing significant damage to the masterpiece. ... Read more

Product Description
It's an undersea countdown in the newest book by bestselling author Audrey Wood and her dynamic, digital-artist son, Bruce. Follow ten little fish as they swim along a beautiful ocean reef, one by one departing from the school for different reasons, eventually leaving one fellow all alone. What will he do? Along comes another, and that makes two! Soon he becomes a father and she becomes amother--with ten little children of their own. The rhyming text helps readers go from one to ten and back again, and each illustration pops with all the color and depth of an underwater playground.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

My son LOVES it!
I think this book is pretty weird, especially the last few pages and the page where a fish is snacking on potato chips. But my 20-month old son has been obsessed with it ever since we checked it out of the library 6 weeks ago. So here I am buying it, since I've run out of renewals at the library! My son has really enjoyed counting the fish and pointing out their colors (neither of which he can do well yet, but I suppose this book is helping him learn). I'm learning to accept that my taste in books may not always match my kid's!

One of The Few Adored by Both My Kids
I bought this for my son when he was 2ish (don't remember now). But he loved it back then (is now 5), Now it has been passed down to my daughter who absolutely loves it. The colors and illustrations are truly captivating and the story is fun. My daughter who is 23 months (and has loved the book for months) loves when one fish takes a break for a snack.My kids have had completely different tastes in books but this is one of the few books loved by both. Highly recommend it.

Great Book for Little Counters
My son is 2 and loves to count.This is a great book for that with bright little fish swimming all around.

Great book!!
My daughter loves fish and this is one of her favorites.It's great for counting and the graphics are wonderful.

A sneaky injection of religious values?
"Ten Little Fish" is an adorable book with issues. Bruce Wood used computers to generate the beautiful illustrations. The story is very well written by Audrey Wood. The title is perfect as a read-aloud with very young children. The repetitive plot and rhyming words invite interaction. The book is especially useful for teaching children to count to ten. How can a book with so much going for it earn only four stars? At one point, a fish swims toward heaven. Why is religiously charged language used in a book available from a conventional school library and book store? Not everybody believes in heaven; such language is inappropriate in this environment. Was Wood really unable to think of anything else to rhyme with seven?

Before slamming the "not helpful" button, I'd like to leave the reader an afterthought. I want to make it clear that I don't believe that there is anything wrong with religious literature. The issue is that this book pretends to be a typical secular minded book, similar to the rest of Bruce and Audrey Wood's esteemed bibliography. False advertising or the lack of is the problem. If a parent is raising a child as a Christian, the issue that I raised here may seem invisible. So consider how your feelings for this book might change had the fish launched itself to Buddhist Nirvana, plane of the sky goddess or realm of the ancestor. For a counting book, why invoke the supernatural at all? While this title may just happen to align with your values, consider that unless a book is advertised for a niche market, it really should be for everybody. ... Read more