The Everything Family Christmas Book: Stories, Songs, Recipes, Crafts, Traditions, and More by Yvonne Jeffrey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This ebook was free when I downloaded it.

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Box 21 by Anders Roslund
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed two other books by the team of Roslund and Hellstrom, and I borrowed it from my library's collection.
The subject matter, the physical and mental abuse of two sex slaves and the international human trafficking, may be difficult for some adult readers. The scenes move through time and location so the reader is intrigued by the questions how will this all come together for the reader trusts the authors would not tell and show us something if it were not important. I was surprised by the ending.
I recommend this for adult readers. If it were a movie, I would rate it R.

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Home Invasion by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book caught my attention with the first chapter, and the pace of the plot kept me reading to the end. The pacing and the plot adds another half-star to the rating.
The characters are defined by their roles in the plot, and this is a weakness in the novel for me.
This is not a book I would recommend to my liberal friends because, in their arrogance and political correctness, they would dismiss the plot as unbelievable. Some of the concluding plot points are a bit too much for me.
I recommend this book for readers who wonder, "What are they thinking?" about federal politicians.

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National Geographic Traveler: Australia, 4th Edition by Roff Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read for information about the ports where Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's 13-day Queensland voyage will be. This book gives me lots of information about Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, some about Newcastle, and nothing about Airlie Beach.
I am glad my local library had this available to borrow.

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Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read the second book, Death is a Strange Country, in the Brunetti series years ago, and I bought this as a Nook book when it was offered at a reduced price. Death at La Fenice is the first of a 21-book series.
I enjoy these mysteries with enough descriptions of Venice to make it a supporting character. Commissario Brunetti is a man with a job to do, investigate the death of Maestro Wellhauer who was conducting at La Fenice. He has a different style from many of the headstrong, amateur detectives in other cozy mysteries I read, and I enjoy the differences this brings to this book.
I recommend it to readers of mysteries or to armchair travelers who want to know more about Venice.


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The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was published 35 years ago, and a current project of mine is to read all 25 books of the Shannara series in the chronological order of their events.

This is the book that started the series, and it is the book that opened the publishing genre of fantasy when the publisher thought there might be a market for readers who enjoyed Tolkein and wanted more fantasy quests.
I enjoy the characters Brooks creates and Brooks does an excellent job of writing battle scenes.
I give it five stars for it can be enjoyed by multi-generational readers without feeling dated.

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5 Steps to Personal Power by Patrick Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I trust Chet Day's recommendation and his special price for the download of this .pdf book.
There are many exercises within these five steps which are based on many techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy and neuro-linguistic programming to help break through limiting beliefsand continue new behaviors until they are habitual.
It is a good book to read and re-read.

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Deep Down by Lee Child
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm a Jack Reacher fan, and I purchased this short story for $1.99 as an Nook book.
I like that Lee Child chooses to give his fans a back story for the short story. The time is 1986 and Reacher is called from Frankfurt to Washington, D.C. for an undercover assignment.
I recommend it to fans of the series, and recommend new readers start with Killing Floor.

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Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this book as a Free Friday selection from Barnes and Noble, and it is no longer free.
This book was written in 1932 so it feels like a period piece when it may have been intended to be contemporary. There is an inherited manor house and its new residents want to keep it. Locals warn them the manor and its grounds are haunted, and the haunting is a reason that good local help will be hard to find. Yes, this is light enough to read on the beach, during an airline flight, or during waiting room visits.
i recommend it to readers who prefer genteel mysteries.


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The new America's wonderlands: Our National Parks by National Geographic Society
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been on my National Geographic Society shelf in my home library for 37 years. I used it for reference when planning vacations before the internet made finding information easier. I finally read all the text this year.
Sometimes the text and information are dated. Sometimes the pictures are dated too. People may be in pictures for interest or to show scale, but the short shorts, tube socks and permed hair cuts occasionally date a picture.
The book can still be used to begin research or armchair travel.

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A Wanted Man by Lee Child
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I eagerly anticipated this Jack Reacher mystery as soon as I read the last one.
Child set the mood for a long car ride across the interstates in Nebraska and Kansas at night. The ride is boring and yet you need to stay alert so you do lots of thinking.
I recommend it for fans of the series.


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The Etiquette of Illness: What to Say When You Can't Find the Words by Susan P. Halpern


The Etiquette of Illness was recommended to me when I read The End of Your Life Book Club. It also had the recommendation of Dawn, a www.goodreads.com reviewer who recommends it to all readers of a certain age.
I knew I needed to read this book because I tend to give too much advice that begins with the phrase, "What you ought to do..." or I avoid people with illness or people who are grieving. I have been taught avoidance by the best, and it is high time I learned better ways. I still found myself arguing with the book when the author's suggestions are not something I felt I could do.
The book gets 4 stars for discussing the topics in its 7 chapters.

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Frozen Heat by Richard Castle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the other Nikki Heat books by Richard Castle and I eagerly anticipated reading Frozen Heat.
It's entertaining and fun. Would I enjoy this mystery if I were not already a fan of the tv series? Yes, the mystery is well-structured and it has good pacing. Fictional character growth is limited by the changes in the tv characters.
I recommend starting with the first book of the series, Heat Wave, and reading all four.


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The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book based on the recommendations from goodreads.com and Barnes& Noble, and I feel glad I read it now.
I appreciate the bibliography at the end of the book so that I may seek out some of the books enjoyed and discussed by Will and his mother. Mary Anne was a remarkable woman, and I am glad this book will help inspire us, if not to help refugees, at least to smile at every one we see and perhaps listen to their stories.
I recommend this to all readers, for as Mary Anne says what all readers have in common is reading.

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Grace by Deneane Clark
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a Free Friday book when I downloaded it. This is not a genre I prefer because I find too many cliches in the genre for me to find most books enjoyable, and my dislike for the genre is why this only gets 2 stars. Please check to make sure it is still free before downloading.

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I Used to Know That by Caroline Taggart
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was once a Free Friday selection I downloaded from BN.com, and it is no longer free.
The book is comprised of lists and commentary about knowledge memorized for school tests which you may have forgotten without frequent use. Knowing I could still recall much of what is mentioned, except trigonometry, was reassuring. I do not value the reassurance as much as the current price of the ebook ($9.99.)



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Washington, D.C. and Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware by National Geographic Society
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book has been on my home library shelf for 15 years, and I used it this year as I planned and traveled on a road trip to Washington, D.C.
It is a good reference book for sights to see on the way and once you arrive. The reason it gets only 3 stars is it is fifteen years old and it is outdated. Telephone numbers are given for more information when it is more likely that we would prefer a website these days. Since its publications, there are new museums which are not to be missed.
If it is on your shelf, read it and use it.

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First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this book because I am reading all the Shannara books in the chronological order.
I enjoyed it, just not as much as I enjoyed the books with John Ross and Nest Freemark.
I recommend it to fans of the series.

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The Art of Asking by Terry J. Fadem
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I downloaded this as a free ebook recommended by Spec in the comments section of a Free Friday selection from Barnes and Noble. I read it because I believe in the value of better questions to promote learning and cooperative efforts in groups.
I don't have a problem with the questions suggested by Fadem. My ranking of only two stars is with the format which I believe could be better with some editing so there might be less repetition.
I recommend it as a reference book.

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Obama: The Greatest President in the History of Everything by Frank J. Fleming
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a free, ebook of humorous content. It is short so it can be read in the length of a commercial break of political announcements, at least for the political announcements here in Ohio eight days before the election. It is my hope there will be no reason to read this after November 7, 2012.

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The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I would appear to be seeking out Scandanavian mystery authors for my book choices lately: Larsson; Roslund and Hellstrom; Kaaberbol; and now, Nesbo. None of these authors have disappointed me in areas of suspense or in the characters they create.
Harry Hole is promoted to keep a story quiet that Hole shot an American agent while on protection duty for our American President. While he reads the reports that is now his busywork, he sees the implication that there may be more to a minor crime which seems isolated. The reader is in for a treat as we follow the clues.
I recommend this to readers who enjoy police-procedural mysteries, and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

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Cell 8 by Anders Roslund
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this because I was impressed by the authors first novel, Three Seconds.
Cell 8 started slower because I wondered why we were being introduced to death-row prisoners in Ohio when I expected to be reading a Swedish crime drama. The authors hooked me, and then I was involved in the police work and thoughts of Ewert Gren, Hermansson, and Sundkvist.
I recommend this to all adult readers.

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The Conquerors, a Narrative by Allan W. Eckert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Conquerors has been on my history shelf as part of Allan W. Eckert's "The Winning of America" series.
As with other books written by Eckert, the historical narrative is well-documented and well-explained with his Amplification Notes.
This is the story of Pontiac's uprising, the siege of Fort Detroit, and attacks on traders and settlers who lived in present-day New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Ohio during the years of 1758-1769.
I recommend it to adult readers with the warning it details horrible violence.

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My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a quick read for me because I could scan it and know where the author was taking me. Many people enjoy this author's books, but I did not enjoy it.

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County Line by Bill Cameron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a Free Friday downloadable selection available from Barnes and Noble, and it was no longer free at the time of this review.
This reader was quickly pulled into the noir world of Skin Kadash of Portland, Oregon who is willing to travel to California for a clue about the whereabouts of a woman Skin knows. Just when I'm settling into a noir mystery into the exotic locales of Portland and San Francisco, I was jolted by the clue that everything you need to know happened on Preble County Line Road. What?!! Preble County Line Road is less than a mile from my house!
Well, the exact location is a little farther from my house and school district; but Skin has to travel to Farmersville and Valley View High School. Then the chapters switch to flashbacks out of chronological order.
I recommend this to readers of noir mystery, even if you don't live near Preble County Line Road.

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Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler by Lavinia Spalding
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I finished reading the book, I gave it three stars because I thought it was a nice enough book but I did not see how it might improve the travel journals I already keep and I did not see why I might need an additional journal for the travel when I keep a daily one.
Well, I was wrong. I used some of her suggestions during a 17-day road trip and I can barely contain my extra journal within its rubber strap. I especially liked her suggestion for a three-column list with the headings of Date/Destination/Discovery. She suggests adding plastic blunt edge scissors (all the better to get through TSA), tape and archival glue to your journal accessories, and I found myself taping items from brochures as natural sidebars.
I recommend this book for those who already keep journals and for those who might want to give it a try. You don't have to use all her suggestions; just the ones you feel comfortable doing.

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Rick Steves' Postcards from Europe: Travel Tales from America's Favorite Guidebook Writer by Rick Steves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed some of the stories, and some of the stories made me uncomfortable when Steves told of shoplifting as a youthful traveler and having his early tour groups bed down in a 400-person tent just to watch his group members be uncomfortable in different circumstances.

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Lewis & Clark by Stephen E. Ambrose
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another book from my National Geographic Society shelf.
The author is Stephen E. Ambrose, who wrote Undaunted Courage. The subtitle is Voyage of Discovery. Ambrose becomes our travel guide who interprets the history for us and he tells the tales of how this epic journey influenced Ambrose's family in our modern era. He introduces us to local historians and guides.
The photographs are by Sam Abell, and I continue to admire his his work.
I encourage all readers to put this on your want-to-read list.

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The Hunt by Jan Neuharth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I downloaded this book as a Free Friday selection in 2011, and it is not longer free.
This murder mystery is an entertaining read up to the point when a child was kidnapped; and that is when I say to Neuharth, there was no more reason to use a child as a victim in this plot than to have the horses owned by this protagonist threatened. I found the behavior of the protagonist to be exasperating. The exasperating behvaior may make him more realistic, but it does not make him to be more likable to me.
I recommend it to readers who want a mystery set in the world of Virginia's landed gentry. Neuharth currently has 3 novels in Hunt Country Suspense series.

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Bailout: An Inside Account of How Washington Abandoned Main Street While Rescuing Wall Street by Neil Barofsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wanted to read this book for it was about choices made by cabinet and governmental employees, Federal Reserve chairmen, executive bankers, and the special investigator of TARP that I could previously only infer from posted information and news reports. I really wanted to know, "What were they thinking? It looks like they were thinking they needed short-term, urgent solutions and the solutions they considered were strongly influenced by their former job histories and future job prospects.
Barofsky's tone sometimes comes across as whining and petulant when he does not get the cooperation from Geithner and also does not get included when he raises objections about the roles of servicers and other potential conflicts of interests. Barofsky did a good job of preventing fraud, and feels there was more to be done. He was especially displeased with the program that was supposed to help 3-4 million people who faced foreclosure.
If you don't want to read the entire book, please at least read the afterword for a summary.

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King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village by Peggielene Bartels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The title and subtitle intrigued me, and the strong recommendations from readers on Goodreads encouraged me to read this book.
King Peggy comes across as strong and still vulnerable to disappointments caused by the behaviors of others. Her indignation becomes righteous and helps her find the reason why her tribe has no money, why the former king must stay in the refrigerator at the morgue until a proper funeral can be hosted, and why the royal palace is in such disrepair. King Peggy is the wise leader we wish all our politicians might be.
The book also provides an introduction to the tribal culture of Ghana in a way that shows us differences and yet helps us find common ground in our humanity.

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The Great Depression: A Diary by Benjamin Roth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was recommended as a book of the week on Consuela Mack's Wealthtrack show on my local PBS station.
Benjamin Roth was a lawyer with a sole proprietorship practice in Youngstown, Ohio and the sole provider for his young family. He kept a diary about the hard times and the developments as a way to understand and to learn from it. This book feels so current as he writes about his own worries about cashflow and bewilderment about government policies. These are real concerns for us today: have we done all we could to protect our families;would market timing and portfolio allocation have made an difference; and if we made mistakes how can we correct them if cash is unavailable? I did not realize how risky real estate investment became during the Great Depression when rents could not be collected and yet property taxes were still due.
I highly recommend this.


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America's Atlantic Isles by H. Robert Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another book from my National Geographic Society bookshelf, and now I take the time to read all the text in it.
For the purpose of this book, the Atlantic Isles are divided into six geographic chapters written by either H. Robert Morrison or Christine Eckstrom Lee. The primary photographer is David Alan Harvey. The book was copyrighted in 1981, and yet the text only dates itself in a few areas. I'm sure most of the concerns of the island inhabitants are similar today: how can I continue to live here when the financial considerations impact my worries almost as much as the sea and its weather?
I highly recommend this book for armchair travelers.

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Broken Markets: How High Frequency Trading and Predatory Practices on Wall Street Are Destroying Investor Confidence and Your Portfoli by Sal L. Arnuk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a free ebook from BN.com, and it is no longer free.
I'm glad I read this for it explained to my satisfaction why one of my sell limit orders sold on the Boston exchange when its trigger price never reached that price on NYSE that day. It explained to my satisfaction why high volume occurs when the price drops lower than 7-8% intraday and yet it can be higher by the end of the day. It explained to my satisfaction why I rarely see volume exceed 50% of its Average Daily Volume on dramatic price up days. There are High Frequency Traders, arbitragers, and Dark Pools who can read my orders between the time it takes to submit and to execute, and who act on that information.
An analogy the authors frequently use in this book has this shopper ready to checkout at the grocery store. I head for a checkout line, and suddenly there are 9 other carts in front of me. I head for another line, and 9 more carts are there. And so on.
So much has changed in the last 15 years in stock markets and SEC rules, and this book explains much of it. The stock markets were previously not-for-profit with rules for self-governance and the SEC helped the investor. Now they are for-profit corporations and the rules of the SEC have been helping traders rather than investors.
I recommend it for readers with portfolios, even if your portfolio is managed by others. I don't give it the fifth star for too much of it is repetitious.

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Alaska's Magnificent Parklands by Tom Melham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read another book from my National Geographic Society bookshelf. It was published in 1981, and some of the text seems dated as I read it 31 years later. Don't use it for vacation planning. Use it to learn there are more National Parks in Alaska than Glacier Bay and Wrangell-Saint Elias. All of these thirteen places have the warnings of Be Prepared and Plan to be Self-Sufficient for these are wilderness areas.
The photographs continue to be stunning.


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Small Crimes by Dave Zeltserman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I put this on my to-read list when I heard NPR considered this to be one of the five best crime and mystery novels of 2008.
The protagonist Joe Denton does not have the first-person voice I usually hear in the fiction I read. Joe is out on early release after serving seven years in County jail for a horrific assault and maiming of the district attorney. At the time of the assault he was a police officer, a police officer who was robbing, gambling, and he was addicted to both cocaine and alcohol. He says he is reformed and he blames so many people for getting him into trouble before and now after.
I recommend this book to readers of noir fiction for the author does an excellent job telling the story by a sociopath who can spin a story that normal people want to believe until he says one small thing that makes you understand this guy is nuts and you have to break all ties with him if you want to survive this story.

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High Country Trail: Along the Continental Divide by Michael Robbins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

High Country Trail: Along the Continental Divide is another book from my National Geographic Society shelf.
I have a personal connection to the subject as I have hiked along some of the public trails along the Continental Divide in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. Sometimes the text feels as if another traveler were telling me about his vacation and another photographer were showing me his pictures.
I have not yet hiked in New Mexico, and I think I may have to plan a trip there some day.

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Angel Fire East by Terry Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Angel Fire East is the third book of the Word and the Void trilogy from the 24 Shannara books. Now that I have read this one, all of the first eight are finished by me, and I have four more to read before I catch up with the book Don is currently reading.
I enjoy the characters of Nest Freemark, Pick, and John Ross. The demon Findo Gask is scary.
I recommend it for fans of the series. For new readers, I recommend starting with Running with the Demon.

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The Big Retirement Risk: Running Out of Money Before You Run Out of Time by Erin Botsford
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was recommended to me by my brother and my father.
It is written for a general audience. I don't see much difference in this book and Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominquez and Vickie Robin which I read years ago, and I took that advice to heart. Instead of US Treasuries for a guaranteed income, Botsford recommends annuities to lock-in income for protection. The problem I have with her book is my interpretation she recommended this course of action to her personal clients before the 2008 financial crisis, and she does not give enough information about where their assets were before going into the annuity. Were they in tax-deferred accounts or did they have the assets in taxable accounts?



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Voyages to Paradise: Exploring in the Wake of Captain Cook by William R. Gray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Voyages to Paradise is another book that has been on my National Geographic Society bookshelf for 31 years. I have always enjoyed the photographs by Gordon W. Gahan, and now I enjoyed the text by William R. Gray.
Gray writes a history lesson about Captain James Cook and his three voyages of exploration that goes far beyond the information taught in my U.S. classrooms. Gray and Gahan traveled for a year to "retrace the life and travels of the man who opened up more of the world than anyone before him."
I recommend this book to armchair explorers.


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The Blue Light Project by Timothy Taylor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received The Blue Light Project as a Free Friday Selection from Nook over a year ago, and its light price is currently $10.68.
It is a well-written book which I am not going to be recommending to any of my friends soon. It is currently a bit too close to current events: an unidentified man storms a television studio and takes hostages in the book while the news is still full of stories about the shootings in the theater in Aurora, Colorado.
It might be good for discussions in a book club because its themes are about the clash between street art and advertising, fame and uncivil actions hidden from the public eye, and the formations of mobs.

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Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali by Kris Holloway
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Monique and the Mango Rains has been on my to-read list for several years. It was recommended by a booklist from my public radio station.
The author Kris Holloway was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali where she learned from the midwife Monique how to help a village. The author does a good job describing the village and how their culture works for them.
I recommend this book for armchair travelers and for readers who enjoy memoirs with a theme of friendship.

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The First Confessor by Terry Goodkind
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I eagerly awaited the release of this chronological prequel to the Sword of Truth series for I enjoyed this series and I always looked forward to learning a new wizard's rule in that series.

I like the book in an ebook format. Its 1,162 pages add no more weight to the reader I already use. I wonder what Goodkind's self-publisher policy will be toward downloadable library books which are meant to be borrowed and shared. It is not yet available from my local library.

I recommend this for fans of the series. I think this book is best enjoyed after reading the completed series.



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Isles of the Caribbean by Robert L. Breeden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another book from my National Geographic Society shelf in my home library.
As always the pictures are beautiful. The text is dated as it was written 32 years ago.
This book transports the armchair reader to different places and a different time.

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The Mighty Aztecs by Gene S. Stuart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Mighty Aztecs is another book from my home library shelf of books published by The National Geographic Society. Now, I take the time to read the text that accompanies the photographs by Mark Godfrey. Seven chapters have seven essays. "The Setting" introduces us to the geography and climate of Mesoamerica where the early tribes such as the Olmec and Toltec built their cultures. "The Wanderers" tells how this wandering tribe fought their enemies and sacrificed them to build "The City" and "The Empire."
If a student needs a reference for a report about the Aztecs, then this book can still be an excellent reference.

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The Book of Kells: An Illustrated Introduction to the Manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin by Bernard Meehan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a souvenir of my short visit to the Book of Kells exhibit during a visit to Dublin.
The text explains the history, some of the more important folio pages, the materials used, and some of the decorative themes. The text had too many reference notes to make smooth reading for me.

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The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone---Especially Ourselves by Dan Ariely
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I heard about this book through an interview with the author plus advertisements and recommedations through BN.com and goodreads. I enjoy well-written nonfiction which interprets current social science research.
This book answers a question of who is more dishonest: bankers or politicians. It explores how altruism may contribute to dishonesty. There really is a what-the-hell effect. We poor humans, how easy it is for us to rationalize our impulses!
I recommend this to all readers, and I think this book is an excellent choice for book club discussions.


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The Front Porch Prophet by Raymond L. Atkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was a Free Friday section from Nook in 2011, and now it is no longer free. Its current price of $3.82 is affordable for this entertaining novel about A.J. Longstreet, his friend Eugene Purdue, and other family members and friends.
I recommend it to those readers who enjoy the novels by Fannie Flagg and Jan Karon.

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A Knight of the Word by Terry Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second of The Word and the Void section of the 24-book Shannara series. The story of John Ross and Next Freemark continue in this book.
It is entertaining and page-turning. It is set in a pre-apocalype era with warnings to us readers that homelessness and domestic violence are problems where our society should provide assistance or don't be surprised that demons and feeders grow in power.
I recommend it to fans of the series.



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The Desert Realm by National Geographic Society
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of many books on my National Geographic Society shelf, and I read all the text which accompanies the amazing pictures of the seven major desert regions of Earth.
The text teaches without boring. This was published in 1982, and some of the questions about the promise of jojoba oil seem dated. The Landsat photos were wonderous at the time, and now we have earthobservatory.nasa.gov available on our home computers.
If this book is still on your bookshelf, I recommend the text and the pictures.

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