For the beginning birder, the identification of Sparrows (in particular) and Finches can be a trying experience due to their similarity in appearance. This guide attempts to simplify the process for those in the eastern region of North America. Naturally, for the beginner, reems of scientific information is out of the question; what is need is key information and clear, detailed photographs in order to gain familiarity. And that's what this guide provides. There's no two ways about it, this is an excellent resource for the beginning birder.

There are few species of birds better known to the general public than the Robin; with it's red breast and distinctive voice, few can say they have little affection for it. This book, as slim as it is, is a wonderful portrait of this cherished bird. It was a pleasure to read, and very informative to boot. One cannot but gain a better appreciation for the Robin by reading this book.

The purpose of this guide is not to assist one in identifying species of flora and fauna found in the Eastern Forest--such a tome would be monumental in size--but rather to instill in the reader an understanding of the forest's general dynamics. The book is divided into eight sections; they are:

1) How to use this book
2) Forest field marks
3) Eastern forest communities
4) Disturbance and pioneer plants
5) Adaptation
6) Paterns of spring
7) Nature in summer
8) Autumn and winter

This book is an excellent beginning point for those who want to develope a better understanding of forest ecology. I highly recommend it.

The full title of this book is "Old Growth Forests... What are they? How do they work?" It consists of editted lectures and discussions from a symposium held at the University of Toronto on January 20, 1990 on the state and definition of the Old Growth Forest in Ontario. The following is a list of the main contents of the book:

*The Forest is a Living Trust by Chris Maser

*Interrelationship of Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems by David Perry

*Streams in Old Growth Forests by Jim Sedell

*Old Growth Forests and Ecological Diversity by Tim Fahey

*Old Growth and Biological Diversity: A Basis for Sustainable Forestry by Tom Crow

*The Dynamic Nature of Ontario's Forests from Post-Glacial Times to the Present-Day by Robert Day

*Ontario's Forests--Knowing What We Have by John Osborn

*Forum

This short and informative book is for those who have a general interest in birds, and who want a more detailed but not scientific-jargoned account of the wonderful Mockingbird. Included are a number of beautiful photos, as well as a discussion of the Mockingbird's role in American culture and folklore.

Whether this book was published in hardcover, I'm not sure; the edition that I have is an oblong paperback approx. 5x8 in size and published by Brampton Publications.

The full title of the book is: R.M.S. Titanic: A Portrait in Old Picture Postcards. As is obvious, the book consists of contemporary postcards of the Titanic, from its construction through to the memorials that were erected to commemorate the victims. For the most part, there is one card per page, and each usually has a fairly lengthy caption. The book is 98 pages.

Considering the collectability of Titanic related items, such a collection of postcards would be quite expensive; this book, therefore, is an excellent substitute.

I have all but two of the books that Steinbeck published. The Short Reign of Pippin IV is by far my least favorite. There is, in my opinion, a decided stylistic shift in Steinbeck's writing following the war, and his books became increasingly bourgeois. This book is the pinnacle of this shift. I had a very difficult time reading this book, and actually had to put it aside at one point out of disappointment and frustration.

This is certainly an excellent and handy introductory reference for anyone wanting to get into rock collecting. Clear and easy to read, the book provides a wealth of information, and has a number of illustrations. These illustrations are, however, black & white; there are no photos in this book. Nevertheless, an excellent book.

This book is best suited for those who have little knowledge of this subject and would like a general, easy to read introduction. One needs to be cautioned that the term "elite units" is used, in my opinion, somewhat erroneously. While the books does deal with some elite units such as Grossdeutschland, JV 44, and the 7th Airborne, the there are also chapters on Foreigners in the Waffen SS, V Weapons, and Tiger Tanks. In my opinion, Tiger tanks were employed in some elite units--like Grossdeutschland--but are not elite units in themselves, rather exceptional weapons. In general, I found the book to be well written and interesting, but the chapters are fairly short and general. There are some nice pictures, but there are overall not many pictures.

I provide a list of the chapters in order for you to get a better idea of the contents:

1) 7th Panzer Division - Ghost Division
2) 7th Airborne - Student's Paras
3) Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler
4) U-Boats -- Donitz's Ship Killers
5) The "Eighty-Eight" - Top Tank Killer
6) Grossdeutschland - Armoured Elite
7) Tigers - The Heavy Punch
8) Rudel's Stukas
9) Hitler's Foreign Legion: The SS Volunteers
10) Skorzeny's Commandos
11) V Weapons - The Rocket Elite
12) JV 44 - The Galland Circus
13) The Brandenburgers

I'm one of those schleps who had the misfortune of investing the CDN $70.00+ dollars on this book when it first came out, only to learn that many of the (in particular non-NHL) statistics were inaccurate or missing completely. This is understandable for the very early players, but still, it seems as though more effort should have been put into this initially. I am interested in the old Hamilton Tigers franchise, and prior to getting the book had already done some research into the early careers of some of the players. Right off, I noticed that there were problems with the Leo Reise and Goldie Prodgers listings. These--and no doubt innumerable others--were rectified in the later edition, but that is little consolation for me. I made my investment, and unless I can find the revised edition cheap, I have no intention on blowing more money just to finally get what I should have gotten in the first place. Still, it has been a useful book at times, so it's not a complete loss, I guess.