Product Description
Aiming to help gardeners improve their seed growing techniques, this book explains how seeds work, why they germinate and why they often do not. Step-by-step descriptions are given on sowing and growing-on methods and there is comprehensive coverage of trees, shrubs, perennials and alpines. ... Read more

Product Description
Marijuana growers are developing high-tech methods for getting high yield crops.Marijuana Hydroponics: High-Tech Water Cultureis an excellent guide to growing without soil.This book had all the information needed to set up a system using nutrient solutions in controlled environments.

Detailed guide to methods of growing without soil. Marijuana Hydroponicscontains equipment lists, diagrams, and a step-by-step account of assembly of a system of nutrient solutions in controlled environments for a high-yield water-culture growing system.This book give information on lighting for growth and budding, mineral nutrients, nutrient flow technique, water culture, atmosphere control, temperature factors, vegetative and reproductive growth, harvesting, using rockwool as a medium, and curing of hydroponics crops. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Above the basics {alittle technical}
Very well written but alittle technical for me.I found myself read and zoning out at times.Every subject was well reserched, detailed and written.I like the detailed grow room setup.It's in my library I'm not so sure it should be in yours but then again I do not know you.

Happy Growing

Sad mislabeled comic book grade growing guide
Definitely not worth buying.Antiquated and full of myths with few shared facts that aren't already very well know even to newbies.The book is advertised as being by Ed Rosenthal and it is not.The book is really no more then a rehashing of old DWC methodolgies that are known to provide small expensive yields.The methodolgies suggested by the author are known to produce a system wrought with root rot problems.IMHO people would better benefit by simply reading online material from one of the major online growing forums.The hydro nutrient formula advertsied as a lure is no more then a recipe for Hoagland's formula, which is a over 30 year an old tomato nutrient formula widely posted online but never used anymore.Don't waste your money on this book.

growing
The book is very informative & has good instructions & it helped me see how much work is really involved. I recommend it for anyone considering growing plants using hydroponics.

Old but okay as long as you have another book too.
Ed Rosenthal had a hand in this one and it looks more like Closet Cultivator than a good grow book. This book is not the best hydroponics book you can find by a long shot. It is also incomplete and there is much better information in some of the other grow books that are out there. I highly recommend The Cannabis Grow Bible by Greg Green for coverage of hydroponics systems and growing mediums. "Marijuana Hydroponics" is a little lite* on both of these areas. It will get you there but I have strong reserves about issuing this book a fully positive review without suggesting that you also get another book with a hydroponics section to help you along. I did like the sections on photosynthesis though.

Don't buy this out of date book!!!
I was looking forward to gaining some real insights with this book.However, it is one of the most disapointing books on the subject I have read.The infomation is dated, the size of the book is pitifull. Trying to remain objective, there are a few handy formulas for detailed calculations, the rest of the information here is old news, and all available for free on the net. Ed has, in the past written some of the best and most well known material on this subject.But this book is just not worth buying.Ed Rosenthal where has your integrity gone? ... Read more

Product Description
As in the first and second editions, this elementary textbook on soil and water engineering has been written primarily for classroom and laboratory instruction at the college level for students in agriculture and in related nonengineering fields. The purpose of this book is to present up-to-date information that has been gathered through experience and research in a form that will be useful for the beginning student of this subject. The engineering phases of soil and water conservation are emphasized, but the authors have realized that all aspects of these problems must be considered, including agronomic, economic and others. The book includes subject matter on simple surveying and its application to field problems, in addition to information on the design and layout of conservation practices. This third edition includes the latest recommendations, which have been developed from experience and from an expanded research program in recent years. ... Read more

Product Description
Featuring new photographs, diagrams, and special “boxes” , The Nature and Property of Soils is an engaging book for readers. It has an ecological approach that explains the fundamentals of soil science effectively. Chapter topics include Soil Erosion and Its Control, Soil Acidity, Soils and Chemical Pollution, and Organisms and the Ecology of the Soil. For individuals interested in soil and the environment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sensory overload!
The professor in my college, a two year college for AAS, has the students buy this book because when he was a student he used it.
It is very, very, very technical, not for a new student without any background in chemistry.
It would have been a good idea to list the sub-headings at the beginning of each chapter.
This would be a good book for the third year college in AG.
... Read more

Product Description
Cannabis sativa has been called the world's most versatileplant. Materials made from hemp fiber have been discovered in tombsdating back to before 7000 BC. During the Middle Ages hemp was used totreat fevers, insomnia, and malaria. Columbus's ships had sails ofhemp, and during colonial times it was universally grown because itsstrong fibers made superior ropes, sails, cloth, and paper. In fact,hemp was used for money in most of the Americas from 1631 until theearly 1800s, and the original drafts of the Declaration ofIndependence and the Constitution were written on hemp paper. As afood, the oil from hemp seeds has the highest percentage of essentialfatty acids and the lowest percentage of saturated fats. Britain andCanada have recently lifted bans on growing industrial hemp and todayit is reappearing in the marketplace in an amazing array of products:from lip-salve, jeans, salad oil, and cheese to paper products,composite fiberboard, and biomass fuel.

This illustrated, easy-to-read guide covers all aspects of hemp:
-The history of its cultivation worldwide
-Its role as a source of renewable energy and as an alternative forpaper manufacturing and fossil fuels
-Its versatility as a fiber
-Its many nutritional and medicinal uses
-Examines the physiological and psychological effects of marijuana usein recreation and therapy

A comprehensive resource section includes information on organizationsinvolved in legalizing hemp, product suppliers, and an annotatedbibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Setting the records straight -
Through my 20's & 30's I was "on the wagon" from marijuana 'cuz I was doing the church thing. It was the only thing I really regretted having to give up. I didn't miss cigarettes and alcohol was a good thing to learn to live without. I've always felt like marijuana is a tremendous gift from God. When my physicians prescribed narcotics for my chronic pain I decided it was time to try using my old friend, MaryJane, for relief. First thing I did was read everything I could get my hands on about MJ. This book is a Gold Mine of information. Of all the books, pamphlets and stuff on the internet I've read, The Great Book of Hemp was the most comprehensive and informative. Prohibition of marijuana is wrong in SO many ways. Since reading this book (over & over & over - the library finally recorded it as lost! I took it back and bought my own.) I am Excited to do what I can to help change the laws regarding marijuana. I think that if people who aren't familiar with MJ as a medicine or recreational intoxicant learned about it's many benefits, they too would see how ridiculous and EXPENSIVE it is to keep it as an illegal substance. The economic benefits that legalization would bring would not just save jillions of dollars in legal expenses it would ADD money to our government funds by way of taxation. I believe this book is a valuable tool to educate the public as they ponder whether or not to vote for or otherwise support legalization.

Most Informative Book on Uses of a Wonderous Plant
This is one of the most Informative works on the subject of Hemp that I have read in 20 years.I have been researching Hemp & Marijuana for over 40 years.To date this is one of the most educational compilations of information on the subject that I have found.If everyone in America were made aware of the information in this book, the insanity of the Hemp/marijuana war being waged in this country by overzealot/misinformed
Law Makers and Enforcers would end.Then we could begin building a Billion dollar industry that will save the countries farmers and the world would be a better place.

Mind Blowing
Very insightful,I had only learned the negative effects in school and growing up. This plant could really could really help heal our planet.

Hemp Manifesto
This is an excellent starter for your search on important facts about hemp and its commercial uses. There are some medical notes in this for those interested. I had the money to purchase a million copies I would give them away. Ho hum. No mun! Please take the facts in this book real serious. No joking. This is a must read for all even you smart ass stoners.

Entheogens: Professional Listing
"The Great Book of Hemp" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy."http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Rated for content - excellent... for kindle version - ehhhh
This is a fascinating and well written book, but the kindle version has so many typos that reading it can sometimes become a chore as the reader has to break stride to figure out what things like "Rockef eller" means. Proper names are repeatedly hyphenated and then in different places. Rockefeller is one example; another is Damania which comes up Da-mania, Dama-nia, Damani-a.... There are seemingly hundreds of acronyms and I quickly lost comprehension of them. One random page makes use of CIMMYT, IRRI, CG, ICARDA.
The biggest problem, however, seems to me to be the sloppiness with which the kindle edition is done. It clearly hasn't been proof read by a native English speaking proof reader. Amazon needs to get on top of this with the kindle editions.

An Important Book
Doomsday vaults in Norway, wheat rust that threatens the food supply of Asia, mismanagement of global food stock seed banks.....Susan Dworkin has written a compelling science-based must-read for anyone around the world who is is interested in knowing who decides what we eat, how food stock decisions are made, and how to feed the world where we find ever-increasing hunger, in a time that climate change has brought drought to critical food-growing areas of Australia and Africa."The Viking in the Wheat Field" introduces a fascinating cast of characters from many countries engaged in the global food drama, including a Nobel prize winner, and the Gates Foundation, with a particular focus on one man's story, who dedicated his life to protecting the seeds.

Susan Dworkin has moved over the years from fiction, plays, biography and novel writing back to agricultural policy, having first started her career as a staff member in the Department of Agriculture during the Kennedy era.Her focus on seed science is leavened by a compelling story.I found this is an important book and read it twice:once for an orientation to a world of germplasm politics and scenarios, and then again for the narrative. I was not aware of what was at stake until I was introduced to the field through Dworkin's work.

The Fragile Food Supply and Sir Bent
Most of us think of the Irish potato famine as a plague of a bygone era, or as a result just of horrid and treacherous 19th century British imperial policy.Yet the biological element, a plant disease, looms closer than we might think.

Susan Dworkin's The Viking in The Wheat Field tells the story of a small core of dedicated plant scientists who breed and preserve grain seeds adapted to resist crop-devastating disease, to thrive in hostile growing conditions and to increase bounty to levels only dreamt of before the 20th century.

The focus for presenting the story is a charismatic Dane, Bent Skovand, a plant scientist passionately dedicated to feeding the hungry -- not in soup kitchens and shelters -- but by working to ensure abundant grain harvests worldwide.

I had never before known of the fragility of our grain harvests to disease and climate.As I read I wanted to follow Bent's life.In doing do I was carried through the lessons of grain breeding and preservation, including the trips to the world's most remote places such as the Himalayas and beyond the Arctic Circle to gather and preserve rare local grains and chart their properties.The book has a few technical parts, but just enough to allow the reader to be carried knowledgeably through the story.

Understanding the fragility of the world's grain crops sensitizes one to the importance of environmental preservation.Other hot topics covered include food irradiation and the legal policy of granting patents for life forms (seeds).Might such patents give private multi-national corporations power to influence or control food production?After having gouged our bank accounts will they now "take the food off our plates?"

For others like me, uninitiated in the subject, this book is a real eye opener, one that taught me to be sensitive to an aspect of the world I took for granted -- that abundant food is always readily available.I suspect that is how most see it.

For me The Viking in the Wheat Field was a learning experience in an area to which I had previously given little and but casual thought.So I enthusiatically recommend the highly readible story of grain and of Bent Skovand, a man who spent years in grain fields, gathering and building the world's grain knowledge and breeding new varieties.He fought the bureaucrats, adapted to the politicians, but always with the goal of eliminating hunger.He was knighted for his work by the Queen of Denmark.He died too young.So, Good night, Sir Bent, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

Food for thought
Often it is not the politicians or the heads of governments who control the destiny of millions. Scientists work diligently in a corner without any fanfare or brouhaha. And more often than not, they make a big difference to the quality of life of the resource depleted nations. The Viking in the Wheat Field is a story of one such individual to tried hard to make a difference and nearly succeeded. The book is a must read for all wheat scientists and plant explorers and gives useful information about the environment in which the green revolution wheats were created. ... Read more

Product Description
This dictionary presents special terms from the technical and scientific literature in the area of cereal processing and cereal chemistry. The following fields are covered: cereal storage and drying; milling; compound feeds production; baking and confectionery; production of cereal-based food, and cereal chemistry. Symbols have been used to indicate whether a term is out of date, little used, or often used in a sense which is not recommended. In compiling this dictionary, the authors - J.Bartsch, S. Schröder and J. Buré - were assisted by the working group `Information and Documentation' of the International Association for Cereal Chemistry (I.C.C.) as well as the All-Union Research Institutes for the Baking Industry and for the Confectionery Industry in Moscow.

... Read more

Product Description
Drawn from more than 20 years of cultivation stories, reader reports, growing tips, and cannabis photographs that have appeared in "High Times" magazine, this is one of the best marijuana growing guides ever produced. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

cultiyation tips
I licke to rade hight times because it gives difront ways to grow marowana.Alsow showes the defrent veriates of weed from a raned the weroled. I just whanted to tall you thanck you four the tawen of camp serbe it gives me somthing to do....

A must for every grower!!
This book is a must have for every grower.It should not be the sole resource for information, but a reference guide for the beginner to the advanced grower.I find myself referring back the pages frequently to pick up some hidden or forgotton hints. The book is definately an integral part in the success in my garden.

Past History
High Times is resting on its history. This re-hash of old cultivation articles contributes very little to someone setting up a garden with what's going on today as far as equipment and hardware. Better to subscribe to the magazine than rely on these tired methods.

High Times, Low Value as Primary Grow Guide
Yes, there is a wealth of information in this growing guide, some of it state of the art; that is notthe issue.It is a compilation of articles from past issues, and there isa lack of cohesiveness to the content that makes it a poor growing guidefor beginners; there is also more contradiction betweeen authors than ishelpful.The book is best suited for somewhat experienced growers, lookingfor esoteric tips to perfect their craft, while exploring a spectrum ofdiverse and newer ideas. In the later context, it has greater value.Forthe novice it is a supplimental text to be used in conjuction with anynumber of more teachable growing guides. Lastly, the book would havebenefited from a good index, but it has no index at all.

GROW GROW GROW!
I have recently purchased this wonderful grow guide. It is definatly a good fact filled book ideal for any grower. I have purchased many other grow guides but they don't hold a candle to this one,it has in depth factsand tips . I gave this particular guide a rating of 5 because in my eyesyou will not find a better.So , happy growing. ... Read more

Book Description

More than ten years ago, the first genetically modified foods took their place on the shelves of American supermarkets. But while American consumers remained blissfully unconcerned with the new products that suddenly filled their kitchens, Europeans were much more wary of these “Frankenfoods.” When famine struck Africa in 2002, several nations refused shipments of genetically modified foods, fueling a controversy that put the issue on the world's political agenda for good.

Customer Reviews (4)

Very Disappointing!
Eighty-percent of all corn and 92% of soybeans grown in the U.S. are now GM. I read "Food Fray" to gain understanding of the scientific rationale for opposing GM products - unfortunately, none was provided. Instead, it focused on the emotional and political battles involved, and threw in some nonsensical economics for savoring.

It was interesting to learn that the herbicide Roundup played a key role in early GM (1970s) history. Glyphosate (an ingredient) is a synthetic amino acid that blocks the synthesis of essential amino acids in plants, causing their death. It degrades fairly rapidly in sunlight and heat, is cheap, and has low human and environmental toxicity. In the mid-1980s, Monsanto was faced with the expiration of its patent on Roundup, and while examining mud samplings from production-area waste ponds found resistant bacteria. From that material they learned to make "Roundup Ready" seeds that would resist the effects of the herbicide. Monsanto also learned to create plant seeds that would grow into plants that would kill caterpillars.

Hybrid varieties do not "breed true" - this prevents using seeds generated from one crop to generate another, IF 100% TRUE LINES ARE DESIRED (Weasel did not make this clear). Seed producers, seeking to maximize their profits, prohibit this - antagonizing numerous farmers.

Weasel roughly outlines the early benefits for the "Green Revolution," though never fully explains why it failed in Africa (predominantly small farms made it difficult to distribute the new seeds; required irrigation and fertilizer were also difficult to employ). Another problem, in Asia, was that the Green Revolution was in some ways too successful, reducing the variety of foods consumed through specializing in the new rice. This led to widespread Vitamin A deficiencies.

Thus, "Golden Rice" was developed through extensive philanthropy and public research. While the effort was successful, 32 companies owned 70 different patents on the techniques and procedures. AstraZeneca, one of the major patent holders involved, was willing to offer free access for farmers earning less than $10,000/year. (What about the other patent holders? Weasel ends up with an illogical conclusion on the economic viability of Golden Rice, assuming her short dialogue did not omit any major facts.)

A 2007 U.S. GAO study found that 65% of the cost of food aid was eaten up in transportation costs. Opponents argue that selling food by aid groups in recipient countries depresses prices and makes that nation even more dependent. (Wouldn't giving it away depress prices even more?)

Then, Weasel cites European resistance to GM foods to justify Zambia's refusing GM food aid because Europe wouldn't want to risk subsequent GM-tainted imports. (Why would Zambia be exporting food if it was in a long-term famine status? And just what are some rational reasons to oppose GM crops?)

Perfect for classroom debate or personal reflection alike
FOOD FRAY: INSIDE THE CONTROVERSY OVER GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD offers insights across the board, from researchers to activists, farmers and consumers, on genetically modified food, and is a pick for both general-interest and college-level libraries strong in health and food issues. It offers stories blending science with real-world anecdotes and pinpoints facts about agricultural biotechnology applications and world events. Perfect for classroom debate or personal reflection alike, it blends science with human experience.

stunningly bias and anti-science
I read this book seeking good science and some balanced perspective. What I got was tired and recycled activist propaganda. The spectrum of people and industries indicted in Weasel's conspiracy theory ranges from heartland farmers to Nobel Prize winners, multinational corporations, tens of thousands of academics, international aid agencies, poverty and farming experts and the national academies of science from countries around the world. And that's an incomplete list.

Apparently they're not all just wrong; they're also all on the take. The poorly researched claims (How can your source for a company's unethical practice be the activist you're featuring as the "hero" of your chapter?); the fear-mongering about evil-doers and poisoned food (A syringe, Lisa? Really?); and the total absence of interviews with anyone on the other side--although I'm reluctant to lean on polarizing notions like "sides"--makes this book a disappointment.

Now and then, Weasel almost acknowledges that these issues are enormously complex, not black and white. She tries, for instance, to give some historical context and ventures into the thicket of regulatory and patent problems surrounding the GMO conversation. It's useful, for example, for people to be reminded of the near overlap of--and therefore relationship between--the arrival of mad cow disease, the European response to it and the emergence of the GMO debate.

But nuance never stands a chance in FOOD FRAY because the implicit evil that Weasel sees in GMO technology, scientists who use it and any for-profit entity that employs it, is like a steamroller, powered by vitriol, not evidence and pushing through the entire text. The book's only level-headed language is on the jacket copy: "cuts through the complex science," and "even-handed assessment." I commend NSF for granting research money to less-than-typical scholars. But looking at such one-sided, anti-empiricism output, it appears that funders made a bad choice with Weasel.

Well researched, solid guide into GM foods.
I purchased this book knowing very little about genetically modified foods, hoping to get some insight into the controversy. However, having read Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle, I figured that I had a good grip on the topic of sustainable food. This book introduced me to an entirely other side that I didn't know at all. Not always easy to read, I found myself absorbed nonetheless in the thick stock of information packed into relatively few pages. What I expected was a book detailing the health aspects of eating GM foods (there was very little) and a biased account of the evil that is GM. The author was very good at maintaining a middle ground, instead letting the research and facts speak for themselves. I left this book feeling much better informed and having a better understanding about what I am eating and why everyone thinks it is so bad.

Heavily steeped in science, with ample evidence, this book is essential for anyone wanting to have a real understanding of a very misunderstood subject.
... Read more

Product Description
Whether it's graduation day, baby's first bite of birthday cake, or your own made-for-PC mini-series, the MICROSOFT MOVIE MAKER HANDBOOK makes it easy to create and share movies over the Web. MovieMaker software is part of the new Microsoft Windows(r) Millennium Edition (Windows Me) operating system, and this book delivers inside insights direct from members of the MovieMaker team. With it, users learn how to record audio and video source material, create storyboards, edit and arrange footage, add titles, music, sound effects, and voice-overs-then store, play, or send! The companion CD-ROM comes loaded with ready-to-use audio, still images, and video content-providing everything the next desktop director needs to make movies on a home PC.Amazon.com Review
Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (a.k.a. Windows Me) endows Microsoft's everyday operating system with considerable multimedia capability, including video editing. The Microsoft Windows MovieMaker Handbook explains how to use the video-editing tools that ship with Windows Me to assemble video presentations. Perhaps more importantly, the authors relate knowledge about moviemaking--enabling you to plan and create videos that are more emotionally moving, persuasive, and technically attractive. They do a good job of communicating the importance of high production values in every video creation, whether professional or amateur, and appropriately place the editing tools themselves second in importance, behind good conceptual thinking.

In a typical section, the authors explain differences in editing styles. Documentary editing in the cinéma vérité style, for example, involves stringing together clips, often out of chronological sequence, in order to convey a larger truth about the subject. They explain camera moves ("dolly in," "pedestal up"), too. Coverage would be better if authors had included examples from famous movies and television shows (the jerky camera in "Homicide," the window in the series of dissolves at the beginning of "Citizen Kane"). Sections on Windows MovieMaker and the other Windows Me tools are adequate--it's the background information on moviemaking that gives this book its value. --David Wall

Topics covered: Fundamentals of cinematography, video editing, and the other technical aspects of moviemaking, as facilitated by the tools that come with Microsoft Windows Me. Sections deal with planning shots, writing scripts, arranging lights, and capturing video to digital format. Coverage of the Windows MovieMaker software documents the editing suite fully, from the everyday user's point of view. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A book to teach you how to film
Not only the handbook for Microsoft Windows Movie Maker, this book introduces the ways to film to make your home movie more interesting. Instead of shooting without any plan, home video amateurs can really take advantage of the suggestions in the book for better planning to get better entertaining result.

Puts you in the director's chair.
Microsoft brings the ability to make movies right to the desktop with Windows ME. This book takes that adventure and shows you the techniques that will have you making, editing and showing movies to your friends in no time flat.

Of course you do need to have a camcorder, a computer and Windows ME installed, but other than that this book is all you will need. Divided into three parts, The Basics, Movie Maker and Advanced uses the book makes sure you understand the concepts and best of all you learn as you go.

In Part 1 you learn about making movies, planning, production tools, shooting and editing and finally distributing movies. In part 2 you the chance to take your movies and put them in the Movie Maker application, you'll also start organizing, editing and sharing the movies with family and friends.

Finally part 3 has you doing more advanced techniques like working with stills, adding sound effects and how to use the media player to play the movies you have created. The Cd-rom include has media player version 7, some ready to use videos and stills to practice with, images and sounds and a few other production tools.

If you are into the creation of movies or want to have some fun with home movies this book should allow you the let out the creative genius inside. Overall a very good book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book brings together experts from a variety of perspectives on bioengineered food, which holds the promise of radically reducing hunger in the third world but which is mired in political controversy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Knowing what's best
One of the more important, but under-reported issues in 21st century international relations is GM (Genetically-Modified) food such as livestock, grains, fruits and vegetables.Specifically, America produces a lot of GM food and would like to export it to other countries, and get other countries to also produce GM food.Other countries, led primarily by the EU countries, are going against GM food, blocking GM food imports, and encouraging many trading partners, such as African countries, to not plant GM food.This book is a series of extended articles that deal with this issue, from the stance that GM food is fine for human consumption.The title declares this book as plainly partisan, and the individual articles by different authors each offer different reasons for the acceptance of GM crops and hence GM food.The book's publication was supported by the American Enterprise Institute, an overtly free-trade conservative think-tank.The contributors lined up for this book are quite impressive, and include one of Greenpeace's cofounders.

The book is written more as a public policy statement, and numerous scientific publications are cited to support the safety of GM food, both in terms of ecological impact and in terms of human consumption.The book also examines the roots of the anti-GM forces in both America and Europe.

I found the book lacking in several respects.First of, it lacks, and should have included a detailed history of how the food we eat is modified by man both at the genotype and phenotype level.Second, the book seems to conclude that there are zero cases of GM food causing harm.I find this hard to believe.When one side says their cause is perfect, I automatically suspect their facts and conclusions.Third, the book should have included several tables listing the various GM crops out there, where they are grown, and why the genetic modification was done in the first place.So overall, not enough context for such a highly partisan book. ... Read more