A treasure trove of interesting information
343834
Like all legal codes, this is not an easy read.  This is made all the more difficult by the attempts to leave some of the technical vocabulary intact in the manuscript.  One often has to get the sense of how everything fits together to understand a given regulation (for example, the idea that one can have meadowland rights on someone else's property). At the same time, of course, leaving this technical side intact makes the book more useful.

This being said the book is an amazing treasure-trove of information.  There are sections in this volume which deal with dog bites, tame polar bears, divorce, remarriage, and torts involving interfering with a marriage.  The Icelanders had some sense of something like community property though it was not evenly divided (2/3rds of the community property belonged to the husband).

Moreover the sense of legal protections for vulnerable persons was very different in this system.  For example, an individual has a right to search for stolen property on the land or in the houses of others with a band of up to 30 men, none of whom are free to refuse to help, but a search area must be contiguous, so all farms in between two suspects must also be searched.  This seems to help reducing abuse by inconveniencing those who are legally required to render judgement (clearing verdicts done by a panel of five neighbors).  Similarly, upon getting married, a man had to pay a "bride-price" to his bride, and if they divorced, she was entitled to keep this money.  This was her money and not part of the community property.

Understanding how different societies solved social problems is immensely interesting in its own right but it is also important.  By looking to how other cultures looked at issues, we are better prepared to look at the problems in our own time with a new set of eyes.  This can be of help in understanding the social diseases of our day.

I'd highly recommend this work.
2857980
surprisingly pleased at the variety of topics covered and information gleaned from this text. The topics discussed are not completely current but I assume that is because of the polling officials have yet to release the compiled data. Still some data is as old as 6 years ago and it makes it impossible to compile complete factoids from this text alone. Nonetheless, I am very pleased with my purchase and I will continue my quest for facts through future versions and other such texts.
1260629
An enormous amount of information is packed into this one volume, compact enough to keep on one's desk, and though the entries are short, they are quite thorough, on people, places and things of every sort.

For those like me who like to read writing on paper more than on a computer screen, this can be better that a search engine, and more accessible.

As a youngster I used to read the dictionary as if it were novel, and now as an oldster, I find myself going through the pages of this mighty little volume fascinated by its many subjects.

As an example, I will cite an entry for a composer not enough people know about:

"Vivaldi, Antonio (c 1680-1741). Venetian composer, notably for the violin. He wrote vocal music, sonatas, some 450 concertos for violin and other instruments (helping establish the three-movement form; see CONCERTO) and concerti grossi including the famous Four Seasons. His work has sparkling clarity, strong rhythms, and a wealth of melody".

It doesn't go into his life, but you get an idea of who he was, and why he merits an entry.

Yes, you need a good light to read it, and spectacles if your sight isn't all it should be without them; the font size is small, but that is to be expected, with so much packed into a book you can pick up with one hand.

An essential along with a dictionary and thesaurus, this is a reference book that I use constantly, and appreciate.
79908
There is an incredible amount of information available in here not only from Guy's experience, but also from other industry experts. I was surprised at how much information was packed in side here.
1296543
good resource to have in your library, you won't regret buying this book
3618455
This is a book I find myself turning to again and again for its wealth of information on such diverse topics as ancient Celtic sites, animals, saints, gods and warriors, Grace O'Malley, druids, and Jonathan Swift.  The  'Guide to Language and Pronunciation' chapter alone will be invaluable to  anyone who has ever struggled with Old and Middle Irish words in other  works:  an international phonetic guide is used in one column and an  English language orthography in a third column, allowing anyone - perhaps  for the first time! - an opportunity to understand the pronunciation of all  those place-names and characters that may have been intimidating and  annoying in other works without such a resource.  The source material  listed at the end of each entry is also very useful;  any subject  particularly interesting to a reader has references grouped right at hand  for further reading and research.  Though a far-ranging work, it's never  dry:  each entry is a delightful, informative reading experience, even for  the casual reader.  A favorite in my library for "things Celtic"  and "things Irish."
3999059
Very comprehensive book filled with important information
1242137
An absolutely fascinating book that provides such a rich history of information backed by direct references. I plan to read it again and share with all of my friends and family.
1429567
I have not finished the book, but it is a treasure trove of information and ideas that work. I intend to pass it on to my neighbor who works in education.
4447788
This book has a wealth of information for anyone who is truly interested in wood heating.
1239336
Wonderfull source of interesting articles in all fields of science!
1434984
This is a comprehensive book with interesting illustrations and a lot of information.
1446625
This little book, (apparently intended to slip into a hip pocket) contains a surprising amount of easily accessed information.  It begins with an introduction and goes on to explain and explore the different biomes of Southern Africa, with small maps of each of them. Included, is a bibliography of what the author (Himself, a well known expert.)considers the best books and journals on the subject and which had a part to play in the writing of this one. In the back it has a glossary, more identifying diagrams, and an index to the trees covered in the book. Each species has a map of its range, tiny though they are. (But, at least they're there and also clear!) There are small but clear color photos of the identifying features of each species. The enthusiasm of the author shines through by the colorful, interesting text, which includes interesting anecdotes and topics ranging from misconceptions of a particular tree, to interesting features and idiosyncrasies of the tree, to politics surrounding the tree, and to damage from animals and humans. At what I paid for this book, it would have to be considered a real deal. This book actually compares to books of a much larger format. The book covers roughly 130 species and mentions comparable related species. In this respect, the book actually ends up covering additional species. The number of trees covered is the main limitation of this book, but it wasn't intended to be exhaustive. As the author said of it, the book was written as a teaser, so that the reader might be encouraged to go further in his/her study of the subject matter. In the introduction, the author explains how and why he chose those particular trees as subjects for this book. Within its scope, this book ranks with the best of them. I own a number of them.
4002964
this is a good resource, filled with very interesting and insightful information, easily accessible to lay and professional readers alike
3825203
Amazing amount of information well presented
69315
Divided into vague chapters, this book is loaded with remarkable photographs, but also offers interesting information, though it is by no means a textbook or science guide.  Fun facts are illustrated, evolution and origins are discussed.  I really enjoyed the Form and Function chapter, which separates comparative photos into sections on trunks, roots, leaves, etc.  There are usually one to three pictures on a page, so it's not comprehensive, but it is fascinating and beautiful.

The Diversity and Design chapter introduces concepts of tree structure and variability, then offers pages and pages devoted to individual species, with a wealth of interesting illustrations and photos.  A section at the end shows a wider selection of variations of shape, leaves, flowers, genera and biomes.  This is followed by a glossary and a good index.

More than a photography book, though the photographs are the star, chapters include:  A World of Trees, Form and Function, Diversity and Design, Communities of Life, Trees and the Human World, and An Indispensable Resource.

Wonderful book.
4345941
The book is a treasure trove of otherwise almost unobtainable information.  The chronicle of the mercy ships had largely been ignored among the many sagas of World War II at sea.  It is quite comprehensive and, to me, it should be of interest to anyone doing research in this area or, like me, interested in ocean liners and World War II maritime history,