Book Description

Here's the book with everything you need to know about growing vegetables in the mild, wet climate of the maritime Pacific Northwest. Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades explains the basic science behind making plants grow, so that you can understand the daily events in your garden and solve gardening problems as they occur. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Communist Nonsense
While the horticultural information is minimally valuable, the communist anti-capitalist quackery contained herein is worthless and wrong. Much better books are available such as the Vegetable Gardeners Bible by EdwardC. Smith expanding on the deep wide bed philosophy of the French IntensiveMethod and Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew which replacescommercial techniques with one based on providing food for a single family.Add a Rodale book on organic gardening and you will have all theinformation you need without the moralistic communist anti-profit preachingof Mr. Solomon.

Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades really works!
In composing a review of a book we've used constantly & incessantly over the years, my husband murmured that I should describe our copy. Wherever we've found a portion that pertains to our patch of earth in a valley on the edges of a National Forest, I've stashed a marker. Sometimesit's an emery board, a letter from England, pages from scratchpads withrecipes for slug bait or maps of our raised bed plantings for a year,postcards from friends warning us about their impending visit. This book isnow double in thickness yet these markers allow me easy access to what Ineed most often. We have enjoyed every penny we invested in Steve Solomon'sComplete Guide to Natural Gardening. When we've got a problem, there'susually an answer right in there. When we're wondering about our climate,or our soil or our expectations for a harvest, given our climate, SteveSolomon's got an answer. Really useful, just wish it had moreillustrations!

Most useful gardening book I've ever read
If you are a gardener west of the Cascades you'll definitely find useful and readable information in this book.It includes an introduction to soil science, when to plant, what varieties grow well here, which seed companiesare reliable and trustworthy, information on dealing with pests, and asection on the cultivation of each vegetable.Steve Solomon started theTerritorial seed company, though he's no longer associated with it, and wasgrowing most of his own food when he wrote this book.His approach isprimarily organic, though not evangellically so.This is a good book forboth the "corn and tomato" gardeners as well as somebody who isaspiring to grow a significant fraction of their own food.This is aregional book--probably one of its strongest points, since gardening isdifferent in different bioregions.The regions include the WillametteValley, SW Washington, Oregon coast and Southern Oregon, Puget Sound,Washington foothills, Yoncalla Valley, along the Umpqua, and northernCalifornia, with probably the most emphasis on the Willamette Valley and SWWashington.This is the book I begin every planting season (or seedpurchasing season) with! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent resource for NW gardeners/Not for beginners though
This is a great resource for gardeners in the PacNW. My only caveat is that it's not geared towards beginners. If you're looking for something to help you get started you should probably get this and something else in conjunction. This'll help you tailor your garden to the unique conditions of the Northwest.

Best Book for NW
This is the bible for NW people and gardens....clay soil? Fertile valley soil? It helped me work on the best soil and is great for the unpredicatable NWest winter, spring and summer. Add this to your collection and be sure to read it ! ... Read more

Book Description

The decline of cheap oil is inspiring increasing numbers of North Americans to achieve some measure of backyard food self-sufficiency. In hard times, the family can be greatly helped by growing a highly productive food garden, requiring little cash outlay or watering.

Customer Reviews (14)

Dirty Fingernails
After reading this book, I can hardly wait for spring. As a self-taught gardener, I can appreciate the many solid examples, instructions, and anecdotes that weave a robust thread. Clearly, Steve Solomon is a man who loves his work and the sharing of his decades of hard-won knowledge. Whether good times or hard times, there are a lot of fine gardening tips and rules here for improving any garden. The section on making your own fertilizer and how to apply it is worth the price of the book alone. The book would have benefited from a few more drawings, but that is a small complaint.

Gardening When it Counts
This book is an exciting addition to books on vegetable growing- so much so, that many
others become unnecessary. The author covers in detail everything about the art- from seed buying,
his own complete organic fertilizer recipe, preparing the soil, simple tools, planting and watering etc
His long experience and total integrity and commitment shine through and make it a must for those
wanting to seriously feed themselves.

Mostly good - with attitude
This book was highly recommended to me and I bought it hoping to learn some techniques to help in growing food plants and vegetables for our home use.Since the author lives in a very distinct growing area, if I lived in a maritime New Zealand area it would probably be a perfect book.Many of his techniques would only work in his specific climate and for a full time gardener, which I am not.Sigh.The section on growing and storing each individual type of food is excellent if you can adapt it to your own climate.I was not too happy with the preachy, arrogant, "Everyone else is an idiot and only I know how to do it right" attitude which extends the lenght of the book by quite a bit.Overlooking that, there are a few helpful tidbits but there are other books that I think are more helpful.

best garden guide i've found
after looking through a lot of gardening books, i can confidently say that this book provides the best basis of knowledge for starting a garden.My garden is in only its first year, but with the info in this book, I'm already making money selling organic produce through two different coops.

Great for first time gardeners
I will be starting my first garden this summer and this was the first book on gardening I read. It makes for a great introduction. Solomon goes into detail about how plants grow and what they need from the gardener. He has a good formula for Organic Fertilizer. He has a good list of what tools you need and what to look for when buying them. He has a great section is the back of the book that goes vegetable by vegetable and explains how to grow and harvest them. He also has a great bibliography in the back that points you to a lot of additional reading.[...] ... Read more

Book Description
Steve Solomon is the sharpest lawyer ever to barely graduate from Key West School of Law. Victoria Lord is fresh from Yale, toiling for an ambitious D.A. and soon to be married. And Katrina Barksdale is a sexy former figure skater charged with killing her incredibly wealthy, incredibly kinky husband. With all three tangled in the steamiest trial of the century, the case is sure to make sparks fly, headlines scream—and opposites attract.

But with Solomon inventing his own laws and Lord sticking to the real ones, these two can’t stop squabbling, even after teaming up to defend the glamorous widow. With crooks, con men, and a cast of colorful characters swirling around Solomon, and an anxious fiancé waiting for Lord, the two attorneys begin to believe their luscious client has been lying through her perfect teeth. Now Solomon and Lord must solve the case before they end up in ruin, in jail…or in bed.Download Description
One

CELL MATES

The man in the holding cell loosened his tie, tossed his rumpled suit coat into a corner, and stretched out on the hard plastic bench. The woman in the facing cell slipped out of her glen plaid jacket, folded it carefully across an arm, and began pacing.

"Relax, Vickie. We're gonna be here a while," the man said.

"Victoria," the woman corrected. Her angry footsteps echoed off the bare concrete floor.

"Wild guess. You've never been held in contempt before."

"You treat it like a badge of honor."

"A lawyer who's afraid of jail is like a surgeon who's afraid of blood," Steve Solomon said.

"From what I hear, you spend more time behind bars than your clients," Victoria Lord said.

"Hey, thanks. Great tag line for my radio spots. 'You do the crime, Steve does the time.' "

"You're the most unethical lawyer I know."

"You're new at this. Give it time."

"Sleazy son-of-a-bitch," she muttered, turning away.

"I heard that," he said.

Nice profile, he thought. Attractive in that polished, cool-as-a-daiquiri way. Long legs, small bust, sculpted jaw, an angular, athletic look. Green eyes spiked with gray and a tousled, honey-blond bird's nest of hair. Ballsy and sexy, too. He'd never heard "sleazy son-of-a-bitch" sound so seductive.

"If you weren't so arrogant," he said, "I could teach you a few courtroom tricks."

"Save your breath for your inflatable doll."

"Cheap shot. That was a trial exhibit."

"Really? People have seen the doll in your car. Fully inflated."

"It rides shotgun so I can use the car-pool lane."

She walked toward the cell door. Shadows of the bars pin-striped her face. "I know your record, Solomon. I know all about you."

"If you've been stalking me, I'm gonna get a restraining order."

"You make a mockery of the law."

"I make up my own. Solomon's Laws. Rule Number One: 'When the law doesn't work, work the law.' "

"They should lock you up."

"Actually, they already have."

"You're a disgrace to the profession."

"Aw, c'mon. Where's your heart, Vickie?"

"Victoria! And I don't have one. I'm a prosecutor."

"I'll bet you think Jean Valjean belonged in prison."

"He stole the bread, didn't he?"

"You'd burn witches at the stake."

"Not until they exhausted all their appeals." She laughed, a sparkle of electricity.

Damn, she's good at this.

Fending off his mishegoss, trumping his insults with her own. Something else appealed to him, too. No wedding band and no engagement ring. Ms. Victoria Lord, rookie prosecutor, seemed to be unattached as well as argumentative. Maybe twenty-eight. Seven years younger than him.

"If you need any help around the courthouse," he said, "I'd be willing to mentor you."

"Is that what they're calling it these days?"

Touche. But she'd said it with a smile. Maybe this wasn't so much combat as foreplay. Another parry, another thrust, who knows? The more he thought about it, the more confident he became.

She likes me. She really likes me.


I hate him.

I really hate him, Victoria decided.

Dammit, she'd been warned about Solomon. He always tested new prosecutors, baited them into losing their cool, lured them into mistrials. And she wasn't totally "new." She'd handled arraignments and preliminary hearings for eight months. And hadn't she won her first two felony trials? Of course, neither one had involved Steve Slash-and-Burn Solomo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

A Brilliant Series. Can't Wait For More
Solomon vs. Lord is one of the funniest, most honest looks at courtroom drama you will read in a long time. Everything you need in a successful book is right here. Steve Solomon is a memorable wise-cracking defense attorney with as much ego as any lawyer, but more heart than most lawyers are allowed to have. Paul Levine has created two wonderful characters in Solomon and Victoria Lord. I can't wait to follow their next adventure.

You will laugh, and feel like you never imagined for two lovable fictional characters. Even the romantic elements of this book are well done and tasteful. Steve is an aggressive guy with the maturity of a boy, and Victoria is a no-nonsense woman of the world with the heart of a giddy little girl. Which is why they come across as more real than any fictional attorney team I've read before.

Crank up the blender for a mixture worth experiencing
I have read all three of the Solomon/Lord books and have enjoyed all three. Levine is my cup of tea because he uses wit, charm, realistic dialog and weaves a fairly good yarn. He's not as descriptive as Hiassen, and that can be a good thing. I've enjoyed many of Carl Hiassen's books, but sometimes he can be too verbose. Yes, Levine can get a bit sappy at times, but I love the "Moonlighting-esque" banter between the two main characters. And who wouldn't love an unintentioned smart aleck autistic kid who is as genuine as they come. Then there's the genuine nature of his father who reminds me of my father in some ways. As a guy who grew up in Florida it's definitely tailored to those who are from there, been there or wish they were there. I can smell the ocean salt air right now.

As for the story, it wasn't his best, hence the 3 stars for this one. I actually think Deep Blue Alibi is a better story, but there are some great laugh out loud moments that my wife kept asking me about. The court room scene with the parrot is a hoot, sorry Hiassen, not to mention the cell scene with Solomon and Lord sharing a few one liners. It is some of the funniest stuff I've read in a novel. If you want a complicated yarn read the other big name suspense authors, but if you want a mixture of texture sprinkled with humor and realistic circumstances, venture on over to Paul Levine and his Solomon/Lord series. If you have a sense of humor you will not be disappointed.
Scott A. Reighard, author: Jamestown: Journey Back in Time

Laugh-out-loud funny...
This was another cruise read where I had to find something as the recreational reading material was dwindling quickly...Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine.I'll admit that having quotes by Harlan Coben and Carl Hiaasen on the cover were a big selling point.Fortunately, it was a great choice...funny, wacky, and characters with plenty of personality.

Steve Solomon is a defense lawyer who usually represents clients that are nearly always guilty.But they *are* entitled to a defense.Victoria Lord is a new prosecutor, polished and organized, ready to enforce the law of the land.Lord follows the rules, and Solomon makes his own.You couldn't find two people who are more opposite than these two.But after Solomon shows Lord up in court, she finds herself out of a job.That shouldn't be an issue, as her fiancee is a rich avocado farmer who really wants her to take over the legal duties of a housing development he's selling.But she *really* wants to practice criminal law, and Solomon thinks she could be quite good at it if she'll only loosen up a bit.That "loosening" begins when they end up teamed together to defend a rich young widow against a murder charge in the death of her husband.While trying to build the case and defend her (even though she very well might be guilty), Solomon also comes under attack from the courts who are trying to remove him as guardian of his autistic nephew who he dearly loves.Lord continues to be drawn into the whirlwind life of Solomon, and has to decide something critical...does she really want to marry her fiancee, which is a rational and logical sort of love, or does she want to follow her heart, throw caution to the wind, and see what life with Solomon and his nephew might bring?

I loved the characters in this novel.Solomon is completely irreverent, and does whatever is necessary to find justice (regardless of what the actual law might state).Lord is struggling with what's safe vs. what's real.And even as a total jerk, his love for the kid shines through.The conversations between Solomon and just about anyone else were laugh-out-loud funny.If you're looking for a South Florida genre novel that evokes memories of Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey, this is a perfect choice.I'll be checking out the follow-up Solomon vs. Lord novels in short order...

Not interesting enough to finish.....
I couldn't make my way through this one.The Tracy/Hepburn set up turned out to be a one trick pony without Spencer and Kate.If it were a film, I'd say that it lacked chemistry.And mystery.

But my biggest problem was the prevalent air of smugness.This wasn't an especially clever book, just one stereotype after another.

outstanding
Unlike most reviewers of this book, I do not generally like courtroom drama/novels/etc.But this book is something else.

The story doesn't make the novel.In fact, it's fairly forgettable.The writing is just over-the-top witty, clever, and engaging.I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud so many times while reading a book.

Anyone looking to branch out their reading list would like this book. ... Read more

Book Description
Whenever I want to buy something it has become my habit first to ask myself if the desired object could possibly bring me as much pleasure as knowing that I don't have to get up and go to work the next morning. Usually I decide to save the money so I do not have to earn more. En extremis, I repeat the old Yankee marching chant like a mantra: Make do! Wear it out! When it is gone, do without! Bum, Bum! Bum bi Dum! Bum bi di Dum, Bum bi Dum!Download Description
Whenever I want to buy something it has become my habit first to ask myself if the desired object could possibly bring me as much pleasure as knowing that I don't have to get up and go to work the next morning. Usually I decide to save the money so I do not have to earn more. En extremis, I repeat the old Yankee marching chant like a mantra: Make do! Wear it out! When it is gone, do without! Bum, Bum! Bum bi Dum! Bum bi di Dum, Bum bi Dum! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Composting - The Bible
Steve Solomon's work in producing the Organic Gardener's Composting is second to none. His research standards are those of a true academic, yet his writing and general presentation of the material is accessible, non formulaic and for a book of this nature, subtly novelesque.
I headed straight for the chapter on Sir Albert Howard's composting methods at Indore in the 1930's and wasn't disappointed - fascinating reading. Also especially interesting was the chapter on vermicomposting. Steve doesn't seem to add material just for the sake of it unless it meets his rigorous criteria. Could only get hold of a 2nd hand copy at a premium price, but have no regrets - it's a gem!

Great explanation of composting.
Steve Solomon's"Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades" is a truly wonderful book and a must for anyone gardening west of the Cascades."Composting" is a very good book, but is variable.It feels as if Solomon is getting a little crotchety as he ages, and the book would have profited from an editor with a strong pen since the writing style occasionally gets annoying.

Solomon's explanation of Carbon Nitrogen ratios is excellent.I now understand better why my compost does what it does at different speeds different times of the year.He is realistic about the benefits of compost and does not uncritically accept the Rodale "Organic" party line.However, I think he goes too far in rejecting it.Solomon has clearly seen many people overcompost and damage their soil's ecology.Yes, too much of anything can be bad and one can increase humus content irrationally, but I think he is too negative.Most of the gardens I see have been neglected and one really can "build the soil" to improve fertility, moisture retention, etc.I would prefer the message to be "It takes time.Don't try build your soil too fast.Do soil tests regularly." not "only try replace the humus you take out".He ends one section with "I conclude that organic matter is somewhat dangerous stuff whose use should be limited...".On this I disagree strongly.In my experience it is a rare case when someone overcomposts.However, I must strongly agree with Solomon on the advantages of using soil testing and using a good organic fertilizer mixture in addition to applying compost on your garden.He gives his famous recipe for complete organic fertilizer (I originally saw it in "Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades") and I can vouch for its efficacy.

Solomon raves about poor nutrient value of vegetables caused by over composting.I only partially buy his nutrition arguments.Yes, poor soil can grow veggies with poor nutrition.But the argument does not follow not to build your soil.If veggies grow well and taste great, I trust that measure of nutrition.On the nutrition arguments he is doing what he accuses other of, making an assertion and providing no evidence to back it up.

If you are interesting on composting the book is well worth reading.In fact, it is probably more fun because of the flaws I have just complained about. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Computer Technology Review, published by West World Productions, Inc. on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1717 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Tape's efficiency as an ILM compliance solution: an interview with Steve Solomon of Fujifilm.(Information Lifecycle Management)(Interview)
Publication: Computer Technology Review (Newsletter)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: West World Productions, Inc.
Volume: 25Issue: 3Page: 14(2)

Article Type: Interview

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
Word count: 881. ... Read more

Book Description

Water-Wise Vegetables shows how to grow a lush, productive vegetable garden with minimal watering. Solomon includes information on irrigation, mulching, site and seed selection, and explanations of how plants use water and how to prepare soil for effieient water usage. Whether you have five acres or a postage-stamp garden, the material presented here is guaranteed to reduce your water bill while increasing your harvest. ... Read more

Product Description
The two most important influences in Italian & Jewish families are: #1. The Family #2. The Food...Wait...maybe...#1. Food #2. Family. This wonderful book blends into a medley of classic Italian and Jewish recipes with Steve's humorous stories folded in for flavor. Enjoy! ... Read more

Book Description
Here's a fully revised edition of this regional bestseller- considered to be the definitive food gardening manual for the Pacific Northwest.This is the bible of vegetable gardening for anyone turning the soil west of the Cascade Mountains-from Western British Columbia to Northern California. It includes the basics of soil, when best to plant, the art of composting, what varieties grow well here, which seed companies are reliable, information on handling pests, and an extensive section on the cultivation of each vegetable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Best guide for Northwest veggie gardening!
Solomon's guide is not only hugely informative, it's also fun to read and I have termed him to friends as the gonzo gardener.He will guide you through soil preparation, best vegetable varieties, fertilizing and composting.We have 1/3 acre and we have dedicated certain areas to gardening and have really enjoyed our successes (and learned from our failures).The organic fertilizer recipe give by Solomon is very good and have we only really needed to supplement my tomatoes with Dr. Earth tomato/vegitable for its calcium content.This guide is ambitious yes but I wasn't put off by it as a novice gardener and now that I am the garden expert of my friends I am happy to recommend it.This book will guide you through the basics as well as the details of organic gardening in the maratime Northwest.

Most likely the only vegetable gardening book you'll need.
Most of the previous reviews contained all the information about this book you'll need to make your decision to purchase or not to purchase.

Without a doubt I concider this my best gardening book. And just wanted to get my five stars posted and bow to the author for a great work! Thanks, Steve.

A book that will be referenced over and over again
The first time I read this book, I glazed over the section on soils (too involved - I originally thought).The rest of the book was far more interesting since I was more concerned about the best watering techniques, laying out the garden, organic methods, specific instructions for different crops, etc.Since then I've read the soils section at least a half dozen times and am astounded at how simple the formulas are and what a difference it can make.This is a book that will be referenced over and over again.

Recent OSU Master Gardener Graduate
I recently completed OSU's Master Gardener course and this title was recommended as supplemental reading.Further enticed by Amazon's low price, I purchased it and found it to be a very comprehensive and informative handbook for our unique maritime climate here in the Northwest.Unfortunately, most books about gardening are written for regions with more cooperative weather than our constant November-March rains and our extended winter periods where we never see the sun.How refreshing to read information that is relevant to where we live, written by someone who has personally compiled data on test gardens and founder of the wonderful Territorial Seed Company (www.territorial-seed.com).

That being said, I will add that while the author's personal asides were occasionally amusing, I found him mostly self-congratulatory and sometimes downright insulting.I also found his extended passages about taking on the 'plant's point of view' and the "magic" of the garden (he suggests that some people are able to make homespun soil amendments work by sheer force of will, much like Dumbo's magic feather) completely irrelevant and frankly quite ridiculous.It was these digressions and others like them throughout the book that has prevented me from giving the book five stars.As has been noted by other reviewers, the author uses a 1000 sq foot garden as his standard, a highly unlikely proposition in a city garden.Obviously the techniques described in the book would be no different if applied to a smaller garden, or could easily be scaled back.

The one essential book for the Northwest vegetable garden.
Steve Solomon, who founded Territorial Seed Company in 1980, is arguably the world's leading authority on non-commercial-scale organic vegetable gardening in the Pacific Northwest.Mr. Solomon has experimented with all of the variables in vegetable gardening, in our mild Maritime climate, and he reports the results with an admirable degree of honesty and integrity.His book - plus the Territorial Seed catalog - is all that's needed to achieve excellent garden results (for the first few years) with the least input of capital and labor.

That said, I've gardened in Seattle for 15 years, and Mr. Solomon's book has two serious flaws:

1. As other reviewers have noted, Mr. Solomon is dismissive of city gardening on a 200 or 400-square-foot plot.The city gardener must sift through many chapters of advice that applies only to homestead gardens of 1/2 acre or more.

2. After a few years the organic gardener will begin to experience mysterious crop failures - seeds that fail to germinate.Mr. Solomon attributes this failure to symphylan infestation - I suspect that soil-borne seed pathogens (Pythium, Rhizoctonia, etc.) may also play a part - but in any case, this book does not offer any viable solution for the CITY gardener.We city gardeners can hardly afford to garden on only half of our too-small plot, leaving the other half fallow for 3 or 4 years, waiting for the soil to return to equilibrium.(The Seattle Tilth trial gardens have suffered this fate, with no solution in sight.) ... Read more

Book Description
A related problem many backyard gardeners have with establishing the winter and overwintered garden is finding enough space for both the summer and winter crops. The nursery bed solves both these problems. Instead of trying to irrigate the entire area that will eventually be occupied by a winter or overwintered crop at maturity, the seedlings are first grown in irrigated nurseries for transplanting in autumn after the rains come back. Were I desperately short of water I'd locate my nursery where it got only morning sun and sow a week or 10 days earlier to compensate for the slower growth.Download Description
A related problem many backyard gardeners have with establishing the winter and overwintered garden is finding enough space for both the summer and winter crops. The nursery bed solves both these problems. Instead of trying to irrigate the entire area that will eventually be occupied by a winter or overwintered crop at maturity, the seedlings are first grown in irrigated nurseries for transplanting in autumn after the rains come back. Were I desperately short of water I'd locate my nursery where it got only morning sun and sow a week or 10 days earlier to compensate for the slower growth. ... Read more

Book Description
What exactly is the tenuous connection between an individual and culture? When does a cultural tradition cease to offer security to its members and instead becomes so confining that one must protest or rebel to survive as an individual? These issues, which had often undercut the author's well-intentioned research plans, compelled her to pay attention to the subjective aspect of research as much as the objective ones. This was the beginning of an inner exploration which led her to become a Jungian psychotherapist and a different kind of observer of human nature and culture. ... Read more