Audio Books

Sarah is a scared, tense person who is going to her first day of school. She
doesn't want to go to school because she is so nervous about the students in the school. So she tries to do everything to avoid from getting out of bed but nothing works. What I liked most about this book was that it was funny, had great pictures, and it's surprise ending. I would recommend this book to teachers, parents, and friends.

This book was an excellent read for my students on the first day of school. They loved it!

I love this book! My kids were so surprised to see that the character that was nervous about school wasn't a child. Great ending! This book allows students to see that grown-ups are afraid and/or become nervous before school too.

I read this book to my students on the first day of school. They just love it!! The surprise ending never fails to create giggles and thus relieve some of the tension we all feel on that first day of school. Every teacher should have this one!

This book is wonderful! The whole way through, you have no IDEA that the main character is not a child! At the end you find out it is an ADULT - AND that she is a teacher, afraid of her first day of school. As a teacher myself, I thought the book was ingenius! :)

The time of this story takes place in the mid 1930s and the family of the little girl of the story has had some hard times as so many families did during those horrible years. Briefly, the little girl is sent to live with her uncle Jim in the city until her father can find work and get the family back on thier feet. The author has chosen to tell this story via letter written back home to the little girl's family, by the girl herself. The story is through her eyes. The story is excellent, as it points out just what one person, even a little one, can do to change people lives. The running theme throughout of course is the little girls love for gardening. I certainly will not go into a blow by blow account of the plot, etc. as that has been done here several times, and done quite well. The text though, is quite readable and the illustrations are great. One other theme, other than the gardening, that runs through the story, is the fact that the little girl seems to be quite concerned over the fact that uncle Jim never smiles. In the end....well, you will have to read the story yourself, does he or does he not smile...you figure it out! Love this book and recommend it highly.

This children's book is a great gift for anyone with a heart who loves to garden. The little girl in the story must go to live with her uncle during hard times. He is a gruff baker but his little niece brightens his world with her loving charm and amazing gardening skills.

This is a book is written as a series in letters and has a lot of great pictures. It is about a little girl whose mother and father don't have jobs. She also has a grandmother who gave her, her love for gardening. Lynda-Grace (the girl) has to go live with her uncle who never smiles. When she gets there she finds out that her uncle own a bakery and has helpers. One of the helpers name's is Emma. Emma and Lynda-Grace and Emma have a scheme to make Uncle Jim smile! Read the book to find out what happens!

This is a really good picture book. As I said before, it is in teh form of letters from Lynda-Grace to her parent's and grandmother. It is a fantastic book for all ages!


Give "The Gardener" a try!

My mom bought this book last year for my daughter, now 6. My daughter loves gardening and "old-fashioned" books, and really enjoys the story and the pictures. She focuses mostly on Lydia's garden and cat. I cry every time I read it, because I focus on the little girl leaving her parents. My mom used to read this at a parenting group she ran at a women's prison. She said all the women were touched by it, as they had the experience of sending their kids away to live with other people. My mom pointed out that while Lydia's letters are very brave and positive, the pictures often show the sadness and loneliness of Lydia's situation in the first half of the book. So this is a very complex and thoughtful book, but still simple enough to be enjoyed by young children.

This is one of those books that I call a real book--not for kids, not for adults, not for girls...just a good, well-written and illustrated book that is brilliantly designed to reach you where you are at. It did have the added bonus of making me cry on the last page, in a bittersweet sort of way.

This is a beautiful book that can easily grow up with a child, and also something a whole family can read together and connect to.

A quick read that will help the family of this fallen Marine heal their pain. Would be a good basis for a course or discussion or analyis of how wishful thinking and hope by well meaning people falls short when they lose sight of the realities of the situation and circumstances. None of which takes anything away from the valient heart of Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Jason Dunham, USMC.

This is also a non-fiction book about the trials of becoming a Marine, then a leader of men, and then a victim of the tribulations of that position. I have been reading the Wall Street Journal for over 50 years, and have been ever salutory of the reporters that have produced stories for that instituion----and this is NO exception! This reporter dug up the very varied backgrounds of these Marines, and brought them into focus of a VERY controversial time in the U.S.----and the M.D.'s and nurses that played their roles in the very lives of these fighting men and women----that are on the the frontline--------so that we do not have to be.

This was an incredible book about an incredible young man and his sacfrice for our freedom. As a USMC veteran of the first GUlf War I was interested in reading what these guys are dealing with in Iraq. As a father I was so caught up in what his family went through and how they dealt with the decisions they had to make. This book will be on the top of my list of favorite books.

Michael Philips is a gifted writer who crafts and amazing story of a wonderful young man who gave his life to save his fellow Marines. Buy it, read it, and pass it on to someone else to read. Five stars are not enough for this book.

I know it's only January but this book is fantastic - an extremely well-written account of a fascinating story of a true American hero. Strongly recommended.

Exceeded my expectations, this was my first purchase! Book was new, arrived quickly, & was a great price!

Although the book never dives too deeply into the history of Buddhism, Sylvia's personal stories, accompanied by her thoughts on Buddhist practices, provides more insight into the teachings of Buddha than I could have absorbed in any straight forward text. Since this was my first book on Buddhism, I really appreciated the down to earth method of writing she employs and the honesty with which she shares her experiences. Knowledge is a river flowing through time, and Sylvia Boorstein is a wonderful voice for this modern day and age.

I really enjoyed this book. It simplified and de-mystified Buddhism and protrayed it as a viable lifestyle/worldview for Westerners (and all people, for that matter). Reading this book genuinely brought me happiness.

This has become one of my favorite books. It is the same style that I use in my books - lots of mostly one to two page stories that all stand independently of each other. You can read them in the order presented or in any order that you'd like. Each story will teach you something about making your life a bit happier or a bit easier. I frequently tell one of her stories to my patients. "The Woman on the Beach in Guaymas" teaches the author that "There is another way to do life," in contrast with her worry oriented focus. The stories will provoke just about every emotion you experience while illustrating basic Buddhist principles related to happiness. But you needn't be a Buddhist to understand or benefit from this book. You'll have an equal opportunity to increase your happiness regardless of your religious or philosophical orientation.

This book was given to me in 1999 by a friend. I was going through a particularly rough period at the time and she thought I might take something away from this book.

What I found was not only a book, but a whole new way of thinking, perceiving the world, and living. This book was my introduction to Buddhism and from there I have expanded in every way possible. I love the way Ms. Boorstein uses personal stories to illustrate the Buddha's teachings. I think this is what makes this book so great........it's down to earth and a common sense approach to sometimes difficult topics to explain in a way that people really understand. This book never fails to bring a smile to my face and like others who have commented, if I am having a rough day I can open this book to any page and find a single sentence that resonates and stays with me.

I've also purchased numerous copies of this book and given them away to friends who are interested in my beliefs. They always come back to me and say, "Wow.....that book was really good!" While they may not experience the dramatic life change that I did they do come away with an understanding and appreciation of my beliefs.

I am a patient that has had heart problems for awhile now. I just had surgery in 2006, so reading this book really helped me to understand where heart surgery all started. It brought it all home for me at the end. There is something about this surgeon that I now have a close connection to, and I didn't even realize it until the end! Those of you who have read "King of Hearts" would understand! This book has taught me a lot, but it also has a lot of great stories intertwined within. Totally worth the read!!

The medical history related in this book is one of the boldest and most amazing one. If it wasn't for these highly risk taking individuals, open heart surgery would not be possible today.

When a friend gave me this book to read, I thought I'd skim a few chapters and either get bored with the technical details or be bothered by them since I have had heart surgery for congenital heart defects myself.

I thumbed though the first chapter and I was hooked! The writing demonstrates the intensity found in intense pediatric cases very well and uses that and the determination of Dr. Lillehei to move the story along at a fast clip. I finished it in about 36 hours!

I had gotten to the point there I was trying to take care of myself well as an adult with congenital heart disease (treated defects), but I hadn't quite grasped the details of my own surgeries nor did I want to. After I read this book I ordered my surgical records immediately and was excited to read them! The book filled the descriptions of the surgeries with such excitement that it carried over into my own personal education about my health.

I like how they told the story of Dr. Lillehei as a person who did great things, but was also human being as much as his patients - with faults of his own - but also clearly, great gifts.

For more information about the long-term outcome of patients with congenital heart defects/disease and how we continue to lead the longest and healthiest lives possible for us, please visit the Adult Congenital Heart Association's website at www.achaheart.org

Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. What a fascinating subject and such wonderful storyteller. From the mom of a "heart baby" it just amazes me how far we've come in such a short amount of time.

It's a good story, and Dr. Lillehei blazed an amazing trail, but this man appeared to be a sociopath who destroyed everything and everybody he touched - except, of course, his patients. I can't believe nobody addressed this yet, or maybe they were so fascinated by the story that they missed - or dismissed - it completely. This was more than a massive ego; this guy could have been a Dr. Swango had things been just a wee bit different.

I realize the book was about Dr. C. Walton Lillehei, but his brother Richard was also a transplant surgeon, as are his sons Craig and Kevin.

It was a great young readers book, grandma approved wish there where more to come

I just finished reading Revenge of the Witch about four days ago and it is probaly the best book I've ever read! The book never allows you to take a breath, and it's even harder to put down. If you want an exciting,creepy,suspenseful,and just an all-around good book, this is the book for you.

The book starts out with a twelve-year-old boy named Thomas Ward being accepted by the spook to go on a one month trial to see if he is up to the job. The spook wants Tom to spend the night in a haunted house to see what he's made of. After the night in the haunted house Tom goes to the spook's house and starts his training as a spook. Tom learns all about witches and boggarts,(mostly boggarts because he is only in his first year of training,)and even meets a witch named Mother Malkin. The spook keeps Mother Malkin in a pit in the ground so she can't cause any more mischief in the County, but eventually she gets out while the spook is away and Tom goes after her. Tom finds her by the riverbank and kills her. Now that she's dead she can possess another person's body, which makes her hard to spot. Toward the end of the book, Tom goes to visit his family for certain reasons and finds out that Mother Malkin is somewhere in the house and could be anyone, and she wants revenge!!!!! Can Tom stop Mother Malkin and save his family? Will Tom even survive? Your going to have to read the book to find out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is just an outstanding piece of work. Delaney should be lauded for his imagination and brilliance. He has created a dark tale that is actually fun to read. The flow of the story keeps you guessing what is going to happen in the next chapter so that it is difficult to put the book down.
Delaney also has the knack for keeping the reader off-balance with his character and story development. The author definitely closes out the story by the end of the book, but the reader is still left guessing how things are going to turn out for the young Tom Ward.
Well, it looks like I'm going to have to read the next book and the next...

When my 12 year old told me she wanted a scary book to read for Halloween I knew what to get her. I ordered this book from audible a year or so ago and it scared me. She loved it so much she had me go out and pick up the next two books for her. Of course I had to read them first to make sure they were appropriate reading for a 12 year old (that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Having read the first three books in this series, I enjoyed the tales of the last apprentice to the Spook, as they fight off the dark in a place called the County, a cold and threatening land of witches, boggarts, and other evils.

But I read these to see if I wanted my son reading them, and I do not. There is a strong streak of misogyny running through these books. All the women of any importance to the stories are witches, some are in-human, none are to be fully trusted. The women in this book might be loved, but are not lovable... One is left with a belief that a witch must be put in a hole in the ground... even the apprentice's mother is full of secrets and darkened mysteries.

There is also strong anti-clericalism, which is less objectionable, but still not entirely palatable for a young man to be reading. The result is a dark vision of humanity, occasionally rescued by the vibrancy of the writing and the stirring narrative.

If you want your child to have a clouded view of women, then this is a well written and ripping good set of tales for your young child. I decided not.

I had only read one or two Wodehouse comedies, so long ago I don't recall precisely which ones. They were good. "Leave It to Psmith" is great. It won't be years until my next. (And my copy of "Leave It to Psmith" now goes to my 90-year-old mother.)

In addition to wonderful, loveable characters, laugh-out-loud narrative and dialogue, and a marvelously convoluted plot that almost defies summarization, the book also features semi-serious but still wryly and deftly expressed observations, such as: "What I like about the English rural districts * * * is that when the authorities have finished building a place they stop. Somewhere about the reign of Henry the Eighth, I imagine that the master-mason gave the final house a pat with his trowel and said, 'Well, boys, that's Market Blandings.' To which his assistants no doubt assented with many a hearty 'Grammercy!' and 'I'fackins!' these being expletives to which they were much addicted. And they went away and left it, and nobody has touched it since."

Yes, this is sheer entertainment, brain candy. But it also is superb and masterly. It is narrative comedy at its best.

This is an early sort of try-out version of his later masterpieces on Jeeves and Wooster. It was absolutely hilarious at times, with that wonderful upper crust stilted language Wodehouse was such a genius at, but at other times could be a tad plodding. Some romance here, which he would totally discard later. You can see Jeeves blooming in PSmith, and Wooster in Freddie Threepwood. Also Aunt Agatha in Lady Constance. But a marvelously convoluted plot, with all sorts of interwoven characters. and The Drones Club is here already.

In my opinion, this is the best of Wodehouse, and I was pretty surprised at it.

"Leave It to Psmith" was originally published in the U.K. on November 30, 1923 by Herbert Jenkins, and in the U.S on March 14, 1924 by George H. Doran. The edition I am reviewing is from "The Everyman Wodehouse" series published by Everyman's Library in the U.K., and for those in the U.S., you may be able to find the equivalent quality in "The Collector's Wodehouse" series which is being published by Overlook Press.

I did not have high expectations for this book, because I didn't think "Psmith in The City" was very good, but Wodehouse's writing clearly improved greatly over those 13 years, and the merging of the Psmith character with the cast at Blandings Castle was great chemistry. The character of Ronald Eustace Psmith (formerly known as Rupert Psmith and in both cases the P is silent), was much more interesting in this book than I found him before. He fits right in with the other Blandings characters such as Lord Emsworth, Freddie Threepwood, and a great foil for Rupert Baxter.

In this story, we have a diverse set of characters, all converging on Blandings Castle, and more than a few with the idea of stealing Lady Constance's necklace. Their motives are rather diverse, but whether they want it for money, freedom, or love, there is no shortage of people out to get it. As one would expect in any Wodehouse story, there is a fair amount of assumed identities and amazing coincidences which drive the story forward. Psmith, himself takes on the identity of Mr. Ralston McTodd, a poet from Canada in his pursuit of the beautiful Eve Halliday. The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the flower pot scenes, which is some of the funniest writing I have read in a long time.

As the second of the Blandings Castle novels, and the last of the Psmith novels, this was a great improvement on both of those series. The Blandings series would continue to grow from this point, and there are many more great stories in that series. I do not believe the character of Psmith appears again in any of Wodehouse's stories, but the fully developed Psmith that appears in this work does foreshadow such characters as Jeeves and Uncle Fred. If you didn't care for Psmith in the previous works, you may still want to give this one a try. This is Wodehouse at his best.

"Leave it to Psmith" is an amazing tale of an amazing writer. It is the fourth novel about the character Ronald Psmith (The "P" is silent, he explains, "as in phthisis, psychic, and ptarmigan."), and also the secong novel that takes place at well known Blandings Castle. In the Opinion Journal from the Wall Street editorial page, Roger Kimball selected "leave it Psmith" as the first of his five favourite comic novels. And indeed, it is, even in competition with the Jeeves an Wooster stories. It is quite simple, you like this kind of stories, with this kind of humor (for instance, if you like the quote and you can see the humor in that one-lined but already multi-layered joke, you must be a Woodhouse fan, whether you know it or not), or you don't understand even the tiniest bit of what people find so funny about it at all. In that case, don't bother. There may possibly be a therapy for it, but since I don't need that I can't help you. I have (after about 15 years) rediscovered this fantastic book, and yes, reading it brings it all back, every word still in my mind. I will not hesitate and I will reread the Jeeves and Wooster novels as well, but I am very glad I found this one again, the orange penguin was a bit, well, torn apart really. And it deserves a new generation of dedicated followers.

I loved this book! I have read all of his books and find them to be extremely funny and well written. If you like mysteries and golden retrievers, these are the books for you!

PLAY DEAD is David Rosenfelt's sixth book starring his freewheeling, rule-bending New Jersey defense attorney Andy Carpenter. And it's one of his best. PLAY DEAD kicks off with Andy finding out that a golden retriever named Yogi is about to be put down for biting its owner. Andy, having a soft spot for golden retrievers (himself the owner of the glorious Tara), isn't about to let that happen. He goes to court and successfully reverses Yogi's death sentence. And that's that, right?

Wrong. It turns out that Yogi is supposed to have been dead for five years now. Yogi's real name is Reggie, and the actual owner is Richard Evans. Here's where it gets good. Five years ago, Evans was convicted of killing his girlfriend on his private boat, with Reggie believed to have been thrown overboard. Evans has spent the past half decade in incarceration. But, now, Reggie's sudden re-appearance calls to question the events surrounding the murder. Reggie, Andy supposes, might even be the key to finding out what really happened. When Richard's sister Karen asks him to prove her brother innocent, Andy caves.

It won't be easy, naturally. First, Andy and his oddball team have to present probable cause in order to get the case re-opened, and then there's that little thing of actually winning the re-trial. If that's not enough of a challenge, certain outside forces aren't willing to play nice (the mob, the U.S. Customs, an unknown federal government agency). And it's not enough that Andy finds his phone being tapped; now thugs are taking potshots at him.

In the light legal thriller genre, I hang my hat(s) on Paul Levine and David Rosenfelt (Paul Levine's Solomon Vs. Lord series, by the way, rocks mightily.). Both authors excel in balancing tongue-in-cheek with courtroom suspense. In PLAY DEAD Rosenfelt tops Levine just a tad with Andy's unprecedented and off-the-wall act of putting a dog on the witness stand ("The defense calls Reggie Evans."). And, somehow, Rosenfelt manages to pull it off, making the somewhat implausible plot seem logical (I don't really see real life lawyers getting away with half what our hero gets away with). Andy Carpenter, irreverent and maybe even a bit of a physical coward, continues to ingratiate himself with the reader. Work-ethically challenged and wealthy as sin, Andy can pick and choose his cases. That he'd take on the underdog cause of a convicted murderer, primarily because he owns a golden retriever, probably says everything there is to say about Andy.

For suckers of romance, there's ample sighting of Andy's Wisconsin Sheriff paramour, Laurie, who becomes concerned with Andy's case and flies in to Jersey on a makeshift vacation. Seems that long-distance thing is working out well for these two. For now. For quirkiness, the rest of the regulars are also here, including the monosyllabic and intimidating P.I./bodyguard Marcus, Andy's sarcastic cop buddy Pete, that computer hack Sam Willis (who often challenges Andy in a song quote-off), and Andy's hypochondriac law partner Kevin. Oh, and let's not forget the wondrous golden retriever Tara, who runs Andy's world and is magnanimous enough to share her home with Reggie.

I've always come away with a good feeling after finishing an Andy Carpenter book, and it's no different with PLAY DEAD. It's a whodunit which is perplexing enough (although it's one of those mysteries which'll have you slapping your head later and thinking, "Dang, I should've seen that coming." I didn't see it coming). The courtroom scenes leave you enough of Andy being Andy (although, he doesn't quite grandstand as much as he has in prior books). Not to be a Pollyanna, but this really ends up being a feel-good and heartwarming story. Especially if you love dogs. If you're into skullduggery, there's a far-reaching conspiracy which seeks to stump Andy at every turn. And, if you're just in this for a good time, well, then, Andy's snarky commentaries and observations will keep you on the smirky side of life.

Next to finally, chalk up the high-spirited Karen Evans as a very winning character. Dare I hope she'll become a recurring character? She was certainly hanging out enough in Andy's workplace.

Finally, check out Rosenfelt's acknowledgement page. It's a hoot.

Many years ago I attended a legal education program where a well-known evidence professor presented a hypothetical case involving a dog who was called to court to give evidence. It was delivered in a humorous and entertaining fashion, and the presentation helped drive home an important legal point that I have remembered for more than 20 years. David Rosenfelt, the creator of a wonderful series of courtroom mystery novels with attorney Andy Carpenter, may have heard that same evidence hypothetical at some point in his career. His newest novel, PLAY DEAD, opens with a similar legal conundrum.

Andy comes to the rescue of a golden retriever, seemingly abandoned by his owner. He is about to be put to sleep by the local dog pound, but Andy goes to court to win a reprieve for him. In the ensuing news coverage, a witness recognizes the dog for an extremely significant reason. Because the animal is alive, her brother, who is serving a life sentence for murder, cannot be guilty of the crime for which he is imprisoned. Thus begins Andy's newest legal battle, an ingenious and entertaining adventure that followers of the series have grown to expect.

Several years ago Andy inherited a large fortune, and the money gives him the opportunity to select a limited number of clients and cases. Large retainers from wealthy criminals are not his priority; obtaining real justice for the wrongly convicted is his reward.

Andy's client in PLAY DEAD is Richard Evans, convicted of the murder of his fiancée and now serving a life sentence. The golden retriever that Andy rescues from imminent death turns out to be Evans's dog. At the time of the killing the dog was four miles out in the Atlantic Ocean. He was presumed to have drowned, but that he now appears alive raises questions about the conviction. First Andy must win a new trial for Evans and then has to convince a second jury that Evans is not guilty.

Meanwhile, Andy is still balancing a long-distance romantic relationship with Laurie Collins, his former investigator who now works in Wisconsin. His loyal office crew and New Jersey cronies are all part of the mix, which makes these books such enjoyable reading.

Rosenfelt has an excellent grasp of the law and the legal process. He paints true portraits of prosecutors and judges, and his courtroom scenes have remarkable vitality. True, Andy sometimes gets away with some shenanigans that might not occur in a real courtroom, but these are his cases and he is the leading man. Under those circumstances, readers can cut him just a tiny bit of slack.

Andy's investigation into the Evans case unearths some very suspicious and potentially lethal evidence. It also portends danger for him. Early on in his investigation, Andy is the victim of a shooting attack on the highway. His assailants are killed, but their deaths raise more questions than answers. Throughout PLAY DEAD, many of the important characters are not who they appear to be. Indeed, Andy can only be certain of Reggie, the golden retriever whose life he has spared. Even the dog's life becomes endangered by those who try to dissuade Andy from his quest for justice.

Rosenfelt has a successful formula for what hopefully will be a long series of enjoyable and entertaining courtroom novels. The American legal system provides the author with substantial fodder for countless new adventures for Andy and his associates. His writing ability seems to be limitless, and readers can await with wonderful anticipation the next adventure of Andy Carpenter's legal career.

--- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman

"Play Dead," a novel by David Rosenvelt is a great book. David has lots of other novels like "Shut Up". I really liked this book because it wasn't one of those books where you know what's coming next. It is very suspenseful, which makes you want to keep reading. This is a great lawyer book and has very good detail. I think people that plan to be lawyers should read this book but doesn't mean it is limited to them.
This book is about a lawyer who has a passion for golden retrievers. He tries to get a dog from being put down which leads to another case which puts his life in jeopardy.
The best thing about the book is how it makes you think of all the hints and clues they give out early in the book to help solve the case at the end.

The only bad thing I can say about this book is how quickly it was over. I tried to slow down and appreciate every great scene that I came upon, but before I knew it I was done. Finished with another superb Rosenfelt thriller. Go get it if you don't already have it. Awesome from start to finish.

A very deep map indeed, the second of Heat-Moon's three literary tours-de-force is the story of a county in Kansas. In his first excursion, the best-selling BLUE HIGHWAYS, the author reported on a ten thousand mile sojourn along the old Federal Highways (blue on most maps). PRAIRYERTH grew out of three years of hiking, conversation and archival research in Chase County, Kansas and the result is a living history of both the particular locale and the European invasion of the west. From Knute Rockne's death in a commercial plane crash to Sam Wood's murder to Native medicine, dream walking to newspaper accounts of life on the prairie, and fossils to legends to The Land Institute where Wes Jackson explores the looming demise of the liquid fuel era, this volume casts a wide net. Heat-Moon is clear eyed enough to see the facts and then see beyond the facts to the life between the lines of old courthouse documents and pioneer diaries. He is open to less tangible subtlety as well, admitting susceptibility to hunch, daydream or the message from another's Ouija board. He tells a tale of hawks, buffalo, cowboys and beef, notes the profound damage wrought on the American prairie by McBurger mania and the possibility of recovery in a place of vast flatness and endless wind and sky. He lunches with the dead in old cemeteries and stakes out to observe life in a dying town where nothing happens. There are midnight moonlight hikes and journalistic experiments, pertinent quotes by the truckload and poignant still lifes of moments of love and loss. Such a deep map makes for a long read, but well worth the effort as pieces click into place in later chapters and a pastiche emerges, a hologram in which you can walk between the hills and dip a cupful from a clear flowing spring.

In Blue Highways the inimitable William Least Heat Moon drove across the backroads of America. In River Horse this courageous, spiritually-venerable man floated in a barge across this nation's waterways. In Prairy Erth, he does his exploration mostly on foot. Confining himself to a microcosmic canvas, Least Heat Moon spends over 600-pages describing how he spent months delving into a single county in the heart of Kansas. Packed with maps of Chase County, its hills, waterways, roads and farmsteads, the author tells a sometimes dry but often rich story of one remote but improbably charming spot on planet earth. He meets many of the county's 3,000 residents, hears and tells of the folklore, the history, the textured layers to life in such a location. By the book's end an unknowingly begun spiritual journey reaches its conclusion, which is the way with all of William Least Heat Moon's writings. If you have the time to put into Prairy Erth, it is a compelling book that challenges the nature of individual outlook.

New to William Least Heat Moon, I wasn`t quite sure what to expect with Prairyerth. Having heard about the critical acclaim of Blue Highways, I thought a lesser known work would be the place to start. And I am glad I chose Praityerth.

With Prairyearth, William Least Heat Moon has dug down to the heart of a specific place, in this case, the Flint Hill country of Chase County, Kansas. Not unlike Thoreau`s Walden, Prairyerth is an exhaustive chronicle of one man`s journey to the bottom--historically, geologically and geographically speaking--of one particular and rather insignificant place in the American landscape. Prairyerth, like Walden, is impossible to lump into one clean-cut literary category. Neither pure history, nor pure geology, nor `storytelling` per say, it is rather a brilliant concoction of all three. It is, as the author pens it, a `deep map` of one tiny piece of the New World. And deep it is. Least Heat Moon delves into every square inch, every prehistoric layer of his subject. The result is a stirring and fascinating ride through the discovery, settling, exploitation and ultimate destruction of the American prairie. Half Native American himself, Least Heat Moon walks through the tall grass of the American Sea with much the same spirit of his ancestors. Here was not emptiness as thought the first Europeans, but rather a vast ocean of endless natural wealth. Home to the once vast bison herds, the tall-grassed hills of Chase County were once giant mountains of the Kansas range that were slowly worn down into the Flint Hills of today. Least Heat Moon follows the tracks of the Osage and the Kansa, `people of the wind,` who traversed this area long before Zebulon Pike and John Fremont made their tentative forays across the prairie towards more secure landscapes. The author vividly captures the reverence that the Osage and Kansa held for the `prairie.` Tracking down the stories of the few remaining pure-blood Kansa, Least Heat Moon paints a metaphor for what looms in the future for us, lest we ignore the lessons of the past. Not only does the author richly expose the layer of Native Americana within Chase County, but he does justice to the natural elements of the place as well. Some of the most fascinating parts of Prairyerth are the sections on two of the county`s most enduring denizens, the Osage Orange tree/bush and the Wood Rat, aka Pack/Trade Rat. Least Heat Moon has an ultra sharp eye for interesting detail and oddity and knows how to bring such things to life.

The structure of the work is as ambitious as it is groundbreaking. Every other chapter covers another quadrant of the county. Least Heat Moon spends most of his time analyzing the present inhabitants of the county, trying to distill the essence of `Kansasness.` He chats with the weathered old farmers and ranchers who`ve survived every tornado and flash flood over the last half-century and who entertain no thoughts on living anywhere else. Every voice in the county gets its chance. Feminist cattle ranchers give him the lowdown on castrating bulls, local high schoolers divulge their dreams and the regulars of the Emma Chase Cafe unload gossip unaware of who`s writing it all down. Kansasness, according to the author, is a baffling mix of progressive politics and constrictive convention. A place of often violent contrasts. Kansas was the first state born out of the fires of abolition, first to stimulate integration (Board of Education vs Topeka), yet the `n word` is still commonplace all over the county. The forefather of the county, Samuel Wood, was one of the most eloquent voices among the abolitionists, yet he stopped short of pushing for full integration. Kansas was a place where all people had freedom of opportunity (especially to better oneself economically), as long as everybody kept to his/her own. One of the first states to allow women`s suffrage, it was also one of the first to embrace Prohibition. It also kept its archaic and puritan sex laws on the books until the recent Supreme Court ruling overturned such laws.

In between his quadrant explorations of the county, Least Heat Moon has interspersed chapters comprised of nothing but various epigrams and short passages regarding the state. Coming from sources as disparate as Horace Greeley and Black Elk to graffiti found at the KU library, these chapters are some of the most entertaining and enriching of the book.

William Least Heat Moon is one of the greatest prose stylists I have ever encountered in modern American letters. His writing is rich with metaphor and digression, begging second and third readings of certain passages. While sometimes he expands profusely, Faulkner-like, for paragraphs, clarity is rarely forsaken. It just means reading carefully and slowly. Prairyerth is definitely a book that needs digesting. I took me almost six months to finally devour it up and when I did, I had the distinct feeling of having consumed something grand and very nutritious, albeit a bit heavy. In fact, those without persistent natures would best choose something else to read. Prairyerth is meat and potatoes and requires a lot of chewing. And perhaps that is where the work falls a tad short of its possible ancestor. Whereas one can open Thoreau`s Walden anywhere and revel in the beauty and wisdom (albeit often cryptic) found therein, Prairyerth is nothing if not taken in its entirety. Its just too dense, with too much stuff packed into its innards. In fact, a little editing could have helped the book. Some chapters are a bit superfluous and leaving them out would have only helped the work as a whole. Moreover, Least Heat Moon`s astute observations serve his examination of the natural world far better than they support his delving into the human realm. Somehow a lot of the `characters` of Chase County never fully come to life in Prairyerth. Rather, they seem two-dimensional and oddly trapped on the page. Yet, taken as a whole and for what it is, a grand archaeological and sociological dig through the layers of New World settlement, Prairyerth succeeds grandly. Never has one tiny and often ignored section of the American quilt come to life so vividly and richly as does Chase County, Kansas in Prairyerth. A place so seemingly devoid of life, is, in actuality, overflowing with the past, present and future. All you have to do is look,look carefully. The author himself says it best: `A traveler(who cannot even remotely detect the thousand-mile-an-hour spinning of the planet he rides through space at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, to say nothing of its solar and galactic movements and its precession) writes in his notebook, ~nothing is happening~. Man muses, God guffaws.` Next time you feel that nothing has ever happened or is happening now or will happen where you`re at, pick up Prairyerth and be amazed.

If only every county in the United States had as passionate and articulate a chronicler as William Least Heat-Moon.

I came to "PrairyErth" after having read and loved "Blue Highways." This tome--though longer and less expansive, geographically--possesses many of the qualities I admired in Heat-Moon's earlier work: the narrative tone (there's none of that stuffy, impersonal, third-person prose one finds in some travelogues; the author is himself part of the story), the occasional dips into philosophy and history; the candid interviews with "locals"; and the intense search for meaning in the most ordinary of places.

I have never been to Chase County, Kansas, but after spending a month or so accompanying Heat-Moon through the pages of his book, I feel as though I have. The book is subtitled "a deep map," and that is indeed what the author provides here. Square mile by square mile, the reader is introduced to the prairie, its topography and history, its residents and its wildlife. Heat-Moon correctly understands that the essence of a place is often best captured through anecdote and observation. There is nothing sweeping or grand about his narrative, and that's what makes "PrairyErth" such a delight. It's a detailed, intimate read; one almost has the feeling of looking over the author's shoulder (and back through history) as he ambles and rambles about the quadrangles of Chase County.

If there's one criticism I would offer, it's that Heat-Moon sometimes lapses into needless digressions about himself and the challenges he faced while writing the book. It struck me as a bit self-absorbed--as did the occasional Faulknerian stream-of-conscious, punctuationless prose. These stylistic excesses add little to what is otherwise a magnificent and fascinating travelogue.

If you want to experience Kansas, with its excruitatingly boring places that slowly creep up on you and leave you blissfully satisfied and in awe of beauty; if you're willing to read long passages of flat text just to discover the beauty of burning fields; I highly recommend PrairyErth.

I grew up in Kansas, about 2 hours from Chase county and was always facinated by the hills, the people, and just the auroa that came from Strong City and Cottonwood falls. After reading "PrairyErth" I am even more mesmorized by the locale.

I have been out of the state for 2 years now, and long to go back. Many friends have complained about the long drives through Kansas, the flat scenery, and boring people. PrairyErth brings to life these flat lands and opens up new worlds of community and life.

For me, reading Moon's book was much like experiencing life in Kansas. I did find some of the chapters long, dry, and dull.. but, that's how some Kansas life is. Moon always concludes these sections with a gorgeous snapshot of the land. He shows us what it is like to be in relationship with the land just as we are in relationship with one another.

He concludes the book with a beautiful journey down the Kaw Trail.
"How do you know when the Prairy is in you?"
"When you see a tree as an eyesore."

I love this book, especially for kids with big families. As an adult from a big family it is equally fun to read. This account of the journey and the visit at the relatives' house is written from a refreshingly honest child's point of view. A completely delightful read-to book. I bought a copy for all my kids with children.

This story is about some
family members from Virginia came down to some other relatives that lived
far away and the family from Virginia was staying for a couple of weeks. They finished with eating, playing, and hugging. At the end of the story, the family from Virginia goes back to their house, and wait `til next summer.

I liked this book because the book was about family time and this book will be good for any kid at anytime.

Can be the inspiration for many writing ideas- character sketches of family members, preparing for guests, positives and negatives of having company, missing those who live far away, family traditions, what do you all do when you get together, etc.

I use it for a writing springboard for my 4th grade class.

This is a lovely, funny story about going to visit relatives that live far away (you never do find out where they are), and what happens when you get there. From going through a long line of hugging, to eating everything in sight, to the getting-to-know-you looks, to bunking down wherever there's a space. The text is warm and descriptive and the illustrations are evocative and amusing. I am lucky enough to have a family of extended relatives like these, and this books rings very true!

We found this book second hand somewhere - and when we read it, we knew we had discovered a treasure. We took it to my sister's - read it outloud to only adults. We read it to our grandchildren. It is a lovely book filled with something very good about life on earth. Transcends these people - hits us all.