Journals Books

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in Antarctica? The author lived there for four months. She wrote a book about her life in Antarctica called Antarctic Journal: Four Months at the Bottom of the World. In Antarctica she saw many animals like penguins, ice fish, whales, and elephant seals. Ice fish have special blood that won't freeze because they live in very cold water. She lived at Palmer Station on Anvers Island. While she was there she drew a lot of pictures of the animals and landscape. I learned many interesting things about Antarctica. For example; there are one hundred million penguins. No humans live there. It is five and a quarter million square miles. It's bigger than Europe. In Antarctica the sun is always shining. I think you should read this book because it has a lot of interesting information about Antarctica and a lot of pictures of animals.

Jennifer Owings Dewey spent four months in Antarctic sketching and photographing wildlife, and writing this wonderful book about the “last great wilderness on earth.” The trip was made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The book jacket claims that it is appropriate for age 7 and up… well perhaps for a precocious child. I think that ( ) has it right. Age 9 to 12 seems more appropriate.

Written as a cross between a diary and letters home, and interspersed with drawings, and photographs, this is a small, almost intimate book. I read the “Antarctic Journal” out loud to my 11 year-old daughter. We talked about each journal entry or letter home, and looked at all the pictures together. We were introduced to the Adelie penguins, nesting gentoos, blue whales, Weddell seals, and krill. We were given a little history lesson starting 200 million years ago with Gondwanaland, and many lessons in nature. Antarctic has only one year-round land-resident, a mite. It’s the size of a pinhead. Also, male and female penguins share parenting, and they are absolutely devoted parents. A “parent penguin suffering heat stroke will not abandon its nest. It will fall dead in a heap first.” Antarctica has its own etiquette. Human visitors to Antarctica are not allowed to touch any wildlife. However, penguins did check out the author, her clothes, and typewriter.

So many nature books are dry. This one is clever, well written, and interesting. It is a wonderful addition to our home library. I highly recommend it.

Linda Kranz's newest journal certainly won't disappoint! Broken into a section for day trips and a section for weekend excursions, Linda's helpful thought-starters and Klaus's beautiful photography combine to give writers a framework to create a journal that is uniquely their own and will be treasured for generations to come.

Perfect for residents and visitors this will get you journaling about journeys within the Grand Canyon State that will be a lasting chronicle of special memories. For those outside Arizona, don't think that this journal is not for you! With the inspiration of the beautiful photography this journal will inspire you to seek out special adventures where ever you live or travel. The thought-starters are general enough to ensure that they will get you writing now matter where your travels take you.

Author, Linda Kranz, truly is the mother of the personal journal. She has enticed young people to uncap their pens and write about their worlds and she has led parents to record their history's for their children and their children's children; all with beautiful photographs and her signature "thought-starters." Linda is one of those souls who truly loves the personal, written word and she has now authored a travel journal on her beloved Arizona. A true "good-will" ambassador for this beautiful State, she has translated that love into a wonderful travel journal for the visitor or resident.

Separated into two categories: day trips and weekend trips, the writer has places to record dates, locations, people we met, mementos and incidentals such as weather. Rich photography, by husband - Klaus, is interlaced throughout making this latest journal offering a joint (ad)venture. The hard bound cover makes it easy to write in (even if you are standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon) and allows the journal to take a bit of a beating as you will not want to travel without it. The perfect gift for a new resident or visitor to Arizona as well as long time residents who share the same love of this spectacular State.

When I first saw "The Ark to the Future", I was impressed by the clever packaging and design of the product. I also enjoyed the well written booklet and the bold colorful illustrations and photos. But what really intrigued me most was the focus on family- the family of past, present and future. It is truly a way to preserve the family history and the flavor of family today fo future generations.

"The Ark to the Future" contains a real metal time capsule, instruction booklet, postcards, stickers, memory album and a family tree poster. The poster inspires us to trace our family heritage and is a must for anyone interested in geneology. The booklet guides us through preparing memorabilia for the capsule, as well as creating a family memory album. It is something every member of the family can help create- and there is no right or wrong way. When finished it is stored in a safe place for as many years as you determine. What a wonderful way to preserve a part of family today for future generations, and give them something they can truly cherish. A true gift to the future!

I received my Ark in the mail a few days ago and was thrilled. The Ark was impressive from the moment I opened the box. Detailed like an actual time capsule, I find the design to be fun and very unique. The directions are easy to follow, precise and thorough. Congratulations to the authors...they captured the essence of family life and the importance of geneology in a fabulous new product. My twelve year old daughter can't wait to get started on the family tree. The stickers, inside materials and packaging are colorful, fun and exciting. I've never seen any memory book so creatively inspired. I'm going to purchase several more for holiday gifts. A must for the new millenium. I truly believe it's a project all families will enjoy doing together.

After receiving a few of these postcards, the lady in your life will love you for it.

I bought this book for my little sister. She is the romantic type, and she loves good romantic photographs. This book is a series of romantic shots of a woman and her man kissing. If you are in to thinking romantically about your future husband or wife, this book is for you.

This is the perfect book for beginners in journaling and also someone already accomplished. I was really inspired by her ideas.
Her illustrations are very sweet and beautiful and she gives you ideas on how to start painting. She shows you how to collect tickets, leaves and other items from your trip and include them in your journals.
Her details on how to do binding with her illustrations make it easy. My journals aren't boring anymore! I now have more colors and details!
I can't wait to go another one of her workshops !

This book is filled with wonderful ways to journal things that go on in your life.
It gives you so many suggestions of ways to make your memories more meaningful.
I especially like the idea of making little diagrams or inserting pictures to help you
remember something in better detail.
The authors illustrations are so beautifully done.
This book also makes a wonderful gift.......
Thank you Janet for sharing your talent.

The narrative is a work of fiction, but the artist's observations of canalside life are absolutely right. The gorgeous watercolors capture that landscape as I've seen it--makes me want to go back and walk the towpaths again, which is the closest I've come to narrowboat living so far. Great for people curious about the canals, about the juxtaposition of the old and the modern in Britain, for travelers looking for inspiration off the beaten path. On a few pages the handwritten text can be a bit tough to read on a darker background, but that doesn't diminish the overall charm & craftsmanship.

This is a gorgeous travelogue which inspires curiosity and wonder. Definitely a wonderful gift for anyone with a wanderer's soul.

Such an interesting story and because it is a true adventure, all the more meaningful. Could relate to so many thoughts of the author. One just hasn't lived until experiencing a visit to Italy or to Sicily. Having done both, I suggest that everyone try it just once; you will never be the same! I found this book to be a great read and I know that all book lovers will enjoy it, too .
G. Villalba,
Idaho

I initially met the author in the Rome airport struggling to find change to pay for parking. Realizing she was speaking English, we had a small discussion and she handed me her card as she told me she had just published a book about Italy and my husband and I and my sister and her husband were just beginning our trek through much of Italy. I purchased her book and enjoyed reading about her ancestors, home, and her little corner of Italy. I have since returned to Italy and my next trip will definitely include a stop in Anna Maria's corner....of Italy.

A fascinating book, well worth the time to read. I found the following article about Nicholas Said in THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION (newspaper), dated July 23, 1870:
"A REMARKABLE PERSON"
"Nicholas Said, a very intelligent native of Africa, called yesterday at THE CONSTITUTION office to make arrangements to have published his autobiography, written by himself. He is tattooed over his face, arms and body, and says that he was born in Bornou, of a royal family -- was sold to Mischacoff, the Russian General, in whose service he was during the Crimean war. He seems to have traveled much, and talks intelligently on almost every subject. Originally a Mohammedan, he joined the Greek church in Russia, and now professes to have been converted to the Swedenborgian faith, about which he seems to be well informed. Upon the subject of the European war he converses with great intelligence, and seems to be decided in his convictions. He has been teaching school at Thomasville, Georgia, and in the Herald of that place he showed us a very complimentary notice of himself. We examined his manuscript with some care, and were astonished to find it well written, both as regards arrangement and the grammatical construction of sentences. The contents are novel, and, as far as we read them, very interesting.
"Whether he is what he represents himself to be or not, (and we have no reason to doubt it) Nicholas Said is a remarkable character, and a few moments' conversation will convince any one of this fact. He proposes to publish his autobiography if a sufficient number of subscribers can be obtained to enable him to do so. He will wait upon our citizens to canvass for subscribers."

It introduces us to the life of a talented, ambitious and well educated man. This is an inspirational journey of an African and of an American. You will not be able to put this book down.

Autumn Road is an eccentric and inspiring collection of the intuitive poet Brian Swann (Professor of Humanities at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, New York) and his most uncompromisingly vivid works. The Star: You're writing down next spring's/garden: beans, tomatoes, squash/and so on. Outside, snow sticks everywhere,/clogging everything up, hemming//You in. When don you pick up/the newspaper. In the obits/there's always someone you know./The come and go, and you never//Quite get used to it. Walking/slowly downstairs you call/to your wife: How about a game/of cards? OK. She shuffles, deals,//Lifts her head. Look, she says,/That huge star. I've never seen/anything like it before. It looks like,/who knows. You turn and see it,//Whiter than snow, insistent as stone./Imagine, she says, what a place/like that must be./And drops her hand.

Autumn Road is an eccentric and inspiring collection of the intuitive poet Brian Swann (Professor of Humanities at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, New York) and his most uncompromisingly vivid works. The Star: You're writing down next spring's/garden: beans, tomatoes, squash/and so on. Outside, snow sticks everywhere,/clogging everything up, hemming//You in. When don you pick up/the newspaper. In the obits/there's always someone you know./The come and go, and you never//Quite get used to it. Walking/slowly downstairs you call/to your wife: How about a game/of cards? OK. She shuffles, deals,//Lifts her head. Look, she says,/That huge star. I've never seen/anything like it before. It looks like,/who knows. You turn and see it,//Whiter than snow, insistent as stone./Imagine, she says, what a place/like that must be./And drops her hand.

This being was going to write you and say, "just finished the book"... this is incorrect in saying this.. for this is a never ending reality in which one awakens to the reality of ones self in a continuous state of being..of living. always a new.
There are many journeys to this reality yet so few are making ... the "Full circle".. so we keep coming in and out until what? we get ..get what? the reality of being.. the completeness within the complete itself...
I am LOVE, I choose Love this Love for i now know choice... Yet I choose for I have been in the battle fields within the hate, the beatings and sleepless nights throughout this childhood. I have been the hate of self hate ..the torture of self inflicted pain and suffering from anther's suffering... i have been the homeless the self centeredness and victim... it is only through this acceptance that i may be who i am now.. awake..and the desire to challenge the bitch of reality... the reality to all this is to unlearn all the bull and to reach for the truth and heal and then unheal the illusions within the illusions.
This books depicts of great..courage within and without... and the soo many journeys we pick ...we choose... or not even aware of the choosing.. what a game.. a circus i might add... giggle..giggle... Once again this being is faced with another undoing with this suffering.. for with this suffering it is taken beyond the suffering i thought was the reality... this being has gone far before the childhood.. into nightmares and more illusions of itself..i also was labeled as ptsd.... what a label... been through alll the therapy and i choose to still go.. even though now i am labeled as not having this label...giggle..giggle.. why do i go? to push it to see how far..i can go.... this being relates to you..in many ways ..why should we not... for we all are the same.
when you speak of the child within... well this is a subject of much understanding... as the whole in the book itself...
you write what i feel what we all feel.. what we all question.. .. in the writings i have.. it is the same.. different.. place.. different time.. yet same place same moment... This being Knows where you are...and I choose to know you.. in love.... how grateful this girl is in this moment to be "our " book ..in love... in joy and truth.. and in honor ..honoring yourself... whom you may choose to create at any giving moment... and to see the hate the pain the suffering from the outside world... it allows us to to feel ..to cry and to know....what a blessed day it is... to embrace this knowledge .. of understanding..... none of us are alone.

John Healey is for real.

This is not a hearts and flowers story of awakening. If you are one of those convinced that enlightenment is crystal rivers and new age music and little cherubs on your shoulder, this book is not what you are looking for. Ironically, it is also exactly what you need to read.

Enlightenment is pretty stark. It is pretty awesome. It is pretty overwhelming and pretty overpowering. But it is not in the least bit pretty for the human being. This book is about that kind of enlightenment - the only true kind. Hell and back. Death and rebirth. Literally - not quaint little sayings. The real thing. And though John's encounter with the Absolute is not painted as the pretty picture which so many want to form in "their minds" about awakening, it was without a doubt written from direct experience of this most shattering of truths. Drawn from a "life situation" in which the cosmic joke ends up being that the war(s)in Somalia and Iraq worked significantly towards setting up the catalyst for "John's" liberation.

It is worth repeating - John Healey is for real. His journal is raw. This is not an easy book, and nor should it be. If you are ready to stop dabbling on the outskirts and prepared to encounter a genuine, unflinching modern account of the perils inherent in falling off of the path - especially if enlightenment is what "you" truly seek - you need to hear what John has to say.