Idaho Books

One of my all time favorite books.
If you like westerns and outdoor adventure books, you must read Mountain Man. The story and the story telling are riveting.
I have owned a copy of this book since 1972! All of my friends were compelled to read it(by me) and all enjoyed the book.The book stuck a lasting chord for us.
I could call an old friend up today and say "watch your topknot" and he would reply "watch yourn". Back then we all wanted to be mountain men.

If you happen to be a fan of Bob Redfords 'Jeremiah Johnson'or a lesser known work by Richard Harris called 'A Man in the Wilderness', or of just a good tale of the early, open west then this book by Vardis Fisher is one you must read at least once.This is one of an extremely small number of books that truly transported me into another place and time and made me wish I was right there along side them.Beautifully written it is the story of one, Sam Minnard.An educated man who gave it all up to live little better than a civilized savage on the open ranges and endless plains of the northern midwest territories.It encompasses and incorporates music,art,flora and fauna,survivalist skills and the truly hard but satisfying life these men had.These men did exist and they helped to tame and open the west to others who would follow much to their disgust and saddness of just what that meant to their way of life.Loners who belonged to a very select club mostly knew each other and would come together to aid Sam in one final showdown against the Indian nation.The book focuses on his life but opens up his inner self and emotional makeup and does maintain a rather negative viewpoint toward the redman which was widely held by many mountain men at that time.The encroaching westward movement of civilization and the day to day hardships and joys of living free are examined with subtle yet powerful story telling.The need and enjoyment of no taxes,free food provided by the land itself, no bills,mortgages,laws,police or government control were gladly accepted by these men who lived off the land and knew how to survive in a sometimes hostile but glorious landscape that was the untouched west.The American Indian was there first, lest we forget, and we were trespassing but the number of men were so small that their presence was barely felt. That is until the rest of us came along and mucked up the works for everybody.Sam's happiness is abruptly and violently ended setting him on the path of vengence both sealing his fate and securing his legend.This book is remarkable and will not let you down.If you tire of the crap written today and long for something you can sink your teeth into,something that will stay in your head for a while with its crystal clear clarity and descriptive beauty, then read it.True, it is only a work of fiction but it is based on the lives of real men and women for that matter in real situations during the early to mid 19th century American west.For mountain men, life was probably very much like this, it had to be and Fisher nailed it right on the head.That alone will allow you to safely observe a life story of survival without the benefit of civilization all around you.A situation that could be upon us again if our world turns upside down.Would any one of us today live as good as Sam Minnard did with just a gun, a knife and a horse,I truly doubt it.There is something to be learned from this book. Read and learn.

I really liked Vardis Fisher's colorful writing style....He paints a picture of the world the Mountain Men lived in so well....This book has A LOT of info on what Mountain Men ate...Vardis pretty much describes every meal the guy ate....This book does have a lot of violence and it is kinda sad at some parts..But then again the life of a Mountain Man was no cake walk...There is some good Bowie knife and tomahawk action too!!!....This is a fiction book but it has alot of REAL Mountain Men "characters"..Jim Bridger..."Old" Bill Williams....Kit Carson..They are all there....The story is pretty good too...A story of love and vengeance would be the best way to describe it....Now I see why so many people regard this as a CLASSIC in Mountain Mnn literature...I fully agree..This is a classic book.

MOUNTAIN MAN continues to be a classic in American Western literature. The major foundation for the movie, Jeremiah Johnson, MOUNTAIN MAN tells the story of Samuel John Minard, a mountain man known for his physical prowess and for his quick and educated intellect. A renaissance man who has chosen the life of the great American West.

In his adventures Sam meets up with Indians of various tribes, other mountain men and a crazy pilgrim woman. HIs marriage to an Indian maiden leads him into a one-man war with sweeping consequences for himself and for his enemies.

MOUNTAIN MAN, as is the case with most books upon which movies are based, considerably outshines JEREMIAH JOHNSON in its story and characterizations. But, hey, I love the movie as well. I guess that says a lot about what I think of the book.

THE HORSEMAN

I didn't read this book until after I had seen 'Jeremiah Johnson', and was pleased that the movie and book were so different. I enjoyed the movie very much, but with Fisher's story I felt as though I had put on my huntin' clothes, laced up my boots, grabbed my Hawken Rifle, and joined in on the adventure. Coming from a family of outdoorsmen, some of us certainly fantasized about leaving it all behind from time to time, and making our way in the remote wilderness. In fact my two brothers moved to the Pacific Northwest after college and still spend much of their free time wandering the Cascades. Anyone who loves the wild west will find this one to be a real gem, and simply by reading it, will be richly rewarded. It is a diamond in the rough, but not one to be missed, and has inspired much of my own writing. This one comes highly recommended.

James Hart Isley
Author of The Bear Hunter

Following on the heels of his beguiling Felicia's Journey, the incomparable Irish storyteller, William Trevor, brings us a collection of 12 poignant tales that illuminate the human condition.

Acknowledged by many to be the master of his oeuvre, Trevor commands our attention with dignity and subtlety. Amazingly adept at shifting perspectives from male to female in varying locations and scenes, the author's championship form is evident in After Rain.

His initial offering, "The Piano Tuner's Wives" is an incisive rendering of a middle-aged second wife's jealousy. Haunted by the happiness her husband once shared with another, she seeks to establish her place in surprising ways.

A lifelong bond between two women is broken in "A Friendship" when the clever plotting of one backfires. Timothy, the gay protagonist, in "Timothy's Birthday" seems to seek to punish his parents for their perfect marriage. He refuses to visit them for his birthday celebration as he has always done. Instead, he sends a friend with an excuse. The disreputable Eddie delivers his hurtful message, then steals from the older couple.

Trevor's spare prose shimmers in this story's summary paragraph: "They didn't mention their son as they made their rounds of the garden that was now too much for them and was derelict in places. They didn't mention the jealousy their love of each other had bred in him, that had flourished into deviousness and cruelty. The pain the day had brought would not easily pass, both were aware of that. And yet it had to be, since it was part of what there was."

Another story takes place in the fields of Ireland today. Here, Trevor displays his gift for knowing the female heart as a young woman challenges the culture and mores bred into her parents' bones.

Trevor's work is meat compared to the broth of some of today's fiction. He continues to astound as he explores the complexities of family relationships with sympathetic candor. After Rain is one more triumph.

- Gail Cooke

It's a dismal commentary on the state of contemporary readership when this book has not been reviewed on Amazon for almost five years. After Rain is top-shelf literature, an excellent introduction to William Trevor's mastery of the short story. Of particular note are: Timothy's Birthday, Gilbert's Mother, A Day and Marrying Damian. (Curiously, I found the title story somewhat muddled, but I'm convinced I missed something and I'll be re-reading it soon.)

As others here have mentioned, what distinguishes Trevor is his ability to handle a great variety of points of view (frequently within the same story) and his lack of condescension as he subtly presents the failings of his characters. A great eyewitness to the human drama. I seriously believe these stories are the equals of those in Joyce's Dubliners.

Like Grieg in the musical sphere, and Cheever in the literary one, William Trevor seems to be at his best in the smaller forms, where his sharply etched insights and compellingly profound characterization can glitter without the "imposition" of relaxation dictated by the novel. Reading his "Collected Stories" was among my favorite literary "events" of the past 20 years (since reading, of all things, Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" [talk about strange bedfellows!]), and if the present volume seems a bit less well-stocked with masterpieces than the earlier, larger collection, it also shows Trevor polishing his craft to an almost superhuman degree. Every word tells.

A couple of the stories in "After Rain" struck me as surprisingly weak: "The Piano Tuner's Wives," in which an elderly man's second wife contrives to distort his happy memories of his first, seemed architecturally imbalanced: the second wife was drawn with less fecundity than the first and as a result the cutting insights of the story's end seemed like the proverbial "too little, too late." The other relative disappointment for me was "A Day," in which a married woman meditates on her husband's infidelity. Maybe it was that the central character seemed annoyingly passive, but to my mind Trevor added little to a situation that has been visited many times before.

The bulk of the remainder of the stories was exceptionally fine, though, particularly "A Friendship," which limns the dissolving of a lifelong relationship between two women at one of their husband's instigation.

However, the real gems of the collection, in my opinion, were "Child's Play" and "Lost Ground," which may be among the finest short stories written. The first is spare and knife-edged, the second weighty and full of tragedy. In "Child's Play," two children of divorce play act, with uncanny accuracy, their parents' sordid affairs, but when something happens to threaten the children's own relationship, their sudden reversion to reality proves more poignant and devastating than any play they can put on. "Lost Ground," the longest and perhaps greatest story in the collection, tells the tale of a Protestant family, one of whose sons is visited by, and asked to carry the word of, a Catholic saint. By encapsulating the religious conflicts in Northern Ireland in the guise of a single family, Trevor manages to comment on the intolerance of humankind while presenting a family drama of piercing sorrow.

I read recently that some people find Trevor's works offputtingly depressing. Maybe so; there are no happy endings here and virtually no happy people. Perhaps his truths are just too painful for a few to face. But then, sometimes, life is that way too.

"After Rain" is a stellar proof that William Trevor is one of the most respected Irish short story writers. As a literary artist, Trevor is known for his elegant and hushed rendering of the psychic state of his characters. In addition, Trevor is also a humanist of great empathy, allowing him to uncover hidden or neglected angles of seemingly pedestrian situations. One story in this collection, "Gilbert's Mother," amply demonstrates Trevor's empathy. The story opens with a crime scene, told from an objective, clinical tone akin to a newspaper report. Just when you expect the next scene to develop the mystery further, Trevor switches the lens to a bystander, a woman, who, for the remainder of the story, contemplates whether her troubled son would be capable of committing such a crime. Trevor developed her skillfully, weaving with ease strained dealings between mother and son, as well as painful details of her past. The true crime to be solved here is how external circumstances beyond our control irrevocably sever our emotional ties from our loved ones, preventing us from ever knowing them fully.

A few pieces in this collection seem less inspired and not as well-executed. Some authorial comments that serve to wrap up stories seem forced. And as much as I admire Trevor the stylist, the elegance of language may border on the self-righteous when situations described do not warrant such treatment--minor quibbles in an otherwise fine collection.

Highly Readable, Highly Enjoyable. Just what you would expect from Trevor. In a clear and simple style he writes about ordinary lives, and when you finish you realize there is nothing ordinary about them.

If one had to choose the ten best or most influnetial plays of the 1990's, Tony Kishner's Angels In America: The Milleniun Approaches and Perestroika would be on the list. The first one was comedic and tragic, with a brilliant conclusion. One would think it would be a difficult follow-up. Well, the second is actually better than the first. The characters are developed further, and the crisis continues. This play is more symbolic and expressionistic than the first, but that is the key to it's success.

At once heart-breaking and funny, compassionate and humorous, this play strikes a chord, and is worthy of the praise it has received.

If you haven't yet read it, please read the prequel to this play, `Angels in America, Pt. 1: Millennium Approaches' prior to this one. The staging is a bit different, similar in style (rapid scene changes, minimalist set, etc.) but it starts out with the wreckage from the Angel's entry in the previous play.

Kushner described this play as a comedy, but I cannot see it that way. Except for irony and dark humour (perhaps akin to the idea of the Human Comedy, in which nothing is really funny) almost ever movement in the play is serious. And yet, in the face of death, what can be serious?

Roy Cohn is on his deathbed in the hospital, and receives prayers and rebuke from Ethel Rosenberg. Harper is gloriously insane in many ways with a Valium addiction, having lost Joe to a male lover. Harper lives with Hannah, Joe's mother now ensconced in New York City.

Louis and Prior struggle to come to terms, although Prior knows that Louis has met up with Joe. Cohn learns of Joe's marriage break-up and the cause, and throws a fit.

Oh yes, did I fail to mention the drag-queen-turned-nurse named Belize (a stage name) who attends both Cohn in the hospital and Prior at home?

There are extended scenes of Prior and the Angel, exchanging information, stories, prophecies. Back in the days when the supply of AZT was almost non-existent, Cohn manages to get some via his connexions, and Belize manages to get some away from him for Prior. Later, after Cohn dies, he steals the rest of the supply, but not before calling Louis in to recite the Kaddish in thanks for the `gift'. Of course, Louis doesn't want to.

`I'm not saying any ... Kaddish for him. The drugs OK, sure, fine, but no... way am I praying for him. My New Deal Pinko Parents in Schenectady would never forgive me, they're already so disappointed, "He's a f*g. He's an office temp. And now look, he's saying Kaddish for Roy Cohn".'

In the end, there is death, and there is life, and even the high angels cannot stop the progress, for they don't know how. But, like most mythologies, there is a hope that survives. `This disease will be the end of many of us, but not nearly all, and the dead will be commemorated and will struggle on with the living, and we are not going away. We won't die secret deaths anymore. The world only spins forward. We will be citizens. The time has come.'

Kushner's plays are remarkable statements of the culture of the times, in the 1980s and 1990s, with the growth of the AIDS crisis and the unveiling of diversity in all its suffering during arguably the most inopportune political time it could have been occurring, the Reagan/Bush era.

The characterisations are astonishing, as is the dialogue, and despite the drawbacks of play-form to more conventional narrative, this play yields fascinating results, not the least of which because it permits the reader to construct new meanings in conjunction with the play.

***

Kushner's prophetic call for a new world has not been fully answered, and perhaps never can be fully answered. Prophetic calls are interesting things - most prophets in fact fail in their mission (if you look at the Bible and other religions, you'll find out that prophets are often right, but only discovered to be right after their advice has been ignored and destruction has been the result).

The call to the world that I see is that we must all have compassion on those who suffer, for a true commitment to humanity requires that the living make amends to the dead by saving those who can be saved, and comforting those who cannot be to the best of our abilities.

Tony Kushner has an interesting way of showing his audience how reality isn't really fun at all. He walks us through the lives of a group of people in which they all know each other somewhere along the line. Tragedy has struck a gay couple...AIDS. Prior contracted aids, hence, his boyfriend decided to leave him. Joe is a married man who is in the closet about being gay, whereas, his wife Harper is an agoraphobic addicted to valium. Life isn't very simple among this group. Kushner somehow makes this story somewhat beautiful. As Prior is dying, Kushner has this Angel come and comfort him. He shows his audience how one may deal with such issues. He sends the message that when things go wrong, stay strong and follow your heart, and everything will turn out okay. Some of the characters in Angels in America changed throughout the story, which made things all the more interesting. For instance, I first perceived Joe as this sweet, original, money making husband. I eventually realized that he was different than what I thought. He turned out to be a confused, gay, and sometimes weak person.

Overall, I think Kushner did a wonderful job in writing this book. There were plenty of times where I found myself to not be able to put down the book. It was very creative, truthful, loving, sad, hopeful, tragic, and powerful. I know that Tony Kushner is an excellent writer just because he can smoothly combine all of those emotions into one story, and make it sound good. Angels in America is an excellent novel, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Amazing. A perfect ending. I find this to be the epitomy of excellent playwrighting. If you have any interest in becoming more well-read, please read this two-part series. It only gets better as you go along.

I read this playbook without having seen the play, which I usual don't do, but this one just kept me hooked from start to finish.

a hybrid between "a history of the world according to coffee" (subtitle) and stewart lee allen's research travelogue, the book follows allen who follows coffee's historical and geographical paths of adoption

the early history of coffee is largely unknown, so the first half of the story primarily narrates allen's travel snags in unsuccessful research; border problems, boat breakdowns, getting ripped off by faux art-smugglers, etc

the 2nd half of the book is content-rich and much more interesting - covering the fascinating rise and role of coffee since the ottoman empire (primarily europe, india and the americas). allen provides a lot of speculation (his and others) with his facts - for a subject as nebulous as coffee's impact on civilization, speculation feels appropriate to me

the format would work better for me if 1) his travel tales worked together to form an interesting narrative of their own and/or 2) they had anything to do with coffee. unfortunately they fail on both these counts, and become filler

overall, allen's caffeinated and irreverent writing style makes the book easy to read and i found it reliably funny. for example on page 126 he writes ->

"the main nonalcoholic source of nutrition, bread is now believed to have been plagued with the hallucinogenic fungus ergot, the base ingredient for lsd. drunk doctors, tipsy politicians, hungover generals: the plague, famine, and war. add a pope on acid, and medieval christianity starts to make a whole lot of sense"

if you're interested in the history of coffee and you're okay with some travelogue-genre fluff, you'll probably enjoy this book. i would give it 3 and half stars if i could

This is a must read for Barista's. A rollicking adventure/travel/history book. Makes your everyday cup of Joe an event. This could be on Coast-to-coast radio.

Stewart Allen's "The Devil's Cup" is one of those books that appear to suffer somewhat from a case of multiple personality syndrome. It's gonzo food journalism with a healthy dose of history and cultural anthropology carefully disguised as a travelogue.

The focus of the book is coffee, and Allen treats his subject with Hunter S. Thompsonesque flair as he traces the history of the divine bean from it's African origins all the way to the Texas Panhandle. I'm still a little skeptical as to how much of the text was real experience as opposed to caffiene-induced delusion, but in the end it really doesn't matter much. It's an entertaining and informative read, and that's what really counts. You certainly can't fault the author on his research and sources. Allen has good footnotes and his stories hold up well under the scrutiny of a good many Google searches.

The author is accompanied on his quest for javalightenment by a revolving door of unusual and interesting characters, all helping to drive the narrative forward with lightning speed as Allen travels from one locale and adventure to another. Allen begins his quest in Ethiopia, where coffee was first cultivated. He moves quickly along the traditional trade routes to trace how the bean migrated through Arab and Muslim lands to Europe, the New World, and beyond.

"The Devil's Cup" is too short to provide a holistic picture of the sacred bean, and I'd recommend pairing it up with one of the more traditionally written histories on the subject such as "Uncommon Grounds". That said, this is a great compliment to other coffee-related books and it should sit on your shelf if you have even a passing interest in learning more about the magic grounds.

Grab a good cup of joe, get this book, and start reading already!

I received this book as a gift and was hoping for a more informative book about coffee, its history, and its intricacies. Instead, I found a collection of miscellaneous chapters that were, at best, loosely connected. The anecdotes provoked laughter, but I don't think I would call it hilarious. "The Devil's Cup" is a light read and worthwhile so long as you don't open the book hoping for an academic read.

I came across this book by accident and bought it out of my sheer love for coffee. But the book not only has the great tale of how coffee came from Africa and made it's way all over the earth to the daily drink we know today, it also is a first rate travelogue. The author follows coffee's migration from Africa to Europe. Mr. Allen has quite a knack for finding and reporting his adventures and misadventures with a fun easy to read style.

If you like non-fiction travelogues, then do yourself a favor and buy this book.

In the past I have read memoirs about girls growing up 'in the country' and what a challenge it was for them (and their family) This book is a good book to read that covers that theme very well.

This book is beautifully written, with her early years happening in a kind of Idaho Eden, but what impressed me most was the author's fairness. She presents such a kind, loving, balanced view of the church, her family, their larger church family. She illuminates the glory of charismatic faith and accepts the presence of faith-based miracles. But when she explores what is lacking for her, what was missing as she tried to imagine taking her place as a wife in a Pentecostal family, the reader's heart breaks. Her questioning mind will not let this simple faith stand. As someone with no personal experience with this kind of religion, I was astonished by the rigidity of the church, appalled at how unforgiving a faith supposedly born of forgiveness could be.

Highly recommended.

I loved this book! Being an avid outdoorsman I ordered it by the title because I expected to learn something of living in the wilderness. In that regard, the book did not disappoint, but there was much more. Kim Barnes also shares an astonishingly honest story of another kind of wilderness - Pentecostal fundamentalism. Having grown up in a very similar religious tradition, I can vouch that her story does not exaggerate. Barnes pulls no punches in revealing human foilables, but without passing judgment on the sincerely held beliefs of others.

Those who enjoy "In the Wilderness," will definitely also want to read "Growing Up Pentecostal" by J. Stephen Conn. Conn's book has a very different setting but also gives a disarmingly honest view of classical Pentecostalism.

Incredibly moving and beautifully written.One of the best books I've read recently.

This book was heart-warming and enjoyable. I sent it to all my sisters. Thank-you to the author.

Buried in an early snowstorm, the Sun Valley, Idaho, mountains play a major role in Ridley's second Sheriff Walt Fleming thriller. The story begins with a nighttime mountain search-and-rescue, and goes on to include snowbound cabin hideouts, isolated ranchers, buzzing snowmobiles, chases through the snow and among the peaks, and even a crucial and spectacular encounter with a hibernating bear.

Fleming's search for a missing skier fans out snowshoeing teams with dogs across the mountain, and includes one skier who crosses the slope from the top, Randy Aker. The operation culminates in Randy's murder and the next day his brother Mark, the sheriff's friend, goes missing.

The missing skier was a hoax, of course - someone targeted Randy - or Mark, as it seems he was the intended victim. This surmise is confirmed when veterinarian Mark's young assistant turns up at a hospital, brutally raped and beaten and so drugged she remembers nothing.

The reader has the advantage of Fleming here as Pearson has been cutting to the villain, John Coats, a mountain man and former meth addict who views himself as a hero on a patriotic mission. What this mission is, who is behind it, and why, remains a mystery for Fleming to solve.

Help in this comes from his top deputy and nemesis Tommy Brandon (who is living with Fleming's estranged wife) and an attractive photographer who provides a tentative new love interest while she pieces together crime scenes. Strange illnesses further complicate the puzzle as time begins running out for diabetic Mark Akers.

As the story accelerates, cutting from Fleming to Akers to Coats, the terrain and the weather continue to immerse the reader in Sun Valley's mixed milieu of money, independence and wilderness.

Pearson gives the reader a fast-paced, big story in big country with characters who continue to grow. Yes, there are one or two small holes in the plot, but the ride is well worth a couple of bumps.

This was the first book I read from Pearson and I throughly enjoyed it. I recommend this book if you are looking for a page turner at the beach, airplane etc...

My Review of KILLER VIEW by Ridley Pearson

Ridley Pearson brings back Sheriff Walt Fleming in his new suspenseful story, Killer View. With well developed, intriguing characters and a stunning setting in Sun Valley, Idaho, Pearson has readers unable to put this mystery down as its intricately woven plot keeps you captivated.

When the story opens, a skier is reported missing on Galena Summit in Sun Valley so Sheriff Fleming is immediately alerted. Fleming brings together his top-notch rescue team. Mark Aker, who is Walt's best friend, and his brother Randy, round up their tried and true team of search and rescue dogs. Dividing up the dogs, Mark and Walt take off one way, while Randy who has more experience heads out in another area. Suddenly, Walt and Mark hear what sounds like a shot and that ignites the story with one plot twist after another. They also can't get a hold of Randy, and it isn't long before they find him dead from what appears to be an accident, dropping off a cliff. Finding Randy, protected by his faithful dog, the sheriff notes there is no blood so he didn't die from a gunshot wound. Although, when Walt thinks about it, perhaps the shot was what drew Randy's attention away from where he was headed? If so, who fired that shot and why? Sadly, Walt lifts Randy's body to take him back as his brother Mark is devastated.

The next morning, Walt discovers that now Mark is missing. Sheriff Fleming first wonders if Mark just needed some time alone to grieve. But the search continues with intensity as Mark appears to also now be lost. However, Mark Aker's survival in a very remote area introduces another character for readers to ponder and decide what part of the puzzle he is involved with. The question of if Mark will escape keeps the readers on edge but all the while in an structured manner so you don't have to take notes to enjoy this fast paced flurry of activity on the snow filled mountains of Sun Valley.

Into what is becoming a multifaceted plot, comes Deputy Tommy Brandon, who is known to be sleeping with Walt's soon to be x-wife. Too good a deputy to be fired without charges of discrimination, Walt has this thrown in his face daily as he must work along side Tommy. Next in this picturesque setting, Walt discovers that mountain sheep are mysteriously dying, a local bottling plant contains contaminants causing workers to be hospitalized, and finally that a very powerful political figure may be involved in all of this. The sheriff begins to suspect that terrorism may even be playing a part of the picture.

With the help of his deputy and a photographer, the female love interest, the story's pacing amazingly allows the reader to be able to keep all the clues straight albeit not necessarily connected until the end. Will Mark be found? What part will Fiona, the photographer, play in the scheme of things and in Walt's life? Will Mark finally be saved and is there really a terrorist plot? These questions will keep the reader plowing through this snow filled mystery until the end to find out if Walt Fleming can assemble the pieces that frame the final picture in the Killer View!

Submitted: copyright by Karen Haney, August, 2008, published for Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)

Killer View is the second in his series featuring Sun Valley Sheriff Walt Flemming and if you're a fan of seat of your pants non-stop action then this book is for you.
It deals with home grown terrorists dealing in bio-warfare, government bureaucracy and hidden agendas. In addition to everything else going on our hero Sheriff Flemming is trying to deal with his personal life as a single dad with twin girls who's wife left him for his best deputy (we found this out in the first book Killer Weekend). So those of you who just like to stroll through the pages of non-exciting books this is not for you for the rest of you get off the couch and get the book.

This is a terrific read, this Author was new to me, not anymore, its a real thriller

This book chronicles some of the crimes of James Wood. He was a sociopath made more dangerous because he was so compulsive.

Woods had talent as an artist and most of the time he was viewed as overly friendly. Too much so for some people that he met.

The real hero in the book was Scott Shaw,who connected with Woods well enough to ultimately get a confession and closure on the case of Jeralee Underwood,the 11 year old girl that was his last victim. Along the way, Shaw got confessions about another local rape that could have easily had the same end result as the Underwood case. Woods also confessed to a rape and attempted murder of another teen girl in the St.Louis area.
He eventually solved more than 40 sex crimes and 180 armed robberies that were committed by Woods. Scott Shaw got a close look at the very twisted mind of an unusual type of killer.

Shaw's perception was instrumental when he linked the rape with the later murder and insisted the perpetrator was local,contradicting the profile by the F.B.I.

Some of James Wood's cousins broke the case with information that they provided to the police.

This book is researched thoroughly and it is hard to put this down once you start reading it.

I grew up just outside of Pocatello, Idaho and was the same age as Jaralee Underwood when she was kidnapped and murdered. James Wood haunted my dreams for many years and I was completely sickened by the things he did and the fact that he was even able to do the things he did...the man should never have walked out of the the Louisiana prison in the first place. What a sick awful man.

This is a well written book that I believe does a good job of exploring the life of James Woods. I recommend this as a good read for any true crime buff who is interested in serial murders.

a very good read,couldnt put it down.i really admired detective shaw-he gave me a good perspective on this sick (...).

I read approximately 6-7 books a week, and this is the first book that has prompted me to write a review...EVER. This book is poorly written because it never gives the reader reasons why this man became who he is...no history is provided for the reader to understand how a man could do the crimes he committed. I too, read this book in one sitting, mostly because I wanted to get the horror of it over with quickly. Whomever edited the book must have been in another world that day, because the author's thoughts are convoluted most of the time and I found myself wondering what he was trying to say. The amount of errors in proof-reading this book is distracting and the book should be corrected and reprinted. No history, no details, no train of thought involved in writing this book - just the author telling a story that has been written over and over again by better writers than this one.

Although it otherwise is an impressive and useful work, we were disappointed by lack of color photos especially after seeing the beautiful color photo on the cover.

Every bookseller I've ever met in Idaho recommends this book. It's informative but also fun and insanely well-written. Conley covers the Idaho basics but also wanders off down side streets and tiptoes through the state's history. And even though it's 700 pages, you still get the sense Cort knows more than he's telling.

I've had the book for 5 years and find myself going back to it again and again. I strongly recommened it for anyone living in Idaho and anyone interested in the West or just good writing

If every state could offer up a tour guide as thorough as this one, travelers would have much to cheer about, no matter where they were. This is a major achievement in the field.

Conley has arranged the book into three major sections (Lakes and Forests - North; Rivers and Canyons - Southwest; and Mountains and Deserts - Southeast), and then by major highways within each section. He takes the traveler along each route, pointing out historic sites, geological formations, archeology, towns and cities, and all kinds of points of interest along the way. When appropriate he will venture down side roads to highlight sites.

Much historical information is related by Conley (the book is 700 pages long), and there are photographs (mostly historical) galore. As useful as the guide is on the road, it is equally as entertaining and informative for the armchair traveler as well. This book will not help you with finding motels, restaurants, or modern day tourist attractions; it is strictly written with the history of the state in mind. And in that regard, it's a beauty. Travelers in Idaho or those interested in the state's history should be sure to get a hold of this book - you won't be disappointed.

We're planning our first trip to Idaho and were looking for the basic "have to have it with us" tour guide to help plan the trip and guide us through it. This book isn't it.

It appears to be a great book of local history and would be fine for backup information about the state but it is not good for planning a trip.

The only way to find items of interest is to read the whole book, set up your own itinerary, and basicaly write your own guide book from the information found here.

Fodors and Frommer have nothing to fear.

Cort Conley is to Idaho what Frank Dobie is to Texas. There is no man who has seen more of the Idaho landscape and backcountry, and known more of the Idaho people than Conley. And few people (if any) can tell you more about Idaho's underappreciated history and Indian lore. This book should be on the bookshelf of every native to the Pacific Northwest, alongside Evie Litton's Hiking Hot Springs of the Pacific Northwest (they just look good together).

I had to study for the RE exams and this was a big help. I downloaded it on my Ipod and whenever I am on the bus or train or relaxed I would listen to it. I did pass my RE exams on the first try.

Recommended by a highly respected RE instructor for my broker class as being the best book of its kind - well worth the puchase - easy to read; will be a much used desktop reference for all aspects of real estate transactions.

As a community college real estate instructor, and as the book review editor for a national real estate magazine, I read a lot of real estate books. As a writer myself, I do a lot of research. In the reference category, this book is number one on my list. As I said in my review of a previous edition of the book: "I never leave home for the classroom without it." If you are enrolled in a real estate licensing class this book will be particularly valuable to you, since you're essentially learning a new language - the language of real estate. The feature that makes it particularly valuable is the fact that when it defines a term, it gives references to all related terms in the book. By the time you review them all, you'll have excellent insight into the topic. The primary author, John Reilly, has a background as an attorney, real estate professional, educator, and author. The co-author, Marie Spokek, is a nationally know real estate educator. In my office I have a special shelf above my computer for the real estate books to which I refer the most often. This book occupies a prominent spot. Dr. Ken Edwards, Book Review Editor, The Real Estate Professional magazine.

This book was required when I took that first real estate course you need to get your license. (I chose not to get my license since I'm just an investor. Not exactly relevant, but it tells you the kind of person I am and my perspetive as a reviewer.) I'm thankful because it made that course much easier. I've since taken many courses and read many real estate contracts and this book has helped me through everything.

It's like a dictionary except the explanations vary in length from a couple lines all the way up to several pages. As others have mentioned, I really value the many relevant cross-references each entry includes. It allows you to get a fuller picture of something you look up because it allows you to look up similar items or related topics. It's fine to know the definition of something, but sometimes, what's really useful is to compare it to something similar so that you have a context for how to distinguish between the two. As a simple example, if someone was offering something as tenants-in-common and you looked it up, you might think, "okay that makes sense," but unless you compare it with tenants-in-partnership or joint-tenants, you really don't know what you're dealing with.

Some people are complaining because the book has Spanish translations. I assumed it was some new edition that had added these. Nope. I just checked and mine has it too. It doesn't detract from the book at all. I hadn't even noticed it. And the Spanish-English appendicies are only 15 pages out of 468 total. What's the problem? That's probably a useful tool if you're from Texas or Calfornia, like the author.

Anyway, this is the second most often used reference book I own. (Second only to The Synonym Finder by Rodale, an awesome alternative to a thesaurus.)

This book was great. I just passed my real estate exam and the book was a great reference for those subjects that were not clear in the classroom. I will be able to use this book throughout my real estate career. Well worth the money!

Being a big Hemingway fan I was very excited to get this book after I first discovered it. I was looking forward to photographs of Papa and the places in his life. That's what I expected after "looking inside" another edition of the book at Amazon, which was the only choice to look at. I sure was surprised to get a little paperback with not a single photo. I saw the book I thought I was getting for $5 in a used bookstore the other day. There is no warning that the book you get is entirely different from the one you get to see. Albeit I only paid $1.41 plus $3.99 shipping for it from The Big Book Sale - it is not what I wanted or what was advertized. I will be disputing the charge. BEWARE.

I found this book to be good but not great. It is a mix of a short Hemingway biography and a travel book. For those that want an introduction to Hemingway and like to travel, it is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it. If you are looking for a detailed Hemingway biography or a travel book only, then I would not recommend the book.

Also, some chapters are better than others. For example, the short section on Pamplona (within the chapter on Spain) is well written and entertaining. But the rest of the chapter on Spain and bullfighting is rushed and incomplete in my mind, given that bullfighting was a subject of so much of Hemingway's writings and that Hemingway's "Death in the Afternoon" was practically an English language treatise on the subject.

Further, at times, the book seems to be more of an independent travel book than a "following in the footsteps of Hemingway" book.

As I said, good but not great.

I really like Michael Palin's travel documentaries, both the BBC TV programs and the books based on the programs. He has a knack for finding interesting people and places, and he presents it all with wit and charm and a personal engagement that is beguiling. The books are beautiful with lots of great color pictures, most taken by photographer Basil Pao.

This book is based on the BBC TV program where Mr. Palin traveled to all of the places where Ernest Hemingway had lived and traveled. One can't really say the program "follows Hemingway's footsteps" because some sequences are presented out of order, but it's all there:

Chicago and northern Illinois (Hemingway's youth)
Italy (WW I and duck hunting)
Paris (Hemingway's start as an author)
Spain (running with the bulls, bullfighting)
Key West (fishing, boxing)
Africa (hunting, airplane crash injuries)
Cuba (fishing, Hemingway's home for 20 years)
Montana and Idaho (dude ranches, Hemingway's death)

Each chapter that describes a place almost invariably leaves the reader smiling and thinking that it would be interesting to visit that place oneself.

Incidentally, my high opinion of this book (and the associated TV program) has nothing to do with any interest in Hemingway's authorship. I read "The Old Man and the Sea" when I was in high school, and have not read anything by Hemingway since. Still, I find his life interesting, and I think that Michael Palin has made a great travelogue by visiting the various places and telling about Hemingway's life.

I can especially recommend the audio version of this book, which is read by Michael Palin himself. He does a great job of delivering the dialog of the various people, all with their different accents.

Of course, the audio version of the book does not include the beautiful photographs, so the very best strategy might be to get both, and listen to the audio version while commuting and then look at the pictures when you get home.

Rennie Petersen

If you are going to engage in some armchair travel, you could do no better than to have Michael Palin as your guide. I love all of his books, possibly even more than the accompanying TV shows. The only reason this one gets four stars from me, instead of five, is by comparison- I thought the conceit of following Hemmingway's life's path was less engaging than some of his more challenging itineraries (but add the extra star back on if you're a Hemmingway fan). Like others who have reviewed here, I was compelled by reading this book to seek out some of Hemmingway's work, and I think I was able to appreciate it better knowing something about the man. (But I'll admit, given the choice of reading him or reading Palin, I'll take the Python any day of the week.)

I am not a Hemmingway fan - the idea of a macho yet self-destructive soul holds no appeal for me. Likewise, I find his prose turgid and bland, unlike his contemporary, Steinbeck. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Michael Palin brings his charm, understated wit, and consummate travelogue-writing skill to the book, and Basil Pao brings fantastic photography and art direction.

Hemmingway's life and travels provide an overarching theme to the book that brings us from place to place. Since most travelogues use geographical locations to provide the arc, the eclectic globe-trotting in this book is refreshing, while at the same time logical. Likewise, within each chapter we see a variety of locales that won't necessarily make a standard travelogue, because Hemmingway lived in these places and discovered a number of out-of-the-way sites that give a better feel for the actual culture of the cities and countries we're visiting.

I've personally visited four of the places in the book - Montana, Chicago, Key West, and Paris. That I wish to return to those places and experience the parts I missed, as chronicled in the book, is a testament to Palin and Pao's skills. Presumably a fan of Hemmingway would get even more out of this book than I did, but you obviously don't have to be a Hemmingway afficionado to appreciate and enjoy this book.