Oregon Books

Sometimes Calloway hits the mark with her mysteries and sometimes she doesn't. This time she definitely does. Cassidy James is asked to help a friend's niece who has been sent to isolated Camp Turnaround where troubled teens are taught to modify their behavior. The camp's name alone should tell you that not everything is as it should be. The niece is able to sneak out an email to her father claiming that one of the camp teachers has been murdered and that the girl's life is now in danger. From there, the action unfolds. This book has a greater variety of characters than usual for a Cassidy James story and they're better developed. Until the end, you can't be exactly sure who the bad guys are and there are two twists that make it worthwhile getting to the end of this book. Also, Cassidy finds a new love interest, which may finally free her from the clutches of on-again-off-again girlfriend Erika. Now, if Calloway would just add a little more spice to the love stories instead of "shying away" at the critical moments, her books would be almost perfection.

Would've liked to have read more concerning the new love interest. Maybe it was too steamy and edited out, but it was left hanging. Otherwise, this book left me ready for the next. Maybe we'll learn more then.

Backcountry ski oregon is a nice guide. The photos are not as good as the ones in oregon descents but it offers a few more routes. Some of the routes are part of ski areas. useful book

What makes Van Tilburg's latest guidebook so good has a lot to do with why Van Tilburg was the perfect person to write it. He's not only an expert skier and snowboarder, but he's also an expert mountaineer, canyoneer, and wilderness medicine physician. When he guides you on these classic descents, you are in good hands. He not only shows you the best places to go, but makes sure you have the information to stay safe and get home in one piece. Let's face it -- if we were experts we wouldn't need a guidebook. If we need a guidebook, we need one written by someone with experience and good sense. Van Tilburg is a good man to follow.

This is such a fun book to look at and think of all the possibilities. There are more hikes in this book than my dog and I could complete in many years. Each hike is rated for difficulty and the book tells you how long the trail is as well as how steep it is, whether there is water, shade, lots of crowds, etc. I have been to several of the trails including Forest Park, Tryon Creek, Angel's Rest, Hart's Cove, Wahclellah Falls, etc. I would never have known many of these places were out there without the help of this book. That being said, the directions are often very vague; I've gotten lost more than once looking for a trailhead, and there is one (Oneonta Gorge/Triple Falls) that I never found. Also, the trails are rated for which seasons they can be hiked inaccurately--one trail (Hart's Cove) was listed as year round but the access road is closed half the year! Some of the trails are listed as one way only, meaning you need at least two people and two vehicles to complete them, or you would somehow need to hitch-hike with your dog back to your car. I think the addition of color pictures would also add much to this book. It's hard to tell how beautiful many of these places are by the black and white pictures.

I truely enjoy the book. We have been on roughly five of the hikes recommended in the book. The author states what difficult level each hike is. However, that is for her and her dogs fitness level. I only found one trail impossible to master so far. But that was because of fear of heights. After going on these trails I add my own comments to the book, such as how the trail was, if litterbags were available and if restrooms were on site. I also add a map were available and mark our own hikes. Because of this book we have discovered a few new trails to take. Thank you Ellen Bishop.

This is a basic guidebook with short descriptions of locations and venues. I wish they had stepped it up a notch and included cross streets for each location.

BEST PLACES PORTLAND is a great guide to the city of Portland, Oregon, and the surrounding area, with incredible discussion about the best outdoor activities, dining, nightlife, shopping, museums, lodging, and other attractions. There's also a section on day trips within a couple of hours' drive. Overall, the Portland metropolitan area has a great deal to offer, so pick this book up, and you can't go wrong.

I'm the third owner of a 1908 house in downtown Seattle that has survived relatively unmolested. I was looking for details of how the house should have been decorated in the period and how I could make small changes to the house to make it functional, yet remain honest to the period. The book is great at showing the history and architecture of each period with nice photo examples inside and out. I only hoped there would be a little more detail about how to find an architect that specializes in restoring these types of homes.

This book covers the basic styles of homes seen in the SEATTLE areas, from around 1879 to around the 1950's.

Many of the earlier homes have since been destroyed, so the author had to rely on archival photos. All those photos are, of course, in black and white.

Then the author did a wonderful research job by showing the following architectural styles from the early 1900's to the 1950's.

The reason that I give this book a 4-star,rather than a full 5-star rating, is because I wish the author had shown more photos of the LATER homes discussed, & that are still available in Seattle. Instead, the author showed one photo (mostly) of the later homes, when she surely could have included a few more photos of the LATER homes, since they are still available for photo-taking.

The photos of the available (modern) homes, are all in black and white also ---not in color. I suppose the author wanted to show continuum throughout her book, so she chose to show all the book's photos (even the modern photos from 2004-2005) in black and white.

This is not a new book but the subject matter - the need for the preservation of forests along the north west coast of North America - is as relevant and important now as it was then. Looking back, it's encouraging to see that we have made some progress towards this since 1996, even if it is progress of the "two steps forward, one step back variety".

This beautifully illustrated book consists of five essays, one for each of the geographical regions from northern California to south eastern Alaska. The five writers offer very different perspectives on the ecological issues facing the forests in their own area. Each essay, in its own way, addresses issues common to the whole region. The book in its entirety looks at the past of these forests and offers a look at the future. In 2004 we are eight years into that future so we can compare our progress, or lack thereof, with the hopes expressed.

This book tries to engage us, as readers, to understand and treasure our forests for what they are and not just for the wood or wealth they provide. "...the more we humans know, the more we will care, and the more we care the better will we take care."

Amen to that.

This is not a new book but the subject matter - the need for the preservation of forests along the north west coast of North America - is as relevant and important now as it was then. Looking back, it's encouraging to see that we have made some progress towards this since 1996, even if it is progress of the "two steps forward, one step back variety".

This beautifully illustrated book consists of five essays, one for each of the geographical regions from northern California to south eastern Alaska. The five writers offer very different perspectives on the ecological issues facing the forests in their own area. Each essay, in its own way, addresses issues common to the whole region. The book in its entirety looks at the past of these forests and offers a look at the future. In 2004 we are eight years into that future so we can compare our progress, or lack thereof, with the hopes expressed.

This book tries to engage us, as readers, to understand and treasure our forests for what they are and not just for the wood or wealth they provide. "...the more we humans know, the more we will care, and the more we care the better will we take care."

Amen to that.

This is a good overview of recent political history in Alaska. It covers the necessary basics of Alaska's recent political events without going into unecessary detail.

This book encapsulates Alaska's history into a narrative that educates as well as illuminates the reader about the mythic and factual accounts comprising the State's evolution. Alaska, as portrayed in Frigid Embrace, is a state that has chosen to prostitute itself to the whims of Big Oil, with little thought given to environmental consequences. The author, an outspoken advocate of wilderness protection, openly denounces 'Outside' corporations who have wielded extraordinary influence over the state.

I appreciate the message the author is attempting to convey, but it is delivered with an underlying prejudice against the industries that have kept the state monetarily afloat, and subsequently dependent. An urban garbage dump was chosen for the cover, which is unsightly regardless of the state it inhabits. This graphic depiction of Alaska is atypical of the grandeur that still exists. I feel this is a deceptive tactic to mislead the reader and portray Alaska as a state that has become grossly despoiled by industrialized development.

Despite the bias, the author delivers an insightful perspective of the aftermath from decades of collisions between corporate wealth and a state with a unique cultural heritage and vulnerable environment. I recommend this historical overview of Alaska, and encourage readers to approach it with ample objectivity.

While A Customer's review is dead-on, his rating is much too brutal. Frozen Music's organization is admittedly nonlinear, but there is material here that just can't be found anywhere else. (Witness the extensive section on Van Evera Bailey.) And the book's starkly beautiful black-and-white photos are worth the price of admission alone.

Other useful titles for interested folk:
Classic Houses of Portland, Oregon, 1850-1950 (Classic Houses)
Architects of Oregon: A Biographical Dictionary of Architects Deceased - 19th and 20th Centuries
Wade Hampton Pipes: Arts and Crafts Architect in Portland, Oregon
Pietro Belluschi: Modern American Architect
A CENTURY OF PORTLAND ARCHITECTURE
An Architectural Guidebook to Portland
The Portland Bridge Book
The grand era of cast-iron architecture in Portland

Although an essential volume as a reference, this book is plagued by a few things. It is not organized in a particularly helpful way, it takes on a highfalutin' scholarly tone that verges on the humorous, and it is now a little dated. There have also been claims against the accuracy of its "facts", but even with all that, it is a sometimes entertaining book in a field (Portland architecture) that could use some more research.

Excellent history of a little-known and fascinating chapter in early American maritime and trade history on the Pacific coast. Kendrick's and Gray's expedition helped spark Jefferson's interest in the west; their exploits were precursors to Lewis and Clark. Lively and full of interesting anecdotes, particularly of Kendrick's activities.

Scofield digs deep into hard-to-find journals and letters from the voyages of the Amercian fur trading vessels Columbia Rediviva and Lady Washington. His colorful descriptions of the meanderings of the two boats paints a vivid portrait of life aboard a trading ship along the mostly-uncharted coast. Most impressive here is Scofield's insight into the men who pressed on with arrogance and greed to find fortune in the Otter fur trade circle of the late 1700's.

Recently we attended a wedding in Portland, Oregon and decided to see some things while we were there. This book was extremely helpful as we were deciding what to see and do. This book is colorful and so pleasing to the eye. There are lots of pictures and the maps are excellent. It gives a general overview of the area, and you learn a bit about the history too. We narrowed down what we could do in the time we had available and we took in the Columbia River Gorge area including Multnomah Falls, Portland (definitely go to Powell's Bookstore - one of the largest bookstores in the world), and then part of the Oregon coast. We stayed in Seaside, but Cannon Beach is less touristy and a nicer town. Make sure to visit Haystack Rock during low tide to see the sea stars and sea anemones in the tidal pools. Enjoy your trip!

Each travel series (Insight, Frommer, Lonely Planet, etc.) has its own emphasis and style. The strength of the Insight guides is its overview of a particular region, in this case the Pacific Northwest area of the United States. You won't find extensive lists of hotels and restaurants in this book; instead, you'll be given a written and photographic tour through Washington and Oregon, from Seattle to Portland, from Mount St. Helens to Mount Hood, along the coast, into the mountains, and across the Columbia Basin. The guide supplies a short history of the area (short, but more comprehensive than most guides) as well as the "personalities" of contemporary cities. You'll find a section on the wine-making regions and one on the John Day Fossil Beds. National and state parks are covered as well. The color photographs, included on almost every page, shows the varied landscapes in with a true eye for aesthetics. An extremely small section at the back addresses much of what the bulk of the guide lacks: festivals, hotels and restaurants (no descriptions, just addresses and phone numbers),how to get there, major attractions, and other brief travel tips.

I recommend this book for travelers as a preparation for a trip to the Pacific Northwest or for those who have not yet decided if this region is for them. You'll need a more nuts-and-bolts guidebook to accompany it for more practical considerations such as detailed entries about lodging, maps, places to shop, and restaurants.