Washington Books

This book is full of passion and family secrets being reveled. There were truly moments when I was on the edge of my seat (the Fourth of July Party). Each book in this series just gets better and better. I can't wait for Mo's story.

This book was excellent, just like all the other Ramsey Books. Just when you think Marcus can't get any worst a new secret comes out. Can't wait for Moses's story. Keep up the good work Altonya.

Altonya Washington has delivered again! I loved this story! I finished it in a day and I'm anxiously awaiting for more on the Ramseys!

Twenty years ago, Melina Dan witnessed a horrific event - the murder of eighteen-year-old Sera Black. But before Melina could tell anyone what happened, a grave threat was made to keep her silent. Years later, that horrible night once again caused major havoc in Melina's blissful life by forcing her walk out on her beloved husband, Yohan Ramsey. Eight years had passed since Melina unwillingly left her marriage, but now Yohan was back demanding answers to her reasoning for leaving. And just when Melina thought things could not get any worse, a scandalous truth was revealed to her - a truth that could easily destroy all that Yohan holds dear and possibly drive him to murder.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but when it comes to AlTonya Washington Ramsey's series, all I can say is WOW and go BUY this book! I am continuously amazed that with each new release, this series gets better and the obscurity that surrounds this family on an endless basis becomes even more mysterious whenever a key piece of information is exposed. You can bet your bottom dollar that there is never a dull second with the Ramsey folk. I love each and every delicious moment in A Lover's Regret. The love that shines between Yohan and Melina is passionate and heartfelt. It was a wonder that Yohan waited so long to go after Melina, but once he did, there was no stopping him from reclaiming his wife. It was also a delight to see the lives of past characters from previous installments being expounded on to add more spice to this super-hot novel. To gain a complete satisfaction of the Ramsey saga, I would suggest reading each book in the order of its release. Nevertheless, if you pick up this incredible book first you will not feel like you missed out something very important because Ms. Washington gives great background details. A Lover's Regret is a story not to be missed!

Nikita
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I HAVE BEEN WAITING ON THIS BOOK FOR THE LONGEST....I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS READY...IT'S WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY..I LOVE MS WASHINGTON WORK...SHE IS AN EXCELLENT WRITER AND I RECOMMEND HER TO EVERYONE I KNOW....

Captured moments of Amercian Life, often shown here with an American flag in the photo. These images in this book portray a visual artist who is creating photos by shifting angles, waiting for the right moment, using light in a different way. Its tough to describe this book other than to say that it was edited pretty well.

This book is the real thing, it should be part of any collection of outstanding photography books. Robert Frank shoots beautifully and unselfconciously, this is exemplary photojournalism that takes a viewer into the deep waters of the truly gifted.

I've been a professional photographer, still in love with photography after 40 years shooting, still shooting every day. Thank you Robert Frank. You've had a vision that is the best photography book ever done, I wish I could do it!!!!

Si os gusta la fotografía de reportaje compradlo sin reservas.
No tiene desperdicio, ojalá encuentro más libros de fotógrafos como Robert Frank.
Muy bueno.
Un saludo desde España a todos los hispanos.

This is a wonderful monograph of Frank's early work, presented in a highly innovative sequence of images based loosly on formal and thematic topics. The book's meaning grows and changes with every read. Although it is hailed as a seminal work of progressive street photography now, it was not so warmly received in its postwar days. For instance, in 1960 a critic for Popular Photography called it, "A sad poem for a sick people." However, Frank maintained an aloof political stance and managed to escape McCarthyism's career-ending scrutiny, unlike many of his coleagues.
If you like this book, you might enjoy Walker Evans' "American Photographs" and Tod Papageorge's comparison of the two photo-books. Also see Frank's later works, as seen in the retrospective "The Lines of My Hand" and such extensive exhibition catalogues as "Hold Still-Keep Going" and "Moving Out." Frank's later body of work reveals a preoccupation with the passage of time, perhaps inspired by his 40+ years in film. These photos also bear negative scratching, collage, over-painting, and the deliberate addition of text--all of which vastly different from his Americans-era images. Although these photographic accomplishments, stunning in their own right, have been ignored by scholarship for some time, the 1990s establishment of the Robert Frank Collection at the National Gallery promises to preserve as well as present Frank's later works in a new and interesting light.

Also:
Dear Benjamin,

Per your inquiry, Robert Frank's book was published in Switzerland because the photographer is SWISS. Scalo has made an effort to publish most of Frank's books in his home country, as well as the US, England, France, Canada (where he lives now), etc. Frank emigrated to the US in 1947 and became an American citizen in 1963. Knowing these simple facts might help you examine this work with renewed clarity. Also, people in Switzerland enjoy books just as much as Americans. Perhaps you should conduct some research every now and again, it might make you look less ignorant.

What can I say!!!Another great Dear America Book!!Their becoming addicting.As Kathleen Bowen lives with a topsy-turvy life you can see the real life features of Life in Washington D.C. 1917.Great book for anyone who is as addicted to the Dear America Series as I am!!

Kat Bowen is living in Washington D.C. during the woman's fight for the vote. Her own mother is among the woman picketing outside the White House Kat writes down her own views and opinions during this time. She supports her mother but at the same time worries about her mother. Especially after Kat sees how women picketing are being treated. She also witnesses trouble in her family when her uncle is so against the picketing and noting of women voting to the point it almost ruins the marriage of her aunt and uncle. Its amazing how badly picketers were treated and at the same time the women who did picket and go through the hunger strikes and horrible time in jail they were all so brave. An excellent book.

I have read many books in the dear America series and this one is one of my favorites. I liked it because in addition to being well written it's also exciting. Not only does Kathleen Bowen's mother Join the picket line and get arrested, but America also joins the first World War. Kathleen's sister and cousin leave to become nurses in Europe on the front. So not only was the book fun to read, but I also learned a lot about the suffrage movement.

Kat Bowen is a thirteen year old Washingtonian girl. Her family is generally wealthy, and she has a s many friends as she could need. Her cousin is her best friend, Alma, and her father is a well known and widely respected physician. But when the first World War and the women sufferage in her own home city begin to take the spotlight in her life, Kat finds herself being pulled deeper in with each day. Her mother decides to become a sufferagete, and her father supports her.
But Kat's uncle, Alma's father, is outraged, and refuses to allow the womenin her family to participate. Kat decides to help her mother sew banners for the suffragete movement, and do other deeds to help the women.
Real characters are incorperated into the book, which is one of the reasons as to why it is such a good historical reference. Another success in the Dear America Series.

A Time for Courage by Kathryn Lasky is one of my all-time favorite books in the Dear America historical fiction series. It is not particularly my favorite era of American history, but it is so well-written and interesting you just fall right in.
Kathleen Bowen's mother, aunt, older sister, and best friend's mother are all deeply involved in women's suffrage and equality rights, living in Washington D.C., 1917. Kathleen's father does not approve only because he worries for his wife's safety---many women have been arrested and beaten by police for protesting outside the White House. Yet Kathleen's friend's father disapproves of his wife's antics because he is a bit of a sexist. Soon, Kathleen becomes involved with the rights of women everywhere, just like her sisters and mother.
This timeless addition in Dear America will please all, and I promise you shall not be able to put it down. All the protagonists are extremely likable, and this book is just indescribably great. I just can't put it to words. READ IT!

All Aunt Hagar's Children is a collection of short stories by Washington D.C. native Edward P. Jones, it is his third book and the first since winning the Pulitzer Prize for The Known World (2003). The stories are about black Americans in Washington D.C. during the 20th century. Each story revolves around family, society and self, detailing experiences emblematic of southern blacks who migrated to northern cities from rural roots: some found salvation and others a living hell. In all the stories there are transformative turning points in peoples lives. As Jones shows, they are often not conscious of what happened - life-altering events can happen in the course of the banal every-day, setting in motion life patterns that can be hard to break when it's forgotten or not noticed how it started. In some cases the patterns are passed down unconsciously generation to generation - like the devil, cycles of violence, poverty, addiction, sickness and ignorance stalk many of the characters for seemingly mysterious reasons, bordering on the mystic in some stories.

The stories are beautifully original, Jones employs authentic southern expressions creating a time capsule reverberating with fading folkways. Like the characters he writes about, Jones grew up poor in Washington. He had a strong mother - whom he dedicates the book too - and it contains many of her colloquial sayings. This is not a book to be read quickly, like the pace of southern culture, each sentence demands respect for plot structure, character development and the unique southern way of putting words together. I read this hoping to learn more about the black culture of Washington (and Baltimore up the road) and was not disappointed, but what an extra treat to have a world-class writer with a deep sense of humanity, empathy (and sometimes sly humor) show the way.

This author has done it again with brilliant illustrations of a city and families that touch the core of our compassion. No wonder he won the Pulitzer-he is amazing, and this is an amazing piece of work with suspenseful endings quite similar to Toni Morrison.

In his highly-acclaimed volume of 14 stories, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", Edward P. Jones draws portraits of African Americans who have migrated from the South to Washington D.C. The stories are set from around the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day. The stories describe many types of people from young children to old men and women and from the poor and illiterate to the highly educated. They speak of loneliness and change, of the frustration, sexual and otherwise, that results from moving to a new urban place, of criminality and drugs, and of education. The stories are short but deeply textured, as in tapestries(the title of the final story). Characters, histories and sub-themes are realized in brief spaces.

The writing style in these stories is a major factor in their success. All but two of the stories are told in the third person by an all-knowing narrator. (The exceptions are "Spanish in the Morning" told in the voice of a precocious young girl and the title story "All Aunt Hagar's Children told in the voice of a young Korean War veteran who hopes to move to Alaska in search of fortune and women.) The writing is full of Biblical allusions. Hagar, of course, was the concubine of the patriarch Abraham who was sent into the desert after she mocked the childlesness of Sarah who then became jealous of her. God spared Hagar and her childen. The figure of Hagar is used her for the outsider and the outcast -- symbolizing the lives of the African American characters of the stories. The language of the stories in its richness, difficulty, and frequent elliptical character, particularly in its repetition and in its use of names, also owes a great deal to the Old Testament. There is also much in the stories that reminds me of the African American preacher of Jame's Weldon Johnson's poem "God's Trombones". The rich, narrative voice of the stories is complemented by the contrasting voice of many of the characters with its slang, dialect, and frequent use of obscenity.

The stories develop character and place. Jones shows the reader a Washington D.C separate from the world of national politics familiar to most Americans. I have lived in Washington D.C. for many years. Jones's depictions of neighborhoods, streets, landmarks, stores, and people had a deep sense of familiarity. They also helped me see the familiar aspects of my city in a new way. The characters are true and believable in their many responses to living in Washington.

The stories I especially enjoyed included the first story "In the Blink of God's Eye" and the final story "Tapestries". Both these stories are set both in the rural South and in Washington, D.C., the former at the turn of the 20th Century and the latter in the 1930s. They both show the difficulties young married couples encounter with the change of place.

The story "Old Boys Old Girls" describes the life of a young man who spends years in Lorton prison and his attempt to make a life for himself when he is released. Jones contrasts the life of his down-and-out protagonist with the lives of his wealthy and successful family. "A Poor Guatamalean Dreams of a Downtown in Peru" tells of a young poor girl who achieves great academic success but whose life has otherwise been filled with catastrophe and loss. "All Aunt Hagar's Children" is a complex story filled with themes of womanizing, murder, family, and wanderlust. It is a compelling portrait of African American life in the Washington D.C. of the early 1950s and it touches briefly as well upon African American -- Jewish relations.

My two favorite stories were "Root Worker" and "Bad Neighbors" both of which explore themes of the search for love and finding it in unexpected places. The main character in "Root Worker" is a young successful woman doctor who gives up a planned vacation to travel South to consult a root doctor for what ails her mother. In the process, she learns a great deal about herself. "Bad Neighbors" tells the story of a large, poor family that rents a home in a middle-class black neighborhood where they are shunned and feared by their more successful neighbors. There are many turns as the story progresses, as the main character, a young woman who has become a nurse, gains a deeper understanding of people, status, and love.

Jones' stories depict African American life in a loving, involved manner but without polemicizing or blatant social criticism. They are rooted in African American life but, in their treatment of love, sexuality, change, and character speak universally as well. The stories are dense and thoughtful and will reward careful reading. I am pleased that many of my fellow Amazon reviewers have enjoyed this outstanding book and written insightfully about it.

Robin Friedman

In his second book of short stories, Edward P. Jones does a wonderful job of chronicling the African-American experience in All Aunt Hagar' Children. Just as Lost in the City did, Jones brings to life a city that is hardly ever written about, Washington, D.C., and uses fourteen tales to describe circumstances that include life inside of homes full of love, and those without and those that are wealthy and those that are struggling.

Jones' depictions are as real as it gets, thoroughly describing life for Blacks fleeing an angry South to a new beginning in their first experience of living an "urban" American life from the early 1900's all the way to the mid-twentieth century and the loneliness it may sometimes bring. For example, "In the Blink of God's Eye" is about a newlywed couple that moves from Virginia to Washington, D.C. From the way Jones writes, the reader would assume that the couple traveled all the way to Washington State, because that is just how much home was missed for the young bride and how far away it seemed to her. In the title story, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", a hopeless young man aspires to go to Alaska to hunt for gold but in the meantime, spends his days helping a neighbor solve the mystery of how her son was murdered while also dodging an ex-girlfriend that he perceives to be angry.

Overall, this reader really enjoyed Jones' ability to tell a story but at times, wanted it to be longer and did not feel that the short story version could give these stories justice. At other times, the story was just long enough to get to know the characters and get a meaning out of the story that could resonate. Avid readers of Edward P. Jones will definitely want to add this collection to their libraries and will pick their favorites within All Aunt Hagar's Children.

Reviewed by Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub

In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward Jones once again showers us with prose that is both concise and metaphoric. He is truly one of the great writers of our new century. His stories capture the intricacies of living in our complex and strife-torn world with true humanity and humility. For me, his strongest metaphor comes from the last story - the metaphor of a tapestry. It takes many years to create and is full of innumerable details, yet it produces a work that last for many years and enlightens many other lives. What a wonderful image and a challenge for us to live into. In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Jones has surely presented us with a tapestry that will live for years and enlighten lives.

As I read through the pages of this book, the war in the heavenlies between the Kingdom of God and the forces of darkness became even more real to me. This book provides insight into spiritual warfare that has to be unprecedented. Although it is fiction, it is still fact based. It's based on the word of God, the Holy Bible, and Brother Humphrey put a Holy Spirit inspired spin on it that should cause every person to understand how real Satan and his kingdom are. More importantly, it demonstrates the awesome power of God and proves that if we are on the Lord's side and He is for us, we are victorious over the works of the enemy in our lives. If there is the slightest propensity in the sinner to forsake the things of this world and live for God, this book will push them over into a place of total surrender to Him. In addition, it will frighten the believer into selling out to God totally and completely. I highly recommend purchasing this book because it is a true blessing. I thank God for Divinely placing it in my hands.

This book was TOTALLY AWESOME!!! I couldn't put the book down! (even almost got fired for bringing it on the sales floor!)I can't believe how great the book was. I can't wait to see if there is a second part continuing the search for the rapist! This is a book if you have any doubts about, just pick it up and read it, you will love it! An amazing story with a great ending!!

When Virginia Sills is found stabbed and raped in a dark alley, no one can possibly guess how twisted her story really is. Not even Virginia knows. On the verge of death, her Guardian Angel, Mahatiel, attempts to force her back into the land of the living. Ever stubborn, Virginia balks at every turn, endangering her soul and Mahatiel's life as the forces of evil gather to snatch her to themselves. Marcellus Grimes, an arrogant detective, is assigned to find Virginia's rapist. He has no idea of the darkness he will enter while on the search. Want-to-be detective Darrell, who takes a lot of abuse and ridicule from Marcellus, sees clues that Marcellus doesn't and he determines that he will find Virginia's abuser on his own and the race is on.

IN DARK THINGS David M. Humphrey, Sr. spins a tale of heaven and hell, of good vs. bad, God vs. Satan. He covers the fall of Lucifer from grace and the birth of all Lucifer's dark demons. He shows us the trials that Guardian Angels have as they try to protect their human charges. The book encourages the reader to listen to that voice that is telling us what to do: it could be God talking to us. It was an interesting story with a Christian message. In some places, it got just a bit preachy which slowed the action down. It was certainly an interesting story on the relationship of God, Satan and human beings.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Wow, what a gripping book, providing insight to the spiritual world. Through a fictional and gripping story, you are also taught and realize how little the everyday material world means in God's grand scheme of things, and how wonderful and powerful God is. Through his Son, Jesus, he has bestowed this power on us to use against the principalities of darkness.

Great read! I was glued to the pages as the lives were protected and saved by mighty angels and deceived and ruined as puppets by mighty the dark-things.
David's vision of Satan creating "Death" was awesome, I was in the lab, frozen as the plot unfolded and transformed the unwitting demon into Death it self. keep writing and your gift will make room for itself.

And keep praying the enemies/dark-things are not pleased when someone turns on the light.

A beautifull written series of stories of life. An excellent book.

I became a fan of Richard McCann's writing when I read his story "My Mother's Clothes: The School of Beauty and Shame" in the April 1986 issue of The Atlantic (still on my shelf). Since then I've eagerly read his poetry, essays, and fiction, and am ecstatic to find him at the height (thus far) of his literary genius in his collection of linked stories, MOTHER OF SORROWS. Were it not for the high art he brings to bear on profound human dilemmas--family relations, psychosexuality, societal pressures, desire itself--these stories would be unbearable in their heartbreaking poignancy. Fortunately, he transcends pain with his uncommon sensibility and gorgeous prose, deepening the reader's insight.

Picked this up at Borders and read it to the end nearly without stopping.

A collection that moves through a man's life - and revolves highly around a life of silence, self dissatisfaction and his 'instinct for survival' - remaining mute, going with the flow no matter the personal cost.

The strong images of his mother and as she fades with age contrast his soft background study of his father. His brother, Davis - someone he keeps at arms length even as he aches to hold him close. And the strange attraction that a person can have for someone so close to them - a need for that person that seems to defy logic and law.

The language is beautiful - and the store feels like an answer to the question, "If you had one day to spend with someone who's gone ... who would it be? What would you do?"

Even the close in its lakeside sunset styling leaves off with a man's voice who seems to have found that it is himself that he missed spending any time with while alive.

Its always good to read a book which comes with a fresh style of writing.
Its so easy to be with the narrator as he begins from his childhood till he becomes an adult and not feel at loss through his aging. The author shows his prowess in this continuity.There is not much about his transition between these ages. But this leap of time analysis is done on his elder brother, summing up what mess he got into.
His constant comparision of him and his brother to Cain and Abel make for a good reading on figurative writing.
In the background, his mother with an on and off appearance and impact and too many stories under her sleeve is an interesting character to know of.

The book is not a cheery one but it is so beautifully written and memorable that it is one that you will want to share with others after you have read it. The author has pieced together short stories from the last fifteen years which provide a cohesive narrative which reads like a novel. The stories are inner reflections from his life, growing up gay and under the spell of his mother and trying to make connections with his brother and father (who dies when the author is eleven). The brother is gay also but their lives are complete opposites - the author, struggling to come to terms with being gay and living in the closet and his brother, openly gay but living an aimless life filled with drugs and misfortunes. The slim volume is a haunting portrait of a fragile family coming to grips with life, love and loss. It is a book that you won't soon forget.

This is a great anthology on Asian American history that's well worth your time to read!

I am a proud owner of the Big Aiiiieee. It is absolutely refreshing to hear from other voices than the popular writers such as Tan, Kingston, and Hwang. Chin certainly has made many great and valid points. Tan, Kingston, and Hwang, together, represent a body of cultural sensationalism against especially 'Asian American' men. I agree with Chin on many points; however, Tan, Kingston, and Hwang are wholly to be blamed.
First of all, the term "Asian American" should be eradicated. I am not an Asian American. I am a Chinese-Vietnamese American, as specific as that. With that in mind, this anthology is mainly composed of Chinese and Japanese-American perspectives. Where are representational voices of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and South Asian people (India, Parkistan, Burma).
Secondly, I agree with Mr. Chin that Tan's and Kingston's portrayal of Chinese culture is primitive and backward. Tan's Joy Luck Club contains lot of images that promote cultural sensationalism and exoticism. For example, An Mei's mother cuts her flesh from her arm and dumps them into her grandmother's soup. The non-asian readers will subsequently thrive on this stereotype and apply it for all "Asians." This is like another form of canibalism. Another example of cultural sensationalism is the uncle eating live, jumping shrimps with his chopsticks (or Did I miss something?). As for Kingston, the Woman Warrior clearly was written with an intention as a feminist piece. Because there is no greatly equal novel to dispute its exaggerated feminism, mainstream readers take this as a true portrayal of Chinese/Asian men -- brutal rapists.
Furthermore and on a positive note, what makes this anthology fresh is the fact that it includes other fresh(not new)but neglected voices such as Louis Chu, John Okana, Monica Sone, Gish Jen, and so on, writers that are not given a fair chance in mainstream publishing.
Finally, I think this is a great anthology. Unfortunately, it does not truly represent me and my Vietnamese American community. What I got from reading this anthology is a sense of freshness as far as perspective is concerned; however, emotionally, I am more identified with Flannery O'connor, Toni Morrison, and Duong Thu Huong.
For those dire fans of Mr. Chin and harsh critics of interracial relationship: He married a caucasian woman, so are some of his colleagues.
Beware of whom you worship!

What gives people like Amy Tan, Maxine Hong Kingston, and David Henry Hwang the right to take my cultural distinctions and cater it to a white audience who want the stereotypical Chinese?! I'm glad Frank Chin exposed these sell-outs in this important book. There are Asians who are far from being these sorts of stereotypes described in the literatures of Tan, Kingston, and Hwang, and these editors prove it. Read this book and you'll find that out yourself.

and I know how much these editors helped my ethnicity in the first Aiiieeeee! These people (Chan, Chin, Inada, and Wong) know their stuff, and they're not ashamed of their cutlure. They are unassimilated, brave, talented, and strong. You would be more proud of your Asian race after reading this book.

Since the publication of this book, it has been criticized for it's "machismo, misogynist" morale. Guess who these criticisms are coming from? White feminists (or those who support them). They cannot look beyond history and textual matter, instead they force and assume their principles and try (and unforunately, they succeeded) to make this a battle of Women's rights. I have read Chin's "Come All Ye Asian American Writers of the Real and of the Fake" and in nowhere is there any misogynistic dictum. Why? Because this isn't a matter of Women's views or MEN'S! It's about history and how it should be interpreted. People like Kingston, Hwang, and Tan want to deconstruct Asian American history. Feminists want to help Kingston's and Tan's deconstructive views by arbitrarily labeling Chin as a misogynist. If Chin or the editors of The Big Aiiieeeee! were misogynist why would they have women writers in this anthology? Just because there aren't that many women writers doesn't mean it's totally and utterly sexist. Could it be because there aren't that many authentic Asian American women writers?! If there are no authentic texts to Asia America, would it hurt to say that stereotypes (or whatever) are actually right?

This book is a great read for anyone interested in climbing Mt. Rainier. It seems targeted for beginner to mid-level climbers, as safety is plainly paramount. Let's not forget, Mike Gauthier is the Head Climbing Ranger at Mt. Rainier. When individuals get in trouble at Mt. Rainier, he very likely will be involved in their rescue.

The first part of the book is information about the mountain and the park. It is well written and easy to read. Even non-climbers will likely find this interesting. The latter part of the book is the actual route decriptions. They are properly brief, but descript enough to make sure the reader will be able to find their way.

This book is unique because the author approaches it as not just someone who has climbed all these routes, but more importantly someone who has been involved in years of rescues. Gauthier obviously has first hand experience climbing routes of all difficulty at Mt. Rainier, but his more valuable lessons have come from the years of rescuing. He has witnessed the mistakes climbers have made, and wisdom from those mistakes is clearly more valueable than uneventful ascents, regardless of how impressive. His writing very much encourages a trip to The Mountain, but at the same time he makes the dangers clear.

This book covers everything from routes (with maps, elevation gain, difficulty) to permit regulations, information on guide services and common mountain practices/courtesy. Definitely recommended, a quick read.

Read the reviews, perused the book and decided to buy 3, one for each of our cabins at Mt. Rainier. We get a lot of climbers, scramblers and hikers to our cabins near Ashford and they love the armchair reading.

I summitted Mt. Rainier in July, 2002, and bought this book beforehand. Pretty good book if you're looking to climb multiple routes on Rainier. Very imformative, and very well written. If you're heading out there to climb this beast, I'd definately recommend this book.

I'm not much of a mountain climber at all...Mount Rainier is one of the very few mountains I've ever stepped foot on. Mike's book was still highly entertaining to read for stories or general infactuation with climbing.

I'd sit on a high ridge somewhere in the park ([First] Borroughs Mountain and Plummer/Pinnacle Peaks are great places for that...) and just compare the pictures with the mountain...the routes are clearly marked and explained including all access trails and possible dangers. It's got a lot of personal and relative stories that, once more, amuse more than climbers alone.

The new edition also covers glaciers by Paul Kennard, the regional fluvial geomorphologist of that area. More medical advice and guide advice too--it covers a good range of Mount Rainier necessary information. It's one of the most (if not the top) personal books on climbing Rainier I've found.

I saw a program on this garden on HGTV but had no idea that there was a book! I was not disappointed. Visually beautiful as is the garden and inspiring for a gardener like myself. I want them to come and work in my garden, but the book will have to do. Like dessert w/o the calories.

I first saw an article on Little and Lewis in a gardening magazine and had to have this book. I was mesmerized by what they had done.

The sculptures, greenery and landscaping are absolutely exquisite. I bought a copy of the book and sent it to a gardener friend of mine and he raved about it, also.

I think this book would appeal to fine arts people who are into gardening--people who want to create their own statuary, garden sculptures and unique landscaping and who need a creative impetus.

This is a wonderful, imformative and very useful book. The service in receiving it was excellent and the condition of the book was perfect.

We actually visited the gardens of Little and Lewis on Bainbridge Island, WA and they are every bit as good as shown in the book. Ordered two books for good measure!

What a wonderful, inspirational book. For the already accomplished gardener, this is a book not so much about "how to", as it is full of the great ideas and very personal vision of the author. Imaginative and full of pictures. I can't imagine a better gift if you have a gardener on your Christmas list.

Berg's work rallies all aspiring authors to the cause of sainthood for Max Perkins...maybe even deification. He tracks Perkins's career vis-a-vis the literary careers of important 20th century American authors. Gives a peek at the largely ignored man behind the curtain...and stands as a monument to his contributions to our literary heritage. A must read for anyone who enjoys books.

Scott Berg's biography of Max Perkins is a warm, sparkling account of America's greatest editor in the prewar period, the midwife for works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe in the twenties and thirties, when big-time publishing converged on New York. Berg's book is cunningly organized: the reader steps at once into the rough and tumble of editorial work at Scribner's, leaving Perkins' early life, marriage, and family to be described in concise digressions taken only after we get another satisfying dollop of publishing history. Unhappily, once Perkins has delivered his discoveries to the public, the rest is mostly about their boozy extravagance (Fitzgerald), bullying ego trips (Hemingway), and petulant indiscipline verging on insanity (Wolfe). So even if, for this reason, you stop two-thirds of the way through, your curiosity about this key figure in modern literary history will be very well satisfied.

This is a wonderfully written book, very informative and inspiring for authors, editors, agents and anyone else involved or interested in publishing. Berg does a terrific and subtle job of painting these larger than life characters, allowing their own letters to speak for them. He shows remarkable restraint and good taste and yet has created a book that is enriching and very difficult to put down. Highly recommended!

Scott Berg has written a wonderful biography on one of the most important men in American literature, Max Perkins. Berg's book is well-written and very entertaining. It is more than a biography of Perkins, it is also a biography of Hemingway, Scott Fiztgerald, and Thomas Wolfe, and a portrait of America during the first half of the 20th century. This is one of those books that I could go on and on about. It is a book that everyone should read.

Max Perkins was the great editor at Scribners who handled quite a few of the finest writers of the twentieth century, F. Scott Fitzgerad, Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe being especially noteworthy (and dealt with at length in this biography). One might envy such a man with such a job, but Berg makes it clear that having to deal with the likes of these authors was like walking around with a huge millstone around Max's poor neck. His job was endless and thankless (Wolfe actually betrayed him). You see from the many letters quoted that many of them are blatant pleas for money. Saying that Perkins had to coddle some of these authors like children would be putting it mildly. Berg does an admirable job relaying Perkins's life and hard times. Recommended.