Editors Books

I received this book yesterday, sat down to leaf through it, and scarcely budged from my chair except for meals until I had read the last word. The text simply grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. Yesterday was a day well invested.

The text is very accessible and yet some paragraphs reach the level of great literature.

This man is a wonderful author and gives an authentic depiction of life as it was in that time era and under those conditions. We were neighbors with the Beers when I was growing up and truly,life was hard but good at the same time. The sense of neighborliness has gone by the way of subdivisions but I believe the author managed to capture the dying spirit of what was good and wholesome about the life that was led from the original homestead on. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I got this book from a friend a while back and just never really picked it up, but boy am I glad I finally did. Ralph Beers' prose is beautiful, and his descriptions of a way of life that's passing away are fit to bring tears to my eyes.

If you have any interest in the West, especially the contemporary Western way of life, I recommend In These Hills very highly.

Ralph Beer is one of my favorite Montana writers. In both fiction and nonfiction, he's hard to beat. This collection of short essays describes his life as a rancher outside Helena, Montana. Many of them are humorous and rich with Western wit; some have a melancholy undertone; all are very finely crafted.

Working a ranch that has been in his family for four generations, Beer slowly comes to terms with the futility of maintaining a lifestyle that can no longer be justified as a way to make a living. As cattle prices fail to meet the rising costs of running a ranch, it is finally only humor, sentiment, self-respect and the well-worn romance of the rural West that keep him going. Beer's wonderful essays chart the gradual decline of ranching, even as he puts in new fences and throws himself into the yearly rounds of upkeep and improvements.

Meanwhile, many of Beer's essays use humor to deromanticize the Western mystique. A trip into town becomes an occasion to reveal himself as a fish out of water. The descriptions of ranch work often reveal him struggling with uncooperative equipment and stock, often in brutal weather. A tongue-in-cheek discourse on pickups explores the special kind of love affair between men and their trucks.

Other essays are rich with boyhood memories of his father and grandfather and the friendships of men who have been long-time neighbors and mentors. Some essays are celebrations of skills and craftsmanship no longer appreciated, the building of a log barn by his great-grandfather, the work of a hayfield irrigator, his own reconstruction of an old snowplow, the way a natural horseman rides a horse. In these, the essays become a balancing between a sense of people and times slipping into the irretrievable past and an embrace of what is still there to be cherished in moments of grace and pride.

Many thanks to the University of Nebraska Press for keeping this wonderful book in print. May it find the many readers it deserves. For a sample of Beer's excellent fiction, get a copy of his novel "The Blind Corral," which tells a story very similar to his own, about a Vietnam veteran inheriting a family ranch.

I love reading technology and since research is my life this book was among the many subjects I covered for my thesis in the creation of my watermark project. The book is highly didactic and the essential algorithm along with its elemental principles cite a uniformed approach when designing software. This is remarkably a great book.

This is a very good introduction to steganography and watermarking. The book is well organized. Moreover, many researchers who have been studied in this field contribute to this book. I think this book gives a comprehensive understanding to people who want to study on watermarking.

Great introduction for tech or non-tech readers into the field.

Excellent introduction and reference on information hiding. Covers very well the various aspects of the subject. With this book and the procedeeings of the information hiding conferences, the subject is pretty much covered. This research area is relatively young, and no other serious text is available.

It was great to find that Craig had written the book that only he could. I was lucky to be the "Bill" mentioned in the part of the book describing the Paddle across the Delaware Bay. [...]
Craig's book is very inspirational and highly recommended.

I'm floored by this beautiful story of a son who learns lessons from his mother by reading her newspaper columns. Undoubtly, author Forrest knows exactly when and how to paint a narritive of tradjedy and love at the same time.

I'm continually haunted by this book, because I've never quite understood my relationship with my mother and only after I read Joyride was I able to understand that life can be happy and sad and still hold the greatest meaning of all which is love.

Forrest is a wonderful writer and his relationship with his mother is nothing less than amazing. I will reccomend this book to everyone ecspecially someone that is having trouble with the death of a loved one. This book will certainly make you laugh out loud and cry, but it's forever a ride of a life time.!

I could not put "Joyride: A Son's Unlikely Journey to His Mother's Heart" down until I read it all.
A story of a young man finding his mother again, thru her wonderfully funny and insightful stories she wrote each week about her family and friends in a column she called Joyride. She wrote hundreds of columns in her lifetime.
The story of the journey takes you in; you experience all the emotional ups and downs. You are there with the family.
There a very few writers that can transport you into their reality, and Craig Forrest does it very well.
The book is a tale of truth, tragedy and hope, the inspirational journey of a young man.
I highly recommend it!
Ann Kane

Wow, great book. I just decided to give it a try and...it really moved me. Heartwarming, adventure, good life lessons and really funny. Unbeleivable story! I'm amazed, a real winner. Forrest's book keeps you reading. I don't want to let you know anything but there's a real twist at the end. Good job.

Although very popular in its day; Longfellow's "Song of Hiawatha" was later viewed to be superficial and saccharine. Where as Walt Whitman may have spoken with more of an organic American voice, Longfellow drew upon English Romantic models and looked to Norse and especially the Finnish epic or "edda" "Kalevala" for inspiration.

Not with standing; Longfellow's saga is pure New England Renaissance; touching upon values and aesthetics characteristic of Longfellow's circle: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Emerson and Thoreau.

The nature-painting of the "Song of Hiawatha" is outstanding; the poetry is full of quotables; and the over-arching message is profound.

An undying tale.. legend... song... Wonderful poetry, the language is simply astounding! I have read the russian translation by Bounin, which was as remarkable as the original.

A book for generations. Mine was published 1898 and given me by my mother whose father(b.1875) gave it to her. It goes to the heart of the Indian race, a people susceptible to mythology and magic as their last great hope. Read it with an open mind, imagination, and for its beauty.

"The Song of Hiawatha" is the best book I have ever been exposed to. Every time I hear the wonderful rhyme of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, I begin to think of what this land was like before the Europeans conquered it. It is a wonderful tale of peace between nations and a great book to read to children.

Pros- Great maps and marina info.
Cons- 2003 copyright date in 2008, outdated restaurant info, weak spiral binding with easily tearable pages while boating.

Lots of detail, great for planning stop overs.
Bruce

The product came in a timely manner and cost less than if I would went to Lakeland Boating direct.

This book is an invaluable tool, and something every lake Erie cruiser should own. The aerial photographs are excellent for navigating harbors. Combine this with the chart details, the included Lake Erie chart and GPS waypoints, it may be all a cruiser (powerboat at least) needs. Restaurant, marina and things to do recommendations are exellent.

Great for helping you to relize the importance of a layout.
Planing ahead is something I didn't usually do.

A cut above the typical home-center landscape book. Not another do-it-yourself guide but a collection of design considerations and approaches by multiple garden/landscape designers. Excellent for those interested in learning more about various principles of garden design.

What a great rescource for someone trying to make those needed changes. Just getting started is aleays the most difficult of any task. This book assists in getting anyone well on their way.

I am loving this book! It has so many helpful instructions on landscaping your home. Plus the beautiful pictures are great. It's a book that truly lives up to the Taunton tradition of excellent gardening material.

LA ROUSSE - even the French use it! I'm not being facetious! It's true! LA ROUSSE is great and this version is incredible!

This has helped me through some situations where I never even thought would be able to help me.

It is easy to navigate through and is so useful to any French scholar, new or seasoned.

I reach for this volume first among all my dictionaries, even for English spelling -- it's that comfortable to use. The tone is casual and reads native-written (rather than evoking the struggle of an American speaking French).

With 55,000+ references and 80,000+ translations, differentiation of French and English dialects, plenty of up-to-date phrases, this is a great all-around choice for the frugal worksmith.

The Larousse Pocket Dictionnaire is a good first dictionary for students of French. If you want full entries with the most colloquial phrases, or if you're going to do heavy translating, consider a larger dictionary.

Plusses: It is a very convenient size: it literally fits in your pocket. It has 80.000+ words. Great price! Its french.

Minuses: The cover will not hold up to heavy wear. There are no tabs-by-letter to help you quickly locate the area of the dictionary you're looking for (though its so compact this isn't really a problem).

Larousse sets the standard for French dictionaries, no matter the size. This "nouveau dictionnaire de poche: français-anglais/anglais-français" (April 1999) is a quite good french-english/english-french pocket dictionary. However, for less than five dollars more one can obtain a better "pocket" Larousse (dictionnaire compact, January 2000), which is almost the same size (2/3 inch thicker). It is the same dictionary, but with 120,000 translations (instead of the 80,000 translations in this one). This smaller dictionary is also excellent for quick translations and has very up-to-date usages. As with any dictionary, keep an eye out for revised editions each year.

The book is pretty cute. Its filled with three sentence stories from people who have experienced funny things in life.

It does have a couple of pages with full page funny stories. It's great to read on the subway or in a waiting room.

I was expecting to be rolling on the floor laughing my butt off, but this wasn't the case. Only giggles. Stories I could probably share with a friend, co-worker, even a boss to get a "ha" or a "Smile"

Basically, it's just a book to kill some time, no matter where you left off.

This book is a large collection of excellent humor.
Need a laugh? ...
Get this book ... you won't be sorry.
This is just one more winner for Reader's Digest!

I have always been a fan of the Reader's Digest, particularly their humor sections. This pulls together the best of their offerings over the years, and it's a great read for anyone who likes to laugh.

This was a gift for a person in the hospital and preparing for a long haul to get better. It was the best gift you can give as, no matter how much you do not want to laugh, you laugh just reading it. Remember, Laughter really is the Best Medicine.

School Library Journal

Reviews: Books for Adult/High School
Chaired by Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia -- School Library Journal, 3/1/2008

Adult/High School-This is the fifth title to come out of WriteGirl, a creative writing and mentoring organization for teen girls in the Los Angeles area. Unlike many such anthologies, this collection includes the work of experienced mentors who volunteered their time to the project, as well as the teen participants. The result is a dynamic exchange of shared prompts, ideas, and projects as well as an obvious display of the inspired, caring, multigenerational relationships that were formed in the process. This appealing volume is broken into 10 sections: self, writing, Los Angeles, friendship, love, rants, family, place, origins, and writing experiments. The poetry and prose found in each one are sincere and personal, and one gets the feeling of having discovered a dog-eared, doodle-laden journal among the refuse of a high school parking lot. The writing is at times hilarious, as in Zoe Lateju's instructions from "Eight Ways to Get Over Your Long-term Crush": "#2 Take a different route than the usual you use to stalk him....#7 Start playing your PS3-most electronic games deal with violence and it helps to release pent up anger." At other times, it is heartbreaking as it describes the struggles of young urban women from diverse backgrounds: the drug problems of loved ones, the complexities of culture and immigration, or abuse and poverty. This anthology is sure to be picked up by aspiring young writers as well as educators looking for inspired samples and interactive exercises.-Shannon Peterson, Kitsap Regional Library, WA

Velocity" = Powerful

Let's hear it for these teen girls and their awesome mentors! What a great collection of pieces. WriteGirl is a mentoring nonprofit in Los Angeles that pairs up professional women writers with high school girls who are usually from under-served communities. They publish an anthology at the end of every season, and the result is always heartfelt and inspiring. It makes me want to pick up a pen and write.

I bought this book for my daughter who is 14 and she loved it. She feels very identified with the different pieces written by the girls and their mentors... I like to see how my daughter tries to understand their experiences, is aware and positively impacted by being different from other girls her age and sometimes has wanted to share and discuss that with me!

This is a great compilation of poems, short stories and prose from teen girs and their female writer mentors. The nice little bonus too is that there are writing exercises in the back, so if you're a teacher or an instructor, these are great prompts to get you going. This is their 5th book I think, and each one gets better, more attractive and more thoughtful!

Living It Up At National Review is a memoir by Priscilla L. Buckley, who spent forty-three years as an editor at National Review. The exploits of her brother William F. Buckley among many other "brilliant but highly combustible" characters come alive in this engaging and folksy collection of true tales of daily life amid a national icon of conservatism. An index allows for quick reference in this highly readable and enjoyable reflection on the highs, lows, and weirdness present in the author's remarkable and vivacious working life.

Living It Up At National Review is a memoir by Priscilla L. Buckley, who spent forty-three years as an editor at National Review. The exploits of her brother William F. Buckley among many other "brilliant but highly combustible" characters come alive in this engaging and folksy collection of true tales of daily life amid a national icon of conservatism. An index allows for quick reference in this highly readable and enjoyable reflection on the highs, lows, and weirdness present in the author's remarkable and vivacious working life.

Living It Up At National Review is a memoir by Priscilla L. Buckley, who spent forty-three years as an editor at National Review. The exploits of her brother William F. Buckley among many other "brilliant but highly combustible" characters come alive in this engaging and folksy collection of true tales of daily life amid a national icon of conservatism. An index allows for quick reference in this highly readable and enjoyable reflection on the highs, lows, and weirdness present in the author's remarkable and vivacious working life.

What will we do when the Buckley clan is gone? First John Wayne, then Ronald Reagan, now the Buckleys, WFB and his sister, Priscilla gradually recede from our consciousness, followed ineluctably in time by Paul Harvey we tearfully conclude. Giants all. This book is to be cherished, as with brother Bill's memoir of last year ("And Miles Gone By"), like a strand of hair from a saint; to be pulled out every now and then and pressed to one's heart in longing remembrance of the grandeur that humankind can produce so resplendently every now and again in individuals(as opposed to collectively). Read the book and weep, but with a smile on one's face mirroring the same that radiantly graced it's author's lo these many years.