Canada Books

The trouble with the majority of writing about climate change and other environmental worries is that they make people think, "Oh, hell. It's too late anyway. Why even try to do anything?" The Geography of Hope is an antidote to this kind of thinking. I am now 54 years old, and when I was 20 years old or so, I devoured ecological jeremiads such as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. The trouble is, back then I actually thought my civilization was doomed to fall apart before the end of the 20th century. This, fortunately, didn't happen and in the meantime I got sidelined by matters too complex to detail here. Now at last I am returning to my environmental roots, but I find I simply no longer have the patience and strength to wade through dour predictions of ecological gloom and doom. Chris Turner's The Geography of Hope is the first book on this topic that I have felt glad to pick up, because it shows that it is really possible to put the brakes to the looming climate train wreck before it occurs and that sustainability is already within our grasp using existing technology, if only we would commit to it. How inspiring!

If anyone is feeling that the world is coming to an end because of human folly...then you must read "The Geography Of Hope"Here you will meet individuals all over the world who are making the world a better place and there is HOPE !!!! Brav0 !!!

Chris Turner takes a year-long tour around the world, visiting places that are implementing solutions for sustainable living. A zero-net energy island in Denmark. Community Supported Agriculture in the southern USA. Plug-in hybrid cars. Earthship homes in New Mexico. Radical improvements in waste recycling in various industries. Examples of New Urbanism in city planning and architecture in Florida, the UK, Denmark, Colorado. Mass transit and city policy in Portland. Finhorn in the UK and Tibetan refugee communities in India -- for agriculture and community and deliberate living. A micro-hydro installation in a remote village on the Burma/Thai border built by local villagers, folks from a nearby refugee camp students, and local NGOs. He looks at questions like "what kinds of planning and structures inspire community?" "What exists NOW that can be building blocks for a truly sustainable world?" Inspiring and casual at the same time.

I have no background in environmentalism or connection to the author. As a general reader I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it informative, inspiring and entertaining in equal parts. An unequivocal five stars!
The author is a journalist and disillusioned environmental activist. He is also a new father, and, concerned for his daughter's future, decided to do a global survey of existing, practical methods of achieving environmental sustainability. His perspective is what makes this book so refreshing: tired of the mainstream environmental movement's two main weapons of guilt and apocalyptic predictions, he searches for not just the means but the inspiration to change the way the world's resources are used. I found this practical, hopeful approach much more compelling than the doom-and-gloom, armchair analyst approach of, say, George Monbiot's Heat.
Potential readers should keep in mind that the author's previous opus was Planet Simpson, an exploration of the cultural significance of an animated cartoon series. This is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it informs his writing with a pop-culture sensibility that makes for entertaining asides and a contemporary grasp of how cultural fashions evolve. On the other hand, the one time I felt we may be getting a little too much information was in the final chapter. There he describes how the epiphany of embracing environmental sustainability occurred to him at a Seattle Lebowski Fest, a cult-like celebration of a movie that he admits to "only begin to understand after the fifth viewing". Presumably fatherhood changed his priorities, and rather than strain his credibility, I found this geeky anecdote disarming. A Greenpeace diatribe this is not.

This story was my litle sisters favorite back in 1986, and my daughter found her book. Now it is my daughters favorite;so much so, that I had to buy a replacement! Geraldine's Blanket is a story about a girl and her "blankie". Her parents think it's time for the blanket to go - it's getting old. Gerladine has a bit of a stubborn streak in her, and finds inventive ways to hold onto her blanket!
This is a good bedtime story, showing ways to compromise within a family!

This has been one of my favorites ever since I was little (and I never had an extreme attachment to a blanket, stuffed animal, etc.). I still have my original copy, although it's very tattered and hard to read (with the cover and pages coming apart). I'm now purchasing a new copy for my daughter. I highly recommend this for any little girl.

As a future elementary school teacher and a student in a children's literature class, I came across this book accidently in the library one day. It caught my attention immediately, and I couldn't put it down. Like many, many children, I too had a baby blanket that I couldn't give up (and it looked JUST LIKE GERALDINE'S!) I read the book once, then twice, then to my mother and friends and then to my literature class. I loved it so much, that I had to buy it after I returned it to the library. All the people I read it to could relate to how Geraldine was attached to her blanket and the extreme and clever measures she takes in keeping it with her always. My mom especially liked the mom and dad in the story because she was just like them too. This is a book I will keep on display and in my heart just as I will keep my baby blanket as a treasure of my childhood.

Over the years, I have purchased over 300 books for my kids library, this being one of them. My sister recommened this book because her daughter like it so well. This book soon became one of my then 3 years old daughter's favorite, probably because she was a "security blanket kid" just like Geraldine and could relate to Geraldine's struggle to retain her blanket. Even when she was in early elementary and passed the blanket stage, she would often pick this book to read from her many early readers. The pictures are darling and the story line is clever so this book isn't a "yawner" for parents to read to their kids. Now that my daughter is eleven, I have given many of her kids books away, but she insists on keeping this one. She loved it that much.

I loved this book it was a great resource to me in building my Women in Alaska's History page. It was both well written and visually appealing, it flowed nicely and had excellent graphics!

What an awesome book! Couldn't put it down. The odds these women fought against to chase their dreams during such a dangerous journey, not to mention the hardship of simply being a woman during this time in history is astounding! A must read for any woman looking for inspiration and motivation to follow her dreams!

Jane G. Haigh and Claire Rudolf Murphy have compiled a book about women of Alaska that is both concise and comprehensive. Glancing through this slim volume reveals a starting place on every page and creates an urge to read it all in one sitting. That would be a mistake, however, since the history contained in the pictures, biographical sketches, journal excerpts, maps, and historical cameos deserves to be savored in small slices and contemplated at length. Haigh and Murphy not only catalog names, dates, and places, but they have managed to create a view of the Gold Rush Women of Alaska and the Yukon that instills a sense of pride in their daughters, granddaughters, sisters, and nieces. These women defied not only the hardships of survival in the north, with its harsh climate and unforgiving nature, but most of them also defied the social conventions of their day to travel alone, or in small groups, seeking adventure, employment, and riches in much the same way as the men usually associated with the gold rush. Many of them found all they were seeking and more, while others died trying. Some took up the illicit trade of prostitution or worked to deprive successful miners of their treasure. Most simply worked hard, took advantage of opportunity as it presented itself, and prospered in the self reliance and skills they possessed. Gold Rush Women includes stories of educated, sophisticated women from the privileged societies of America and Europe, illiterate but highly skilled women from poorer levels of those societies, and the Native women who adapted to the invasion of their homeland and created new lives for their own families. From Harriet Pullen, who owned the most elegant hotel in Alaska, to Klondike Kate Rockwell, known as the Belle of the Yukon, to Sinrock Mary, Reindeer Queen, every story in this book inspires admiration for the women who settled, civilized, and survived one of the most famous human stampedes in history. Not all of these women succeeded in reaching the goals they set for themselves, but every one has a fascinating story to tell her late 20th century sisters. We are not the only ones to establish our independence, prove our abilities, and conquer life with all the adversity it may throw at us. The Gold Rush Women were here first!

This small book's size belies the wealth of information it contains. The book gives brief (2-5 page) summaries of the lives of a wide variety of women that participated in the Klondike Gold Rush. The authors write as if they personally knew these women and were telling their friends about them. Their writing style is easy to read, brief and very descriptive.The women include a native woman whose husband made an early stike; a woman whose son didn't return from the Klondike so she followed to search for him; several women who started/worked in businesses in the Klondike and women and families that entertained the prospectors. Photos accompany each biographical sketch.These are poignant stories that made me marvel at the strength of character of these women. Many made fortunes and found husbands in the Klondike but most suffered emotional or financial loss later.This book can be savored as either a very enjoyable read or for the historical bibliography it provides. I've referred to it several times and will continue to re-read it.

"... the most useful guidebook... a great reference." The Traveling Golfer

A guide written by golfers for golfers. Hundreds of resorts are described in this book, with details including fees, course profile (par, hazards, yardage), resident pro information, accommodations (with prices), dining options and equipment rentals. All establishments are open to the public.

"If you love golf, Golf Resorts is for you." Relax Magazine

Northwest Airlines WorldTraveler Magazine: " Make sure you have a copy on hand. This tome is the only pre-trip guide you'll need to research not only golf courses, but nearby lodging, restaurants, and additional recreation - for after-golf or non-golfing spouses. The book covers more than 600 courses. The authors have rated the top 50, breaking those down into 38 large and 12 small resorts."

This is a great book with lots of details. It is a very good reference book.

I have had this book for a few years now and used it extensively. I am in north central Iowa, zone 4, and this book has helped me to choose shrubs and small trees that can withstand my extremely bitter cold winters. What I love about this book is there are many photos, many nursery resources listed, and it is full of very valuable information.

If you are gardening/landscaping in a cold climate and need to know which cultivar's can survive in zone 4 or 3 or 2 then you need to have this book.

This book has been more helpful to us in many different areas. It explains everything from how and when to prune to how and when to fertilize. It shows both common name and scientific name in the table of contents to quickly find what you're looking for. If you are looking for a book that explains how to take care of everything available in the cold northeast, this is the book for you. Gardeners can't go wrong with this book.

How wonderful to have a book that provides the level of detail made available here for those of us who shiver through our winters and worry about whether the new additions to the garden are as hardy as the garden center promised.

The details? Everything from pronunciation to names of various suppliers. How to plant, feed and prune and informed odds about whether a particular plant will survive transplanting. Plants aren't merely promised to be hardy; charts give the specific temperature to which varieties will survive. The charts also show information about flower color and fruit, the plant's anticipated size, and comments about the variety's assets and liabilities for the home gardener.

Photographs are large enough to show detail and convey actual information: aspects of a particular plant or its appearance in different seasons, and variables among varieties.

This is a fine book and, in my view, unusual in that it is certainly well worth its sticker price. It is organized like an encyclopedia, notwithstanding some useful material in chapters outside the alphabetized plant list. As such, it does not have an index -- which might be useful -- and some of the text can be recursive. But these are minor flaws in an outstandingly useful and beautifully published book.

I cannot rave enough about this book. I wandered into a gift shop in Jasper searching for a geological map, but no one knew what that was (I was offered topographic maps by the staff.) Finally, several gift shops later someone suggested this guide. I initially hesitated, since it was more then I had planned to spend. All I wanted was a brief outline of local geology, and I got so much more!
Absolutely fabulous! Entertaining, comprehensive, beautifully illustrated, authoritative and yet written with a sense of humour. I felt fully prepared to pick mushrooms, face bears, or lecture random hikers on the behaviour of gulls. Worth every penny! I am in awe of Mr. Gadd, and I thank him with all my heart for this gem of a book.

The third printing of the second edition has been updated for 2003. This book is the definitive all-in-one guidebook to the Canadian Rockies. It can replace a flower guide, a plant guide, an animal guide, an insect guide, a bird guide, a fish guide, a geology guide, a history book, a trail guide and even a road map! It is divided into sections for each of these topics and is well illustrated with colour photos and drawings. It is the most comprehensive and useful guide to the Rockies that I have encountered and I have lived here for over 25 years. If you are only buying one guidebook to the Rockies make it this one.

Gadd's book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants more knowledge and information on the splendor of the Candaian Rockies. Detailed, yet easy reading information is presented on flora, fauna, geology, climate, and hiking.

In our recent trip to the Canadian Rockies my wife and I referred to it often whether in the car or on a Mt. trail. Whatever bird, flower, or geological formation you wanted to know about, Gadd's book provided all the information.

An excellent, broadranging book that includes anything and everything about the Canadian Rockies. One suggestion, however, buy the book in Canada. It's available in any regular bookstore up there for $35 Can, which is about $24 US.

It's been a long time coming but my search is finally over. I have been waiting for a book of this type to come along since I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Finding contemporary medicine unable to treat the pains I suffer, I soon began seeking "alternative" medicine. I was shocked to find so little information available and it soon became a struggle to combine work and healing on my very frequent business travels. Now with Ms. Miller's book always tucked away at my desk I am sure to find a center to fill my needs. I find her guide to be accurate, concise and interesting. Her descriptive style entices me to try new places and new treatments. I wish this book had been written five years ago, it sure would have saved me a lot of time, trouble and headaches. I seriously recommend this book as a must for travel agencies with clientele looking for "alternative" vacations. They and their clients will not be disappointed.

Everything you wanted to know about holistic healing retreats, but didn't know where to look. This book was a wealth of information and helped with many of my unanswered questions.

This book really covered the gamut. I didn't realize there were any healing centers at all in the midwest! It gave the basic information I needed to plan my next healthy vacation. The write-ups had a sense of humor, also.

Thank Buddha for this most insightfull guide. Now I know where to go in order to get what I need. I feel much better just knowing that this is out there. Not only did it save me time in finding my perfect retreats it was also enjoyable to read. Ms. Miller's writting really held my interest, she is quite witty and amusing.

This is the definitive work on Schwere Panzerjaeger Abteilung 653. Worth every cent.

This is, indeed, an incredible work! The numerous photos of the Ferdinand/Elefant are amazing. I enthusiastically recommend this book, especially for Ferdinand/Elefant fans.

What can i say, If you do not have it.. grab it while you can.. The book is jam packed with photos of Ferdinands/Elephants and other goodies like the sturmPanzer and exceptionally rare Panther w/Panzer IV turret and a T-34 with a German 20mm Quad instead of the turret... The book is first class... I cannot say more.. GET IT

When this book appeared, it collectively took the breath away from World War Two armor enthusiasts and historians alike. Karlheinz Munch has cleared away decades of half-truths and assumptions by going directly to the source. He has interviewed unit veterans and consulted original military documents and private diaries to produce the most complete history of the 653rd Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion, a unit that operated some of the most remarkable vehicles of the war, the Elefant and the Jagdtiger. The other surprise was that the soldiers were avid shutterbugs, and the veterans and their familes have opened their private photo collections to the author. These are vehicles previously known through a mere handful of German propaganda photos and US Army Signal Corps pictures. Suddenly, we have not dozens but hundreds of fresh photos, showing details of operations, unit markings, and more. Rarities include a Tiger P prototype converted to a command tank, a recovery Panther with a Panzer IV turret bolted to the roof, a Russian T-34 converted to a German antiarcraft tank, and more. Publisher J.J. Fedorowicz does not believe in half-measures. There are color drawings by famed military artist Jean Restayn, and multiview drawings by Hilary Louis Doyle. A superb investment for the historian or model builder.

As others have noted, the book is not only informative but entertaining. Barkley's photos set the tone brilliantly for a look at the game in earlier days. Where today players wear helmets and masks, then Barkley's close-in style highlighted the emotion of the game by vividly showing players' faces. The illuminated, rapid-fire sports photography of today loses the luster of Barkley's contrasted shots that make it seem as though there is only the players and the ice surface, which he lit with his own set of lights along the glass hours before each game.

A must-have along with Kevin Allen, Bob Duff and Johnny Bower's "Without Fear."

I own many hockey books, and this book is, by far, the one I open up most often. Each picture takes you into a world of NHL hockey that has long passed away. The beautiful full-color photographs will cause you to forget that they are images of the fastest moving sport in the world. It's as if the players have posed for the camera in an attempt to recreate hidden moments of the game. The facial expressions alone will capture your eye. You'll find yourself scanning every detail of the pictures, looking for that elusive black puck (and you'll find that puck in nearly every picture). This book is a pure treasure for fans of the game of hockey, in particular those fans who remember the simple days of 6 teams, 120 players, 1 Cup.

You can literally spend hours looking at this book and not tire of the images. They're so life-like it's eerie. Harold Barkley's strobe photography techniques give the pictures a "3-D" quality that is completely absent in today's "flat" images. Of course, the fact that the stars in the photos are from the "Golden Era" (50's and 60's) make the book all that much better. These stills make you yearn for the hockey of yesteryear, even if you weren't there! The flat sticks, the glossy narrow skates, the bryl-cream donned hair (helmet, what helmet?) - it's all here right down to the ice-shavings littering the goal crease, all in awesome detail.

Frank Selke's introduction is excellent as well. Here is a man that makes no bones about why this was hockey's greatest era. My favorite example - fights were seen as a gentlemanly way to settle differences, not as an indication of a sport gone awry with "violence". My only complaint is that his anecdotes are only a few pages rather than a few chapters.

But the photographs are really what this book is about. Sure, the statistics and history of each player featured are there, but I found my eyes continually wandering from the print back to the image - they're that good. It's tempting to cut them all out and frame them.

This book will be enjoyed by any hockey fan, but if your over 40 it will be a treasure.

Wow! Buy this book just for the fabulous photographs taken by Harold Barkley, a long-time photgrapher with the Toronto Star. Barkley pioneered the use of the strobe in sports photography, and the detail he captured in these bright color photos is phenomenal--the texture of the ice, the meticulously greased and combed hair on the players, the rows of dark-suited spectators in the audience. This is how hockey used to look! The text consists of 1-2 page spreads on individual players of the day. The stars are all here, of course, but more interesting, to me anyway, are the players who've slipped from memory--Andy Hebenton, Norm Ullman, Camille Henry, Elmer Vasko. These names ring bells for fans who grew up in that era, but you seldom hear them now. Yet, here they are, preserved for us both in prose and in pristine photographic detail. This book's a gem.

Writers wishing to engage with the Holocaust can be faced with a vast array of initially overwhelming difficulties. The gravitas with which the subject area must be approached and the struggle to "express the inexpressible" through the written word alone, is enough to deter many from ever embracing the subject. One of the most difficult tasks for an historian is perhaps presenting factual information and a coherent line of argument, whilst retaining a degree of reverence and sensitivity to Holocaust survivors and the families of the six million victims. Conversely, an excess of sentimentality and emotion, could lead to the loss of any objective method of study in its entirety. The challenges posed by this area of historical study, as one can see, are great and yet Marrus in his text The Holocaust in History, succeeds in producing an excellent overview of the events and current polemics surrounding the period, which maintains a high level of objectivity throughout, without ever drifting towards callousness.

Michael R. Marrus, is a Canadian historian, born 1941, who specialises in, and has dedicated much of his time to researching; Jewish history, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism in France.1 The Holocaust in History, published in 1987, is his best-selling text to date and according to the cover quotation, provides "the best review of this tragic period"2.In many ways however, Marrus' work is far more than a "review" of the period, but a work of detailed scholarship and synthesis which examines many aspects of the Holocaust in considerable detail. Most notable, perhaps, is the assessment of the Final Solution or Endlösung, which lucidly presents the key arguments of both the Intentionalist and Functionalist schools. With animated prose, so often lacking from historical and especially historiographical texts, Marrus engages the reader in the various debates between the two groups, leading to an accomplished four-way discourse, between writer, reader, Functionalist and Intentionalist.

The Holocuast in History is, however, primarily an historiographical not an historical work. Although it provides sufficient background information on the events of, and build-up to, the Holocaust, its foremost aim is to establish the various scholarly polemics, which have emerged through what Marrus describes as "serious historical investigation" and engage the reader in these pertinent debates.3 Such topics examined, are the emergence of anti-Semitism both within the Nazi party and on a European scale, bystanders and collaborationist governments, the Jewish resistance, public opinion and state of knowledge, and finally, the victims of the Holocaust. Despite its relative accessibility as an historiographical text, some knowledge of the methods of genocide employed by the Nazis and knowledge of the rise of the Nazi party in the nineteen twenties make the book far more accessible to the "lay-reader".
This is one area where Marrus' text excels, as the book seldom drifts from its central lines of argument. It is often the tendency of erudite historians to loose track of important polemic threads, feeling that they must lengthily discuss specific terminology and in doing so; loose the coherence of their arguments and often, in turn, the readers attention. Neither does the text concern itself with defining the term Holocaust, Marrus acknowledges that this is "a serious body"4 of literature in itself but rightly does not feel the necessity to discuss it within the confines of his text.

One of the key uses of The Holocaust in History as an historiographical text is to use the arguments revealed within it and apply these to the wealth of Holocaust related material now available, noting whether or not Marrus' arguments are supported. The text also clarifies many of the Holocaust "myths" which have presented themselves, dispelling rumours for example that there was inherent anti-Semitism in Germany at the turn of the century, on the contrary in fact, Marrus informs us that " one might easily settle upon France" for the most dangerous country of inhabitancy for a Jew. 5 The sheer volume of Holocaust related literature available and the varying states of knowledge on the events of the Holocaust in the past, both in terms of scale and accuracy can lead to many studies, being ill informed, especially those undertaken by inexperienced students, who do not always question the credibility of their source material. Therefore Marrus' text is extremely useful for students writing on the Holocaust, as it allows a greater awareness of the key questions and debates, which are applied to the period.

When we are informed by scientists that there are more grains of sand on a beach than stars in the sky, we "lock up" mentally, unable to comprehend what we have heard. The same could also be applied to the Holocaust. Statistics report that there were six million Jewish victims between 1933 and 1945. To us, this becomes another meaningless number, something our psyche is unable to contemplate, let alone understand. Perhaps exactly the same could be said of our treatment of the Holocaust as a whole, because it is so morally, ethically and proportionally incomprehensible, we refuse to admit that it exists and that it can be studied in the same way that other periods in history are. Until we translate the universal to the particular, it eludes us, not just academically, but chronologically as well, occupying a position removed from time rather than its place in the middle of century we have only recently left. There are many arguments in favour of the academic study of the period, in the hope that once it is universally recognised and accepted, it could prevent such a tragedy from ever occurring again. Marrus is a clear advocate of scholarly study and demystification of the Holocaust. He insists that it must "receive universal recognition" and become part of our "general consciousness".6 His authoritative text brings us closer to understanding why the Holocaust is an area of such dynamic and emotive debate, and why the years between 1933 and 1945 must never be forgotten.


1. Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_R._Marrus (24/2/06)
2. Laqueur, Walter, Quoted on cover of The Holocaust in History, M. R. Marrus
3. Marrus, Michael R. The Holocaust in History, (Penguin 1987) 7 / Introduction
4. Marrus, Michael R. The Holocaust in History, (Penguin 1987) xiv / Preface
5. Marrus, Michael R. The Holocaust in History, (Penguin 1987) 9 / Holocaust in
Perspective
6. Marrus, Michael R. The Holocaust in History, (Penguin 1987) xiv / Preface

Document Copyright T.H.Sharrad 2006.

Marrus' work, The Holocaust i History was a very perspective view of the Holocaust. He sees the and presents the controversies and problems within the study of the Holocaust as a normal historical event. My only problem was that I found it difficult to understand and determine which parts of the piece are his opinions and which are not.

First published in 1987, this book holds up to the test of time. Marrus is great at putting the Holocaust in perspective, laying a high amount of blame on the indifference of the Germans, Poles, Allies and the neutrals (the Vatican, Switzerland, etc.). He shows how anti-semitism was not confined just to Germany at the time - at the turn of the century it was strongest in France and Russia and was at its highest ever in the U.S. during World War II - and how most top Nazis did not join the movement because of their belief in anti-semitism. He also shows the context of the Holocaust in the larger picture of World War II: more than three times as many Russians were killed (20 million) as Jews.

Marrus is also very good at describing the Holocaust itself - how it reached a fervor in 1942 (when more than half of all Jews were killed) and how only half of the 6 million were killed in camps. He dismisses the view popularized by Hannah Arendt that the Jews acted like sheep led to the slaughter: he convincingly shows that the Jews were in total disbelief about the Holocaust and did resist when they actually knew what was going on. Finally, he discusses the actions of those few people who actually helped out the Jews, namely the Dutch, Italians, Danes, Bulgarians and Hungarians.

All in all, a very good book on a depressing topic.

This is not a book about the history of the Holocaust as much as a work on the historiography of the Holocaust. It is excellent, covering the various theoretical debates that exist in the literature and giving excellent guides to further reading. One note of caution: the book was published in 1987, and is now beginning to show its age a little as regards the latest synthesis of scholarly knowledge on the subject e.g. there is no discussion of the recent Browning / Goldhagen debate nor the attempts at resititution by the Swiss banks etc. In these cases, readers should be directed to the most recent edition (4th) of Ian Kershaw's "Nazism: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation".

This is not a criticism, however. I have used Marrus in the classroom for the past five years and find it perhaps the best introduction available to the historical debates surrounding the Holocaust. Students will gain by reading it.