Canada Books

This is a lovely book with lots of interesting facts about Canada. Living overseas this is my favorite book in my daughter's library. When she is older we plan to use this to teach her lots of things about Canada. This is a perfect shower gift to a Canadian mom living outside of Canada.

"M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet" is a marvellous find. Whether you are a geography buff, full of Canadian pride, or someone who just loves to look at beautiful things, this is the book for you!

Mike Ulmer's rhyme scheme is a pleasure to read silently or aloud. His choices for each letter are fitting for Canada and represent all regions and citizens. The thing I liked most about his choices is that they are unpredictable, unlike a lot of other books of this genre.

Paired up with Melanie Rose's awe-inspiring illustrations, Ulmer's writing cannot go wrong. Rose captures Canada's positive aspects in warm colours, soft lines, and heart-warming depictions.

Lastly, the side captions outlining additional information on the featured item or offering a second feature is a great way to educate readers while keeping the same light-hearted tone.

This book is an all-around winner in my mind.

This is a great book for all children, but especially for children living in other countries. It gives young children insight into Canada at their level. It is especially beneficial to Canadian children of servicemen living abroad or in my case my grandson who lives in the United States but has one Canadian parent. It introduces him to his dual heritage. I definetely recommend this book to all.

Some of the letters in Ulmer and Rose's A-B-C of Canada are ones you'd expect: "T" is for Toronto, "Q" is for Quebec, and, of course, given the title, "M" is for Maple. While those few are expected, some of what Ulmer and Rose chose to exhibit for this distinctly Canadian A-B-C shows a delicate and wonderful understanding of both the child and adult audience of this book.

From Banting and Best, who gave the world Insulin, to Anne of Green Gables, to Terry Fox, and to - of all things - the Zipper, there are at least 26 nuggets of Canadian Heritage and History here that are presented in an accessible format for kids and adults alike.

Moreover, each page is not just the rhyming quartet for each letter - there is also a sidebar with a few paragraphs or so on the topic, or on other letter related topics. (E, which is for "Eh?" also contains a little write-up in the sidebar on Edmonton, for example. G stands both for Grain and the Governor General.)

The illustrations are beautiful - seeing the artistry of Terry Fox literally stopped me in my tracks. I remember seeing him run by when I was young, and the picture was a perfect capture of that moment.

The perfect Canadian kids book gift, for those relatives overseas, or for those who've been in Canada all their lives, "M is for Maple" has real information, lyrical rhymes, and great artistry. It belongs on any Canadian Youth's shelf, and has certainly found a place on my nephew's.

'Nathan

This is an excellent book about how specific corporations, individuals and both European and African rulers have plundered Africa for profit and the accumulation of private fortunes on the backs of millions of Africans who have been slaughtered over the centuries. Some of the individuals have passed into the history books, but some of the corporations and individuals are still very much in the news today and the world still waits for their atonement. Madelaine Drohan has provided a very courageous addition to the literature in the area by in-the-field research in some of the most dangerous places in Africa and written in most detailed and compelling manner.

What happens when multinational corporations decide that the use of armed force is really business? When companies line up with warlords and armies to make a profit? When corporate interests dictate war or peace? Madelaine Drohan's meticulously researched and impressively wrfitten expose, Making A Killing, shows just what happens in a world of multinational power, drawing important connections between corporate armed forces and history and providing food for thought for corporations, policy makers and national leaders alike -- the result is an intriguing, eye-opening discussion.

Drohan cover a number of specifc cases of corporations using violence to further their interests - dedicating a chapter to each case. She makes no effort to be a comprehensive compendium of all the ills perpetrated by corporations, instead choosing to focus on a few prime examples in detail where her experiences as a journalist can bring some perspective to each case.

My own particular interest is around the role of Calgary-based Talisman Energy Inc. in Sudan. The chapter on Talisman was solid and insightful, with Drohan drawing from her own experiences in Sudan and interviews with key players, as well as the volumes of research and reports available.

The book is a telling study of the irresponsible extremes corporations can go to in their simple-minded focus on profit as the only goal.

Resource control is the core of Madelaine Drohan's book. Where the image of empire was once faceless armies, religious zealots or expanding trade, modern conditions have changed this view. Instead of governments launching empires, suit-clad businessmen now decide where the action lies. Decisions to exploit resource areas are not made in ministry offices, but in corporate boardrooms. Businessmen, "and they are almost always men", choose locations, make investments, recruit workers and begin operations. Until there is unrest. Then they call in governments to support their enterprise. If governments cannot or will not respond, the entrepreneur's answer is the "private army". Mercenary professional military men act as "security" teams, policemen or replacement armies. And they are accountable to no-one but the firm that has hired them.

Drohan's account begins with the rule of Cecil Rhodes "who stands head and shoulders above" the ranks of those applying military solutions to "corporate problems". Rhodes built an immense resource empire in Southern Africa. He also set the standard for controlling workers as firmly as he did markets. By the expedient of raising a battalion of "pioneers" to deal with reluctant African peoples and recalcitrant workers, Rhodes expanded his holdings to an unprecedented degree. Attributing his goals to the furtherance of the British Empire, he also ensured the continuation of profits to his own pocket. Belgium's king Leopold followed Rhodes' example by keeping the Congo as a personal fief. The Belgian government was simply shunted aside on imperial affairs for decades. The rape of the Congo is a glaring example of imperialism run rampant, yet it set the stage for what followed.

Drohan's narrative is dominated by personalities. Like a gaggle of rapacious ravens, men prominent in resource enterprise descended on Africa after Rhodes. Some of these were British, some Canadian, but others arose from among Africa's own peoples. These last were flexing political and economic muscle as former colonies became independent. These new nations, with their artificial boundaries laid down irrespective of tribal or ethnic limits, became caught up in internal regional disputes. Resource firms played off these rivalries to their advantage where possible. If contests for power became too heated, the companies had the option to withdraw or find ways of protecting their investments. Protection was provided by "security forces" available for hire. Among the most notorious of these was the South African firm, Executive Outcomes. Staffed by disaffected South African soldiers, it offered services directly or through hidden subsidiaries. Executive Outcomes emerges frequently, if often vaguely, as Drohan valiantly tries to unravel the machinations the firm and its customers perpetrated as gold, diamonds and other resources were sought and exploited. Legality is an elusive term in these activities.

These are not distant and unrelated events. We tend to cling to the image of investment benefiting all - the theme of "globalisation". Drohan demonstrates how firms, pursuing resource wealth in Africa, have followed the Rhodes formula for success. Whether hiring private armies or simply requesting local government forces to act in their interests, resource firms are steadfastly ignoring the impact on local people and their economy. Of all Drohan's examples, the most glaring is the Talisman Energy story. Her chapter on this operation is at once the worst and the best example in the book. Talisman, a latecomer to Africa, seems to have learned nothing from previous resource history in the region. As Drohan describes it, Jim Buckee, Talisman's head, followed a sinuous path trying to keep his firm active in the resource field. With one eye open to profits and the other closed to government activities done in the name of "security" for his operations, Buckee brought his firm close to disaster. On the other hand, the case demonstrated the power of the public in bringing such firms to judgment. Various large stockholders, chastened at the thought of supporting a firm blind to the impact of its operations, withdrew investment. It's a fine example of what individuals can achieve in acting collectively.

Drohan's book is a much needed exposure of business morals left unscrutinised. In her final chapter, "Perfectly Legal, Perfectly Immoral", she shows the path to justice for people under oppressive regimes shored up by rapacious businesses is long and difficult. Yet, if readers pay attention, she shows how they can be effective in making change. With a federal election looming, it would benefit electors to read this book and reflect on its message. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I loved this book! I'm an adult, but even so I raced through this story. Maya is a wonderful, spunky character, who's warm, funny, and very real. I would follow her through a thousand more adventures. The writing is vivid and beautiful, full of metaphors and colorful descriptions. I'm looking forward to Anjali Banerjee's next book!

I've been dying to read this book based on the reveiws.. When I saw it in the library, you can imagine that I grabbed it of the shelf ! Usually, I get too excited about books, and they turn out to be dissappointing.. But this was definetly worth it !! I love Maya's character and the whole plot that follows. I saw Ganesh in a new way, due to the way he talked to Maya and by his hungry actions, which was also very interesting ! Being Indian myself, I could relate to this book very well. This book was not only funny, but it gives a good lesson near the end.. This has to be my favorite book of all time !

Wendy Lamb Books, 2005. Born in India and raised in Manitoba, Maya struggles to find her identity as the only brown-skinned kid in school. When her beautiful cousin, Pinky, arrives from India bearing a statue of the god Ganesh and proceeds to steal the boy Maya wants, Maya prays to Ganesh to remove all of her obstacles-with unintended consequences. A unique story with a dream-like quality that shows a young girl embracing her culture and learning about herself.

A respected literary figure once proposed the question, "Why must all the good things belong to the past?" With her debut novel, Maya Running, author Anjali Banerjee places that somber notion squarely where it belongs - at the end of the emotional queue alongside disheartened, dispirited and despondent.

Although published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House created to appeal to children and young adults, Maya Running has a great deal to offer those of us not in Generation Y. Baby boomers (like me) and Gen Xers (like my grown children) can find pleasure and profit in this charming novel. Think The Color Purple by Alice Walker or The Bluest Eyes by Tony Morrison then add a touch of sweet and dash of late twentieth century savvy, and you get the story of Maya Mukherjee, a Canadian born girl of Indian descent searching for her identity.

From first page to last, I was enchanted with Ms. Banerjee's original and unique narrative voice, the delectable unification of teenage humor, hope, awe and envy. Her characters are clearly drawn and the relationships effectively established. When I read the book, Maya's challenges and successes strolled pleasantly beside me, unhurried and unforced, a testament to Ms. Banerjee's workmanlike pacing of story, plot and dialogue.

All good things do not have to belong to the past. Maya Running reminds old folks that no matter how packaged or marketed, there's still plenty of simple joy in the here and now. Remember the last time your rode in a limousine with the windows down?

William Schroder
Author of Cousins of Color
www.cousinsofcolor.com

Co-narrated by Ron Halder and Donna White, "Memory Books" by Canadian mystery writer Howard Engel is the story of small-town private investigatory Benny Cooperman who, after being left for dead from a blow to the head by an unknown assailant, wakes up in a hospital and in the middle of a mystery. All Benny can remember is that he was close to figuring out a mystery but can't remember anything else - including the name of his girlfriend, Anna Abraham. To complicate things further, Benny is suffering from a brain injury that allows him to still write, but not be able to read! But with the help of Anna and the use of a small notepad dubbed the 'memory book', Benny engages in some dedicated bedside sleuthing. Author Howard Engel (who in real life suffers a similar brain injury to that of his lead character) has created a terrific 'who dunnit' style mystery with a medical theme that will engage the reader's total and rapt attention from beginning to end. Expertly abridged and originally broadcast on CBC Radio, "Memory Books" is especially recommended to mystery buffs and, with a total running time of 3 hours and 30 minutes, is a welcome addition to any community library audiobook CD collection..

Oliver Sachs was right. This mystery was approached from a whole new point of view. A detective with a memory problem from a head injury tries to solve the mystery of who and why he was nearly killed. The hospital is the main setting and we see the patient struggle to put things together with an impaired memory. I truly admired the fact that the author wrote this book with an impairment of his own.

When I heard about Howard Engel's stroke, I assumed that I would never see Benny Cooperman again. However, this author has done the seemingly impossible and given us another great story.
Memory Book is different from the other Cooperman novels because Benny has been afflicted with alexia, like Engel. Thus, quite a bit of time is spent with Benny in the hospital, learning how to cope with his altered abilities. However, Benny is just as nosy, persistent and peculiarly charming as ever. He enlists his visitors onto his sleuthing team. The mystery unravels alongside Benny's therapy.
We get to see some old, favourite characters and - of course - some new ones. Engel is a master at painting characters with details that leave you feeling you've met them somewhere before. Former Cooperman fan or not, I recommend you spend some time with Benny and his friends as they help to unravel the mystery and have some laughs along the way.

if you like Howard Engel and Benny, this is a must read!
I had no idea what had happened medically to Howard - so don't read the afterword by Oliver Sacks til AFTER. Let's just say that the fact that Howard even managed to write this book is truly remarkable and shows that he is indeed a master of the genre. The fact that it is a great book where I was totally hooked after 10 pages and the manner in which the plot unfolds - just read it - it's a remarkable achievement and I thank Howard for his courage.
Just watch out for those nap times...
jb

I travel a lot in my car, so audio books are a must for me. I picked this one up at the library - and it was hard for me to turn my car off when I got to where I was going!

As you read in the summary, the book is about a 19-year-old who is trying to find out who his real parents are. He was found left by the side of the road when he was three, with only a photograph and a cryptic letter.

His hunt takes him to Toronto, where he and his new girlfriend do some detective work...and when they seem to have it all figured out, the author throws in another twist.

There is another side story in the book that takes place around the life of another teenager, but this scene is set many years beforehand.

Once the two stories meet up, everything falls into place.

This is a must-read for anyone who likes thrillers!

Nineteen years old Walker Devereaux leaves his adopted home in Big River for Toronto, but not with the youthful vigor of living in the big city; Walker is obsessed to learn about his past starting with why his mom Lennie abandoned him on an isolated road when he was three. He has a clue from someone who apparently knew his mom; a letter that was written to Lennie from her school friend Kim that includes a picture of two girls that Walker assumes one is his mom.

In Toronto Walker obtains work driving a cab on a graveyard shift and a friend he deeply likes is wheelchair-bound dispatcher Krista Papadopoulos. Her brilliance enables Walker to follow clues that take him initially to the exclusive upper crust Forest Hill neighborhood and eventually to Jamaica. However, someone wants Walker and Krista to stop or else; perhaps that unknown culprit is the seemingly deranged Bobby Nuremborski who Walker must confront if he is to close in on the truth about what happened to his mother.

MIDNIGHT CAB is a solid suspense thriller starring two delightful lead protagonists whose banter lightens a dark tale. The prime story line is Walker's quest, but a subplot involving how crazy Bobby is will chill the audience who know that the two men will collide, but doubt whether the hero will survive. Interestingly in spite of wonderfully placed false leads and red herring missteps, fans know the altercation is coming so the suspense is somewhat muted when it does. Still James W. Nichols writes an intriguing entertaining thriller that will keep readers attention throughout.

Harriet Klausner

Really good! Different for any mystery recently read. Quirky, engaging characterizations with and original plot.
Can't wait for the next one!

The title of this mystery/thriller is a bit misleading, probably because it was based on a popular radio drama of the same name. Certainly, the main character, Walter Devereaux drives a cab, but that's not the focus of the story.

MIDNIGHT CAB is set in Toronto, Canada, and it starts with a three-year-old boy clinging to a wire fence at the side of a country road. This is Walter Devereaux; he's found and placed in a number of foster homes before he goes to live with the Devereauxs in Big River, Canada. They're an ideal family and he loves them dearly, but he feels he must go to Toronto to find his real parents. He has a letter and a picture of two little girls that he hopes will help him in his quest.

Walter has trouble finding a job but ultimately he finds work at the A.P. Cabs owned by Alphonso Piatelli, who tries to hire him off the books. His night dispatcher, Krista Papadopoulos, soon puts an end to that and a romance ensues. Oh, yeah, Krista just happens to be in a wheel chair.

A parallel story has to do with Bobby Nuremborski, a young boy who hungers for the attention of his father. Bobby will remind you of the killer in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. He's gay but he won't admit it; his father would never tolerate a homosexual son. Eventually the two stories intersect leading to some gripping action.

The setting of the story shifts from Toronto to Jamaica, and that's when the novel loses some of its credibility. Like Tony Hillerman, when he moves the story off the Navajo reservation, the author, James W. Nichol, needs to focus on what he knows best. The Canada sequences are believable and compelling, Jamaica not so much.

Despite these quibbles I enjoyed MIDNIGHT CAB immensely and would like to see a sequel. Krista and Walter are likeable characters and the cab company is an ideal setting for a mystery series.

This book is great! It was just what I needed. It has detailed, creative, and artistic landscaping plans plus helpful planting and design information! I bought two copies of this book so I can give my daughter one!

It is very very similar to the 1999 edition which I already owned. In my opinion, there is no reason to own both, or to replace the old one with the new one.

Written by the founding editor of "Gardening" magazine Roger Holmes and award-winning author Rita Buchanan, and now in a new and expanded edition featuring information on more plants and additional suggested designs, Midwest Home Landscaping Including Southern Canada is a comprehensive guide to making one's home landscape more attractive and functional. Chapters address how to skillfully plan a design for one's yard, how to organize one's project and perform tasks ranging from clearing the site to fences and trellises to the planting process, and profiles of a variety of landscaping plants ideal for homes situated in the upper Midwest and Southern Canada. Step-by-step instructions and full-color photography and diagrams walk the reader through each task, and the text covers both ideas for selecting and coordinating themes as well as practical nitty-gritty details. Midwest Home Landscaping is a first-rate, comprehensive resource for homeowners of all background, regardless of past experience in gardening or landscaping.

I'm not a gardener but then again I have never had a house to HAVE a garden. We are moving onto a brand new house and I found this book by accident.

It is outstanding.

It will give you ideas on what to plant in the shade, sun part sun and what I like most are the diagrams. I have no eye for what a garden will look like in 2 months and how I should plant a garden that looks lush and well thought out. I would have planted a garden with random flowers spaced too far apart.

Perfect book for somebody that wants a garden that looks like they knew what they were doing.

Having spent a lot of time looking for information on imaginative & fun (and sometimes luxury) travel with kids, I can tell you that this is a really unique book. It is comprehensive, carefully researched and well written with loads of practical tips. Some 'travel with kids' books might as well just be bland advertising copy, this one really provides good editorial content, with positive and critical comments. It is a pleasure to read and we will use it for a long time. Fodor's should publish more of these for other parts of the US/world.

I loved this book and would recommend it to any family wanting to travel in the northeastern United States. The writers offer tips and reviews on places of interest, resorts, and campgrounds in a wide range of prices. In fact, we have visited some of those places and found a brand new vacation prospect in Lake George which we will be trying out this summer! Definitely one of the most informative travel books on the market today -- entertaining even if you do not go to these places.

Very useful book for locals and visitors. We liked the way it gave us recommended age groups and prices. We can now plan ahead places to visit within and on the way to our next holiday area. We have also used it for planning field trips from the school into San Francisco. Easy to use and enjoyable to read.

I've been searching for a book like this for several years and haven't found one that fit the bill until now! I had a great time reading it - so well written - and got more useful information than I'll ever be able to use in one lifetime! Thanks so much to the writers and publishers!

Used 2 different versions of Moon Handbooks for trip to NW and both were invaluable. This series gives far more detail then a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide which I normally buy. We used it to plan trips, select accommodations that were NOT chains and found reviews to be spot on. Since the book focuses on just one place in Oregon, it is able to go into far greater detail then the more generalized travel books do.
Because of this and the Oregon Coast version, I buy the Moon Handbooks now over the others.
Well worth the price.

MOON HANDBOOKS COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE: INCLUDING COMPLETE COVERAGE OF PORTLAND is a wonderful book about northern Oregon and southern Washington, including complete coverage of the Portland-Vancouver metro area. Thus, you get information on both rural pleasures, such as hiking and white-water rafting, and urban ones, including shopping, dining, and museums. This is a book that anyone with an interest in geography must own.

I am making a long journey next year that will include the Columbia Gorge and this book really helps define the areas I wish to see. It has been really helpful in the lodging as well as the parks and hiking. I am a photographer and plan on taking numerous images on this trip, so I like to know well ahead of time what I will be seeing. I highly recommend this guidebook to those that visit this area.

We had never been to the northwest before and wanted to get the most out of our first trip. This guide was like having a local with us on the trip. We were able to get to the numerous falls, rapids, windsurfing areas and hikes without wandering around. We stayed in a great hotel that was reported on and picked from the recommended restaurants. The book was well worn when we got home. I highly recommend it.

I donated this book to my mom's day care and the children really loved repeating especially the chomps. The children also enjoyed the color changing. They always have fun with Munsch books.

Another winner from Robert Munsch!

The book features the usual dose of Munsch's sound effects and repetition, two traits that make it an engaging story for young readers. We read this story again and again to our 2-year-old. He just can't get enough.

My one criticism of the book is that Munsch's drawings of the Asian Canadian characters isn't that flattering. Being Asian American, I think I'm probably more sensitive to this though... :)

I have my own daycare and this is one of the children's favorite stories to read. They love to participate with our reading activities and this book gives them just that opportunity. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It is a fun story about a young boy who's appetite is endless. This is one of my favorite Robert Munsch stories that we own.

Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko are a winning team in childrens' books, and this is another one of their terrific partnerships. Munsch's well-paced tales coupled with Martchenko's vivid and funny artwork encourage preschoolers and young grade schoolers to reread their books many times over.

This book features a very hungry little boy, his exasperated mom, and a pie-eating contest. My kids howled with laughter at how much Samuel tried to eat for breakfast. The pictures of Samuel out-chowing the three big men are terrific, and the look on his face when he returns home is even better.

An outlandish tale in the tradition of Paul Bunyan for preschoolers, complete with a Babe-sized stomach ache, this is a rippin' good yarn. Stick in two thumbs, pull out two plums, and point them up, way up, for More Pies!

This book is mostly about Hetty and they take a trip to a place called Chilkoot pass they cause an avalanche and they have to try to dig the person out of all the snow.The main thing that happens in the book is that mostly everybody loses something they really care about one morning Hetty wakes up and she has lost her locket. Hetty has a diary where she keeps track of all the things that are stolen and what happens to the person.At the end of the book well close they find the person who has to tell them why he or she stole the stuff they also find the bag of stolen stuff.Then also at the end Alma Hettys best friend gets married to Uncle Donall.But at the end they all leave very happily.I would recommend this book to anybody who loves to solve mysterys and enjoys a happy book and to anybody in third/fourth and fifth.

In 1897, when Hetty and her friend Alma are 12 years old, prospectors come down from Alaska Territory to San Francisco shouting, "Gold!" The prospectors tell everyone the nuggets are so big they're the size of potatoes. After that, it seems like half the country heads north to the Yukon to find some of those golden potatoes for themselves. Hetty, her father, Alma, her mother, and Hetty's Uncle Donall join the crowd heading north to the gold fields.

The trip north is gruesome. When their steamer first arrives at Dyea, the sailors dump people's belongings into a scow headed for the shore about a mile away. Some of their possessions land in the water instead of in the boat, but the sailors don't seem to care. Some of the passengers have to turn around and head home again because all their possessions are lost at sea. Horses, goats, dogs, and other animals have to swim for their lives in the icy waters.

To reach gold country, which stretched ahead of them for 500 miles, everybody has to move part of their things forward, leave somebody there to guard them, and then go back for more. Trip after trip after trip. It's only September, but up by the Arctic Circle winter comes early and it's bitter cold. Some people discover that they packed too much and have to leave trunks and other belongings alongside the trail. Other people decide to pay haulers to cart their things for them, only to have the haulers take the money and run.

Then Hetty discovers her locket missing. It has her only picture of her dead mother in it. Hetty laid it beside her bed in the tent at night, and the next morning it's gone. Someone else misses a knife. Alma's mother loses half her money. Who is the thief? Is there more than one? Can Hetty find him? Or is it a woman?

But thieves aren't the only problem everybody faces. They also have to fight diseases like typhoid and avalanches in the mountains. People have to be strong to survive in the Yukon territory. Will Hetty's family and friends make it? What will Hetty learn on her trip to the top of the world?

--- (...)

Mystery at Chilkoot Pass is one of the best children's chapter books I have read to-date. I was helping my 9 year old sister with her book report and she and I both thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. It is witty, fun, adventurous, and a page-turner. This book is thorough, yet it doesn't wear you down with boring details. I would recommend this book not only to any third/fourth/fifth grader, but any adult who enjoys a good, fun mystery.

MYSTERY AT CHILKOOT PASS is the 17th book in the "History Mystery" series. It is autumn, 1897, and twelve-year-old Hetty, her friend Alma, their parents, and Hetty's Uncle Donall have left their homes in San Francisco to seek gold in the Klondike gold rush. They must get themselves and three tons of supplies and equipment up and over Chilkoot Pass before winter sets in. Thousands of other goldhunters are making the same trek. The story follows their struggle from the time they leave their ship near the coastal town of Dyea until they ascend the Pass. Along the way, large amounts of cash and small personal items of little value disappear. Hetty suspects her uncle might be a thief. Thieves are dealt with harshly in this frontier environment. Hetty proves to be a person of strength and resolution. She works hard and does what she has to in the face of hardship and death.

MYSTERY AT CHILKOOT PASS is a worthy addition to the "History Mystery" series. It will make you appreciate the hardships people were prepared to endure in the pursuit of fortune. It may also make you wonder what could have possessed people to leave their homes and put themselves through such hardships on the slim chance that they might find enough gold to make themselves rich. A nice introduction to an interesting bit of history.