Oregon Books

This $3 booklet is the size of a greeting card. There are 24 "fantastic facts" on 43 pages. The postage is $3.99. Buyer beware.

This is a quaint little book that is full of interesting facts. My fifth graders have enjoyed listening to the unusual stories. The entries are quick and easy and great for filling those 5 minute gaps or introducing a lesson.

I purchased this book for my daughter who is 9. It is a really good book for children and for adults. There were quite a few interesting things listed in the book that I did not already know. A real fun book, but dont expect a doctoral thesis.

Ms. Keefer needs to improve her spelling, especially if she is a 4th grade teacher (see her review). I live "on" the Oregon Trail, in Pocatello, Idaho. My wife and I visit Oregon Trail sites (especially visual "ruts") whenever we can. Michael Trinklein is a well-respected historian; this book is a keeper!

Although this book is not intended to (and won't) gove you a comprehensive overview of the history of the Oregon Trail, this is still a very good book to read if you are interested in the era. I learned quite a bit about it, and found it fascinating. Some great facts. Definitely worth reading.

Perfect guide that fits in your pocket. Information was detailed enough so that I was able to get around to all the major points of interest waterfront, pioneer square, japanese gardens, and Oregon's waterfalls without any additional resources.

It also contained a number of great recommendations of food from breakfast to dinner. Four stars and not five because the maps could have been a little more detailed.

FROMMER'S PORTABLE PORTLAND is a great book about Portland. It has all of the information- i.e. where the best sightseeing, dining, nightlife, shopping, and outdoor activities are- that you'd find in a full-sized book, but in a volume that you can take on the bus in your carry-on to tune out difficult people. In other words, this is a small book with all the information of a much larger volume, only not as bulky. This book is essential for anyone even remotely interested in the Pacific Northwest.

This is an oversized pocket guide. Fits great in a coat pocket but not too well in pants pocket. Has great map. Gives reviews of about 50 or so eateries. The 'Best Places' guide is much better though.

This is a great resource for a short trip to Portland. The small size fits easily in a pocket or purse. We tried several restaurants listed in the guide and all were excellent. I suggest Jake's seafood and Bijou Cafe for breakfast. Also check out the Mount Hood loop directions in the book--no trip to Portland will be complete without this!

I would have liked this book to be more intra-regional and do more talking about the green zones around the metropolitan area but as far as detailing what's what in Portland itself, I have no criticism. Also some nice maps came along with this book, which is handy.

I am a big Pinot Noir fan, especially from Oregon. So I had high hopes for this book, but after reading the first 4 or 5 chapters, I really lost interest. I felt like the writing was disconnected and didn't flow. I couldn't stay in the story, if you could call it a story. Glad I checked it out from the library.

Doyle's writing is unique and makes the reader guess if you are having a conversation with him or are in his head and catching his rambling thoughts. Very enjoyable, easy to read and entertaining. If you really pay attention instead of getting lost in the fantasy, there is great information on the life of a vintner family and the joys of wine. The Langes should keep him in wine for life as I can't wait to go buy one of my old favorites that I no longer have in my cellar. Great book!

As a friend of the author, having read many of his tomes, most of his essays and all of speeches, I have to say this is the one that tugged at my taste buds. Reading this book is a heady little journey through the Oregon Hills that I love so much. As the story meanders on and the work gets harder you cannot help but want to be a part of the Lange family (or is that just me?) Yes, I know owning a great vineyard is hard damn work, but look at the harvest. Each bottle contains so much potential for great memories, great hopes, great conversations. Makes me wish I could go back in time 20 years and buy a pinot block in the Red Hills myself.

I am one of those wine drinkers who has found American Pinot Noirs so thin that I've stopped exploring them. How could the great Burgundy grape descend to such an insipid level in American soil and American hands? This summer, the owner of a fine wineshop in Hatteras, NC, (there is such a thing) tried to educate me that Oregon Pinot Noirs are Burgundian, as he tried to sell me one of his Lange Winery Pinot Noirs. I demurred, so he said, "Let me let you borrow this book. It's a great read." I found the book so, bought it, and one of the aforementioned Lange Pinot Noirs to lay down for a while. Doyle is an engaging writer, a teller of stories (the book is a series of 1-3 page stories), a great describer of people and activities and environments. He is fond of long series of phrases that move poetically. Indeed his first chapter is a single sentence with many commas and one period, running almost two pages--and you don't get lost as you do with a similar Kantian sentence! My only complaint is that Doyle tells you everything about the "farming" of the grapes, and all of the work and sociology and geography and climate and geology that entails, but not much about what is done TO the wine once crushed and how it goes through its various changes in barrel and bottle. I'd have liked more of that. But, nonetheless, it is a fine, enjoyable read, hard to put down; and I recommend it highly. Ask me in a couple of years about the wine! (Though maybe I'll find one in a restaurant somewhere to try before I open my own--or taste one or more when we visit the Lange Winery this fall on a planned West Coast trip. If they're not picking, that is. The book makes clear not to visit then.)

First let me tell you that I am a friend with the author, however, I found this book to be one of his best. Doyle must have inherited the Irish tradition of story telling from his parents. I enjoy his writing style and the ability for him to celebrate the miniscule is wonderful. The undercurrent of Christian spirituality is evident in the stories that he tells. Did he really find the best wine in the world? I would recommend this book as a great late summer read for those that are tired of the usual summer dregs.

This book is absolutely fabulous. I had the honor of taking Prof. Rosenblum's class, which is great to use the book that she helped compose. I think this book is great in a scholastic setting, alone it might seem scattered and incongruent. With the class there comes discussions and lectures, also there were associated readings from the internet that helped focus students as well. The most important parts of the book are the framework essays, because they really explain a prominent sociological perspective that this book uses, the social constructionist paradigm. I hope that people can read this book and take away the important aspects from it, but not think that this book is particularly suited for coffee shop reading. It is a textbook meant for a classroom with heavy interaction from the teacher and students.

A good book. Gives all sides to Diversity issues and is coupled with many first hand articles that are very interesting. Definetly worth a read if you're interested in issues of diversity.

Very interesting book, great perspective from lots of different authors on diverse social issues such a racial inequality, gender, and sexual orientation. The framework essays are also particularly interesting - I highly recommend it for anyone interested in sociological issues!

This book is great for anyone who is interested in questions like why do we as Americans' see white people and black people differently. It answers questions like this for gender, race, ethnicity and disability. The first chapter is terribly dry but it sets the stage for the rest of the book which is very insightful.
(There's a bit of good history in here as well).

This book gives a very broad and encompassing look at many of the topics that contribute to and affect diversity and differences in America today.

I don't often read a book in one day, but this one I did, it kept me guessing the whole time and I never once just started drifting off and thinking about something else. At times I even laughed out loud, even the down times were entertaining. I certianly reccomend this book & I'm going to read the rest of the seires

Rick Hanson did a good job with this one although it lacks the suspense of his other ones. Mortal Remains is a unoriginal plot, but theres a couple twists in the story. For fans of murder mystery's this is a fun book, but for anyone else I don't recommend it.

i just thought it was odd that i was telling my boss about the book mortal remains and how it happend in my back yard on 187 narrow ave witch was the road in westport that the lane whent down to the murder site and wanted her to read it and it came out that her husbands nameis rick hanson id like to get a copy but i dont have a credit card could you send me more information on getting a copy thankyou sheila thstin eard

I had never heard of Rich Hanson before I "Mortal Remains." I was looking for a fairly quick read that was sure to entertain. Can't go wrong with a cover like this one, right?

It was definitely fun for the first 200 pages. I laughed out loud which rarely happens when I read. I would compare the characters to those you might find in Gregory MacDonald's "Fletch" mysteries. I was also drawn into the plot. Characters I would not have expected find themselves six feet under by the end of this book.

However, I cannot believe the author planned out an ending for this book. It was like hanging up the phone without saying "goodbye." Did the publisher say, "OK, you've had enough time. Wrap it up?" A real letdown.

In addition, the author has a sex scene that seems totally out of place right smack in the middle of the book. Something dirty had to be going through his mind at the time.

All in all, I would read another book by Hanson. He definitely shows promise.

Any judgment of a book based solely on the cover may be inherently problematic, but in this case, the judgment probably works well. The cover features a smiling face with a bullet hole through the forehead. In other words, there's violence, but it's hard to take it all too seriously. "Mortal Remains" does have a body count (more than one and less than that of Friday the 13th IV), but it is the humor and the bizarre characters that really carry the book. And therein lies the book's main flaw. "Mortal Remains" is part of the mystery genre and somewhat in the style of Crais and Hiaasen. But the mystery does not work as well as it might. There are, unfortunately, too many loose ends to the mystery.

Hanson is a very funny writer, though, and some of the humor is so funny that I was laughing aloud--something I seldom do at only the written word. The cast of characters, most of whom are connected to a psychiatric institute, are indeed colorful, and they make the read an easy one. The "death squad," a triumvirate of patients, is particularly amusing, though they may not be entirely P.C. Also along for the ride are a man who carves pneumatic statues of his grandmother out of trees and a high-school baton twirler.

The plot and the mystery involve the death of a doctor at a psychiatric hospital. Former Marine and former cop Adam McCleet seeks to solve the mystery because of his ties to the dead doctor. There's no doubt who killed the doctor, but there is a question about who caused the death. When other crimes, including arson and murder, follow, McCleet finds his life and those of people close to him in danger. Throughout the investigation, McCleet must deal with his possible fear of commitment, his post-traumatic stress disorder, one angry pickup driver, and his own possible artwork for the town.

After a recent visit to Portland I was looking for more information about the slave tunnels and other Portland landmarks. This was a great follow-up to that visit. I recognized various landmarks and enjoyed a story about a geographical location and period of time of which I had little knowledge. I hope the publisher will reconsider and publish the third book in this series. Don't keep us hanging about Libby's future.

I'm grateful I discovered this series after the second book was published. I don't think I could have waited another year to learn more about the relationship between the main characters. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series.

The author does an outstanding job of creating an authentic sense of place without hitting you over the head with chunks of historical research. The details are woven into the story naturally, which many writers have not mastered. In this book, the characters are well developed with good motivation and enough tension to keep you turning the pages. If you have any interest in a good mystery and history, be sure to read both books.

I won a copy of this book, Murder at the Portland Variety, a couple of months ago. I just finished reading it. Libby Seale is an interesting character. She is a seamstress who has come to Portland to escape an unhappy marriage. Due to her employment at the Portland Variety, she is acquainted with the young woman who is found dead in the tunnels below. She determines, with the help of a young, enterprising reporter by the name of Peter Eberle, to find out who killed Vera.
The book is filled with historical details, but those details do not overwhelm the reader. Libby comes across as a real person experiencing life alone, far from her New York family and friends. She questions many, including the police. The answer to the question of what has happened to Vera, and previously to another young woman, is answered in an intriguing climax. The author had done a good job with the mystery and the setting.

In a strong debut, M.J. Zellnik introduces a smart and resourceful amateur detective, theatrical seamstress Libby Seale, who finds herself living and working in Portland in 1894 and investigating the death of her friend, a vaudeville performer. Along the way, Libby joins forces with a bright and charming newspaper reporter, and together they uncover the seamy underside of Portland society.

With a meticulous eye for period detail, characters who are richer than first meet the eye, and pitch-perfect tone, Zellnik (a sister and brother team) crafts an engaging and suspenseful story of love, corruption, betrayal, and bravery, all set in the vibrant worlds of the vaudeville theater, the busy seaport of Portland, and the highest eschelons of turn-of-the-century society.

I eagerly await the next installment of Libby's adventures.

I love a great mystery and it's always fun to find a new author. Since I live in Portland, I enjoyed the references to landmarks I recognized and was inspired to find out more about historical Portland and how it became the city it is today. A thoroughly delightful read. Libby Seale is a wonderful character and I look forward to many more hours finding out about her life and times in future books. Wish they could get them out a little faster!

This is a great book about a boy and his family who traveled through the Oregon trail, but his dad and mom die of dysentery. After that he has to lead the children along the snake river . It's nothing but exciting.

I read this book for a book report and my teacher loved it so much she read it to the class! It is a great book that tells about the life of a young boy on his dangerous and thrilling journey on the Oregon Trail! READ THIS BOOK!

Have you ever wondered what really happend on the Oregon Trail? If you are one of those people, then you should read this book. Captain John Sager leads his family on the Oregon Trail to Oregon, but he uncovers dangers with his family, and with the Native Americans. This book has the same type of action to it as "Stones in Water" and another book I read "April Morning". I think that most of the story was factual, and part of it was opinion from the author. I was brought into the main and strongly supporting details, but some of the weak detail wasn't really needed or wasn't that interesting. This is how the story begins. "This is a story of a great pioneer. Aww. I know what you're already thinking. You think that this book is just a biography about somebody. But you are wrong. This is a much better book than those long and boring biographies, but you will still learn a lot about history.

John Sager is the leader of his family on the way to Oregon. He is going to occur mountain crossings and the decisions about crossing rivers and what to do about his sick family. He does a lot of things like his best friend, famous frontiersman, Kit Carson, likes killing deer and other animals to have for lunch.

This a very exciting story that really shows the hard ships of life on the frontier. If you like books about the west, settlement of America, or about struggle and making your dreams happen, this is the book for you. I read this book as an assignment for school and I think it's great for kids around junior high age. The book is set in the 1800's during the settlement of America out west. It is about the 9 member Sager family who are going to Willamette, Oregon. On the way the father and mother die leaving John, the 13 year old son, to take the large family to carry out their father's dreams of starting a one thousand acre farm in Willamette.

Our family (with 4 kids) listened to this on tape as we drove through Idaho and Oregon, basically following the Oregon Trail. This book, more than anything else including museums, helped the kids understand the difficulties and dangers of the journey. They (and we their parents) loved it. However there are very negative stereotypes of Native Americans throughout the story which are unacceptable and require discussion.

My grandfather was a health inspector during this time and eventually quit because he refused to take bribes to look the other way regarding various establishments in Portland. This book is a quick and enjoyable read. The journalistic tone fits the subject matter and is, I think, a deliberate tone to suit the style. It is NOT a text book of the history of Portland. It is an entertaining look into the seedy past of a city not usually known for seediness. Though even today Portland has more strip clubs per capita than Vegas or LA, or any other city in the nation.

A very well written look into Portland's dicey past.Its informative for any newcomer to to learn about the cities past,and a must for any native to read.

my grandfather was Frank Tatum. He was murdered before I was born. It was a very good story. Now I have to find the obituary.

As a Portland area resident, I was really exited to read this book. I was somewhat disappointed. . . Phil Stanford is a journalist, and the book reads like a collection of news clippings. The characters are colorful and interesting, and the photos added a lot to the book, but overall, I felt his coverage was somewhat cursory. I wanted more information, more historical background and more perspective. To be fair, however, I read this book immediately after reading The Devil in the White City. There, Eric Larson took a time in Chicago history, and created a masterpiece. Imagine the Portland Confidenital story/characters in the hands of a writer of that caliber!

Longtime residents of Portland will probably find Portland Confidential a quick, enjoyable read because they'll recognize the places and names Stanford peppers his story with. Portland residents will be less put off by Stanford's "conversational" narrative voice, as they have been reading him for years in his role as columnist for The Oregonian, and more recently the Portland Tribune. I suspect that out of towners and would find very little for them here.

Using a wealth of sources, anonymous and credited, Stanford revisits a time Portland civic leaders have long tried to forget: the corruption filled 1950s. In short, digestable, one newspaper column sized vignettes, Stanford generally cuts right to the chase: Portland was a bad, bad town.

The photographs chosen for this story are marvelous; they bring the story to life and really reflect the tone Stanford seems to be trying to achieve.

The story itself (if one can call it that, it ends up more like a long ramble that often doubles back on itself) is compelling. Like one of the other reviewers, I can't help but wonder how another writer would tell this tale.

That said, Stanford has spent his entire life cultivating the leads and the inside information that led to the publication of this book. Few others would have the wealth of infomation necessary to tell this tale. It serves as a reminder that the Golden 1950's had almost as much tarnish on them as the 2000s do.

Give or take 500 words, I might have given this book 5 stars - the problem is, there's reference to a relationship from the first book, and no explanation. If the author really felt the need to drag "Mike" into The Best Defense, she ought to have included some more details. If the Amazon Product Description hadn't mentioned that he died, I'd have assumed a bad break up.

That aside, the book is quite good. Barbara Holloway, trying to come to terms with what she does for a living, and how she does it, sets up shop in a small neighborhood restaurant, offering legal advice to people who couldn't otherwise afford it. Enter Lucille Reiner, sister of Paula "Baby Killer" Kennerman. Barbara takes the case, finding her client entangled in a conspiracy that goes far beyond the death of one child and the railroading of Paula. The complexity is a bit much at times, particularly during the trial, but it's worth the minor effort to keep the threads straight.

It seems obvious that Wilhelm's intention is to carry Barbara's relationship with her father, the neighborhood people and Bill into the next novel. That's fine - I just hope she does the extra work to explain things so that each book can stand alone. Getting people to read the earlier books might be her goal, but it will become annoying to the reader who came late to the series.

This is a book from an obviously highly skilled author. The plotting was compelling, clever and tense and the main protagonists well drawn. The bad guys are clearly delineated if somewhat two dimensional. One slight flaw was the at times confusing detail of the plot. I am looking forward to other legal thrillers written by this author.

I'm a tough grader - reserve 9 and 10 for all-time greats. This is simply a good read. Very plot driven, with commentary on a number of contemporary issues and personal relationships. It also is about power and greed, and the corrupting influence of money. It touches on the fanatical nature of people's response to abortion, and gives the reader an emotional ride over some very difficult issues. The main characters are complex people, while the supporting characters are a little unidimensional. However, through it all you are engaged in unravelling the crime and discovering whether the truth will prevail or whether money will buy the verdict

Kate Wilhelm knows her courtroom procedure, and at the same time, she understands the human emotions that underly those procedures. Her characters are strong and believable and her story is gripping. Wonderful read

The book begins well, rich (or at least well off, but playing at being poor) female lawyer is asked to do the impossible, free a woman pre-judged to be a baby killer. Barbara (the lawyer) does a credible job and succeeds. The book bogs down near the end with a lot of shooting off in all directions apparently trying to explain herself. 'Bad guys' are unbelievably bad: making money on abortion formula while mouthing abortion foe rhetoric. A little too overdramatic...a C-minus for such a lack of sublety. The righteous are 'good-good', the other side is 'bad bad'. Author is no John Grisham.

I bought this book freshman year of college and have used it well into my senior year. It's a great book to keep for reference and contains information covered in all the biology classes I have taken. Pictures of mechanisms are easy to understand and very helpful.

This text does not go into enough depth. I found myself going to other sources in order to further grasp required concepts. There is also an error in figure 45.17.

I utilized this book for my college biology classes. It was very complete and had great details on photosynthesis, Krebs cycle, glycolysis. I even liked the chapters on animal structure and function, quite interesting. However, the chapter on genetics was the hardest to read. I had to re-read pages over again to understand what Raven was trying to teach. If you want to know what is the best study guides for college biology to study from, get the following by Patrick Leonardi--
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 1)
Topics: Organziation of Living Things and Chemistry of Life, Structure and Function of the Cell and Energy Pathways, Reproduction and Heredity, Genetics.

The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 2)
Topics: Evolution, Ecology, Kingdom Bacteria, Kingdom Protista, Kingdom Fungi, Viruses, Plant Form and Function

The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 3)
Topics: Kingdom Animalia, Organization of the Animal Body, Animal Form and Function, Animal Reproduction, Development and Behavior.

The last three study guides prepared me for the kind of questions that were asked on my college exams. This helped me cut a lot of time in my studying because now I new what to focus on. Raven's book is a also a must buy.

The graphs summarize lots of important information in a clear and easy to understand format.

Some part of the text is wordy, not very concise. It helps to develop the breadth and depth of the text but meanwhile it's quite distracting and sometimes confusing for grasping the key concepts.

I absolutely love this book. The explanations are thorough and understandable and the pictures and diagrams cannot be beat. Truly a great read. The book goes into enough detail, but not too much that you get confused. Thank you Purdue bio department for choosing this book!! Highly recommended!