Oregon Books

At the time of this review I had only visited one site so far listed in the book. I'm not sure when the author updated this book, but when we visited Three Creeks Campground near Sisters in late Sept 2007 (we purposely waited until after Labor Day/School was in session to hopefull avoid the crowds) it was full of exactly what she said it DIDN'T have. Not only was it jam-packed, but RVs and campers outweighed tents (I think there was two, and we were one of them). There were kids running around yelling and screaming and the RV/Campers were always firing up their generators for hours on end. These were the things we were trying to avoid.

I'm not discounting this book yet and will try other sites. My other camping experiences over the summer have resulted in the same crowding, noise, etc. Perhaps the camping of old where you find peace and tranquility is no longer to be found.

We're just back from a two week vacation in Oregon. I found the book a very helpful addition to the camping guide I had. And I think one needs an additional camping guide that covers all places since there are just a few in this book. We also found a lot of other nice places that were not described in this book, but still primitive, remote, quiet and beautiful. With one or two campsites we were disappointed and left. Also I would love to see an easier layout, because you have to flip back and forth to find the place. But that is not really important. We just found quite some more places that we thought would deserve to be in there.

Written by veteran camper and nature lover Jeanne Louise Pyle, The Best In Tent Camping: Oregon is a detailed guide especially for Oregon campers who like scenic and serene sites, removed from concrete, RVs, boombox-happy individuals and worse. Categorized according to the section of Oregon in which they are to be found, the campground sites are presented with detailed maps, directions, descriptions, and ratings on their beauty, privacy, spaciousness, quiet, security, cleanliness, and insect control. A superb guide for anyone looking to enjoy the peace and freedom of nature.

Solid guide with a nice mix of coastal and inland sites. We used the book to plan a week in Oregon and found the site reviews very accurate and helpful in steering us to great campgrounds we wouldn't have found left to our devices. When we were unable to reach one of these sites, we were dismayed by our lot as the alternate state campgrounds we found were overcrowded, RV filled, and exactly what we didn't come for. Highly recommend this book. Pyle offers usefuly ratings for various dimensions including best season to visit, level of campground bugginess, solitude, etc.

Francis Seow is a Singapore hero. By Singapore standards, however, he was flawed in that he was compassionate as he gave legal assistance to political detainees in Singapore. By so doing, Mr. Seow became a detainee, himself.

His account of his imprisonment by the Singapore police is as harrowing as anything written by Kafka. No one so articulate as Mr. Seow has described what it is like to be a detainee in Singapore.

I am an American, but was living in Singapore at the time of Mr. Seow's detention. I was in charge of the computer department of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Many of my colleagues at IRAS were disturbed by the million-dollar budget had been allocated to investigate Mr. Seow's tax matters. Naturally, IRAS determined that Mr. Seow had a considerable tax debt.

Mr. Seow was and is a charismatic and brilliant individual. He had become Solicitor General of Singapore, and President of the Law Society. Had he gone along with the dictates of the Singapore system, he could be living a very distinguished life in Singapore today, in high political office. He now lives in the United States, but has not been forgotten in Singapore.

His generosity, which shows so clearly in his book, was extended to my wife (a Singaporean), and myself recently with his kind review of our book on many of the same subjects, entitled "Escape from Paradise."

My wife and I are Americans who recently honeymooned in Singapore, and we were quite impressed by how clean, orderly, and efficient it was. Yet we knew there had to be a catch, and none of the locals we met were willing to talk about it. So, upon returning home, we bought this book and also "Singapore's Authoritarian Capitalism," by Christopher Lingle, to find out. (To be fair, we bought Lee Kuan Yew's "The Singapore Story" as well, but haven't read it yet.)

After reading these books, we now understand Singapore's dark side. And it goes way beyond the prohibition on chewing gum and being caned for vandalism. Both of these books are important reads for those seeking to understand Singapore and authoritarian governments in general.

My only criticism of both books is that they are written for those who can sit down and finish the NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle in 20 minutes or less. The vocabulary, diction, and syntax are unnecessarily tortured (so to speak) in both books. Granted, they're both written by scholarly gentlemen, but I have an Ivy League education, and I can't help but think that both authors' voices would be better heard if their prose was more accessible to the general public. Seow's detention was especially dramatic, but he describes his interrogation by heavy-handed, chain-smoking thugs with a Shakespearean lilt that is completely at odds with the material.

Nevertheless, they're good reads, so make a pot of coffee, grab your dictionary, and dive in.

As a Singaporean, I heard about Francis Seow when I was younger. I remember him as a very eloquent speaker and a potential contender for Lee Kuan Yew's PAP government. I also remember how he was constantly potrayed by the local media as a 'dishonest' tax-evader, a 'collaborator' with the Americans to disrupt Singapore's political stability, a 'womaniser', etc. This book looks into the darker side of Singapore's politics from Seow's point of view. It begins with Seow's account of his early career as a government official, his clash with LKY after becoming president of the Law Society, and his 72-day detention without trial under Singapore's Internal Security Act in the late 1980s. Seow's book is a first-hand account of how a Singaporean has suffered under the PAP government's use of biased legislation and media manipulation to maintain political hegemony. Parts of LKY's speeches in the 1950s and 1960s were cleverly quoted by Seow to show the irony of LKY's government, demonstrating how LKY has become almost everything he used to be against since he came into power. Although the economic success of Singapore since independence is indubitable and has often been attributed to the great leadership and foresight of LKY, this book looks into the lesser known aspects of LKY's regime, and will no doubt, raise many questions for the reader.

Francis' book is an entertaining read with vivid accounts of how and why he was imprisoned. However, considering the circumstances of his time spent in detention, one wonders how he can remember such details about specific interrogation sessions. Some creative embellishment to spice up the narration was probably afoot. Where did fact end and literary fiction begin was a question I pondered constantly. His book is as biased as those favourable on the Singapore regime. Nevertheless, a must read for one interested in understanding Singapore's security apparatus and Lee Kuan Yew.

Jeremy

A visitor to Portland today might not realize that the city has a rich history in jazz. Fueled by the shipbuilding boom of World War Two, the city's black population grew rapidly throughout the 40's, creating a vibrant community on the east bank of the Willamette. This was a land of wild nightclubs, neighborhood bars, shady speakeasies that were open all night. Big names came to play, artists like Duke Ellington, Dizzie Gillespie, and Louis Armstrong, but the city also produced a number of local talents, like Wardell Gray and Doc Severinsen. It was not, however, to last; the construction of the Memorial Coliseum wiped out much of the jazz scene, and much of its history was lost. Dietsche's Jumptown: The Golden Years of Portland Jazz sets out to record that lost history.

Jumptown is by-and-large a narrative prose history. The story of the Portland jazz scene flows generally in a chronological line from the 1940s through to the 1980s, with each chapter focusing on a particular location that was key to the jazz of the time. The text relies heavily on direct research, consisting primarily of interviews with direct participants; many quotes and extended passages are included verbatim. Supporting this are numerous photos, many culled from those individuals. There are also reproductions of numerous LPs including recordings of local talents.

This work contains a wealth of information on the history of Portland music and Portland's black neighborhoods. The book is not written for jazz neophytes however; many portions seem to be a stream of name-dropping, as if the book is a bop version of the Chronicles in the King James' Bible. Without this context, many passages will feel confusing or dense, and even with it, it seems to be more a who's who list than a story. The book does yield up some gems of local history, however, including the locations of most of the big clubs and some entertaining anecdotes in the words of witnesses and participants themselves.

The book is printed in the dimensions of a typical hardbound book, but is in a softcover trade paperback binding. Paper weight is smooth and the photos are reproduced adequately. The back of the book contains a discography of Portland-related music that proves handy.

Though a bit thin, the book is the only work I am aware of dedicated specifically to Portland jazz culture. Jazz lovers will no doubt understand the laundry list of names better than the average reader, and there is enough obscure history of the city that it will prove a worthy edition for Portland historians wishing for a truly broad library.

A plethora of information on the Portland,OR jazz scene of the 40's & 50's. The author sets each chapter with a wonderful historical context that brings a real vivacity to the text. There are a multitude of pictures and the format of the book is extremely inviting. The book is packed with useful knowledge in a reader friendly manner. Increase your jazz info and read!

This book offers insight into the Portland music scene not available
anywhere else. Lots of detail, and reasonably well written.

This is an informative book telling about local developments in jazz. In order to judge what jazz means across America there is a need for more local histories.

This book was a required text, otherwise I never would have read it. The book is full of inconstancies, bad literary technique, and it takes to many pages to cover not enough material. The authors personal prejudices are obvious. There are better books on teamwork available.

I was required to purchase this book for a project management course and it's one of the better texts I've read on the topic. Well organized and easily referenced, one of the main strengths of the book is it's analysis of real world examples. Very good text overall.

Leigh Thompson has done it again. Like few others this Northwestern University scholar takes current research and puts it on the page like few other experts. I particularly found the sections on dealing with conflict within teams, creativity, and social capital (in the External Evironment section) worth reading. I keep this book with me when I am meeting with a team. I use the individual chapters as a guide for activities there. If you have an interest in teams, Leigh Thompson is the one expert you should include in your library.

Whether you work in teams, design them, or study them, you will find much of value in this book. Drawing on a wealth of social and behavioral science findings, Leigh Thompson shows the advantages, and the pitfalls, of getting things done through teamwork. Clearly written, with many case examples, Thompson builds on her research and consulting experiences to create a complex picture of what makes groups tick. I particularly liked her explanation of how to foster creativity in teams, as well as how to deal with the inevitable conflicts that arise. She notes that teams are not a panacea. However, under the right conditions, properly organized teams contribute substantially to their organizations. If you're dissatisfied with the way things are going in your organization, this book would make a great (anonymous?) gift for your boss!

I finally gave up and quit reading. It didn't make much sense. I love paranormal, metaphysical mysteries, but this never managed to take off. A good premise wasted. Book could really have used a good editor, too.

My order arrived in a very timely manner and in excellent conditon. Thank you.

First off being a native Californian and also having been in Oregon quite a bit, the author tends to take the stereotyping a bit too far. Not all Oregonians are anti-anyone else, nor are they all New Agists. To an extent, the stereotyping detracts from the book and the plot which is actually very good. Maybe with future novels the author can avoid this. The book is very funny especially toward the end which wasn't expected. The author even made puns out of the title...once was enough. For the most part the book is intelligent and a fun read, but there were so many characters to keep track of that at certain points I would forget the relationship between the different residents of the town. Anyway, I enjoyed reading this mystery for the most part. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

I read all the later ones before I found a copy of this...and it was the best of the lot. Maybe a little unbelievable in spots but so enjoyable that you don't care.

Excellent maps , photos and facts. You do not need more details for plannin a trip to Alaska. Is really perfect.

The National Geographic Driving Guides are guides to Blue Highways, i.e., non-freeways. They are perfect for people who want to get back to the "real" America. Since they are written by different authors, they vary in quality.

Of the ones that I have read, this one is the best. The author, Bob Devine, loves the Northwest, and has done an excellent job of ferreting out a lot of great sights to see and things to do. He also writes clearly.

I was particularly interested in the sections on Alaska, because I was trying to figure out whether it would be interesting to me (I am not an outdoorsman), and if I do visit it, how to structure the trip. After reading this book, I decided that there were a lot of interesting things to do and see in the Anchorage area and decided to fly directly into there.

Other good books in this series are the ones for Pennsylvania/New York, and Texas. The only bad one I've come across is the one for California.

This book was disappointing. Although it boasts the, as always, lovely National Geographic photographs, the information and the writing are dated. It needs to be updated, at least.

This guide is well structured, the chapters on the states are color-coded and make it easy to find trips for the state you're interested in. I liked the classification with stars for locations - the reader knows at a glance which trip offers a lot of "must-sees" and/or interesting places to visit. And because it is a National Geographic guide, it also features lots of beautiful photographs.

The guide is ideal for people who are on a schedule, and would still like to get the most out of a short trip. However, it does NOT offer tips on accomodation or restaurants. Although the appendix lists 800-numbers for hotel & motel chains, this isn't helpful when you plan to stay overnight in, let's say, Ritzville, WA, because there is no information which, if any hotels/motels are in that town.

People who are looking for in-depth travel information would be better off with another guide. But if you don't want to carry a heavy book around or spend hours reading up on your destination, and you're just looking for hands-on tips on where to go, I would recommend this guide.

I read this overlooked classic around 10 years ago; scenes from it still haunt me and give me chills. S. A. Smith plays deftly with SF genre conventions and those of feminist science fiction to focus on questions of what it means to be human - not in the sense of "what it means to be human" in a speech of Captain Kirk, but instead in a way that made me think "How should I live my own life? What is important?" As post-apocalyptic fiction with brooding, thoughtful atmosphere it stands with John Crowley, Octavia Butler, Greg Bear, Gwyneth Jones, Peter Dickinson, Pat Murphy.

"But wait - this is just a story about some people in a small town community or some sort of Kim-Stanley-Robinson-esque hippie commune. Where is the science?" Well, yes. We all know what kind of novel would be written that focuses around the elided scenes in the protagonists' visit to (and escape from) the dystopian post-apocalpyse San Francisco; it's been written countless times. Here is the "other" story to that story. Very subtle and cool.

I was initially excited about reading this book but very quickly I became more than a little disappointed. But I kept reading anyway. Smith's language is, indeed, beautiful. Unfortunately, language is only one of the many facets of a well written, well thought out novel. Smith has developed a small slice of the world that used to be part of the United States, shrouded it with the mystery of its past and introduced its inhabitants and the strange problems surrounding the lives and deaths of their children. But nowhere does Smith answer any of the questions she has posed. Nowhere does she explain the truth behind the mystery. The characters are underdeveloped and I could find myself caring less about their fate. And her ideas about adaptation and evolution are just plain silly. It would take much longer for the evolutionary or adaptive process Smith is describing to take place than she has allowed for...certainly the ruins of lighthouses would be nothing but dust by the time such evolutionary changes in humans could take place. The very foundation for Other Nature is, to put it bluntly, bad. There are better things out there to read.

Stephanie Smith uses a possible (all too near) future to explore many subtleties about what it is to be human and to explore transcendence.

As Stephanie indicates in her own review, this book will not find it's audience easily, its subtleties may elude many. On the other hand, I find it on par with the widely heralded, often quoted, seminal work in the same (sub) genre, A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ. I find this less of a post-disaster novel than a study in human nature through the exploration of not-quite or perhaps more-than human nature.

Anyone who is intrigued by the subtleties of complex human relations and with possible ways we might transcend ourselves as a species and culture should read this book.

Yes, it can be dark and stark but I found rich subtle messages woven into that weft. Whether read literally or as somewhat of an allegory, I found it to be rich in substance to reflect on.

I just finished reading _Other Nature_ about thirty minutes ago. I'm still in a bit of shock. It's that good.

Stephanie A. Smith is relative rarity in the Science Fiction genre, an author who doesn't insult your intelligence. You don't catch the rich subtleties, tough. She isn't going to shove your nose in it until you realize what she is trying to say.

The story, unlike so many science-fiction stories, doesn't depend on a nifty little idea. It's about people, and a small town.

This novel will probably be rejected by many, which is a shame. If more science fiction was like this, I would read it a lot more.

I found this story fascinating. A real community drama. The author did an excellent job introucing the members of this Jewish coimmunity, laying out the conflicts, interviewing them for their own personal perspectives, and showing the deep divides that can arise among contemporary Jews. There was a lot of acrimony on both sides...but also a lot of humanity. This wasn't simply boring sociological analysis -- a real story, with drama and intrigue. One of the best studies of contemporary Jewish life I've ever read.

When I first picked up Zuckerman's "Strife in the Sanctuary", I was a little dubious, not having much of a background in either religion or sociology. I quickly found that the story Zuckerman is telling is truly interesting, and that his presentation and writing style make complex issues and academic theories relevant and interesting to those of us without a great deal of background in these issues. One of the book's main qualities is the author's ability to delve into the humanity of the people and conflicts he is describing, and the reader gets an excellent sense of the tensions and struggles of factional strife. I have just read Zuckerman's new edited compilation of W.E.B. DuBois's writings on religion, am again very impressed with his work, and look forward to reading more of his insight and analysis in the future.

Strife in the Sanctuary is an interesting read, but doesn't fully explain what it sets out to explore: Why would a small religious community expel some of its members for getting too religious? This fascinating question is raised, but the author does not employ journalistic or scholarly methods or reasoning to find answers and relies a bit too much on gossip and his own opinions and beliefs to make his point. I enjoyed the book, I just wish the research was more thorough.

The author of Strife in the Sanctuary, Phil Zuckerman, lived in Eugene, Oregon while working on his Ph.D. He studied the emerging divisions between two groups in what was formerly one Jewish community. Zukerman spent time with each group and gained the confidences of everyone in the community in order to write this book. My wife and I were the main antagonists in this book. We were given the names Lynn and Josh Roshefsky, but little else was disguised. After my wife and I read the book we experienced a profound sense of pain. We felt the vulnerability of having quiet disclosures revealed and we revisited all our motives, actions and words. We withdrew further from Eugene's Jewish community, wounded because we saw how our former friends made so little effort to understand or accept us, and how they talked behind our backs. Slowly, with the help of a few close friends who were intimately involved in the early stages of the expansion of Eugene's Jewish life, we began to understand this book. In order to write what he thought would be an interesting book, Zuckerman wanted a hero and a villain. Thus, the rabbi of the community became the hero and we became the villains. Unfortunately, as any good sociologist should be able to describe, life is not that simple. The author has written a partial account of a painful failure in community. He does a good job describing how each group of Jews in a small community(one group leftist, secular and political; the other group religious and spiritual, with a range of politics never described) are unable to communicate. Each group uses different words which mean different things to the opposing group, each group has different values and goals, and most important, each disdains the closely held values of the opposing group. These people, many of whom dabbled in leftist politics in the Sixties split over two fundamental issues of our time; gender and religion. This sounds like the basis for a good sociological study. Unfortunately, it barely gets off the ground. Zuckerman describes gender politics from the narrow perspective of traditional feminism, and he has a consescending attitude toward people who choose other points of view. (Ironically, he seems to have problems with strong Jewish women. The two stongest women in the book, my wife and the Rebbitzen, who are on opposing sides are both treated harshly by him.) Most regrettably, Zuckerman does not analyze basic sociological issues of group rivalry. How did these groups split apart; why did one group become hateful; why did the other group become withdrawn? What actions were taken by leaders in the community? What attracted people to traditional Jewish thought and what caused some to pull back? Zuckerman does not address these critical issues. He focuses on the controversy of getting rid of a long term, charismatic rabbi. Worse, he publishes the most nasty and hateful comments by people criticizing others in our small community. These comments are so extreme one doubts whether these people will be able to face each other again. What purpose does it serve to publish these comments, other than to write a more spicey book. There is a concerted, ongoing effort in modern Orthodox communities to educate about the most powerful destructive force within a community, lashon hora (literally, the evil tongue). This book is an example of lashon hora at its worst, and the author can't seem to get out of this sewer to address the critical issues. He could have written about leftist intolerance, liberal apathy and conservative rigidity. Too bad, it could have been an excellent study, instead it's just a shallow hurtful little book.

I met the author at a talk-book signing in northern Vermont.

The most interesting thing he talked about was the idea that the Republican party should really be the party that supports the arts the best... to him, Republican meant the protection of personality liberty as well as personal responsibility.

Now, of course, the Republican party is more equated with social conservativism... telling people what to do and how to behave... the precise opposite of the personal liberty idea.

I am generally EXTREMELY anti-republican... this book, oddly, made me understand the problems with the party more clearly. If personal liberty and personal responsibility can once again become the main themes of what the party stands for... along with a bit more fiscal conservatism... well, I'd be less worried about republicans in power.

Anyway... good stuff, good issues.

I had intended for this book to be summer reading later this year; instead, I picked it up on a Friday night and dropped everything else until I finished it that weekend. It's a well-written, entertaining, and insightful book, and other Oregonians (like me) will likely enjoy the local references and tales of the arts community. Well done!

Loyalty rewarded with betrayal. That seems simple enough and repeated hundreds of times in stories, yet this book is much more. The exploration of the true, current, and relevant events and themes is told not only as an excellent story but also in thought-provoking consideration of what can be and should be. Without being preachy, Gary presents difficult subjects in a way that is valuable for conservatives and liberals. It is the kind of book all citizens should read because it is about the meeting of culture and politics in the formation of the society we live in. It is the kind of book you want to read because it is an interesting story told exceptionally well.

This book covers many of the studies done on the salmon populations here in the Pacific Northwest. The information comes from many experts, who do not have a political or business agenda...people who truly care about the survival of all the ecosystems involved.

Joseph Cone's book, "A Common Fate: Endangered Salmon and the People of the Pacific Northwest," tells a story that combines over two hundred years of U.S. history with the prurient facts of salmon and political science. Cone, in unflinching detail, and with a flair for dramatic storytelling, chronicles the ins and outs of the on-going battle to save the Pacific Northwest salmon runs and their surrounding watersheds. The overview of the salmon issue this book provides is astounding. From all sides' viewpoints, from Gordon Reeves, a fish researcher and ecologist with the Pacific Northwest Research Station of the U.S. Forestry Service in 1988, to people like Mike Draper, spokesperson for The Western Council of Industrial Workers and Antone Minthorn, council chairman of the General Council of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Cone weaves a tale that can be described as nothing short of sordid. Elucidating the deceptions, feints and dodges of bureaucratic interests and what motivates them as well as he does the struggles, fears, and hopes of the environmental activists, Cone shows an in depth knowledge of both salmon biology and political policy, all the while moving his story throughout Pacific Northwest and salmon history. Flashback narratives back to the very beginning of Pacific Northwest history with the arrival of James Cook, Robert Grey, on through Lewis and Clark and John Jacob Astor provide a sense of historic perspective on the abundance and exploitation of this incredible fish. Cone chronicles the wasteful days of the Hapgood & Hume canneries, where, after a day's work, if the canners couldn't keep up with supply, hundreds of fish would be shoveled back into the water, wasted. He describes the migrant cannery fishermen and the disputes between gill-netters, those who used fish traps, and the canneries themselves, the strikes and violence associated with them as everyone struggles to take all they can in a living description of human economist Garrett Hardin's essay, "The Tragedy of the Commons." He describes with harrowing precision the two steps forward, one step back dance of environmental policy, as environmentalist minded scientists cross swords with policy makers and industrial advocates, as treaties and alliances are formed and broken again and again over the same ground year after year, decade after decade. He shows again and again the complexity of the issues, the difference between conservation and preservation, and the fact that thus far, in the struggle between fish and man, man has won time and time again, and that time for the Pacific Northwest salmon is running out. Though one review on the back of the book suggests that Cone offers up cooperation as the solution to the salmon crisis, in truth, "A Common Fate" illustrates the fallacy of cooperation between the two sides of industry and environment. The evidence he presents illustrates clearly that, as the industrialists call for a "balance" to be struck, in truth, the salmon are systematically being balanced out of existence. For anyone looking for a clear, concise overview of the issues surrounding the salmon crisis in an easy to read format, this book comes highly recommended.

Salmon , as a species , are no where near to being extinct, as this book would lead one to believe. Can we improve on the way we as U.S. Citizens treat our Environment? Certainly!!! Do we have the will to do it? Who Knows???