Kentucky Books

This is a terrific book for anyone who loves old time fiddle music. Easy to read transcriptions of some different regional styles, including references to field recordings and other artists. The back of the book features biograpies of important Kentucky fiddlers with many great old photos.

Then, if you really want to know what this stuff sounds like... there is a cd included which is guaranteed to inspire you to play or just go to Kentucky as I did.

This is an indispensable resource for people interested in the fiddling traditions of Kentucky. It includes transcriptions of 170 tunes from a number of Kentucky fiddlers, some well-known (relatively speaking) and some rather obscure. The tunes also run the gamut of familiar (Arkansas Traveler) to obscure (Cotton Bonnet, Pick a Little Cotton and Spin Some Too, and many many other examples). Transcription alone may not be enough to convey the sound and feeling of the tunes so Titon has included a CD with this volume which is a selection of tunes from the book played by the source fiddlers. I wish Titon had included more tunes on this CD as it only covers a few of the 170 tunes in the book. However, for those who wish to locate more of the source tunes, there is a great resource where one can download many of them for this book (but certainly not all). It is the Digital Library of Appalachia (do a Google search and you will find it). Here you can search for a tune or fiddler and download MP3's for free. Much of Titon's book is based on field recordings done by folklorists like Bruce Greene and John Harrod, and these people have donated their recordings to the various libraries involved in the Digital Library project. For example, one can download the complete home recordings of Kentucky fiddler John Salyer on this website-- this includes all the Salyer tunes in Titon's volume and many more that are not transcribed in his book.

In my experience not all of the transcriptions exactly match the source tunes, but Titon admits in the introduction it is nearly impossible to fully capture a fiddler's setting for a tune on the written page. This is true, and I use this resource as a companion to the source tunes to clarify certain passages when needed and learn the tunes primarily by listening to them. Titon's transcriptions are clean and simple, and he does not muddy the page with a lot of prescribed bowing patterns-- he allows the fiddler to interpret the transcription and come up with his/her own bowing patterns for the tunes.

Each tune has a brief history printed below the transcription along with a list of other fiddlers who have recorded the tune (published and unpublished versions) and other books where the tune has been transcribed.
This volume also includes an excellent introduction on the evolution of old-time fiddling in Kentucky and the various tune types that have evolved in Kentucky (Titon outlines 3 different types distinguished by region). Titon includes a capsule biography section that gives a brief bio on each of the fiddlers whose tunes are transcribed in the book and in many cases a photo of the fiddler.

Overall, this is a great resource and learning tool for fiddlers and others interested in Appalachian fiddling traditions. It is in my opinion one of the best (if not the best) books on the subject of Appalachian fiddling. Highly recommended!

Maybe my expectations for this book were off base. The book has 170 fiddle tunes and also alot of historical and geographical references of where in Kentucky they originated from. I see that the book was funded in part by grants and it does read like alot of Masters Theses and grant proposals that I've encounted. Which is to say I think it's packaged well but also has alot of b.s. in there. I wouldn't recommend this book especially if if you want to learn some fiddle tunes, which gets back to the fact that maybe I was expecting something else altogether. On the cd there's 26 of the 170 tunes and only 9 of these are in standard tuning. Also the pitch is often way off and the transcription don't seem to jibe either. The better thing to do is just forget about the transcription and try and fiddle along. In this repect there are some pretty interesting recordings. What this book is mainly is a reference book so if you want to learn some fiddle tunes I'd say to spend your money on something else such as the Fiddler's Magazine Favorites book which comes with 2 cds and all the tunes accuratly transcribed. I don't see it on Amazon but Fiddlers Magazine puts it out ... Another good book is the Advanced Fiddling Book by Craig Duncan. It does get pretty advanced but some of the tunes are more beginning and intermediate. Also not on Amazon from what I can see but I think it's through Mel Bay. Mel Bay's Complete Fiddling Book, also by Duncan (and available thru Amazon) has some good beginning to intermediate tunes but the video which must be ordered seperatly through Mel Bay doesn't have all that many of the 300 tunes in the book so if you want a recorded rendition this is a problem as only about 10% of the tunes are on the video. What it does have though is good. Again I can see how the other reviewers gave this Kentucky Fiddle Tunes book 5 stars because it's a nice package and a decent reference book but you better be into altered tunings quite a bit... Anyway there's no way I'd tell a friend it was anything above 2 stars.

There are very few good compilations of fiddle tunes from various states. While there are excellent tunebooks from a range of fiddle traditions, it is also important to have great collections of good tunes from individual states and regions. This book is an important addition to the research on fiddling traditions that comprise an important part of American folk music. The introductory materials in the book provide a fine understanding of the background of fiddle traditions in Kentucky. Titon then presents the transcriptions of dozens of great tunes, and the book includes an audio CD to help provide a better understanding of old-time fiddling in Kentucky. Highly recommended for fiddlers and old-time music fans.

It took me a while to cough up the do, re, mi for this one, but I'm glad I did now it's in my hands. I love this book because it's all about the music. It has enough ethnomusicoligy in it to assure you it's honest. It has a wealth of wonderful tunes both in print and on a CD. The CD gets the underlying rhythm across like notation just can't do. And the stories about the old boys and girls are a bonus. Too many old time fiddle books seem to be a catalogue of old boys. You sometimes wonder if the author ever heard them play. Not this book. This is a university press publication, so if it sells out it probably won't be available again for a long time, if ever. So get it now.

Bobbie Ann Mason's characters are so real that you feel like you'd meet them when you're at the grocery store or Target buying laundry detergent or frozen waffles. Some of them, I think, are my relatives (or me). She manages to create people who are unique, yet shows us the parts of them that are just like us. I've read and reread this story collection so many times and never tire of it. I've bought every book she's written and am particularly fond of her short stories.

I was given this book by a friend about ten years ago. Somewhere in between, it went walkabout. It is such a haunting, beautiful set of stories that the chance to get it back - and in hardback - is not to be missed. Tales about working class life don't get much truer or more real than this. Very gentle, very thoughtful, very moving. Worth going out of your way for a copy.

One of the blurbs for Bobbie Ann Mason's writing describes it as being like "type O blood" in that it can be given to anyone. I can't think of a better way to put it. "Shiloh" is a good place to start reading Mason as it was her first collection of short stories, and is a good introduction to her world.

Mason's characters all live in a world that's relatable. The Kentucky of her characters is rapidly changing from its rural past to a world of subdivisions, northerners and industry. As the past rolls away from them, so does their sense of connection.

But it's not just the stories that make Mason notable, it's the way she tells them. When I first read the short story "Shiloh" for a class back in college, I was struck at the present tense and the immediacy of her prose. Many writers since have written in present tense, but few are able to write a story that's as sharp as Mason. Also, I usually don't like the use of similes but Mason's similes are so imaginative that they don't feel overdone.

Some of the stories to pay special attention to in this collection are the title story, "Detroit Skyline 1949," "A New Wave Format" and "Nancy Culpepper." The last story, along with "Lying Doggo" concern the same characters and were reprinted in a collection also entitled "Nancy Culpepper" in 2006, which I also recommend.

I never get tired of reading Mason's stories; the tales of people feeling displaced within their own surroundings are just as relevant in the new century as they were in the last.

Bobbie Ann Mason is one of the modern masters of the short story, and to see why all you have to do is pick up this collection. The stories all have a melancholy feel and are simple stories of rural Kentucky. They do at times tend to be very similar, so it is best to break this collection up with something else. But reading this shows you the skill Mason has with the short story, and why so many students love her work. I especially loved the touching story "Drawing Names."

This collection of short stories is loved, even revered, by many fledgling short story writers, and with some legitimate reasons. Bobbie Ann Mason constructs a story well, and her characters behave as real people would. She rarely chooses to give the reader much of a sense of the landscapes in which she works, but when she does, she does it beautifully and economically. Frankly, though, I grew weary of the themes in her stories. In the middle of one of the stories, I think I screamed something like, "If I have to read one more story about dysfunctional relationships, I'm going to shoot myself!" I never did go through with it, in part because Mason does give the reader a taste of some likeable male characters in a few of the stories near the end of the book. I myself would never want to write stories which are, ultimately, as bleak as the stories in this collection, but Mason's bitter humor is often endearing, and her characters are interesting (if similarly crafted from story to story). If you want to read about people from rural Kentucky, read Wendell Berry instead; if you're looking for stories about relationships, read Joyce Carol Oates. Save this one for after you're read just about everything else.

I was somewhat disappointed in the storyline of this book titled "The Town on Beaver Creek". I expected more facts and historical events regarding Martin, Kentucky but only about 25% of the book gives direct information on "a Lost Kentucky Community".

Lots of hard work and research was put into this book. It is well written and fun to read. If you love to read and have a chance to read this book it is really wonderful.

I was born in Martin, and, even though I left with my family when I was 4, I spent many summers at my grandparents. Many of the names in the book were familiar in that I knew the grandchildren of the characters. I also bought copies for my mother and aunt, as they were born there, and went to school at the old high school. They really enjoyed reading stories that they had been told in their youth.

Although I think this book would appeal most to the people with ties to the area (the reason I gave it only 4 stars), it is a good read, and tells the story of a way of life that is slipping away. The people are real, and Ms. Slatalla keeps them that way. Now, if she wants to write another book, my family could tell her a lot more stories :-).

For someone who grew up in Kentucky, though I do not know E. Ky. very well, this is a fantastic book, and a little seen view into the small town areas in Eastern Kentucky who are so adversely affected by the floods on the Big Sandy and others. The author has personalized it in myriad ways and has backed it up with people and documents at every turn. Her style of writing is easy to read and very appropriate to her subject. It's a great read, and I would recommend it to anyone with a deep love of the Bluegrass State and its people.

as a resident of martin, i just had to read this book. it was great. i've been to the cemetary and seen where these ppl now rest. i've shopped in e.p. grisbsy's store that is still in business. it does read like a fiction novel which makes it even better. i kept imagining myself at the old train depot and hestas different houses. i know where most of those places once stood and reading this book (even tho we're of no relation to the families that the book is about) it was a lil like going home. like sitting around and hearing your grandparents tell of their history. I couldn't put it down! I read the entire book in one day.

I'm vacationing in a rustic cottage on a lake in Maine with my family. One quiet evening, the moon rising, and loons calling, I find this old book, its spotted and yellowed pages almost falling out and begin to read it. Well! I couldn't put it down. Maybe the setting and circumstance is why I've given this book a 5, but it is truly is a great story. Along the Kentucky/Virginia border 'civilization' is arriving. The mountain people have their own culture and rules of clan justice and they are about to discover the culture of the so-called civilized world. This is an absolutely fascinating view of tribal tradition clashing with the rule of law and proper living as the civilized world sees it. A young girl who has only known rude mountain life and morays meets and falls in love with an engineer from 'away' who is cultured, educated, well dressed, well spoken. Meanwhile, coal has been discovered in the Cove. Speculators from as far away as England come to cash in. Schools and stores and jails are built in the Gap. However, the once pure streams run black. All the while reading this, I thought of the parallel of today thinking that our culture, come hell or high water, is best for all. I wonder: to what end?

Bob feels that this book was very good. Bob liked this book very much. This gripping tale of love and survival is deeply etched into the soul of every reader that reads this heart-wrenching novel. Fox tells a story of a facinating undying love for others and the Big Pine that always seems to know the answers to life's most difficult questions. Bob encourages anyone that likes a wonderful well wrote book to pick this one up, hold it close to your heart, and never let go.

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine proves to be an enchanting tale about love. A tall pine tree stood in solitary splendor on the top of a mountain in Kentucky and through its fame lured a young engineer to find it and leaad Hale on a trail of love which I felt was an overall wonderful plot for this book. Since the plot of the book was set in Kentucky June and her family along with the many nountaineers had our good ole country accent which also portrayed that they had not received very much education. In a waaay I feel that it was an insult to Kentuckians knoweledge even though it did portray June's remarkable learning rate when Hale helped her to attend school. I think the beauty of the state could have been captured morewhile telling of how beautiful the land was while looking at the view of the lonsome pine. Many flowers in Kentucky are mentioned throughout the novel and June also had a flower garden built for her of Kentucky's wildflowers. Although I didn't like the waay the law stepped in during the Falins and Tollivers family feuds which continued throughout June's childhoodBecause I think their battles could have been a book by itself rather than to combine them with the love and romance of Hale and June even though they greatly affected their lives. I felt that the novel was deeply expressive in many ways and throughout all encounters portrayed by John Fox Jr. you were sure to experience the poetic side of life in the Kentucky mountains.

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine takes place in the Kentucky mountains, bordering Big Stone Gap, Virginia. It is a story of love, as well as change. At the heart of this novel are the Tolliver & Falin families, who have been in a feud with one another for as far back as anyone can remember. The story begins as life in the mountains is beginning to change..coal mining is starting to boom, and the oustide world is creeping into the simple ways of mountain life. A town is blossoming in Big Stone Gap Virginia..and the Trail of the Lonesome Pine connects the town with Lonesome Cove, home of the Tolliver family, and a pretty little mountain girl named June. When John Hale enters the Tolliver/Falin territory, June is immediately drawn to him. The entrance of this "furriner" will change June's life forever.

Not being from the region that the Trail of the Lonesome Pine is written about, I was definitely reading it from a "furriner" point of view. The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is really two stories in one. Part of this novel is a love story, centering on a young girl, June Tolliver & her love interest John Hale, the "furriner." The other side of this novel focuses on what life is like for the "mountain people" and the effects of the coal mining boom, and the influx of foreigners into their way of life. Both stories are very interesting and blend well together. At times though, I felt the writing was hard to get through and difficult to follow. The last 1/4 of the book really picked up, and by the time the story concluded, I was glad that I read this and look forward to reading more by John Fox, Jr.

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is set in the Kentucky mountains of the 19th century. June Tolliver is a very poor young mountain girl who meets an engineer from the outside world. He takes June out of the mountains so she can go to school and get an education. He is also interested in mining coal in the Kentucky hills. The story of how their love for each other grows and of the Tolliver family's feud with the Falin's is a classic American tale. I read this story out loud to my teen-age children and they just loved it! This is the first of a trilogy by Fox.

A good book, but seemed to be a bit biased towards Jacob's home state of GA. They had the most comprehensive reviews and got more waters than others. To his credit, it is still a good read with some decent information on access points. I'd recommend a book more concentrated to the area you are going, but for all regions of Southern Appalachia, this is not bad considering there is not many books that cover this many miles of trout waters.

If Jimmy Jacobs has written a book on a subject of interest to you, buy it. His guide books on southern trout fishing are thorough, concise and leave the reader prepared to catch fish regardless of the destination. He gives you all the information you need to be in position to succeed...the rest is up to you.

The author's knowledge of the territory, exact locations and land marks is very helpful. He does not go in to much, if any, detail about insect life in the streams. Overall a very good book in rating streams, fishing quality, and helping you get there.

This book provides the most comprehensive guide to the fishing streams in North and South Carolina. It is a great resource and each description has a map number so each is very easy to locate.

Just spent three days fishing in the GSMNP in eastern Tennessee, and found Mr. Jacobs book to be right on target. A lot of the information can be found from local flyshops, but his book really helped plan our trip in advance. Coupling this book with local advice is a formula for success.

Aindreas The Messenger: Louisville, Kentucky 1855 by Gerald McDaniel is the debut publication of VanMeter Publishing and the first volume of a planned four volume series. Aindreas is an Irish-Catholic boy who with the help of angelic Mr. Knight and the heroic dog Konig, tends to his dying mother and befriends a slave family. Illustrated with occasional historic period drawings, Aindreas The Messenger is a deftly written, highly recommended novel, just exactly the kind that is so easy to pick up and so difficult to put down. Readers will look eagerly forward to the other books comprising the series: Aindreas: The Scribe 1865; Aindreas: The Odyssey 1876-1892; and Aindreas: The Dissenter 1918.

Mr. McDaniel brings us the personal story of Aindreas Rivers, a poor but remarkable boy of Irish background, set against the backdrop of events leading up to the Bloody Monday riots (probably Louisville's most significant--if infamous-- contribution to American history). Having grown up in Louisville, I found it interesting to read of streets and churches which are still very familiar today, but this knowledge is in no way necessary to enjoyment of the novel. There were many poignant moments in the narrative, made more so to me because my German and Irish ancestors might well have been affected.
After recent events in New York and Washington, I found reading this book comforting somehow, that although terrorism has been with us for a long time, even in our own midst, we have been able to come through it and become in many ways a better country.

Louisville Kentucky, 1855. A small 13 year old boy, Aindreas Rivers, lives with his impoverished Irish immigrant family in a city dealing with slavery, and the hatred of the Irish, Germans and Catholics generated by the American Party (Know Nothings) who were politically strong in that era.

Aindreas Rivers is employed as a messenger by a furniture manufacturer and his daily journeys through the streets of the city teach him much he could never learn in school about the facts of humanity.

His best friend is a middle-aged black man, Isaac White, and his family, slaves of the Squire who also owns the tenament in which the Rivers family lives. They are about to be "sold down the river" and it is Aindreas who, with help from his friend Captain Workman, starts the on their way to freedom. In the election day riots, when Irish and German families are burned out of their homes and murdered by drunken thugs hired by the "Know Nothings," Aindreas in instrumental in saving many through his timely warnings of danger and his knowledge of the city.

If you like historic fiction, this is the Best! All the facts are avilable. It is a part of our American history which we try to forget and keep living even in the 21st century.

Gerald McDaniel the author has done the research and brings us an exciting novel using the historic facts and a gift of telling a tale.

Three more books are forthcoming to complete the "Aindreas" quartet. I look forward to the next, "Aindreas: the Scribe."

Aindreas is a historical fiction account set in Louisville, KY, during the 1855 Bloody Monday time. The main character, Aindreas who is also known as Andrew and Lucky, is a poor boy of about age 13. He helps provide for his family as a messenger, delivering invoices and sometimes furniture for a furniture company. Aindreas' family is held together by his mother who he can tell is dying. To complicate matters in his life further, Aindreas has "spells" or seizures that are horrible. However, just after these spells Aindreas usually sees and talks to a special man, Mr. Knight, who helps him think through his problems and seems to know a lot of information about Aindreas. He also has another adult friend in Isaac, an older slave who lives next door to Aindreas. Isaac realizes that his owner is planning to sell him so he asks Aindreas for help in helping him and his family get to freedom. Aindreas is a classic underdog who the reader's heart goes out to. While he does have a few friends that are adults, his only other friend is a huge, protective dog. Aindreas would have enough issues in his life to make an interesting story, but to top it all off, this all takes place in a volitile time in Louisville history. Young adults can learn about this time of political upheaval and strong prejudices through a personal account of a young teen. We learn about the confusion over the mayoral race and the consequent voter intimidation. We definitely get a feel for the prejudices against the Irish, Germans, Catholics, slaves, and anyone born in another country. Ethnic cleansing is examined from a teen's viewpoint as Aindreas looks neutral enough to become part of a crowd or mob and learn their views.

I recommend this book to mature high school to adult readers. As a teacher and future school librarian, I would highly recommend it to secondary history teachers. However, due to some realistic strong language, violence, and one implied sexual scene, some may find parts of this book objectionable. I believe these possibly objectionable parts are a vital part of the book's historically realistic view of the events that occurred at the time of Bloody Monday and value them. Personally I find that I am left with several questions after reading this book. I am interested in discovering if these questions are answered in the second of his four book saga, Aindreas: The Scribe.

After you read this book, get in your car or on your bike and ride down Main street and the riverfront. You soon come to realize that Louisville hasn't changed that much in the past 150 years since Aindreas roamed the brick streets, with his dog, Konig, lurking in the allies, delivering messages from the furniture factory. This is an absolutely incredible narrative of the river city come to life through the view of a thirteen-year-old boy, Aidreas Rivers, taking into account the trials of slavery, predjudice, death in the family, and the reality behind the lives of people who try to present themselves in a image that masks the realty of not only themselves, but the sign the the times. The revolt against the Germans is detailed enough that you can go through the old Louisville cemetaries that still exist and feel the impact it had on the city and the victims written in German on the mossy headstones. Though the novel is set in 1855, there are so many parallels with modern social problems. Even if the laws are more civil-rights laws are more promenant than they were almost 200 years ago, there is still rancor against certain ethnicities and lifestyles that seemed to have survived since then. Aidreas represents an innocent that looks past the hate and sees the goodness and truth about human nature, whether it's in the 19th century or the 21st century.

I couldn't put this book down. Very well written personal stories and vignettes. The author's descriptive style made the book very visual as well as emotive. -- Monica Steele, Jeffry's wife.

This is a book that I couldn't put down, but hated the thought of coming to the end of it . It is about a close society of people; a people that in spite of the adversity that they faced in depression era Appalachia, were able to conquer the demons of the company owned mining towns and live lives filled with dignity and compassion. The sensitivity of the descriptive prose brought me into the lives of these noble, heroic people. I found myself wanting to reread so many of the chapters, and I did. I recommend this book to people of all ages and circumstances. It is a beautiful introduction to an important and sometimes sad part of American Culture.

Once I began reading, I couldn't put the book down. The author transports you to Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountains back in the 1930's. I loved how descriptive the writing was. I plan to get a copy of the book for many of my friends.

I went to school in Wyoming, New York (1968-1981) where Rhoda Warren lived as an adult and I knew her name, but I had no idea of her abilities or her personal story. I am so proud of her. She really has a talent for writing.

These memories of growing up the 1930's in a Letcher County Kentucky coal mining community are inspiring, especially as they show how rich the author's family was in love and support while living in poverty. The author's respect for the beauty of the area and its people is evident, and she brings members of the community to life, including the plow man, the mid-wife, and the country preacher. To survive, the family eventually moved to the small New York town where an aunt lived, and where the author met and married a local businessman just before her eighteenth birthday. Her vivid description of her first visit back "home" as a sophisticated married woman is bittersweet and hilarious, and that scene alone is worth the price of the book.

"Appalachian Mountain Girl" flows with the gentleness and innocence of a happy childhood amidst mountain hardships. So nice to read contemporary memories of Southeastern Kentucky in the 1930's before "progress" crept in to change the landscape forever. This book lends a romance even to the coal mines which provided her family of 13 children with food and shelter. Thanks to Ms. Warren for sharing her life with us.

My girlfriend and I recently moved to Tennessee and were looking for the BEST places to go TENT camping. What do ya know... someone wrote a book called "The BEST in TENT Camping in TN..." One passage in particular caught my eye.. the one about Edgar Evins State Park. I believe Johnny's description stated "you literally pitch your TENT [people literally park RV's on these platforms] on a level platform notwithstanding that the ground recedes below you... The experience is akin to camping [parking] on a deck looking out on the land below. And I like it." A unique experience such as this right in our own backyard? We were off. We hate RV's, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos. To us the whole meaning of TENT camping is the return to nature, solitude, quiet, and good old fashioned roughing it. This particular park deferred from all of the above. The supposedly unique platforms were mereley individual parking lots spread vast inches from one another, and feet, maybe even yards away from Coke machines and showers; not to mention the electricity and running water ON EVERY PLATFORM. Oh, and the view was nonexistent as well. The lake view off the platform front was blocked by trees-what happened to looking out on the land below?; while the view off the back of the platform was, well, the road you drove in on... Yes, all of 60 platforms sang the same sad story.

Don't get me wrong. If you're an RV owner or a luxury camper you will love this campground! However, if you're looking for a book to direct you to the best TENT camping in TN or KY, ie a book entitled "The Best in Tent Camping: Tennessee & Kentucky..." this book may miss the mark. Although lovely in its own respects, Edgar Evins is more like a Motel 6 minus the roof, but fairly, at half the price. Johnny sighted this campground as the most unusual in the book. My warning is that "most unusual" claim turned out to be most dissapointing. Read with caution and research these sites outside of this book alone.

My family and I like to camp. I want my kids to experience "real" camping! Johnny's frank descriptions and extensive knowledge qualify him as a top-of-the-line outdoor writer. Not only do I enjoy his style, but his accuracy and thoroughness sets a standard. If I am looking for an outdoor book with his name on it, I will order it!

This book opened my eyes to all the camping destinations in Tennessee and Kentucky. I live in Knoxville, TN and had no idea all of these possibilities were around me!

Being so near the Smokies, I just always went there, but now I have branched out in my tent camping endeavors, checking out such places as Turkey Foot campground in Kentuckys' Daniel Boone National Forest. Mammoth Cave National Park also has a great tent campground, Houchins Ford.
My own state of Tennessee has cool destinations like Meriwether Lewis Memorial on the Natchez Trace. I always disdained west Tennessee but was surprised to find Fort Pillow State Park on the bluffs of the Misissippi River. Buy this book if you want to expand your tent camping horizons in Tennessee and Kentucky.
I highly recommend this book -- Molloy makes the information so engaging and interesting as well.

The best thing I like about Molloy's book is that it tells me a lot of great new places to explore. I found Montgomery Bell State Park and it was just like he described. My family and I enjoyed the lakes, trails and especially the campground. Buy this book if you to branch out and see some new sites in Tennessee and Kentucky!

I have known Johnny Molloy for nearly 20 years and he is one camping fool -- he has camped all over the place. And when he finally wrote a campground guidebook for his home state of Tennessee I just had to buy it.

Sure enough it's a winner.

Johnny covered all the highlights of Tennessee -- from the bluffs of the mighty Mississippi River at Fort Pillow to the wild shoreline of the Nolichucky River in East Tennessee.

I have taken him up on his recommmendation to hit Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, which Tennessee shares with Kentucky -- that place will surprise. Check it out. Johnny's got 4 campgrounds from LBL detailed in the book, among 60 total campgrounds.

I haven't yet explored Kentucky yet, but am planning a trip to Mammoth Cave and the Daniel Boone National Forest. Actually, I have the feeling Johnny is going to lead me to a lot of places I've never been!

After seeing a bright, predominantly yellow, bird while out fishing one day I knew I had to buy a guide book specifically for Kentucky and I'm so glad I chose this one (it turned out to be a yellow warbler.) I have 6 other bird books and ordered this one to keep at our camper down at Kentucky Lake. It is "hands down" the best book out of all the ones I own and I have some expensive bird books. This is SUPER easy to use and the color coding is ingenious for quick reference and fits handily under my seat in the bass boat. When I got back home after using it I immediately ordered one for my home state of Illinois which I'm eagerly awaiting.

This book is awesome ! It is super easy to use, very accurate and provides alot of detailed information about the various birds, including terrific photo's that makes it a breeze to identify the bird you are looking for. I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys watching birds.

This book is great, if only for the photos. But it is also an excellent guide. The birds are arranged by color instead of type, making identification easier for the casual less experienced birdwatcher. Identification tips in the front. Information for each bird includes full page (4.5 x 6 in.) photo, range map, info on ID, nest, egg, incubation, fledgling, migration and food, similar birds and notes.

Well laid out ... I have identified tons of birds with this book, not cumbersome and works great...

my mother in-law brought me this book for my state and I loved it. my daughter lives in kentucky so I got the same one for her. I didn't want to spend a lot of time trying to fiqure out what a bird is when I see it. This book couldn't be easier. you look under the color of the bird you saw and then find the bird. The colors are all indexed. It's a great book for a nonexperienced birdwatcher as myself...

Learning Chem is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. When I studied, my main source of knowledge was from the text books. Unfortunately, I didn't have this book when I took General Chem.
After reading this book, I realized that many authors(at least 3 of my other general chem books I own) don't emphasize on Atoms and Light(as in Ch6) much less know how to explain the topic. More over, they don't know how to arrange the material in an organized order. Comparing to this book, I'm surprised how those other Chem books could miss entirely on The Properties of Electrons (Ch6.5) which I think is the most important topic in Chem since Chem deals mainly with the Coulomb Force.
So I guess writing a Chem text book requires a lot of skill. The author need to know what to emphasize(and what not to) and know how to cleverly link the material in order that readers can easily understand. The authors of this book did just that.

The problems really helped me understand what to think about in chemistry without overwhelming me with information. However, the section on MO theory was a little unclear, I would recommend an instructor to explain that concept to students. I still countinue to use this textbook not only as a reference, but also in prepartion for taking advanced chemistry courses and possible preparation for med school.

Wonderful book no doubt in terms of content. But a serious limitation is that it is without a chapter in Organic chemistry. Other chapters are easy to understand. Only due to the lack of organic chemistry discussions I am giving it 4 stars

That is the gold question because Wiley Publishers put out some amazing books. A highly organized index, comprehensive tables for electron affinity, ionization energies, thermodynamic functions, equilibrium constants and standard redox potentions are all here for the intermediate/advanced reader while all the fundamentals from bonding to composition are here. The book focuses heavily on electron relationsips in bonding and the effects of intermolecular forces. Large colorful charts and diagrams are shown on every page. There are multiple examples throughout every chapter with an adbundance of questions at the end. The only complaint is an incomplete periodic table as it only shows molar mass, valence configuration, the atomic number, and the elemental symbol. Great book with good organization. 5 Stars.

The pros about this book:
1. I really enjoyed the sample problems in the book. It helped prepare me for the additional problems in the book.

2. For the most part, I understood everything. Reading it was not too difficult.

The cons about this book:
1. Some answers were incorrect. I had to speak with the instructor to get a couple of problems cleared.

2. The worst is that there is a solution manual available for only the Odd problems. I'd prefer a solution manual with both even and odd problems so that I can compare my work with and not hassle the professor's as much as i do to make sure i'm understanding the material.