Maine Books

This book was in mint condition and I was happy that I was able to get a copy of it. I have ordered many books recently and have been thrilled with the condition of my book orders.

I like to think of Bernd Heinrich as a forest sleuth. Nothing delights him more than prowling, or jogging, through miles and miles of his favorite Maine woods identifying and describing such things as the songs of birds, the cocoons of caterpillars, the smells of beetles and the droppings of moose. In this case, his interests lead him to examine the contents of the stomachs of owls - in particular the stomachs of Great Horned Owls. Owls it seems, eat their prey whole, separate the digestable from the indigestable portions in their stomachs, and when all is said and done regurgitate the inedible stuff as "owl pellets." More than you ever wanted to know about owls? That's what I thought too at first, but it gets better - really.

Not long after discovering a nest of Great Horned Owls on his property, a storm destroys part of the nest and one of the chicks falls to the ground. Heinrich, who can never resist an opportunity to study wild things up close, scoops the little fellow up, christens him Bubo and takes him home to raise. What ensues is a delightful, often revealing account of how an owl and a man struggle to cross the divide between species.

That both are determined is obvious. Heinrich puts up with all sorts of destructive and rude behavior from his childish guest. Bubo chews up, eats and regurgitates washcloths, favorite t-shirts and socks. He holds staring matches with the family cat, terrorizes guests, whom he considers competitors for Heindrich's attention, and rearranges Heindrich's eating and sleeping schedule. In return, Heindrich gets to study everything about the owl - from his eyelids and feather patterns to the mechanical workings of the owl's talons and the meanings of his various hoots and hisses. It is an uneasy if affectionate relationship.

However Heinrich, who works as a university professor, must eventually return to his job and Bubo is sent to a wildlife rehabilitation center. There, all attempts at rehabilitation fail and Bubo is pronounced incorrigable. It is also clear that Bubo is miserable. Heinrich, who feels this is a waste of Bubo's life, eventuallly reclaims the bird, takes him back to Maine and spends another summer helping the bird find his adult wings.

This is a revealing and touching story that goes way beyond the scientific study that Heinrich originally planned. As Heinrich himself acknowledges it became a very personal thing, a relationship between one man and one owl. A wonderful read.

Heinrich has a way of writing that makes a person understand the relations between people and animals. He makes me laugh at some of the interactions. I very much enjoyed this book.

BERND HEINRICH IS ONE OF THE BEST AUTHORS IN THE LIFE SCIENCE FIELD. HIS WONDERFULY DISCRIPTIVE NARATIVES ARE REMINISSENT OF KONRAD LORENZ AND GERALD DURREL . ONE MAN'S OWL WILL EDUCATE YOU AND PULL YOUR HEART STRINGS. BUY THIS BOOK!!

This book details Bernd Heinrich's experiences with an abandoned owl that he chose to raise by hand. Heinrich is a well-known scientist who specializes in animal behavior. Because of his extensive scientific publications and experience with wild animals, he was granted the necessary permits to raise the baby owl that he found in the woods one day. The owl had fallen out of its nest and was buried in a snowbank. When Heinrich first pulled him out, the bird was in very poor condition, but with a bit of care, he was able to nurse him back to health. He was aware however, that in doing so, he would be responsible for meeting all of this infant bird's needs for months or even years to come. In this book, a journal of the owl Bubo's first three years, Heinrich details all that he learned through his association with Bubo.

Heinrich is a patient and gifted observer. He is also a scientist with a long list of questions about owl behavior. He is able to find answers to many of his questions simply by observation, but others require experiments. His experiments always involve authentic behaviors, such as mobbing or catching food, rather than artificially conceived tasks. Some of the experiments can be completed through focused observation, but one described in this book, involving whether mobbing behavior of predators is innate or learned, required the raising of additional birds, a pair of crows.

In this book, Heinrich provides much background material on owls, in addition to all of his observations. This is not just a reference book about owls, however, but also a model record of the vast amount of information that can be learned through the careful observation of just one animal. The book includes an extensive list of references and an index.

I bought this book before going to Acadia Natl Park. It was incredibly helpful. Our exploration of the Park Loop Road was more interesting because of all the helpful info in this book. Loved the pictures. Very representative of the actual places.

I can't wait to get there in late Summer '06!
This book is great for anyone planning on visiting Acadia National Park.
If the park is only half as beautiful as the pictures in the publication, I can't wait!
I've already planned several routes to run and ride (bicycles) while we are there.
Thanks!

After throughly reading this book through 3 times I have come to the conclusion it is a wonderful book full of useful information. The pictures alone are beautifuly taken giving reason enough to purchase this book. Also Mr Thayer is an excellent chemistry teacher and I hope after reviewing this comment he will raise our grades

An excellent overall introduction to Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island. Good overview of geology and natural and cultural history. Provides up-to-date information on roads and hiking trails. A wonderful guide or souvenir of the Acadian experience.

All of the books written by Robert Thayer convey the true beauty of Acadia National Park. Robert is an outstanding photographer/ author and is an inspiration for my own work. I have seen many slides of Roberts work and I am always impressed. I give this book my highest recommendation for any person interested in learning about Acadia, nature, wildlife, and especially photography. He also has 3 other books available on Amazon.com of an equal caliber.

Oh, I loved this collection. This guy's the real deal. Beautifully crafted characters rendered with lots of heart and dry, wry humor.

One of the finest collections of stories I've read in years. Whlie I admired the finely wrought point of view and the terse dialogue, what remains with me most from these stories is their sense of place, interior and exterior, whether it's a cave where two vietnam veterans encounter each other or the inside of a jail cell or a hillside with someone sledding down it.

These are character-driven stories and their quiet epiphanies and endings are compelling, but Nichols is good at opening sentences, too:

"I was stupid for a long time, I admit it."

"One fall Paul Waterman found that he could tramp the woods again. . ." (You'll have to read the story to see just how good an opening sentence that is.)

Wonderful work. I look forward to his next collection.

Mr. Nichols has produced a uniformly accomplished collection of stories here, my personal favorites among them being: "Jon-Clod," a family piece that is somehow related to the Winter Olympics; and "C'est La Vie," featuring a quarterback with a blown-out knee.

Attention all readers: Nichols is the real deal and Esquire and Zeotrope etc have known it all along.

This is a short story writer up there with the best of them. His work is classic. Sharp, tough, nuanced, delicate, heartbreaking, each story is, to me, the best of what short fiction can be.

If you care about short fiction, please, treat yourself to this book.

Be aware: you'll find no action heroes or epic conflicts in Slow Monkeys, a first collection from award-winning short story writer Jim Nichols. You won't come across any wily detectives or inscrutable medical examiners, any CIA agents or conniving society mavens. In short, you'll discover few of the suspects who inhabit the larger part of modern commercial fiction. Instead, Nichols levels his casual but penetrating scope on the less trodden world of trailer parks and migrant fruit workers, of bent marriages and blue-collar disillusion. But in this thrill-a-minute, Nike/Playstation/Tommy Hilfiger world, who wants to read about the troubles of ordinary Joes and Janes? Right?

Wrong. You want to read this book. Nichols voice comes clean and eerie as a loon call on a simple lake of autumn, thrusting even the most bored and ironic reader into that most epiphanic of environs-the real world. While this reviewer could hardly be described as a fan of relative minimalism, Nichols has a subtlety and style that can't help but win your appreciation. His language flows with assurance, firmly in the familiar but seldom stooping to dialect or the outright colloquial. His Hemingwayesque simplicity of phrase belies a deep interest in the rhythm and interaction of line and phrase. As a result of strong characterization and story, this sense of scansion is hardly noticeable on a first run-through, but upon subsequent or close examination, the lines emit a nearly poetic feel, like a concentricity of ripples on one of Nichols's Maine ponds, each expanding and accentuating the one before. This deep attention to craft is also evident in his controlled use of symbol. An ancient outboard motor, coins of ambiguous luck, dead fish, a stolen football: all these symbols could come across as contrived or labored in the hands of a less accomplished artisan but Nichols employs them with a light yet resolute touch, making the narrative resonate with aptness, substance and power.

Knowing that the most universal conflicts have little to do with political machinations or jewel heists, Nichols forces us to gaze upon the complexity of the human drama, where the simple wonder of a child keeps a lost man from the abyss; where in the shattered knee of a former high school football star we tease out the true marrow and eventuality of American dreams; where among tip-ups and ice shanties, closeted tendencies are not discussed openly but grunted at-or better yet, ignored-over a cold beer; where, everyday, families and individual souls bend, break, and are made whole again by the subtle heroism of diminished pride or lowered expectation. These commonplace heroes don't save the globe or perform superhuman feats, but they do save those around them from utter despair and ruin with tight-lipped compassion or a simple determination to persevere. Slow Monkeys is crammed with distinctly American characters, and with his perfect apprehension and appreciation of human frailty, Jim Nichols comes across as nothing less than the broad authentic voice of America.

I was captured from the very beginning to the very end, and couldn't put the book down until it was finished. The auther has a delightful way of sharing herself and her experiences with the reader. You'll feel like you have a new friend by the time you finish her book.

What a delightful little book! Hughes has extraordinary insight into the human psyche, including her own. From her "View from the Corner" (the title fits perfectly} She sees the humor, absurdities, and sometimes pathos of behavior that most of us miss, and she shows them to us.

Ms. Hughes entertains her readers with a rich view of life's every day experiences and relationships with children, family, friends, patients, and those who come into her life as guests at her B&B. With a quick wit and wonderful sense of humor, the author delights us with her stories, some humorous; others quite sobering, that bring us back to reality. I will definitely read this book more than once!

Within the 145 pages of this book of essays on life, life in Maine and "la vida loca," Ms Hughes will make you laugh, cry and cry with laughter. The comparisons to Bombeck are inevitable and enviable. Hughes writes with a flair that somehow encapsulates everyman (and woman) in her stories about relationships and the world we live in. I feel this is a book I could read over and over and over again. I know I will!

We lead different lives, but share the same life experiences. The difference between us ? L.E. Hughes is able to put the emotions,the memories,the lessons, the fears into words and give them a meaning.
SHE has written the book, but it is one I can share with my daughters, my best girlfriends, and tell them, "THIS is how I AM."

. . . during summer holidays at our cottage! The characters are ones I can identify with since they seem to be like the people who are a part of my life. I find it comforting to be reminded that there are angels amoung us and ones that protect us, even tho we can't see them--the spiritual world. It also reminds me that my prayers are crucial, no matter how small and quick some of them may be--My Lord and Saviour answers them all and hear each one, and gives power in the heavenlies.
Great job on these books! I got the first two done in a week, on my holidays and am working on the 3rd now. Its hard to put them down--so some more work around here may not get done--OOPPSS! I look forward to getting the next 2 books.

The theme "coming home" resonates as both the hallowed and human residents of Heavenly Daze ponder a possible kidnapping by the lighthouse keeper, the sudden reappearance of Stanley Bidderman after twenty years of silence, and Annie Cuvier's longing for a cruise to find Mr. Right. An island of simple folks drawn with foibles, failures, and endearing faith, Lori and Angela provide a fun and feisty read for all ages.

Lori and Angela:
I have read and reread all that that you have written about the Island of Heavenly Daze, and my question is: When can we expect more of these delightful books? They are so uplifting and spiritual, and I crave to know more about the people of Heavenly Daze and the seven angels who are assigned to watch over them. PLEASE tell me that there are more coming soon. :) I loan them out with great care, and when I think my friends have had enough time to read them, I ask for them back! You are among the few authors that I treasure in my collection.

Thank you so much for enrichng my life,
Ruth E. Young

Was looking for something to read on the beach and the cover caught my eye..the lighthouse. I didn't know it was a series and read Warmth in Winter first.Just finished Grace in Autumn.Great "feel-good-yank -your priorities- back -in- line- cause- God is- handling- the- situation" reading.

Without a doubt one of the best books I have picked up this year. This one has been sitting in my stack and I picked it up last night to read something before bed and haven't been able to put it down! I look forward to reading the first two. I have to say that all the characters grabbed me and although I knew some of what was going to happen I couldn't wait to read it and rejoice right along with the citizens of Heavenly Daze as they learned more about themselves, each other and the Lord. Bravo!!!

It's always fun to tell ghost stories around a fire late at night, but coming up with something original isn't always easy. Adams has offerred us a collection of truly original tales that make for a spooky evening.

Adams has a knack for the original while he mixes small-town nastalgia with evil lurking just around the corner, or on the radio, or in the pond, or in the woods.

I'd love to read a full length effort from JA in the future.

We spend many a night at our backyard campfire and several overnighters up in the mountains here in upstate NY and are always looking for new stories to scare the heck out of the boys. We found it here with Creepy Campfire Tales. Wide eyes from our boys looking back at me over the fire while I read from its pages say it all. Keep em coming!!!

This book is perfect to tell around campfires or to kids on hayrides during Halloween parties, if you live in the country like us. The stories are short enough to remember the main details for retelling, yet long enough when you read them by yourself they seem to really be happening. Also, there are no dumb endings or forced scenes where people do unrealistic things. Everything seems like something logical you would do if the story was really ahppening. They all happen at Halloween or In October, and all around campgrounds or camp fires at some point in the story. They are all new too. So many other campfire story books we bought were retellings of old stories or just dumb stories. These are brand new, so the kids will really be shcoked by the endings. There are hayrides, monsters, spooky scenes in the deserted woods, and lonely campsites on farms. Onse story is about a family all alone, in the deep woods of Maine, and what happens to them when an unknown "thing" intrudes on their cook out. Having been to Maine, the feeling lonelinees and isolation in the book matches the real thing. Our friends from the big city (Manchester) think being out in the middle of nowhere is terifying. We think dark city streets are scary, so I bet city folk like our friends would be very scared by this book. It is fine for teens, while there is death and fright, no cusssing or sex (aside from one kissing scene, no nudity you could say.). Many of these characters reminded me of being in school and all the bon fires we would have, which sooner or later, led to telling ghost stories.

So, I read this book after a friend recommended it. I have never really enjoyed 'campfire tales'. This book was as creepy as it promised. And definitely original. I couldn't put the book down. I have shared the book already and have another friend waiting for it to be returned. I'll definitely read the second one. Keep writing, Mr. Adams and keep sharing those freakish dreams of yours. And I'll try to get some of my friends to buy their own copies...

This book is a really awesome book to have!! I was looking for a book with scary campfire stories to read when we all go camping and I hit the jackpot with this book. Everyone absolutely loves it. The stories seem so real and it's very easy to get wrapped up in them. I would definately recommend this book to anyone who loves a good horror story. Looking forward to Part II of Creepy Campfire Tales or any book for that matter written by James D. Adams, he knows how to keep your interest.

One of the best cruising guides around, definitely the best for Maine. Well written, organized and easy to use. Great sketch charts and all of the info that cruisers (not tourists) really need, as well as a good bit of local color.

Whether it's your first trip cruising the Maine Coast or you've sailed here for years, you'll find this your second most valuable resource ( nothing beats a good set of charts [and radar when the fog rolls in]) because when you need to decide where you are going to drop the hook for the night the charts won't be nearly as helpful as the Tafts' years of experience. Where to go, where not go, how to approach the anchorage, what to see ashore are all combined with slices of history and dry witted anecdotes. A bit of advice to the summer cruiser-- equip your boat with mosquito netting if you want a peaceful evening in one of the most wonderful places in the world!!

Please note that the authors of this book are Haft and Curtis Rindlaub

CGTTMC is only slightly less essential for succesful Maine crusing than charts and tide tables (and beer, of course). In addition to being incredibly comprehensive, it's also beautifully written... so one can still vicariously experience Maine's spectacular coastline when the boat is in the hard.

My one quibble with the book has to do with its indexing. All major (and many minor) subjects are listed, but some of the more obscure ones are not. The book contains a lot of great "color" information in sidebars and boxes; these are generally stumbled upon and, because they're not always indexed, can be hard to find later without flipping through the book.

And flipping through the book is NOT a good idea, because you'll invariably stumble upon something fascinating and start reading whole sections anew...

After sailing tens of thousands of miles in the Americas and Caribbean and using dozens of cruising guides I can honestly say this cruising guide is unsurpassed. It contains detailed information about anchorages, approaches and services available in an easy to use format. With numerous anecdotes and historical stories this book is a pleasure to just sit down and read.

Genre: Special Interest

Title: Ex Cathedra

Author: Rebecca Maines

Let your mind travel from Biblical times when Abraham and Sarah have their faith put to the ultimate test, through the futuristic `Lockdown' when Retha gets locked out on the street because of yet another suicide on the train tracks. Can she make it through the terrors of the night? Is this where we are heading?

Let yourself feel Linnea, a cryogenics auditor. After a devastating financial crash she has the monumentous task of deciding which human beings stored in the facility will still have a chance at life and which ones are to be "disposed of." - The financial tier system that forever looms in reality.

There are eight more such stories in this collection with interesting takes on our past and possibly our future.

Rebecca Maines stimulates your mind to think and feel through a variety of beliefs. Each story characterizes female strength in faith, morality and the ability to survive. She is a considerably skilled writer and compels you to read on in Ex Cathedra and its variety of subjects.

Rebecca Amines is multitalented as an author, editor, actor, cat person and wife. She has published fiction as well as nonfiction such as Jolting' Joe: The Best of
Joe DiMaggio.

I would recommend this book to all readers looking for a new perspective on life as a human. For further interest check [..].

Reviewer: Cheryl Ellis, Allbooks Reviews

Title: Ex Cathedra
Author: Rebecca Maines
Publisher: Twilight Tales, Inc. Book Publications
ISBN: 0-9779856-0-1
Pages: 165
Price: $12.95 USD p/b

A lot of successful writers do not write short stories, which is a shame because the talent of a great writer is most revealed in that particular form of expression. Even some best-selling writers just don't have the talent to tell short stories effectively; it's not easy, in a couple of dozen pages or less, to bring any character to life or to build the context of a meaningful and interesting event that will truly speak to the reader. Those who master the art of the short story should be celebrated, and Rebecca Maines deserves to be among that number. The eleven stories compiled in this collection cover an amazing range of settings, from ancient Biblical times to the distant future, as well as an eclectic mix of subjects, including religious faith, science fiction, baseball, and human psychology. Ex Cathedra is a fabulous collection of short stories born of equal parts imagination, literary sophistication, and insight into the human condition.

The collection opens with "Sarah, Who Speaks to the Lord" offering a new and morally instructive perspective on Abraham's call to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. Next up is "Plowshares," a most memorable story indeed featuring a surprisingly effective twist. "The Age of Maturity" is the only story that didn't really grab me emotionally, but it nonetheless offers a most revealing insight into artistic expression and appreciation. Baseball stands at the foundation of two stories, "They Still Play the Blues in Chicago" and "The Next Ted Williams," the latter of which is a thoroughly entertaining look at the depths some fans will go to will their team to success. Then it's back to the future with "Lockdown" and "Returned Mail from EALTGELD," with both stories examining the sense of humanity and personal interaction that has been lost in a futuristic technological society. "Liquidation," in contrast to the somewhat disheartening visions of the previous two stories, offers a personal sense of hope that what has been lost will not necessarily be forgotten. The precarious role of humanity in an increasingly technological age also animates the story of "PRAVI."

Memorable priests stand at the forefront of the book's most impressive stories. In "Things Left Undone," an almost otherworldly priest leads the protagonist through a journey of cathartic soul-searching into the deepest depths of her heart. Then, in the book's culminating - and, to my mind, most impressive - story, a literally otherworldly priest offers one holy man - and the reader - an amazingly poignant new perspective on the true meaning of sacrifice that basically defines the Christian religion. "The Canterbury Path" is nothing short of a monumental achievement in storytelling, in my opinion.

Rebecca Maines really gets to the heart of humanity in virtually all of these nine stories, melding morality and futurism in incredibly effective and unique ways. There aren't many authors who can take you out to the ballgame, transport you hundreds of years into the future, and compel you to reexamine the meaning of faith all in the same sitting. I really can't say enough about Ex Cathedra - it's just an incredibly special, deeply impressive collection of short stories.

The most wonderful thing about Maines's stories is their deeply felt humanity; add to that her marvelous inventiveness and dark sense of humor, and you have a fine collection indeed.

Whether you lean more toward science fiction or contemporary fantasy, you'll find plenty here to enjoy, all with the same sure storytelling, and all with an unmistakeable sense of heart and authentic insight.

Really fun read loaded with cool ideas. Highly recommended.

Rebecca Maines
Twilight Tales 2006
165 Pages
ISBN# 0-9779856-0-1

Like speculative stories? How about ones with messages eerily possible? If you don't have enough time or the desire to read a novel try Rebecca Maines' anthology. It's especially for readers who enjoy speculative fiction with moral flavor. Each of the eleven tales within whispers a truth, hailing emotion and interest. All contain worthy hooks, interesting settings, smooth pacing, and characters to care about. There is also a pleasing variety to establish Maines as a woman to keep an eye on. This author holds insight to the human condition with her lively collection. Ex Cathedra is a terrific blend of achingly real possibilities and of fiction.

Two especially good stories are "Sarah, Who Speaks to the Lord' and `Returned Mail from Ealtgeld.' In the first, we re-visit an old tale from the Bible. As with the Bible, God tests Abraham's faith by asking him to kill his only son. This son is Isaac, Abraham and his wife Sarah's miracle child. God gave Isaac to them in their old age even after Sarah's menses ended. Isaac was precious and dearly loved by his parents, so following God's orders wasn't easy. In both the Bible and Maines' versions Abraham fully intends to follow God's will even though he doesn't want to. At the very moment Abraham is about to plunge the knife into his son's chest on an alter God stops him. He tells Abraham not to kill Isaac. God tells Abraham he'd passed the test of faith. In Maines' adaptation we hear Sarah's version of what happened. She speaks with God and when realizing what Abraham is about to do, does what any good mother would. The ending is surprising and most satisfying. Most female readers will find themselves smiling and possibly chuckling.

In `Returned Mail from Ealtgeld' Maines examines possible results to human's obsession with technology. Technology provides conveniences, but also isolates. With computers and the Internet connecting everyone with every place, there is little need to leave the house to speak in person. What happens if a shy, and sensitive girl never goes out? She talks with multiple people and has friends through holography, but doesn't speak face-to-face. This girl is called Fippy, and she grows into a young woman who doesn't experience life outside her home or human touch. One day her sister finds and reads a story that Fippy hadn't published yet. It's based on a real woman who grew up without holography, is afraid of technology, and likes real people. The story and what happens to Fippy speaks volumes. Maines drives home a point that makes readers realize Ex Cathedra is not only entertainment, but messages worth weighing.

The book's 5.5" x 8.4 is the perfect size to carry along. The stories contain unforgettable scenes, characters and messages. At moments Ex Cathedra is disturbing because the tales address life, yet are captivating, thoughtful, and compelling. Definitely attractive reading.

All of the stories had interesting turns
to them, and all of the characters held my interest.

The plots are great and all, but the characters were really the strongest part of the book, I got the impression from all the
stories that these were fully formed people, with robust lives outside of the small piece that the story represents.

Readers will leave with the feeling that
they all had more stories to share, if only we could ask the author to share them.

This book has been sitting around on my shelf since I was a child. I thought it was a child's book when I was young, but couldn't read it. I just pulled it off the shelf again, and have discovered what will become one of my favorite books about hope, determination, the power of positive thinking, and art - its struggles, its blisses, its importance. It is a must read for any writer, or for that matter, any artist who struggles with stealing time to do their art without feeling somehow guilty, or fearful, or terribly isolated. It is about transcendance despite ridiculous odds. It is an amazing, amazing book. I'm so glad I got around to it.

This is a beautiful book on so many levels. The author's voice, the author's spirit, the author's technique of storytelling are awe inspiring. If you have been led to this page, take it as a sign and order this book, reading it is an experience and I can't wait to read it again. If you are looking for a gift to give someone else then this is it, but read it first yourself so that you can trully share it.

My husband gave this book to me and I am truly enjoying it! Katharine sees things from a rare perspective. Her life transformed her into someone that could see deep into even the most mundane subjects. I feel a new appreciation for even the sounds of crickets! She was certainly a person who's cup was always half full! This book is like welcome raindrops, enveloping you and staying with you long after the drops have evaporated!

This book is enchanting, wonderful, and beyond description, except to say it is a testament to the human spirit.

If you read this and loved it, also look at "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," by Jean-Dominique Bauby. If you can't imagine living on your back for ten years, try imagining writing a book using only the ability to blink one eye, to dictate letter by letter. Tis book is another testament to the human spirit.

This book is amazing, I am 15 and I read it, my mother at 39 read it, my grandma read it and my younger sister at 13 read it. Everyone takes away some different, but something wonderful from this book. It is absolutely indescribable, you have to read it; right now, order it, read it, it will change your outlook on life.

This book is so much more than your typical field guide. It not only helps identify different organisms, it explains how they live, interact, and function in the beach community. The photographs are superb, the text easy to read and entertaining, and the book has all the neat seaside critter "stories" that are so engaging: How starfish eat (oops, I mean sea stars - they extrude their stomach into their prey); How shells get those small round holes in them that make them perfect for stringing on necklaces (created by a Moon snail). Lots of ecology, life history and conservation. A must have for anyone who spends time at the shore!

The chapters are set up in an easy-to-read manner and the photos and their captions are great! The guide is a wonderful resource for novice and scientist alike. If you appreciate the Atlantic seashore you will enjoy this book.

A great book to bring along on your next trip to the Atlantic seacoast. Plenty of information on both flora and fauna. The scientifically inclined and the layperson alike will enjoy this book. What impressed me most were actually the photographs, they're worth the book's price alone. Dr. Shumway has an eye for composition and color that shines through on almost every page.

When I get a chance to spend time outdoors in a beautiful place, I'm always drawn to a bookstore or library afterward to find out more. And I'm almost always disappointed. It's hard to find books about nature or place that are not too cute, too literary, or set up like a catalog. (No disrespect to people who like these formats.)

A book that shows the relationships between things, at a reasonable level of detail, with a good but not overwhelming reference list -- that's heaven sent. The photos are nice-looking and informative without being so large that they drive up the price.

It totally hits the "wow, I'd like to know more about that" spot. I wish I could find a way to say the following without criticizing other approaches, so again, no disrespect intended: It's not about the author's feelings -- or about politics -- or about some rigid system imposed by a remote university -- it's about the beach.

Fun. Informative. Awesome.

It's unusual to find a book with this depth of scientific detail that is nonetheless completely accessible to the non-scientist. Our family vacations near the Maine coast every summer, and we make day trips to the Massachusetts and Connecticut shores regularly -- this book gives us the information we need to really understand and enjoy what we're seeing as we explore tide pools and estuaries. Parents whose children are curious about what they find as they explore the beach will find this guide indispensable, as will home schooling families who are looking for an educational guide to the shore. You won't be disappointed!