Georgia Books

I have been collecting and reading the Foxfire series for several years now and I consider them as some of the best reading that I have found.I think that they are a direct link to our mountain heritage as well as American history. I have learned many skills and lost arts from these books and I would highly recommend them to anyone who has such interests.

It's a great deal of fun to read about the historical needs and solutions of the Appalachian people that applies as well to my own history. There are great reminders of a simpler and maybe happier life.

Both my husband and I enjoyed this book. He is from W.N.C. and enjoyed reading about areas near where he grew up. I liked it also, having lived there for four years.

The Foxfire books are a wonderful thing and we are so lucky to have them. Many of the ways, crafts, planting lore, animal lore, and as the book says "affairs of plain living" are preserved here. This particular volume includes oral histories of the Great Depression, CCC Camps and their impact on the local areaa and ecomomy, folk art, chair makeing, and of special interest to me, gourd art. This is a wonderful recording of life the way it was and probably never will be again. The book is quite well written and has faithfully recorded even the dialect of these wonderful people, from which so many of us sprung. That is a big part of the charm of these works. This book includes actual interviews with folks from that region of the country which I am sure are long dead now. Their knowledge would be completely lost without works such as this. Another generation or two and it will all be completely gone. This book will cetainly be of great interest to those, like me, who are interested in the depression era and in the CCC in particular. Thank goodness we have recordings such as this. Recommend this one highly.

Seferis is great. These poems don't feel dated in the least, nor do they sound translated. They emerge from some deep root in the shared brain, and brim into life like grace. If you like Montale or Cavafy, you'll probably like Seferis as well. All three have a large vision that begins in the local and reaches the world.

The edition, by Princeton, is very fine, with clear print and a helpful introduction.

...(like myself). Seferis is graceful, erudite, and profound without being pretentious or willfully obscure. His work is lovely and haunting. I first became aware of his poems when Stephen King excerpted bits of them in SALEM'S LOT, which I think says something about how broad an audience Seferis appeals to. His poems tell stories as well as create imagery and mood, which helps make their beauty all the more affecting.

Although it is difficult for me to select my favorite modern Greek poet since I hold several of them in high esteem, among his peers, Seferis crests the wave of poetic intensity. His poetry is always laden with images often as tragic as they are beautiful. Like Kimon Friar, Edmund Keeley has brought the powerful verse of modern Greeks to the English reader (see the Amazon excerpts of this work). In sum, Seferis' poetic world is enthralling.

Seferis is the ultimate point of poetry. The real king of poetry. His name will be around throughout ages and the words he wrote will be remembered. The nobel was the least that people could return to him.

I sail the Georgia Coast and this book is invaluable to me. My wife and I plan on seeing all the places one by one. It is so neat to have someone that has been there, done that before we go. This book is a must have if you sail the Georgia coast. Amazon is the place to get it.

This is a great book! It contains an overview of the Georgia coast, along with a well researched ecological discussion. Then the writer analyzes each inlet and tributary right down to where to drop your anchor. A must for Georgia coast cruisers.

We were loaned a copy of this book before we took off on a two week vacation exploring the barrier islands by sailboat.
The expanded chart information alone was invaluable. By the middle of the trip, we had put away all our large foldout charts and used this book exclusivley to explore new waterways, find places to anchor for the night, and look ahead to decipher where to go next.
But this book is much more than an expanded chart guide. The historical background information, discriptions of what to do ashore, and the natural history information was interesting and useful. At the end of the trip the book was so worn we kept it and returned a brand new copy to the owner.

As an avid inshore fisherman, I regularly visit the Georgia coast. With so many inland waterways, the task of when and WHERE! can be quite a challenge. Fortunately, the Zydlers have accelerated the learning curve for me. Not only has the book been informative, it has also been a pleasurable read. It's not just a guide of the waterways (although it does that in great detail). The book brings a keen sense of history, a respect for nature and an armada of helpful resources that one could spend countless weeks investigating prior to a visit to this wonderland.

Georgia's coast is best discovered by boat, but having a capable "road map" will certainly enhance the journey. Whether you're a yachtsman, fisherperson, naturalist, or history buff, this book offers much for its reader.

I would encourage anyone that wishes to visit coastal Georgia to buy this book. I'm confident it will enhance your experience as it has done for me.

Thanks to the Zydlers!

Whether on land in a Big Apple jazz club on aboard a private yacht on a stormy Atlantic, the tension is high. Racial and romantic conflicts are described by someone who'se been there. I would've liked the tale to continue. A sequel, maybe?

If you like your jazz cool and your seas rough, you'll enjoy this erotic thriller as much as I did.

Wet water, cool jazz and steamy love-a combo that kept me up the night till I finished this noir tale. Send more!

Right on with the jazz scenes, sailing adventure and racial turmoil. Couldn't put it down. Author not afraid to deal with politically correct or incorrect issues.

I received the book, SILENCE IN THE GARDEN on time. The book is in good condition and I'm looking forward to reading it, soon. Many thanks.
From Annie Cunningham

...and therein lies only one facet of William Trevor's amazing gift. When I began this book, I thought I had stumbled upon a novel in a 'lighter' category by Trevor -- before I realized it, I was completely enmeshed in this story and its characters. Trevor's prose is incredibly crafted -- his attention to detail and his ability to develop his characters are almost without peer, but neither of these talents overshadows his story.

As in most of his marvelous writing, there are twists and turns awaiting the reader -- revelations completely unforseen and unimagined. As always, he brings the Irish character -- both individual and en masse -- to life completely and gently. Meticulous details are made known to us quietly, so that by midway through the this absorbing work, we almost feel that we are living among these people. He has the ability to allow us to know them without feeling we've been told about any of them -- more like we've gained the knowledge over time.

We see Sarah Polexfen come to the Irish island estate of Carriglas to serve as governess to the children of her relations, the Rollestons. Life there seems peaceful and detached -- but she senses there is something troubling under the surface, something of which she is not told and is unaware. Years later, when she returns to the island -- the children are grown, their father dead, the grandmother an aged matriarch -- events from the past begin to come clearer, verifying her earlier intuitions. The story is played out over a period from the early part of the 20th century, seeing the beginning of the 'troubles' in Ireland, to the early 1980s -- and the family looks much different in hindsight than when she first arrived.

There is a sweet sadness present in this story -- as in much of Trevor's writing -- but it never becomes maudlin. The events and dialogue are intelligent and, in their own way, endearing -- for we find ourselves growing to care about these characters, even the ones who are less than admirable. For in the end, they are only human, and humans have frailties and warts, and commit transgressions, no matter how admirable they may seem from a distance.

Every single work of William Trevor's fiction that I have read has been a great experience -- if you've never sipped from his cup, start here...start anywhere. His novels and short stories are equally amazing and well-written -- I cannot recommend his work as a whole highly enough.

William Trevor has crafted yet another wee gem of a tale in "The Silence in the Garden", drawing upon class differences between the Protestant aristocracy and their Catholic neighbors and the bloody violence of the Irish civil war. Most of the tale is set in the 1930's, though events span decades from the early 1900's till the beginning of the 1970's. Sarah Pollexfen arrives on the estate during World War I as a governness to her affluent Rolleston cousins. Through her diaries we read of an unspeakable tragedy and quiet lives of desperation led by the Rolleston family.

This lovely novel is sort of William Trevor's take on a Henry James ghost story. A governess arrives at an enormous estate and discovers there is more than meets the eye. As always with Trevor, the prose is luminous and the characters are complex, deft and compelling. I recommend this, just as I would anything Trevor has written. He is the greatest prose writer of our time.

Fascinating story of a man with a quest. Not only is it interesting to try to understand the mindset of a holocaust survivor, but also paints a very real picture of what it was like to be in the US Army in the 1950's.

A child escapes from Germany with 4 of his siblings and finds his way to America. This is his history including joining the army even though he is still a German citizen, and afterwards becoming a prize winning architect.

There is something very special and moving in the telling of author Benjamin Hirsch's life story that is much deeper than just his own memoirs; it is like he is here to remind all of us about events that happened long ago. In his well written and inspirational book, "Hearing A Different Drummer: A Holocaust Survivor's Search For Identity", he becomes another voice for the victims of the Nazi extermination camps. It is clear that his voice is needed in today's world that tries to forget, hide or worse yet--to deny the holocaust ever happened.

Hirsch tells us about his childhood in Germany and how his father was arrested in his own home and taken away by the SS and put in a work camp. His mother sends off her older children--three boys and two girls to France to remain in hiding and eventually to find their way to America. His mother keeps her two youngest children with her so the family is broken apart in many ways and not just physically. The author finds out after the war that both his parents and his little sister and brother have been killed in the Nazi Extermination Camps.

Hirsch ends up in Atlanta, Georgia joining the rest of his surviving siblings. He is raised in a supportive Jewish community but he is an orphan none the less and there is all the emotional pain and loss of not knowing what happened to his family. This story is heart wrenching even though the author himself understates the obvious emotions that must have troubled him in his youth or even today.

The bulk of the book focuses on the author's U.S. Army experiences in Germany and his personal search for what happened to his family. In the course of discovering his family history, he reconnects with his Jewish roots and rediscovers his spiritual life. It is a touching account of a young man alone in Europe finding his old country of Germany. However, it is not a home coming since he remembers so little; having been just 6 years old when he was sent off by train before the out break of WWII.

There are some touching moments of reconnections with others from his past in almost miraculous ways and he reunites with the French couple that took him into their home some man long years before. There is so much more that I wanted to know about this man and his life that he left closed or veiled for public reading; it is my hope that his next book takes us on an inner journey to learn more about this most interesting man who also designed memorials to Jewish holocaust victims.

I found myself on a personal level with his story for two reasons. One reason is that I have a six year old grandson and wondered what life would be like if he was suddenly taken away and sent to another country never to see his parents or grandfather again. The other reason deals with my wonderful experiences in Atlanta in 1968 with an Army buddy from Fort Benning. He had relatives there and had asked me to join him for some Jewish holidays with them. I was accepted into their home and at their temple for services and ate at their table afterwards. I was emotionally made to feel so welcomed and loved. I felt like family. That memory still makes me feel, warm inside remembering it.

The only negative note from that visit was when one of the relatives told me about some of the discrimination that they had to deal with even in the late 1960's in the south. It seems socially there were still some major barriers to clubs, organizations and even employment. It blew me away because I never thought that was an issue before. It was never a part of my world. They seemed very surprised that I joined them in their temple as well. But to me, there is but one God and all temples and churches are places of worship so I saw no conflict. After all, didn't Jesus to the temple services.

This book will make you think, feel and have emotions. It also has some lighter moments and is an easy to read book. If you were only going to read one book this coming year make it this one!

The MWSA gives this book its top rating of FIVE STARS! I also give it my personal endorsement!

In Hearing A Different Drummer: A Holocaust Survivor's Search For Identity, Benjamin Hirsch offers a riveting memoir that related how as a nine year old refugee he first arrived in 1941 at New York Harbor. He, along with his two older sisters and two older brothers, had been sent away from Frankfurt am Main, Germany, by his mother to avoid the holocaust that was descending on the Jewish communities throughout Nazi occupied Europe. During the years of the Korean War Hirsch was an American solider stationed in Germany, where he discovered the horrific fate of his parents and younger siblings. Hirsch writes with candor and vivid description, in introducing us to the life of his uncle Philipp Auerbach, who recorded German atrocities that are still denied today -- that soup was made from some of the bodies of the murdered Jews. Hearing A Different Drummer is an important, exceptionally well written contribution to 20th Century Judaic and Holocaust studies.

EASY: a delight to read. INFORMATIVE: CRAFTED carefully, skillfully. PROFESSIONAL: author growing geometrically (1-3-6?). POSITIVE: author mellowing. LANGUAGE: succinct but not excessively. HIGHLIGHTED: masterful use of relevant quotes. THOUGHTS: personal - must sit on own bottoms. ENGAGING: reader perspectives will evaluate(FAIR). FORM(Design): selectively episodic. GRAMMAR: superior. ENHANCED: FUNNY! STYLE: free, lyrical, musical(Delightfully melodic, rhythmic sounds). NARRATIVE: Substantive, significant ideas; Factual, meaty detail; Flowing, reads faster. LAYERED: something for each, more for some, much more for others. ALMOST MORE IMPORTANT FOR WHAT IT ISN'T, AS WHAT IT IS! HOORAY for "spontaneous housework! It's OK!

I loved this book as I did her first. I relate well with her lifestyle, for it is mine too. I worship the solitude living alone can give me. I can laugh along with Amy as she battles the Wasps and spiders. I can share her fun at being able to walk "nekked" in the house whenever needed and in the fact we are not bound by someone elses rules. Noone can tell us how or when the house should be clean. Ms Blackmarr is my hero :-)

The last time we saw Amy Blackmarr (in the fine "Going to Ground: Simple Life on a Georgia Pond"), she had been forced to give up her pondering on the pond and was headed to the North Georgia mountains. However, she somehow got derailed and wound up in a peculiar little house in Kansas. No problem, in her newest work, "House of Steps: Finding the Path Home," she still finds plenty of adventures to share with us, including some from her past life. And her reflections on life, love, family and nature are as sharp as ever. As she did on the pond, Amy still finds snakes and other interesting creatures to deal with, and some of the people are pretty wild too. She even wins the battle of the mailbox, sort of. Either of her books is just the right length for a trip to the beach, or a few hours in the backyard. One more thought: If you like these books, you should also try "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood" by Janisse Ray, another South Georgia woman with a heart for nature.

While Blackmarr's first book was about having the courage to follow your dream, this book seemed to be about your dream later taking you to a place where you didn't really expect or want to go--in her case, back to Kansas--and drawing what meaning you can out of it. But Blackmarr has such an incredible knack for finding meaning in just everyday experiences, what she calls "the remarkable and incorruptible process of living from ordinary day to ordinary day." This book worked on many levels for me. It's hilariously funny sometimes, has some great characters, like the stove man and the wasp lady, but it's also intensely spiritual. It has a zen-like acuteness to it. Yet it's a fast, easy reade. There's a great deal in a small space, here.

I've read this book three times, I have never read a book three times. I love this book, I'm not even sure why.
Even though it's not likely someone of Morgan's age could write these memoirs it is still fun to read and imagine yourself in her shoes.
I came to love and care about each one of these characters (except ofcourse her Dad) and thought about Morgan long after the book ended.
Her courage and imagination was one of which I envied as a child.
The first part of the book is a little tough to get through, but once you do, you will be captivated by each of these characters that Georgia Savage portrays.
My hat is off to you Ms. Savage.

A wonderful book that captures the innocence of a young woman who has to grow up faster than expected because of the situation she was placed in. Morgan Christie (Victoria) runs away with her young mute brother when no one in her family believes what had happened to her and her father. During her escape to a place better than the one at home, she runs into some homeless children who have left their own homes for various reasons. Allie, Marchelle, Angel, and Joss are the people she stays with near the beach. At first, they are happy living in an open area, but things change when Allie's about to give birth. Morgan, Max (Morgan's little brother), and Marcelle leave to stay at a marina. Morgan begins to lose her friends (beginning with Angel) who jumps into another car not to be seen again. Marchelle, a close friend of Morgan, leaves believing that she is going to be in pictures. Yet, she disappears after spending the day in an boat with a strange man. Finally, Morgan ends up staying at Tibat caring for Xam-an old man. Yet, the story does not end there. Morgan spends some time at a brothel, falls in love with Joss, and tranforms from a lost and confused child to a mature young woman whose innocence was taken away by her father. A book I highly recommend for those interested in understanding the complexities that life may force upon a little girl and the wisdom that Morgan learns by quietly observing life's unexpected problems.

I could not put the book down, it was an addiction from the moment I picked it up. When I was not reading the book, I was wondering what was happening to Vicky. I felt that if I was not reading it, the story would go on without me. I felt that the author did a great job describing the way a young girl deals with such a traumatic experience in her life, realizing that there is no trust... We all know that if you can trust anyone, it is your mother and father. The author explains how this is not always the case. I myself have experienced alot of the same misfortunes that Vicky had. I applaud Georgia Savage for such a great insite to the mind of a strong girl who can overcome and not get mentally disturbed in the end, but change her life completely and become a stronger person.

Thirteen year old Morgan le Fay Christie began her life as a spoiled Austrailian girl by the name of Vicky, pampered by her dad and hidden from reality by all.

Of course this just cannot go on and Vicky's world is shattered by the rape. After being brushed off by all female relatives, she decides to run off. Younger mute brother James also leaves with her on the afternoon train to Surfer's Beach. Meeting with a band of other runaways, Vicky and James change their names and begin to mature.

It is a grand day when the newly renamed Max speaks. It is a tragedy when myopic Marcelle falls from a boat and drowns. Joss goes back to his father and Dawn wanders off in a drug haze. The other girl (whose name left me) gives birth but is devestated when it is given up for adoption. The babe is later stollen back. Morgan begins work in a whorehouse but leaves after the madame propositions her and she overhears people plotting to turn her in. So she runs to the House Tibet where the kindly old gentleman Xam lives. Here Morgan and Max are reunited with mother, but she agrees to leave them there.

Sure it all wrapped up too neatly, but I really felt a loss when I closed the cover on this book. I lived Morgan's maturation process as she took her first lover, watched as he abandoned her yet she still maintained a equnamity that was impressive.

This book has some really cool and HOT things I've never tried before...
Like downloading hot stories and songs into his iPod as a surprise (he loved it),
Involving a 1-900 operator in your sex games, like a mock menage a trois! (This was hot.)
Having him be your chauffeur...and then buzzing yourself in the backseat. (He almost crashed!)
I heard Georgia and Julie on the radio last week and then I checked out the free game on dominantdiva.com called Parking Lot Passion. Both my boyfriend and I loved it! I'm hooked! I got the book 5 days ago, and have already tried 4 games. I'm a DOMINANT DIVA.

This book has tons of creative ideas I hadn't thought of but that are truly inspiring... I was surprised (and psyched) to see how many of the games aren't just sexy, but also super-romantic. Check out Bed, Bath and Way Beyond, for example--what woman *wouldn't* want to be pampered like that? My boyfriend *loves* this book--it's fun paging through it with him and picking out games to try together. (There are games for him as well as me, so that keeps it interesting ;)...) He was pretty excited when I brought it home, believe me--and it keeps paying off... Not just in making sex more fun, either. I swear my boyfriend is giving me more massages now, giving me more compliments and just generally paying more attention to me in and out of the bedroom. Even if you've never tried anything but vanilla sex, you'll get into this book--the games are called games because they're fun! Everything's rated from mild to wild, so you can start slow if you want--or go straight to the super-spicy... Consider me a very satisfied Dominant Diva!!

This book details exactly how to go about taking charge of your sex life. If you are a woman curious about how to start experimenting with some role play in your sex life, this is the perfect book for you. It details step by step how to set up role play scenes: what to wear, what props you might need, what to say, how to to go about every aspect of spicing up your sex life. And it is full of ideas for the timid to the daring so I can see using this book for a long time. The fantasies are hot, so just reading this book will add some heat before you even start trying it out. Perfect for the woman who wants to take control (or a man who wants his woman to take control to give as a gift). This book is not too wild or severe like some others about power exchange and it really does tell you "how to".

While this guide to adult love making bliss has only 69 games to play in the lover's bedroom, there is plenty of opportunity to add variations and eventually reach a goal of 1001 nights of exquisite sexual pleasure. The authors state their purpose as:
"We want to let you in on a little secret: There's nothing better than taking control of your sex life and your man. It's so empowering to know that you're not only in charge of your own O, but you can easily take charge of his too!"
The two authors were both waitresses when they met but before long Georgia became a dominatrix. Julie became a sex advisor for various media. The women tested each new sex technique, fetish, or position they discovered on their husbands and then "compared notes. If it earned our seal of approval, we'd tell our girlfriends and spread the love." Together they compiled their favorite sex games so their readers can get in on the fun too. They chose the games from their experiences as a very successful Manhattan and L.A. dominatrix as well their magazine sex features and their own kinky love lives.
Unlike most of the books on this subject, this one is jam-packed with detailed sexual role-playing games. The authors take the reader into a world that even the women in "Sex in the City" probably have not even dreamed about, much less experienced.
One only has to read, or better yet, try a couple of the games described in this guidebook to know the authors really do know their subject. Sample games include titles such as "Dirty Dancer," "Naked Sushi," "Master of Disguise," Naughty Nurse," "Sex Spa," "Take Me to the Drive-In," "Boss Lady," and "Caught and Cuffed."
This 282 page book is large format, beautifully illustrated with tasteful, erotic photographs (surprise, surprise), has an interesting, unique layout and the book is fun and if it doesn't make the reader laugh, they will at least giggle while they explore a whole new world of erotic adventures. The book also gives good advice about safe sex, the correct way to do some of the techniques so as not to cause damage to yourself or your partner and the variety of sex toys that can be introduced into many of the lovemaking games. This book is one of the best hands-on guides available on this highly stimulating and desirable subject and none of the games would be classified as extreme or particularly dangerous. The games are designed to give the unimaginative woman step-by-step or move-by-move or orgasm-by-orgasm instruction and hopefully by the book's end, even the formerly shy novice lover will be able to soar on to new heights of sexual satisfaction by adapting these basic games into love games tailored especially for their own tastes.
It's the kind of book that could easily become a modern version of the ancient Chinese and Japanese Pillow books in that couples will keep it under their pillows for saucy inspiration in the bedroom.
This book is so good at what it says, that if the authors had offered a "satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" deal to purchasers, it's unlikely anyone would ever have wanted take them up on their guarantee. Honestly, these women know what they write is proven fact, again and again. The readers should prepare themselves to join the authors "on this Dominant Diva journey, and your sex life will never be the same." The authors also suggest that readers of the book "invest in some fire-retardant sheets, because things are gonna get hot. Really hot. And that's a promise!" And they are "oh so" correct!

Going through a divorce was not a happy time for me, so the last thing I wanted was a major legal bill or paperwork headaches. After following the suggestions and using the forms in this book, I was so prepared that it only took me 20 minutes to get in and out of the filing clerk's office. It doesn't get easier than that. AWESOME BOOK!!!

Excellent book...There is no telling how much money that it saved me, well into the thousands, because when my now ex-wife and i could not agree on one or two small things and I had to get an attorny, after all. All i did was give my lawyer the Papers that the book helped me write and he basically copied them for the Divorce. He asked me if I had had any leagel training. (NO) Then I showed him the book, and he made the commit under his breath "We hate those things" He then asked to review it and asked for the number were he could get it. The next week, I was in his office to sign some papers and he had a brand new copy of it laying on the corner of his desk. Thanks alot for the help Amazon.com

This book helped me tremendously. It is an excellent resource, especially if you and your spouse can come to agreement on everything - you don't need an attorney if you can agree. I read the book, copied the forms out of the book and filed them with the court, typed up an agreement that both of us signed and everything went smoothly. You really can have a "do it yourself" divorce for the cost of the court filing fee. Highly recommended book.

I found this book at the library, it was soooo helpful! i would recommend it to any one with a divorce issue!i just copied the stuff at a copy machine and filled it in! I only had to pay $65.00 to have it filed and everything!,very good book!enjoy!