Washington Books

For those of you in Washington or Oregon, or even if you plan on traveling to the Northwest, this book is a must-have. It lists farmer's markets, organic stores, and all the restaurants that are vegan/vegetarian or have good vegetarian menus. Not only that, but it has several articles in the back about general vegetarian health and can be used as a quick reference guide for on the road. I highly reccommend it!

Veg-Feasting in the Pacific Northwest does an great job bringing all of Washington's and Oregon's vegetarian/vegan/veg-friendly establishments in one book. It is divided into 3 sections: Dining (restaurant reviews/listings), Shopping (natural food stores and farmers market listings), and Living (articles about nutrition and other topics relating to a vegetarian diet). I'll break down my review to each of these 3 sections...

Dining Section: I have lived in Seattle my entire life and therefore I thought I knew of practically every vegetarian and veg-friendly restaurant in the area -- nonetheless I found plenty of new restaurants I am now looking forward to trying! And when I'm getting hungry during my next road trip, it will be nice to know where the veg-friendly places are when I pass through unfamiliar cities. While they did overlook a few of my favorite veg-friendly restaurants in Seattle, they do ask for feedback to make future editions even more comprehensive -- so I'm not going to penalize the book a star for that.

Shopping Section: While I have long known all of the the natural food stores close to my house, new vegetarians will certainly find the listings useful to find the stores closest to where they live. Like the Dining section, this section will be especially handy when I'm travelling through or visiting unfamiliar cities. Including the region's farmers markets along with the natural food stores is a nice idea as well.

Living Section: While the articles in this section are interesting and well-researched, many long-time vegetarians/vegans (like myself) will already be aware of the nutritional, environmental, ethical, etc., aspects of eating a more plant-based diet. But beginning and aspiring vegetarians should find this section extremely useful, as it covers all of the usual concerns and questions people have about how and why to eat a vegetarian diet.

Summary:
Strongly recommended for anyone interested in fully exploring Washington and Oregon's many vegetarian-friendly, vegetarian, and vegan establishments.
Experienced vegetarians/vegans living in (or visiting) Washington or Oregon should own this book solely for the comprehensive restaurant and store listings.
For new or aspiring vegetarians living in WA/OR, this book is a must-have -- it contains all of the basic information they'll need to start exploring vegetarianism. (I wish this book existed when I first became a vegetarian!)

Coyle does a terrific job of interweaving the stories of two people whose lives have intersected. He has a talent for getting inside the mind of the main character, Sara, and capturing the interplay with her husband. At the same time he keeps the suspense going with the unfolding story of Samuel.

This is an excellent read. I highly recommend it.

I was completely drawn into this book-by the compelling story line and by Coyle's wonderful writing style. I really got into the characters and could not put the book down--the way the whole story of Sara, Tom, and the tall man unfolds. I definitely recommend this one.

Alan Cook's book, Walking the World, is an ode to the joys of walking. A lifelong walker, Alan takes the reader along with him on his travels across the United States as well as to Europe and Asia. You can join in his pleasure, and sometimes pain, as he walks the length of California, or from Land's End in Cornwall to John o'Groats in Scotland. This is a very entertaining read.

Alan Cook has condensed a lifetime of footsteps into his book, and I ache to echo his footsteps with my own. From his own backyard to exotic destinations around the globe, Alan and his family have strolled, ambled, hiked, and climbed to explore nooks and crannies most of us miss as we run, drive, or fly through life. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys travel reading and to walkers in particular.

I'm a W & L student, and all I can say is that this book is virtually flawless. It tells you what the school is really like, not what the administration tells you it is like. This book can really help you decide whether or not this college is right for you. It would also be helpful for any incoming freshman; the book contains a good bit of W & L slang that could be very useful in a student's first few weeks. If you're thinking of coming to Washington and Lee, BUY this book. For W & L I YELL LIKE HELL!!

This book is the first college guide book I've seen that has kept me interested as I read it. Not only was it a fun read and I found myself laughing at certain things, but the information is really insightful. It was a welcome change to get some perspective on the school from a student who goes there and isn't afraid to tell it like it is. I really believe anyone looking at this school will get something relevant out of the book. How could you not?!

We visited Washington DC a few years back and found it rather complicated getting to all the places we wished to see. I am looking forward to another trip with this book in hand to navigate the sights as well as restaurants as it seems to be very straight forward and easy to understand.

Simple, easy reading! If we wanted information about something/anything in the area, it was so easy to find. More than enough information was given in a way that was easy to understand, but yet very informative. I think the authors must enjoy most of the things we like, because their comments and thoughts on places that we went to, were exactly what we thought too. Once we realized that they thought the same way we did, it was easier to decide whether to visit or eat at the places that they suggested.
I would recommend buying this book if you are going to Washington D.C. - it really will make your stay a LOT easy because there is so much to see and you can not see it all. I am positive that it helped us have a fun trip. Thanks again!
Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide (Great Destinations)

Reviewed by Shaley Melchior for Reader Views (11/2006)

How can art be defined? For many, it may include famous paintings, priceless sculptures, or perhaps your child's latest creation, which you taped to your refrigerator last night. In this new book by Vincent Lee-Thorp, engineering is presented as a form of artwork, and rightly so.

Lee-Thorp is highly qualified to lead us on a tour of Washington, D.C.'s unique buildings, as well as the engineering that went into them. Lee-Thorp was an engineer in our nation's capital for forty-five years, and his consulting firms successfully completed, by his count, more than 2000 projects, many of which where directly for the federal government. He designed several new, highly necessary systems in Washington, D.C., including an electric service and building control system for the White House, a system to monitor artwork in the Rotunda, as well as preparing studies on the condensation problems in the Capitol's Dome, and also replaced the air conditioning system in the National Archives.

Lee-Thorp's experience shines through in this narrative of much of the work that has gone on in our nation's capital, as well in the engineering world, during the time period from 1740- 2000. This is not a dry technical book for those of the engineering persuasion, but rather a book that is highly informative, as well as entertaining, for those of us readers that have not the many years of education or experience necessary to become an engineer of Lee-Thorp's caliber.

A serious reality is presented for us immediately... the only thing that separates us from our forefathers in the 15th century is engineering. Everything that represents the American Dream is, at some level, due to the many engineers that have contributed to our quality of life. Whether or not you share Lee-Thorp's opinion, this book does lend itself to some serious thought, as well as appreciation for these men and women who have shaped our future in such a drastic way.

Although the title of this book is "Washington Engineered," the second through the fifth chapters relate the early years of engineering in England and France, as well as early America, all the way through the Revolutionary War. The book describes multiple innovations dating back to the days of the many weaving mills in England. For example, a system of pipes and valves were developed to be an indoor sprinkler system, to quickly combat any fire that may start. Before these sprinklers were developed, often time if a fire started in the mill, it would cause a total loss of the building, machines and all other contents, and the business would be lost, just like that. However, when the sprinklers were implemented into the mill buildings, any fire could quickly be contained, and need be only an inconvenience for the owners, rather than a loss of their entire livelihood.

Beginning in the sixth chapter, a history of Washington, D.C., seen through the eyes of an engineer, is related to the reader. The book clearly describes how bridges, ferries, and other forms of public transportation were formed. Also, the ways modern conveniences, such as electricity, fuel heat and power, air conditioning have been utilized and developed in the capital city are related.

All considered I found "Washington Engineered" to be well rounded, as well as an easy read. No extensive mechanical knowledge is needed to understand this book, and it was clearly written so even those of us without mechanical inclination can read and enjoy this book. It was a very refreshing look back at the history, as well as the engineering power that went into designing our nation's capital, Washington, D.C.

Between 1740 and modern times much engineering was done in Washington, D.C.: engineering work which was to change the face not only of the nation's capital, but of perspectives on engineering across the U.S. and into Europe, creating the technology that led to the Industrial Revolution. WASHINGTON ENGINEERED draws parallels between engineering and the arts and sciences, surveying projects, providing a healthy dose of Washington DC society history and politics, and surveying other notable engineers who fostered the advancement of engineering as a whole. An excellent blend of biography and history makes for an account recommendable to public as well as college-level libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This might be the best ice climbing guidebook I've ever seen! Let it freeze! Let it freeze! Let it freeze!

This is clearly the definitive guide to steep winter climbing in Washington State. Martin and Krawarik have done a spectacular job researching and reporting on these routes.

This is the first book of it's kind for the area. I absolutely cannot wait for it to get cold!

In the last two decades of his life, Washington Irving produced a number of biographies intended for "the family library." In many ways, these works resemble the brief biographies currently being produced by literary figures for the Penguin Biographical Series. With a strong emphasis on the narrative events, while recounting the general literary and cultural traditions that enliven his subjects, Irving produced highly readable and intelligent works, among then studies of Christopher Columbus and George Washington. Published in 1850 after Irving returned from his tour as Minister to Spain, "Life of Mahomet and His Successors " was initially a sketch for what Irving hoped would be a longer study of the Islamic invasion of Spain and its effects on Spanish culture. At the request of a friend, Irving lengthed his intial sketch of the Prophet, revising it years later, again at the request of a friend, and adding an appendex, "Of the Islam Faith" that examines Islamic articles of faith and the daily religious practices of Moslems. Although Irving is a product of an Enlightenment education, he is by no means dismissive of the aims or beliefs of Mohammed. For instance, in discussing the various miracles attributed to Mohammed, Irving notes that Mohammed himself said that the only miracle was the Koran. Irving also notes the reactions of Christians and Jews during the foundation of Islam--that many said he was anti-Christ, that many signs and portents in Constantinople excited the religious authorities throughout the Mediterranean world. Irving's harshest criticism is reserved for the transformation of Islam during the prophet's life into a political force, often of violence and intolerance, which in Irving's opinion, distorted the spiritual truth of Mohammed's earlier visions. Despite these criticisms, Irving ultimately offers the reader the argument that the truest measure of Islam and its founder can be located in the beauty of the Koran. Read with Karen Armstrong's study of Islam, as well as NJ Dawood's translation of the Koran, this forgotten biography will extend your historical understanding of this important man and the world religious movement he founded.

In the last two decades of his life, Washington Irving produced a number of biographies intended for "the family library." In many ways, these works resemble the brief biographies currently being produced by literary figures for the Penguin Biographical Series. With a strong emphasis on the narrative events, while recounting the general literary and cultural traditions that enliven his subjects, Irving produced highly readable and intelligent works, among then studies of Christopher Columbus and George Washington. Published in 1850 after Irving returned from his tour as Minister to Spain, "Life of Mahomet and His Successors " was initially a sketch for what Irving hoped would be a longer study of the Islamic invasion of Spain and its effects on Spanish culture. At the request of a friend, Irving lengthed his intial sketch of the Prophet, revising it years later, again at the request of a friend, and adding an appendex, "Of the Islam Faith" that examines Islamic articles of faith and the daily religious practices of Moslems. Although Irving is a product of an Enlightenment education, he is by no means dismissive of the aims or beliefs of Mohammed. For instance, in discussing the various miracles attributed to Mohammed, Irving notes that Mohammed himself said that the only miracle was the Koran. Irving also notes the reactions of Christians and Jews during the foundation of Islam--that many said he was anti-Christ, that many signs and portents in Constantinople excited the religious authorities throughout the Mediterranean world. Irving's harshest criticism is reserved for the transformation of Islam during the prophet's life into a political force, often of violence and intolerance, which in Irving's opinion, distorted the spiritual truth of Mohammed's earlier visions. Despite these criticisms, Irving ultimately offers the reader the argument that the truest measure of Islam and its founder can be located in the beauty of the Koran. Read with Karen Armstrong's study of Islam, as well as NJ Dawood's translation of the Koran, this forgotten biography will extend your historical understanding of this important man and the world religious movement he founded.

"Washington is Burning! The War of 1812" is a student edition of our popular reading program, Reading Essentials in Social Studies, that we market to schools throughout the United States. This book contains a historical fiction story and nonfiction chapters that historically support the story. It includes archival drawing, maps, and paintings.
It also contains bolded vocabulary words with a glossary. Children will be able to identify with the young, main character and learn about an important event in American history at the same time.

The book begins with an overview of the War of 1812- the conflicts, the declaration of war, and the peace treaty.
The historical fiction story centers on Sophie Turner and her father, Cyrus. The Turners are slaves owned by President James Madison and his wife, Dolley. Cyrus believes that if he helps fight in the war, he will be granted freedom. As he prepares for the Battle of Bladensburg, he tells his daughter how the portrait of George Washington that hangs in the President's House stands for freedom. Sophie isn't convinced, however, and is worried when news of defeat at Bladensburg reaches the mansion.
When they are warned about British soldiers marching toward Washington, D.C., Mrs. Madison, Sophie, and her Aunt Tillie prepare to flee to the countryside for safety. Sophie insists that the first lady save the portrait of Washington.
From their refuge in the country, Sophie and Aunt Tillie watch as Washington is burned by the British. Sophie is glad to learn that her father is safe and prays that her father's dream of freedom will come true.
The last four nonfiction chapters of the book provide details of the war leading up to and following the invasion of Washington, D.C. A brief biography of James and Dolley Madison helps readers understand their involvement in the War of 1812. Insights into the role that black Americans played in the war are highlighted throughout these chapters.
This is an excellent children's book to be read and shared during Black History Month!

This is a great book written by a great man. I should know I am his granddaughter. I am honest just like he was and I wouldn't say it was a good book unless it really was. I miss you grandpa, love Rachel!!

This book is a history of the first 100 years of the newspaper, though much of it is a summary account of the major news events of the times. Founded by a southern Democrat (a white supremacist), the paper was second-rate until the 1930s when Eugene Meyer bought it at a bankruptcy sale. His son-in-law Philip Graham took over and then Graham's wife, Katherine, became publisher when Philip committed suicide. The paper took on a more liberal slant beginning in the 1950s, but didn't become a really dominating national force until the Pentagon Papers appeared and Watergate stars Woodward and Bernstein brought great attention to the paper. Roberts's account is interesting, especially as the paper evolved after WW II. Best read, I think, along with Katherine Graham's excellent autobiography PERSONAL HISTORY (1997).