California Books

Naomi Samson's memoir is aptly titled. Not only does it provide an account of a child survivor of the Holocaust, but the author seems able to reach into the past and describe events as her child-self experienced them, sometimes even assuming a child's voice. The result is a compelling, sometimes excruciating read, from its beginning in medias res three years after the Nazis invasion of Poland in 1939 to its conclusion six years later upon the author's post-war arrival in America. Take, for example, this bit of dialogue, ten pages into the book, in which the nine-year-old Naomi is told by her Mother that she is giving up the attempt to hide from the Nazis in Poland.

"Listen to me, my child," she said. "We can't go on like this. We will either die of starvation and the animals will eat our flesh here in the woods, or someone in these villages will kill us. I have decided we should walk to our hometown, Goray, which is eight or nine miles from here, and give ourselves up at the Jewish cemetery. That way we will be buried with other Jewish people."

"No, no!" I cried. "I will not die this way or any other way! I want to live, Mama. I don't want to feel bullets fired in my head or body! Bullet are hot and they burn a person's insides and it hurts badly until the person is dead!" (10-11)

This example also brings up some concerns I have about Hide. How much can we rely on the veracity of dialogue spoken or heard by a child and then recreated (in a different language, no less) after nearly sixty years? Furthermore, because Mrs. Samson provides little explanatory commentary, the dialogue must bear the burden of providing back story and context. This artifice is effective in that it provides timely information in an unobtrusive way but it tends to further compromise the authenticity of the dialogue. (The mother would not have had to tell her child that Goray was their hometown, and she would probably not have had to explain how far away from it they had wandered.)

These issues can be brushed aside, however, if we consider Hide to be primarily a work of literature, that is, an attempt by an author to express the truth of her life experience through language. Indeed, though the book would have been more historically accurate if it could have contained an exact record of each word spoken, such an account would probably have been less meaningful to us, considering that much of the dialogue conveys the inner feelings of the child Naomi Samson, feelings that were probably never uttered.

As Naomi grows older and the book approaches its conclusion, Mrs. Samson begins expressing her feelings directly, and, once again, the results are powerful, as in the following excerpt in which she describes a train ride through Nuremberg during the time of the post-war trials:

These executioners were given a trial? Why? I felt such anger, such hate, during those moments that if given the chance, I would have smashed their skulls with my bare hands. . . . I tried to compose myself in order to look normal to my sister and my new brother-in-law, Sam. These hateful thoughts inside me bothered me a lot. My father had taught us never to hate. "Hate only hurts the one who carries it inside," he would say. My father was no longer there to guide me. But I was smart enough to realize that one of the ways the enemy could win was by instilling hate inside me so that for the rest of my life I would only dwell in hate and never enjoy my life. Oh, how I hated them for making me feel such hatred! I decided I would force myself to concentrate on pleasant things-good things to make me happy. (162)

Such sections reveal a candor and degree of self-disclosure that one might expect in a therapy session, and, as Mrs. Samspon explains in the twenty-page epilogue that follows, she did undergo years of therapy after the war. That experience may have given her the confidence to present something approaching the raw truth in her memoir rather than crafting a version intended to be more palatable to friends and family. Though it must have been both cathartic and difficult to put such words on paper, Mrs. Samson proved equal to the task, and resisted the temptation to necessarily present herself in a good light.

Ultimately, well-written Holocaust memoirs such as this one cause us to confront the extremes of human life, and attempt to make sense of them. Along with Mrs. Samson we must ask-helplessly, fruitlessly-why did so many innocent people die, and why did so many murderers get away with it? We also have to wonder how any human being could pick up and live a fulfilling life after having endured such horrors as a young child, but Mrs. Samson has shown that such an accomplishment is possible. At first glance, the inclusion of a family photo taken on the occasion of her son's wedding struck me as a Jewish mother's indulgence, but by the time I had reached the end of this slim memoir, the sight of it made me want to cheer. Indeed, the words of the Grammy-winning dinosaur Barney, sung to her by her grandchildren in the concluding scene of the book, have never seemed so touching, nor profound: "I love you. You love me. We're a happy family."

This is one of the most graphic novels I have read regarding children/families hiding in the Holocaust. I did not know such atrocities occurred in the ghettos of Poland. I have always thought they were reserved for the concentration camps. This memoir is amazingly well written. The courage this woman had to tell her excruciating story even after she was repeatedly reprimanded by her friends, family, neighbors, and even practicing members of psychiatry was inspiring. It makes me so angry to hear there was such discrimination against survivors attempting to tell their stories, even within the Jewish community of the US. I commend the author for putting her memories to page and allowing the world to see the horror she survived.

This was the best book about the Holocaust and its survivors and what they went through I have ever read. I could not put it down. I am taking a class on the Holocaust and needed a book for a report. Well I found the best book I could ever have found. It is full of suffering, bravery, love, and happiness. So if you want the real story of the Holocaust as it really happened this is the book. I will soon buy my own copy.

I couldn't stop reading this book. I was crying. I wanted to shout, to yell, to kick, to k.... I couldn't avoid the thought that if I was put in this hell, probably I wouldn't survive it.

Born in Israel, I've learned a lot about the Holocaust but never before I felt the horror so strong. For example, Noami's description of the Nazis humiliating her grandparents shocked me stronger than all the many times I watched pictures of the Nazis cutting a Rabbi's sidecurls (PEYOT) hair and beard.

The part telling how in the US every one refused to hear Noami's story made it even more terrible and hard to comprehand.

I wanted to thank you Noami for telling your story which I promise to tell to my children.

This is one of the best books I have ever read - period. The author is a remarkable writer, and I can't understand why this book isn't number one on the best-seller list. It should be; it is truly that good. I felt like I was there. I got the book from the library, but I'm going to buy one for each of my adult children to read. No book or movie about the holocaust has touched me as much as this one, and I want the author, Naomi Samson, to know that this Irish Catholic and his family will never forget - because of her book. We will never forget.

There were many funny stories in this book, (Sourdough and Burd being among my favorites,) but also some good heartwarming life lessons. Like the story about the lottery winner Emil and his principles, and the overall theme of the everyday ups and downs of life and family relationships. I really liked how the complexity of feelings for family was conveyed. Great read!

I picked this up on a whim in a used bookstore because I needed something to read while waiting for my son to finish with an appointment. What a find! Mr. McLean has a terrific eye and ear for wry observations and dialog, especially concerning kids and teenagers. And then there is his wit, sharpened by the fact that he laughs most readily, ultimately, at himself. I haven't laughed this hard since James Thurber, Garrison Keillor, and David Sedaris.

I picked this book out of a list given to me by my 12th grade english teacher. After searching everywhere i ordered it off amazon and am very pleased i did. it is an amazingly light, funny story about a 'stock' family that is a great summer read. i recommend it to both guys and girls, great book!

I can see why Stuart McLean is one of Canada's beloved storytellers through the warmth, humanity and humor of his stories. My favorite stories came early in the book, one of them being "Turkey" which starts off both the book and the Winter section. The description of the turkey before it was roasted had me and my husband howling with laughter. Another favorite is the one about the birthday party, especially the scene where Dave tries to frost the cake while it is still warm. My husband recently made the same mistake when he was frosting my birthday cake. I think there is enough depth to this collection of stories that most any one can come away with a favorite story or at least a favorite scene.

... a very ordinary family. Now, I don't mean ordinary in the boring sense of the term, quite the contrary. This is a collection of short stories spanning a year in the lives of a middle-class family. Everyone will be able to recognize themselves or others in these people to whom funny things tend to happen.

A quick read that will have you smiling (and giggling) on the bus.

You won't regret picking it up, and will look for McLean's other collections of stories about this wonderful family upon completing it.

This is an outstandingly readable book despite its sometimes dark and gruesome accounts of things gone badly awry. Dr. Blanc is capable of causing delight even with material that might not be very promising in someone else's hands. He seems to have taken into account Samuel Johnson's adage that "what is read with delight is commonly retained, because pleasure always secures attention."

This might have been an angry and difficult book to read with the horrors it recounts, but the approach reminded me of Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" since the focus is widened from medicine and includes medical and chemical history, biography, along with references to arts and literature. Dr. Blanc's knowledge is clearly wide-ranging.

Dr. Blanc frames economic and political problems in a long historical view that makes it obvious that the problems are not new and our society is not much more wise than it has been in the past. The same problems keep happening over and over (literally, the same problems with some of the same substances that have been known to be poisonous since antiquity). Adding to that, new, untested items, some very likely to cause harm, come on the market with little consideration. We should be asking ourselves how it feels to be human guinea pigs.

Any thoughtful reader of the book will be lead to the question: When do we demand something better from the incompetent leaders who say, "Trust us, we know what's best for you" while they give in to economic pressures? When do we tell the people more interested in the bottom line than the value of human life to shove it?

Dr. Blanc presents a detailed and complex story that is well researched and fascinating. He appreciates the details, the personalities, and the discoveries even when telling a story that is a train wreck in slow motion.

Despite the implications from the jacket blurb, this is NOT a book that catalogs all the dangers around the average person. Dr. Blanc mostly limits the number of specific toxins he presents and gives fairly in-depth and interesting discussion of them.

Kudos on a book that is well written, fun to read (!), and insightful.

I admit that I bought this book for its title while in the midst of a book buying frenzy, thinking that it would be a run-of-the-mill, toxins in the home primer of sorts. I spent the first 20 or 30 pages thinking, "This book is not at all what I thought it would be. Why does it have this misleading title? Why did it have that misleading product description?" Even the reviewer's quote on the book cover is misleading: "A superb tool for making our homes, finally, a safe place to raise children." As another Amazon reviewer pointed out, this is just colossally crappy marketing.

When I got past the slight disappointment of owning a very different book than I thought I had purchased, I realized, as other reviewers have, that this book is an incredibly well-researched and well-written history of modern chemical development and its consequences. I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not only interested in how chemicals in our environment can make us sick, but also in how some of those chemicals came about and how they ended up in our households despite the fact that they are well-known toxins. Read this book along with Not Just A Pretty Face, In Defense of Food, Exposed, The Secret History of the War on Cancer, The Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, etc., to usher in full-blown outrage at the fact that our government doesn't do more to regulate the poisons that corporations are happy to pump into us on a daily basis.

Excellent history of how products are made and their affect on the workers that made them. Provides insight into what motivates the production of a product and illustrates how we arrived at a world surrounded by an unhealthy enviroment. Definitely worth reading.

If you are looking for how everyday products make people sick (toxins at home and in the workplace) try a book like What's Toxic, What's Not by Ginsberg & Toal, which does a fine job of covering this topic in a style that makes it easy to find just the toxins or areas of exposure that concern you.

If you are interested in the fascinating history of toxins in the workplace, this is your book. In engaging and clever narrative, Blanc tells the stories of toxins that sicken people, the often slow process of uncovering the source of illness, the eventual phasing out of the product (often because another product rendered it obsolete, not due to health concern), and the frequent return of the underlying toxin in a new product.

Blanc brings history alive with stories of individuals exposed to invisible threats. His narrative is supported by scientific analysis, providing a reassuring direction and momentum to a disturbing, sometimes frustrating, topic.


I am the Director of Education for the Foresight Nanotech Institute and the author of Technology Challenged: Understanding Our Creations & Choosing Our Future.

I bought and read this book together with Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power and I recommend both of them. This one is written from an occupational health perspective, and provides superb history on "the industrial disease" while "Exposed" is more from a public policy perspective.

The author mentions, and I plan to sign up for if I can, the Center for Disease Control (CDC)"Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report."

The author who started out focusing on workplace toxicity, also covers household toxicity, most alarming of which was paint emitting toxic vapors.

The author laments the manner in which the government, think tanks, and corporations are all doing a slow roll on toxicity, ignoring it, covering it up, or delaying action on it. The The Precautionary Principle in the 20th Century: Late Lessons from Early Warnings is nowhere to be found, in part because of The Republican War on Science.

Among the threats covered:

· Acids
· Arsenic
· Asbestor
· Chlorine
· Dyes
· Fibers (Asthma)
· Fumes from Metal (Lung collapse)
· Glue
· Lead
· Manganese
· Oil
· Plastics (Liver Cancer)
· Solvents (Benzine)
· Toxic Gases

The author is authoritative and not at all over-bearing in laying out the case against an ignorances of toxicity that is assuredly not in the public interest. He addresses neurological impacts as the most subtle and most frightening and most cummulative in nature.

His bottom line is that the pharmaceutical, industrial materials, and household goods industries are not doing enough testing and not getting enogh oversight. From this book one can easily see the varied government agencies nominally responsible for public health being phased out as was the Office of Technology Assessment.

The author notes that emerging toxins are of real concern, but that dollars and attention are being consumed by SARS, West Nile, and other biological threats (diseases are coming together and mutating in animal hosts, then jumping to human hosts, and becoming drug resistant more quickly).

Microwave popcorn lung caught my attention. As convenient as it is to use, the microwave evidently enhances toxicity of some substances, and we literally have no menu to follow in avoiding this.

My one disappointment is the lack of a table of toxic products, a lack of dollar figures, mortality and disability figures. I believe that a second edition of this book could be much improved, and as one reviewer notes, the rich history in the book given a higher profile.

The notes and index are superb and the book overall is of sufficient value to the public to warrant five stars. This is an important work.

See also:
Pandora's Poison: Chlorine, Health, and a New Environmental Strategy
High Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxics, and Human Health
Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health
Manufacture of Evil: Ethics, Evolution, and the Industrial System
Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin
An Enormous Crime: The Definitive Account of American POWs Abandoned in Southeast Asia
Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq

The federal government, at the political level in both Congress and the Executive, cannot be trusted to act in the public interest. Wall Street is beginning to realize that that the "true cost" of corrupting the government has been the hollowing out of America's population, and in my view, it will be the fund managers at Wall Street who must recognize the value of public health, just as the rich in NYC realized in the 1920's that disease is indiscriminate.

Excellent book.

Well Done!!! I think this book is really amazing and practical for addressing all stages in the "parent-sharing" process and what to do to prepare you and your spouse. It also really gets to the bottom of REAL issues and how to have proactive discussions to limit problems that may arise.

This book is one of a kind. Whether you are parents already or just thinking about it, How to Avoid the Mommy Trap will help men and women alike think about parenting as a partnership as never done before. This book has been a lifesaving eye-opener for me and my marriage and I am sure I am not the only one out there for whom this is true.

Shields is an innovator. She has changed the paternity leave policies in the State Department. In the book, she gets readers to think about the importance of where your ideal partner stands on work and family issues before meeting him/her or where your current partner stands on such issues before making the making the final commitment.

I am a full-time stay at home mom and I love my job. It is the hardest yet most rewarding job I have ever had and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But I had begun to lose my identity in my mommyness and this book is a guide on how mothers can "let go" without guilt. Julie Shields is helping me get my sense of self back and she doesn't even know me!

Just read the Table of Contents and you'll be hooked too!

Amy Beal

I read this book in one sitting, and when I was done I found myself going back through it again in order to digest it more completely. I really wish it had been available when I was just starting my family, but even though my kids are now older I don't feel it's too late. A wonderful resource for any two-parent household, full of practical advice and suggestions on how to improve the whole family's quality of life. Julie Shields cuts through to the heart of many emotional, complicated parenting issues and presents solutions from a fresh, logical perspective. This is not just another book telling women how to reduce stress in their lives by making time for relaxing baths. I highly recommend it to any parent, or anyone thinking of becoming one.

Shields is a parental leave activist, but she's got a lot of suggestions on what new parents can do until then. She addresses some of the reasons women gatekeep on domestic stuff and childcare, and how to stop doing that. She proposes two part time jobs and a limited amount of child care as a strategy for caring for small children in a way that includes both parents while still allowing them time to work (about thirty hours a week) and nurture their relationship. While primarily addressed at heterosexual relationships, she includes numerous examples from same-sex couples.

Great stuff, especially about negotiation, for peer marriages/marriages where both adults work for pay. Not so great for other situations. Also take a look at Coleman's _The Lazy Husband_ (another book in search of a better title).

Julie Shields' excellent book "How to Avoid the Mommy Trap" provides a thorough exploration of strategies to help women and men share parenting responsibilities in a way that benefits everybody in the family.

"How to Avoid the Mommy Trap" illuminates the status quo and the calcified gender roles that many couples default to once they become parents. Shields belives that family life doesn't have to unfold that way, and she encourages couples to look beyond the standard choices of nanny, day care, or mother at home. Shields says 'The term Mommy Trap does not refer to giving birth and then having a child to take care of, or give up something for your child....More than anything else, the Mommy Trap describes a failure to understand the wide range of options available to modern parents.' She gives many examples of what it looks like to be caught in the Mommy Trap, including:

'The Mommy Trap snares a mother when she takes on parenting or household responsibilities that result in more unpaid work, and less leisure time and personal time, than she would like, particularly in comparison with her husband.'

Sound familiar? Do you feel like you couldn't even ask to expect things to be different without feeling selfish or guilty? Get this book! It is a primer that illuminates what marriage and parenting could look like if we stuck up for ourselves, let go of controlling the way our husbands parent, and worked to create truly equitable partnerships.

"~I would largely reiterate what the other reviewers have said: this book is the single most comprehensive reference for a partial or ground-up rebuild of your Z. I would have only a couple of negative things to say about it:"~ you are told to adjust the flange angle on the Johnson Rod strut, it can leave you scratching your head...

perhaps the last chapter should include a trailer shopping guide for the shear fact it would be sickening to restore a Z this much and then abuse it again by driving it. this book is worshiped more than likely by people who like trailer queens, and the author needs a hair cut.(buttttt) i did enjoy seeing someone else doing the work for once. and i would recommend the book to others for its various useful tips.

This book gave an excellent overview of how to restore your z car and a lot of interesting bacground stuff. But was technically weak. I still found myself going to the repair manuals for many things.

I saw this book long before I bought it, and after buying it, I was very sorry I took so long to get it! It covers most every aspect of the full restoration of this beloved car. From the frame-up or a little at a time. This book has the info you need, and more. The info inside can not be purchased, borrowed, or stolen for a better price! Alone, this book is not enough, but it's a great way to get the spark ignited. (No single book could possibly have everything, I know, I have bought almost all of 'em.)

This book is great, it takes you through almost all of the steps that you need to completely restore your car, but on a lot of things it merely mentions them and doesn't really tell you a lot about what your supposed to do. What I did was I bought this book and a haynes automotive repair manual(or Chilton's) and I used that for the more technical stuff. This book has 20-30 pages of exploded views of various areas on the cars and also has a list of retailers that sell parts and/or services for the z series. If your trying to restore your car get this book.

This is a great book for anyone who has ever worked with the mentally challenged or Knows someone who is mentally challenged. It shows the true hearts of the clients and the realities they experience in thier every day lives.This is one of those books that A person picks up to read,and doesn't put it down untill it is finished.Very emotional,yet very funny book.A book that truly warms your heart.

Highly recommend this well written hillarious tale of Richard, the "rubber room resident". This is a great read for anyone and would make an awesome gift this holiday season.

Not long ago, during a time where the mentally ill and the mentally retarted were often housed together, Richard Ulysses is encouraged by an uncle to "become committed" to one of these institutions (as a health care professional?) As we read his entries to his journal, we witness the feelings he has toward his fellow "inmates" as he gradually makes them his family. Don't let the sophomoric (and sometimes stomach-turning) humor mislead you, this is a very touching story that will get you thinking about the institutions we all live in, and, like Richard, "Do I really think I'm any better than they are?"

If you have ever worked in the human services field, you'll love what your reading. If you have ever worked direct care with mentally handicapped individuals, you'll love it even more!
I could relate every character in the book, to an individual with whom I have worked. Stellar Job Wally, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

I enjoyed this book, found it to be funny and entertaining. Very good reading won't put you to sleep so don't bother reading before going to bed.

In the Interest of Justice is a great book.

I just spent 4 hours on a delayed flight. I am glad I had the book with me. It is a very interesting book, especially for non-lawyers.

Seidemann has chosen excerpts of opening and closing arguments from some of the most important and famous cases of the last century. But thecases were not chosen merely because they are famous; the arguments are often extremely eloquent and moving. Reading these lawyers' arguments trying sway the jury conveys more emotion and makes these cases more immediate and real than any documentary could. It gives a sense of what it must have been like to be in the jury box deciding these cases.

It is interesting to see the different styles the lawyers use. The prosecutors' somber, reverential tone in his opening argument in the trial against Adolph Eichmann contrasts sharply with Gerry Spence's homespun approach in his summation in the Karen Silkwood case, but both lawyers seem to hit the perfect note.

In his commentary, Seidemann, a prosecutor in Manhattan, sets the stage for each case and highlights the strategies and techniques employed. His explanations provide an excellent insight into the lawyer's craft. Surprisingly, this book reads like a novel, but it also provides a unique opportunity to get inside the courtroom and learn 20th century history through these cases.

This book was a good read for a dreary return flight from DC. It falls short of the promise of its title. That said, every opening and closing statement in this book contained a valuable lesson for trial attorneys, and each statement makes a compelling read. I give this book 3 stars because it doesn't quite live up to its title. Perhaps "Some Really Cool Openings and Closings I liked" would've been a more appropriate title for the book.

With the rapid growth of sensationalist legal coverage on TV news and primetime courtroom drama a la "The Practice", it can be difficult to understand fully the merits of a good trial lawyer's rhetorical virtuoso aside from the twists, turns, and socio-political backdrop which typically capture Americans' attention. With few exceptions, (e.g. Scopes trial, O.J. Simpson trial) the lawyer, that civic advocate and protector of justice, rarely receives deserved recognition. We sit collectively on the edge of our seats with eyes and ears pealed for damning witness testimonies and blood-stained clothes. Evidence is rarely that clear, Seidemann informs us, and most real life cases turn on the efficacy of the lawyer. This book renews our appreciation for a profession derided so often for its dishonesty that we have forgotten the sad and dangerous implications behind the humor. Within these pages of heartwrenching tragedies and controversies that rocked our nation, you will surely reexperience memories of the incidents as the opening/closing statements verify or challenge what you believe. Seidemann reminds us that we have conferred upon lawyers the great responsibility of juridicial guardianship, in order to shake us out of complacency and reaffirm our right to demand their rectitude and loyalty to their oath.

For Generation Y and the Millenials, "In the Interest of Justice" should be required reading for the oft neglected legal aspect of cultural literacy. Direct accounts of the gruesome atrocities perpetuated by Adolph Eichmann and the SS, Johnny Cochran's convoluted deconstruction of the Simpson evidence, the Bernard Goetz incident, and the unmitigated hatred of Zacharias Moussaoui in his own words far exceed detached summaries of such pivotal moments in the American psyche. Though older generations have understood and internalized their meaning by living through these events, imperceptibly they seem to hold less and less power as time goes by and new leaders of society step up to the fore. Hopefully, this book will spur other writers to popularize equally important judicial landmarks with the same care to the preservation of the primary evidence and with similar astute and fair explanations. These are more than exciting cases and history lessons: Seidemann compels us to consider personally the merits and risks of the sometimes flawed but inviolable bedrock of American freedom and security: its criminal justice system.

One thing that caught my eye is the different ways Jay Goldberg was able to change approaches from that of humor in they Bess Meyerson case to biting summation in a case involving Sammy "The Bull" Gravano. It seems to me few lawyers (if any) are able to recognize that according to Mark Twain "a laughing jury seldom convicts". But then again, you have to have inborn capacity to switch approaches that would result in laughing a case out of court and then approaching another case with complete hostility to an adversaries witness. My kudos go to the author as well as to Mr. Goldberg.

This was a charming book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Living in the area it is nice to read about some of the history of the area.

It gives a nice feel for the way the locals lived along the Klamath River. Also, a good view of the Indians lives. I only wish the women had gone back. I came away feeling sad that they left the area when they did.

Great book about a great place. Lots of change in a short amount of time.

From early in the 20th to the birth of the 21st Century, little changed along the banks of the Klamath in 95 years. The path these women followed remains little altered from when they traveled tho now covered in asphalt, it is still a remote and rough territory for the uninitiated. They stepped off a ship in Humboldt Bay and then walked off the map into the unknown. Surrounded by wilderness, the Marble Mountains and the Trinity Alps, as spectacular and rugged peaks today as they were then. Great Grandchildren of some of those who taught these adventerous ladies the skills to survive in this wild country still live on the same piece of ground. This is the canvas Mary and Mabel painted a wonderful picture of the world they found here. Let them show you the neighborhood and see if you could follow those footsteps down the trail.

Since the world was created at Katimin, the Klamath River has been home to the salmon runs that fed the eagles and fattened bears and filled the smokehouses of the people. The river is the life-blood that flows thru the canyon veins, like a puzzle, each piece necessary to make it complete. A blood transfusion 150 miles away only slowing foreclosure on farmland in another state, no crops must die. Now less water flows downstream and is murky colored and too warm for the salmon to survive in but the life of a potato was saved! A river with no fish is a watershed dying, when the life of the river dies will life along that river follow? These hardy women managed to live without fries, but a river without salmon would be both unbelieveable and inconceivable to them.

Mary and Mabel wandered into my part of northern california to be schoolteachers. From their story you can see how they knew nothing of what the territory was like, how the people were, or any local customs. They seemed to have a vague sense that it was a 'wild' land. They fit in amazingly well in a land where killing another person meant you had to pay that persons family $100 and law was either non-existant or uneffective. They seem to throughly enjoy themselves and set to learn the culture around them and teach what they can. Surprises are around every corner, from rattlesnakes to mountain lions to injun devils. Surprises such as their trusted friend telling them he couldn't go into one town because he had to 'pay $500 last time.'
A great story that is easy to read and gives a glimpse of the hidden corner of northern california where the hupa, yurok and karuk indians reside.

This is an amazing account, by two very adventurous women, of their time spent in an extremely remote area of this country. Even with the speed of modern automobile travel, the tiny communities along the Klamath River, in Humboldt & Siskiyou Counties of northern California, are still remote. Mary & Mabel's sense of adventure, humor, tolerance & joy radiate from this book. It's been 20 years since I lived near the Company Ranch, in Orleans, and read this story. I'm looking forward to owning my own copy and re-reading it. Another reader recommended a wonderful book of similar format. It's exact title is "Tisha: the story of a young teacher in the Alaskan wilderness". It is available through Amazon. I lent my copy several years ago; it's time to buy another copy and re-read it, too. These books are very difficult to find in bookstores. Thank you, Amazon.

I purchased this book for the photography but found the information contained within quite informative. Entomology is a hobby. One I get little time to indulge in. This book is an excellent addition to anyone's library on these beautiful insects.

This is one of the most gorgeous books I own. I look at these pictures, and I think that human beings could not dream up jewelry that touches the beauty of these creatures. It is utterly unbelievable! Every time I page through this book my jaw is open in disbelief. They are so breathtaking they almost bring tears to my eyes. Okay. Confession time. They HAVE brought tears to my eyes.

The photographs by Lisa Watson are the first thing to catch your eye about this beautifully produced book. The majority are of museum specimens, which oddly is what makes the pictures so attractive: we're used to seeing high quality pictures of wildlife, but the displays here juxtapose many different beetles and have more impact than wildlife shots would.

The pictures are beautiful but the text is high-quality too. The authors start by reciting some statistics on the number of beetle species. Linnaeus, two hundred and fifty years ago, described 654 species; and Fabricius added another 4,112 species between 1775 and 1801. By 1876 Gemminger and von Harold's catalog contained nearly 77,000 species; and when Junk and Schenkling's catalogue was completed, in 1940, it listed nearly 221,500 species. It's now estimated that there are 350,000 described beetle species. However, recent work by Terry Erwin, extrapolating from detailed studies of a small area, suggests that there are more than eight *million* species of beetle just in the tropics!

The rest of the book is a fairly detailed survey of beetles in all their aspects. The authors are enthusiasts as well as experts, and it shows in their writing, which is crisp, clear and engaging. They cover beetle anatomy, fossilized beetles, habitats and niches, the beetle life cycle, and mimicry. There is also substantial coverage of beetles and humans: naming, appearance in mythology, use as jewels (really!), a discussion of pest control, and use in education. The book has more scientific depth than is usual for a coffee table book, without sacrificing interest value.

There is a website that appears to be maintained by one of the authors (Evans) that contains some material from the book; I recommend you take a look if you are hesitating about buying this. I found it by searching for the book title using a standard search engine; when I looked it was on the Lorquin Entomological Society's website, but it may have moved.

Recommended.

The website for this book and the general topic is:
http://www.fond4beetles.com

If someone said, "Ok, you're being sent to a colony on Jupiter's second moon and you only get to bring one picture book with you," this would be it. It is a stunning book. One reviewer mentioned being moved to tears, and it really is no joke. The photos of the beetles are gorgeous and the text is really well written.

People generally fear insects, regard them as pests, or don't bother thinking about them at all. Arthur Evans gives weight to what is frequently overlooked. Taking one order, Coleoptera (beetles), he uses it as a means to discuss the big picture on Earth--balance and biodiversity. Evans manages all of this with a sense of reverence and even spirituality that complements the statistics and hard data:

"...But viewing beetles simply as machines, without understanding their role in the ecosystem, is a narrow perspective that reflects intellectual, spatial, and temporal limitations. As the world's ecosystems continue to shrink in the wake of human exploitation--a direct result of our ever-burgeoning population--our approach to all the sciences must continue to evolve from an analysis of parts to a necessarily more holistic approach. We must learn to view beetles not as machines, but as conduits of energy flowing through the entire biosphere."

I'd always been fascinated by insects, but this book really honed my interest and since I bought it, it has inspired me to learn more about them and share what I've learned. I even had the great luck of meeting a weevil expert. Beetles are simply incredible little animals and I'm really glad that Evans has written a book about them that is so accessible and lovely.

This is one book I would recommend most highly to anyone who thinks about learning more about prayer and hungers for more. The subtitle, "The Way of Christian Contemplation" should not frighten anyone because it is not "new" nor is it just a "technique." Rather, it follows from the best tradition of the church, including John of the Cross, Theresa of Avila and others. Fr. Keating's writing is simple, clear, using examples we can all identify with. No one needs a theology degree for this, just a hunger to learn about deeper prayer. At 140 pages, Keating give a great introduction....and in fact lots more than just a start.

Other than the Bible itself, no other writings available offer sincere seekers a more illumined path to our Creator where we may dwell in His Truth. I thank God for Thomas Keating!

Father Keating displays a gift for imparting essential points of mystic theology (a beauty so ancient and so new ... could not resist adding that, because many of his references are Augustinian) in a manner so gentle that they seem simple reflections. (At this moment, I hope that my reference to "mystic theology" does not cause potential readers to click the back button.) Scriptural references abound, and are often haunting - so much so that the translations (his own?), which are rather excessively colloquial, do not make one wince. The author explains points clearly and well, and generally with an engaging charm. Very fine work.

Having been to a retreat led by Father Keating, I find a seamless connection between the man and his books. Invitation to Love follows his typical pattern of treating profound spiritual issues with simplicity of style and great respect for the connection between spiritual and psychological growth. The ostrich can't see with his head in the sand; neither can we "see" spiritually until we have wiped the sand from our eyes and looked at our psychological formation and its effects on us as adults. Keating explains this connection and provides ways to progress from an "I-centered" to a spiritually-centered way of life. Reading this book was a gift to myself!

INVITATION TO LOVE is the third of Father Keating's books to deal with Christian Comtemplation, centering prayer and developing a deeper understanding of our relationship to God. This type of prayer, unlike more active forms, enables us to "rest in God's presence" and can help us in our journey toward God.

In this book, the author discusses the many false programs for happiness and levels of human consciousness, giving the reader a better understanding of how we seek God on our terms, rather than on His. Our obstacles to prayer are shown in the context of our psychological background and social upbringing, yet Father Keating does so in a clear, yet inspiring style.

As other reviewers have noted, the reader may get more out of this book by reading OPEN MINDS, OPEN HEARTS and THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST. I read both of those books and found that each built on the other. Together, they are an excellent resource.