Washington Books

I'm not easily impressed, either. Homicide My Own sucked me right in and held me right to the end. It is wonderfully well-written with a catchy voice which provides just the counter-balance to the weird nature of the story. I loved it so much I read it twice through in one sitting. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Argula writes with a deftness and confidence one would expect from a well-seasoned author.

Argula's debut novel features really great writing and extremely realistic, quirky characters. I'm reminded of poetic authors like Richard Hugo. The author has a gift for evoking physical environment and getting inside the skin of her heroine. We can feel the weight of her clothes and at times more physical detail than we need. She's a little young for hot flashes but that could happen. Her marriage seems puzzling but totally realistic. If this book begins a series, these developments should unfold in interesting ways.

The novel takes a sharp, bizarre turn with no warning. That's why I awarded 4 stars instead of 5. There's no reason for these characters to have some of these off-beat experiences (to say the least).

I read this book last December and liked it enough to pre-order the second book, "Walla Walla Suite," which is just as good. The slightly supernatural twists in both books set them somwhat apart from the run-of-the-mill PI stories. And Quinn, a menopausal cop, is a unique creation, especially in her insights into the male mind and psyche. A woman who understands (although she may not like it) that sometimes men think (NOT!)with the wrong parts of their anatomy. A fascinating character in so many ways. So, yeah, like li'l Oliver once said, "Please, may I have some more?" - Tim Bazzett

This little book is very different from the run-of-the-mill mystery (which I also love) The characters are quirky and interesting. There is a bit of "woo-woo" so if you don't like that, don't read this. Give it a try.

Homicide My Own has just been nominated for an Edgar as Best Paperback Original Novel. The Edgar Award is the Oscar for mystery writers. It's presented by the Mystery Writers of America, a prestigious group of writers, reviewers, and publishers. This is a wonderful and well-deserved honor for Anne Argula.

The book came in plenty of time for a gift. It did have a slice in the paper cover and slightly on the main book it's self. Looks like when someone opened a box with a box cutter. It didn't effect the out come of the book though.

This cookbook contains many of the most popular dishes served at the Inn at Little Washington. I was surprised how true the recipes are to the dishes served at the Inn. Few recipes require exotic or inaccessibly expensive ingredients. While some recipes are labor-intensive, others can be prepared rather quickly and easily with excellent results, such as the Rockfish with Mushrooms and Grapes.

The Red Pepper Soup with Sambuca Cream has become a favorite in our house, even among those who typically do not enjoy red pepper. The Medallions of Veal with Calvados Cream is also well worth the effort. The ice-cream recipes in this text are also excellent.

If you are not an avid cook, this book has lovely pictures and makes for a good coffee table book. The text is also well-written and interesting. Highly recommended.

This is the restaurant by which all other restaurants are measured. It is perfection in every way. Therefore, it is not surprising that I would want the cookbook. What may be surprising to some, then, is how good the book is. There are many notable restaurants and famous chefs are not rare. Chefs, however, who write well and present good cookboooks is less commonplace. The writing is excellent and the recipes turn out as anticipated. I pick up the book (together with Levin's book) sometimes just to recall the most splendid restaurant experience of my life and to look forward to dining there again soon. This should be a good book even for those who have not had my experience; it should be for any lover of good food and good dining.

We have been guests at the Inn at Little Washington and enjoyed lovely repasts there. In the book, "The Inn at Little Washington Cookbook," we have taken the magnificent offerings to our own table. Especially memorable is the tomato salad, rated the best by the Washington Post reviewer, with tri-colored tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, and shaved asciago cheese - a feast for the eye and the palate. The lobster medallions with grapefruit are delicions and easy to prepare. There is practicality in the preparation and easy-to-find ingredients. The photographs are wonderful. I have given this lovely book to many friends who have shared my delight with Patrick O'Connell's gift from the heart!

We had the pleasure of spending a weekend at the inn and on one of our 2 dinners there actually ate at the "chef's table" in the kitchen. While there we were able to sample a large portion of the menu and obtain an autographed copy of his cookbook. Upon returning home I assumed the recipes would be convoluted and difficult to follow. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! Patrick's recipes are clear, straight-forward and enable any cook with moderate kitchen skills to wonderfully replicate the dishes he serves at his fantastic inn! If you want to produce delicious dishes, with a hint of southern US, French & Italian influences then buy this book!!! You will not be disappointed & your guests will be amazed!

This is a touching book about the four chaplains who gave their lives for our soldiers. You will read a biographical background on each chaplain. Their love for each other and the love for the soldiers reached beyond the line of denominations. They gave their lives so that others may life. You can see their beautiful pictures in the stained-glass window at Washington's Cathedral. I had the privileged to visit several years ago.

I ordered this book for my father, whose brother died in WWII. The family was given almost no information at the time, but by piecing together details, my mother determined that he was almost certainly on a particular boat when it was sunk by the enemy. That fact was confirmed by this book, and it offered a lot of information that is offered only sketchily in other areas. We appreciate the author and the information he was able to provide families, as well as the story of the wonderful chaplains. My mother, an avid reader (particularly about WWII), said this was one of the best written histories on WWII that she has read.

If you ever feel that your fellow man has no regard for you, pick up this book and don't put it down untill you have finished it. What an inspiring story of four 'Men of God' and their dedication to that God, each other, and all those fortunate enough to have crossed their paths. You will be stunned by the character of each of these great men.

Everyone who's already reviewed this book has said so much about it that it's hard to find anything more to say about how well it's written, what a great gripping true story it is, and the amazing heroism of the four chaplains. This book is so well-written and has such a compelling and involving story that I read it in like two days, and wished there had been even more. Additionally, this heroic tale from WWII has special meaning to many of the people in my area (New York State's Capital District) because Rev. Clark Poling's church was in nearby Schenectady, providing a local connection.

The book itself follows a somewhat nonlinear format, going back and forth between the pre-war lives of the four chaplains and their lives during the war, particularly after they boarded the Dorchester and arrived in Greenland for a very brief stay before going back on the ill-fated ship. After this point, the narrative switches entirely to a linear format, discussing the ship's final night before being torpedoed by a German U-boat and the chaos, heroism, and tragedy that ensued. Not many people could honestly say that they would give up their lifejackets if their ship went down in freezing waters in the middle of the night (Rabbi Alex Goode even gave up his gloves) or remain calm in the midst of such frantic circumstances and such a life-and-death situation. Many people back then also weren't so forward-thinking about interfaith relations, with a Reform rabbi, a Catholic priest, and two reverends from different Protestant denominations being such close friends and reaching out equally to everyone on the ship, largely being nonsectarian apart from when they did things like conduct services. This was still an era in which many Protestants and Catholics didn't associate with one another, to say nothing of the rampant institutionalised prejudice against Jews, and, in a number of areas, against Catholics as well. They set a moving and heroic example for all time, not just in the area of interfaith relations, but also in the area of selfless sacrifice. It was interesting to read in the Afterword about some of the people who have since been awarded the Immortal Chaplains Prize for Humanity Award, such as the Japanese Righteous Gentile Chiune Sugihara, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Omri Abdel-Halim al-Jadah, a Palestinian Muslim who died while saving a young Israeli Jewish boy from drowning. The Afterword also provided information on what happened to the survivors of the Dorchester sinking and the near and dear ones of the chaplains.

As we find out all throughout the book, this tragedy could have been prevented (it was kind of like a smaller-scale Titanic) if only the Dorchester had been inspected more closely or refurbished, or if there had been enough lifejackets and safety instructions provided, and even after disaster struck, the casualties could have been reduced if the nearby American ships had begun searching for survivors and bringing them onto their ships right away instead of thinking nothing serious had happened or going after the attacking U-boat first, but even in the midst of such bungling and such a chaotic disaster, the amazing heroism of the chaplains shone through as well as it would have in calmer circumstances.

With a sickening thump, an explosion wracked the troop transport S.S. Dorchester - a German torpedo had found its mark. It was shortly after midnight, February 3, 1942, and the ship was about to sink into the deadly cold waters off of Greenland. As men panicked and struggled to find a way to save their own lives, four men walked amongst them spreading calm and encouragement. Helping everyone they could find, even giving away their own precious lifejackets, the four chaplains - Rev. George Lansing Fox (Methodist), Rabbi Alex Goode, Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed) and Fr. John Washington (Catholic) - sought to serve their God and the fellow men. And when the end came, survivors saw the four chaplains, locked arm in arm, praying on the upside-down hull of the ship, just before it dove beneath the waves.

This book tells the remarkable true story of four men who joined the American military as chaplains, their experiences at their Massachusetts training camp, and their final tragic mission. It is a story that is bound to bring a tear to your eye, but it is also a great story of faith and truly living the life of godly sacrifice. Overall, I think that this is a great book, on that I highly recommend to everyone.

This is a great book for the naturalist, whether amateur or field biologist, for learning in the field. The pictures are clear, information not too wordy, but enough to help with any id issues. This is really great for figuring out the plant communities that are so vital to the health of our natural world

This is a staple for plant identification in the Northwest. As a plant biologist for the National Park service, this was the book we never went into the field without. Because of it's clear color photographs, thorough taxonomical descriptions, and wide array of species, it was the first we would consult, and then cross reference with other resources if we needed to. It's also quite durable!

There is no better field guide for the region. An incredibly good book. If throw 3 books into my pack before taking off into the woods for a few months -- this is going to be one of them.

In fact, while I'm at it ... this is one of the best field guides I've ever seen for any region. It's tied with the Peterson's Field Guide to Edible Plants of E. North America ... I love it. Delicious ...

You can't call yourself a naturalist - amateur, professional, or otherwise - until you have this guide. It is clear and concise, with good tools for identification and great secondary information on the plant it is addressing. The pictures and descriptions make identification at least down to the level of family or genus ridiculously easy, but in some families getting an ID down to species or sub-species level takes a more in-depth reference guide. The keys are clear and leave little room for ambiguity, and the sectioning of material follows a logical pattern related to both ecology and familial relationships - rather than the sometimes esoteric partitioning based on strict taxonomy. The book itself is practically indestructible - I have dropped it (by it I mean my first copy, the previous edition) into creeks, mud, dust, sand, swamps and marshes, and down mountains, and it has come out mostly intact. It is also the only fieldguide that I have owned that has successfully resisted mountain rodent appetites (specifically those dastardly yellow-pine chipmunks). Like many field guides these days it also does a fantastic job incorporating native plant use into the descriptions. The only con I see in this book is it doesn't address the mushrooms (even though it includes lichens, which are halfway there).

To sum up it up, buy this guide if you spend any decent amount of time around plants and wonder at all what some of them are. For a more specific and accurate identification guide for the especially diverse or hard-to-identify plant groups (like the grasses), get a guide or key with more specific attention to taxonomy and more in-depth descriptions. It's amazing already what this guide does with the space that it has.

I found this book valuable for identifying plants associated with the lichens I collect. It is easy to use, the photos are good and I really appreciate both the range maps and phisiographic map (on the inner back cover). Dana Ericson

I loved it!!! I couldn't put it down. The intrigue and detail made me feel like I was in Washington, DC and I loved the Biblical references. It had just enough sex and "f" words to make it good reading. I will certainly recommend it to my friends.

In this, his first book, Terry (Wes '69), has melded media and crossed generations in the producing a first rate thriller. He's combined the intrigue of the author, R. Ludlum (Wes '51), with the the sohisicated repartee of the actor, B. Whitford ("West Wing's" Josh Lyman, Wes '81). The result is a delight for the devotees of the former two. With "So Shine...," Terry cements his rightful place between them. May he be equally prolific!

I could not put this book down and finished it straight through. It kept me up all night. It was such an absorbing and fast-moving story. There were a couple of stops where I had to close my eyes. The descriptions of stuff is just too real! This is a really fun read.

I read a review that said this was better than Grisham and , for a swhole host of reason, it is! Wonderfully put together, genuinely a fleshed out tale. Terry demonstrates an incredible understanidng of government, politics and Wall Street which he uses to create a REAL PAGE TURNER.

This is a complex story, and it kept me on the edge of my chair. The chapters are so beautifully woven that it's a delight to read.

All breast cancer patients should read this while going through treatment. The stories provide hope during a difficult time in a woman's life.

Once again, Barbara Delinsky's updated version of her original UPLIFT book provides survivors and their loved ones with courage, hope and humor about a dreadful disease that strikes one in eight. As a survivor and contributor to her latest effort, I am in awe of the women who shared their experiences with such insight and candor. Thank you, Barbara, for championing this cause. Stay well, my friend.

This book is a "must read" for anyone who has a family history of breast cancer, is currently undergoing treatment for it, is a survivor, or is close to anyone who has breast cancer or has survived it.

Breast cancer, while predominantly a "female disease" does strike men (it also strikes transgendered individuals, especially those on female hormone regimens).

The need for a book with a title like "uplift" becomes apparent when we stop and think about the place of the female breast in modern culture. Mass media and many aspects of our culture fixate on breasts in such a way that many women feel defined by their breasts. Consequently, breast loss can have a profoundly diminishing effect on a woman's self image.

In some locations, the emphasis on breasts has become extreme. I live in Kansas City, which is second only to Hollywood for the number of breast augmentations done per year (both in actual numbers and per capita). In the late 1990s (while in KS), I had a girlfriend who was so striking that my buddies referred to her as "that goddess."

But she didn't see her incredible beauty. She agonized over the fact she was small-breasted (an A cup). Not only was she beautiful, she was intelligent, articulate, and entertaining. If you had a list of the 1,000 most desirable characteristics a woman could have, you could check off one after the other in her case.

Despite her looks, brains, and personality, she was immensely insecure. She even chewed her nails down to the quick. The problem, in my opinion, was she succumbed to false comparisons that left her feeling she was somehow deficient because she wasn't carrying around huge levels of silicone, saline, or adipose tissue on her chest.

One time, she asked, "What do you see in me?" I was so stunned by the question, and so incapable of knowing even where to begin, that I couldn't reply quickly. She took this as confirmation that she wasn't "woman enough" and said so. That's about on par with saying Lance Armstrong isn't "biker enough." Yet, this idea dominated her self-image. She typifies what many women go through, even without breast cancer. Imagine the feelings after losing a breast or two.

How could this woman, with so much going for her, become emotionally impoverished over what is basically a minor cosmetic attribute? Especially when, only a few generations ago, women in America bound their breasts in an effort to hide them? That's a good question. It's one to think about.

In the meantime, think about how devastating it must be for most women to lose a breast or both breasts. That is one of the many issues facing women with breast cancer. Men with breast cancer don't face that particular issue, but they share all of the other breast cancer issues with their female counterparts (including, for most men, the loss of hair).

Of course hearing "You have cancer" is devastating to anyone. While cure rates today for most cancers are high (if the cancer is caught early), we still think of it as "the deadly disease." Most of us want to survive, so we avail ourselves of modern medicine in an attempt--one that is usually successful--to beat the cancer. But the process is grueling, painful, scary, exhausting, and risky. With breast cancer, there are additional emotional pressures--especially for women.

Uplift takes us through every stage of the breast cancer victim's long ordeal, and it even follows up with survivors five years after. The book is essentially a well-organized collection of thoughts of people who made the journey, along with some thoughts contributed by those who traveled with them. Delinsky's commentary helps the reader keep those thoughts in perspective, and she does an excellent job of prefacing the material in each section.

I don't know how much material Delinsky actually sifted through. But the result of her labors is a mix that is variously uplifting, instructional, and insightful. There's nothing sappy or boring in any of it.

For example, how do you feel after reading this excerpt from a woman who talks about hiding her bald head from her husband of thirty five years. She'd let him see her only in a wig or turban (towel wrapped around her head after a shower). The pressure apparently got to her one day, after she let him in the bathroom:

"...but suddenly I decided to just take the stupid towel off my head, and I immediately started to cry. Mike held me, smiled right into my lashless eyes, and said, 'So what?' And I thought the best I'd ever heard was 'I love you.'"

Uplift brings real power to people who are fighting breast cancer, whether on the front lines or in a supporting role. Those who've read Uplift can stride into this ferocious battle, this fight to the death, with greater calm and a deeper well of reserve to draw from. Those who are in supporting roles will not have to clumsily grope their way through, but can instead understand how to be a powerful ally to the person they don't want to lose.

Most books have one or two strong chapters that stand above the rest. I can't say that about Uplift. It's all strong. It's all good. It's all worth reading again.

Unfortunately, I won't have the opportunity to re-read my copy any time soon, because it is going to a breast cancer survivor and then on to make its rounds. Yes, the borrowers will eventually buy a copy for their own bookshelves, but my copy will be gone for quite some time.

It looks like I'll have to pony up for a second or third copy, so I have one on hand. But that's not all bad, either: all of the author's proceeds will be donated to breast cancer research.

This book is organized well. Each topic has its own chapter so women going through one procedure don't have to hear stories about other procedures. (Sometimes, less or more.) The various entries provide advise, support and realism that only real breast cancer patients and survivors can. It was like having my own personal support group between the covers of this book at any time I needed it! A great tool for women going through treatment. It also provides insight to friends and family that want to know how they can help their loved ones. Lots of good practical ideas!

As a breast cancer survivor myself, my observation is biased. The book is actually a handbook for women going thru treatment, and beyond. I only wish this book had been available 15 years ago when I was going thru treatment. But its here now, and I certainly would recommend it for anyone going thru treatment, or as a gift for a friend or family member to give to a loved one going thru this very emotional disease. 5 stars isn't a good enough rating....but it's the best one you have.

I read this book as a child and I loved all the art work and the wonderful story. In fact, I loved the story so much, some 30 years later I gave my son (now 4) the middle name of Anansi. My son and daughter (age 3) love the story of Anansi and his six sons. Even when we don't have the book with us, we talk about Anansi, his sons and their adventures. This story is great because children learn that we each have a skill that makes us unique and we each contribute something important to the family.

I am a big fan of the Anansi tales, and the spider's adventures are delightful as well as thought-provoking. For edutainment (educational entertainment) and discussion, I include them in my high school / college level introduction to mythology / humanities survey courses. All ages can enjoy a clever trickster hero who possesses many human qualities, the good and bad--who makes us think about our own deeds and behavior.

In Anansi The Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, Gerald McDermott retells an Anansi story with warmth, cultural sensitivity, and bright, attention-seizing illustrations. Among the children's books about Anansi, McDermott's efforts stand in a unique place because the text is used sparingly and with great effect, conveying important events only and not burying key ideas in lavish descriptions or dialogues. In this book, the elaborate, geometric illustrations paint the "descriptions" that the text omits.

Features that I like...

The map in the opening that shows the continent of Africa and the country of Ghana. (I'm always happy to see a bit of geography dropped into stories, especially those designed for children.)

The Prologue, which describes the importance of folklore, mythology, and legends. I especially appreciate this statement: "Folklore prepares man for adult life. It places him within his culture."

Rather than beginning the story with the familiar "Once upon a time...," the author uses "Time was..." which is cool! :)

Each of the spider sons in the story is unique in design, appearance, and talent, which makes him easy (and fun) to identify as the tale unfolds. The six sons are See Trouble, Road Builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower, and Cushions.

The character of Anansi is rendered with an expressive personality and face while his sons' faces are not shown--just their designs, bodies, and talents. Anansi's face changes emotions based on his experiences, and this would be an excellent teaching element for very young children upon hearing / seeing the story.

Themes & Talking Points the book offers:

Counting, colors, shapes, animals, teamwork, family, intro to Africa [Very Young Children]

Reading; Cause & Effect; Critical Thinking & Response; African Culture. How does Anansi get into and out of trouble? // Each spider is an individual with a specific skill or trait; each spider has a place in the family. What does this suggest about the culture of the Ashanti? // The rescue of Anansi is really a team effort by the sons, but who should get the reward? Does the ending solve this problem? [For children 5-12]

Reading & Design; Symbolism; Critical Analysis; Author Intent; Culture. Why did the author / illustrator choose not to show the faces of the six sons in the story? How does this choice affect the story? How does Anansi's face tell his story? What is the relationship between a son's name and his unique design? In what instances is Anansi's face NOT shown and why? What lessons are taught in this tale? What universal themes are present? Does this book deserve its "honor" designation? [For tweens through college students]

Anansi and his sons are popular guys in our home. My son and daughter (nearly 4 and 6) just adore them, and I enjoy the fact that this book demonstrates how well cooperation works. Not to mention that we get to discuss the story, Ghana, and how people are both like us *and* are different from us.

In this story Anansi heads out for a walk only to be besieged by problems, first from a hungry fish, and then from a falcon. He would have been lunch were it not for his caring sons who fortunately have super-arachnid abilities.

Four Stars. Good Read-aloud. Good story with a moral. My daughter even decided to practice reading this fun and exciting story.

Anansi is one cool African trickster, and he does it again in this book! When he tries to determine which of his six sons to reward for saving his life, he becomes responsible for putting the moon in the sky.

The Anansi stories have been handed down through generations of Ashanti culture. This book is a wonderful, vibrant and vivid story for children of all ages. Born in Ghana I left at aged 3, leaving much of the Ghanaian culture behind. At aged 30 I can still remember a song about Anansi the spider, the only remnants left of my native tongue. I was given the Anansi book as a child, it captivated me, I read it over and over again, and it provided a connection to my past. At 16, I spent hours crafting a cushion embroidered an illustration from the book that was a childhood favorite. Sadly, the book was lost and I never thought I could get it again. Now, some 14 years since I last saw the book I can still visualize the pictures and hear the wonderful tale of Anansi the spider, his sons and the moon. I have just bought two copies, one for my niece and one for my two year old daughter. I absolutely cannot wait to read them again and again and pass this memorable story to a new generation.

The Audio Dictionary has a reserved spot on my desk. I have had it only a few weeks and already it looks as if I have had it for five years. I find myself constantly refering to it for specification writing, white papers and design/bid documents. Gary and Glen have really outdone themselves in creating this masterful work.

This book is an excellent source for words used in the sound arts and audio recording industry that you need to know to go into the business. Trying to find accurate and consistent definitions is very hard but this book puts the definitions all in one place in a clear and understandable way.

Great item to have if your going to be working in the field of music.

When I first got into audio engineering there was no way of understanding some of the more technical concepts I was expected to know. This book makes it really easy to understand a lot of the terms, I still always keep this book handy when I'm reading an AES journal article, just to help me out if there is something I don't understand.

The Audio Dictionary is a great book for anyone who's looking for a concise, clear explanation of any audio-related term. It's not (and does not pretend to be) a complete treaty like the Handbook for Sound Engineers, but offers a quick and reliable solution for those questions for which you don't have an answer from the top of your head and don't want to spend 2 hours reading the complete scientific explanation.

I consider it a must-have for any Audio Engineer who takes his profession seriously and have at least one copy in the library of each school we operate in Spain.

Seeing these images from the late 1930s to early 1940s is so surprising and still very familiar. These people, places and things are fresh in their freckles, chipped nail polish, rutted tire tracks and dusty streets. Gorgeous photos and fine details on the New Deal programs that caused these photos to exist in the first place.

My two favorite photos were an exuberant, pin-curled girl with her county fair prize ribbons proudly pinned to her new checked dress and the county fair "girlie" show girls backstage, weary and too young in their bedraggled costumes.

I wished that the book had more of these scenes from small town (or even big town life). The last portion of the book focuses on scenes from the factories preparing for war, and the essay explains why these photos were the focus. Nevertheless, the most moving photos to me are the ones showing the small town experience that puts color to the Grapes of Wrath black and white stills in my mind. We are very lucky that these photos have been preserved and so well reproduced for viewers today.

There are some outstanding shots in this book. As a photographer who prefers color, I was fascinated to see transition from the B&W in early part of the century to color. A very good book to have if you are interested in yet another contribution (B&W to color) of these first documentary photographers.

This book is a miracle--a gorgeous collection of crystal-clear, full-color photographs that somehow depict a world that many people, myself included, have long unconsciously assumed existed solely in black and white.

Color photographs, hundreds of startling and beyond-Technicolor images of the tail end of the Great Depression and the first years of World War II, fill this beautiful and artfully designed book, and the experience of leafing through them is a revelatory one, an immersive, affecting, transformative one. Just look at these people, these places, these signs: these are not ghosts; these are not the silvery images of museum walls and newspaper archives; these are people; this is the real world; this is the past looking a terrifying hell-of-a-lot like the present, like you, like me. This is poverty and happiness and history and a world gone by, and this is all of that made immediate, and brought to you and to me as if we had just stepped out of a time machine to wade through it all ourselves.

This book is unbelievable. I don't think I could recommend a book more highly, and the only reservations I hold regarding it are the ones that come from being so altered, so changed, so turned upside down by something like this, by something that can make a person view the past and everything so differently. From Pie Town, New Mexico to Lincoln Nebraska, from UFO-like blimps over South Carolina to fishing holes in Louisiana, this is the past of America made alive, made new, made real.

The book's introduction, by writer Paul Hendrickson, is terrific is well, expertly putting the photographs into context, and invoking both explicitly and implicitly the spirit of James Agee, Walker Evans, and LET US NOW PRAISE FAMOUS MEN. It draws attention to small details of many of the images, details that may have gone unnoticed otherwise, and emphasizes these images' importance to history.

I absolutely love this book, though at times I can barely handle it. I recommend it as highly as I can recommend anything, though I can't guarantee it will leave you unscathed, unchanged, even okay. But get it, read it, see it, and then watch yourself start to see the world, see America, see the past, see it all it in a different way.

My mother saw the Bound for Glory exhibition in Germany and was so impressed with it that she got ME this book, knowing how much I love to photograph rural Georgia (USA), then became so captivated by it that she was reluctant to give it up. The first time I opened the book I was so overwhelmed that I had to close it again; the images are stunning and truly inspiring, and each photo has so much depth, it takes time to properly digest. Not your average photo book. Highly recommended.

Like many of us, I have come to think of this era in balck and white - a perception honed through years of poring over my parents books and photo albums. Looking at these images gives me the sense of Dorothy exiting her sepia farmhouse into the Technicolor Munchkinland - it's mezmerizing, and the images themselves tell detailed stories about their itme and place. Another book that evokes the same feelings in a more contemporary moment is Sam Fentress' Bible Road, which has beautifully rendered photographs from across the American landscape in black and white and color - if you like Bound for Glory, you are bound to like Bible Road.

This is an excellent book about being homeless, written by a homeless person. He was once a very successful, wealthy business man who even had traveled abroad but when his business failed, he lost everything. His wife left him and his grown children didn't want anything to do with him. All he had was his van, some clothes, an old typewriter and his dog, Willow.

It's an inside look into the homeless way of life and their community. I will never look at the homeless in the same way again after reading this book because it showed how it could happen to anyone and how much a little help from someone can make a difference. Richard also suffered from depression and fortunately got some help. What stood out to me was the willingness of the homeless people to help out one another. Richard said the other homeless people became like a family to him.

It's a very interesting book about the 18 months this man spent living in his van which he was fortunate to have and then how he got help for 9 more months from a church. Reading this certainly made me thankful for the things I have. The day I missed my bus one rainy, cold morning and had to wait an extra 20 minutes, I thought about the poor homeless people who slept outside the whole night and who would be outside today, looking for a place they could hang out for awhile just to warm up.

I had met Richard & Willow but never knew their story. I believe it was time for someone to tell the story of the homeless. This book will make you laugh. It will make you cry, but mostly it will open your eyes and your heart.

I am a Salvation Army Chaplain for the homeless. I know the people in Richards book, they just have different names and faces and they have my heart! This book needed to be written as an eye opener for those who don't understand homelessness. But for the Grace of God go I! The homeless are really unique and they are a family, looking out for each other. They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care! I love this book! Once I started reading I couldn't stop. And Willow! Proof that the love of an animal can be life saving! ;>)

I read Breakfast at Sally's thinking this would be an inspirational and informative look at the homeless situation. This is true about this book, but the book is so much more! Richard's writing style transforms a non-fiction book to a wonderful compelling story that reads like a novel and draws the reader into the heartwrenching life that forced upon him due to circumstances beyond his control.

I purchased this book for my Kindle and have since gotten a hardback copy of the book as well. The story drew me into the author's life making me all too aware of the plight of the homeless in our country. We, as human beings, have grown complacent in our concern for others and I am the first to admit that this book changed the way I view homeless individuals in America. At any given time in our lives, we too could lose everything and experience the hardships and despair that Richard went through. I only hope if that should happen that we can be as resilient.

Get this book! You will never regret the purchase. From the first few minutes in the opening pages I was drawn in and captivated. I could not put it down until I had finished it. Thank you Richard for this heartwrenching and heartwarming story of your journey and for your gift of sharing your

This is a memoir by a man who lost everything--except his humanity. Richard LeMieux had it all--a palatial home, a family, a business, luxury cars, boats--all the outward trappings of success. But after a series of business reverses, he was evicted from his home, abandoned by his family, and found himself living in a van on the streets of Bremerton, Washington, with his dog Willow ("the wonder dog") his only companion.

Richard began writing this memoir on a beat-up manual typewriter while still homeless. Its pages are populated by the many memorable people he met on his journey--some sad, some broken by life and nearing its end, but many others amazingly resilient in the face of adversity. Most memorable among them is a homeless man simply known as C. Whenever C appears, Richard knows an adventure is sure to follow. C turns out to be a skilled dumpster diver and a reliable source of marijuana to a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Sometimes there's embarrassment (such as the time the author and C were asked to leave a Wal-Mart after C protested the store's low wages too loudly). But through acts of kindness great and small chronicled in these pages, C proves to be a beacon of kindness and hope to everyone he encounters. Richard is a former sportswriter, and he shows great skill for observing detail and recording memorable dialogue. You'll truly live the story with him--and be better as a result.

The "Sally's" mentioned in the title is the local Salvation Army mission in Bremerton, where Richard and his new friends found safety, shelter from the unrelenting dreariness of Pacific Northwest winters, hot meals and companionship.

I am an elected official who spearheaded efforts in my community to develop a local ten-year plan to end homelessness. As part of our plan, we've now held two Project Homeless Connect events. Project Homeless Connect is a national model that's been held in more than 160 communities to date. It's a one-day service fair for people experiencing homelessness, but it's more than that. It's an opportunity for members of the community to connect with these individuals in a very personal way. We had about 100 volunteers at our second event, serving 133 guests, and one of the most heartening things I heard from the volunteers was that they no longer feared the man on the street corner, but now would feel comfortable striking up a conversation. I think you'll have the same reaction after reading this book.--William C. Hall