Washington Books

There are lots of characters to loathe and love in this one. Derek, Holly Elliot's stepfather was a real brute. Being in the army, Derek was able to prevent Holly's father from leaving Vietnam. If Derek had been in the Marine Corps, he would never have pulled this off. A Marine would not have left a dead or wounded man behind to die, no matter how close the enemy was!

Jason Cole was every girl's dream man, one of the few KS heros with no flaws. His quick intelligence allowed him to see the real Holly within moments of meeting her. Both were beautiful, smart, and in love. But, Holly had a lot of gall getting angry at Jason when if not for him, she might never have known her father's fate! She was darn lucky he cared enough to get involved! He went through his own emotional battle over this, too!

Raven was a wonderful girl who deserved much happiness. Nicholas was fine, handsome, and totally in love with her. But towards the end, there was a scene where he was furious with Raven and spoke pretty ugly to her, then upon realizing his mistake, he's back 'in love' with her. His lack of trust in her wasn't even an issue. I wouldn't have dismissed the incident so easily.

Lawrence and Caroline were also a fine couple, but KS turned Lawrence into another one of her overly sensitive, sappy, soft men, like Rafe in STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT. What a mush he was!

This was the first Katherine Stone novel that I read and it is one of the most moving and beautiful romance novels I have ever encountered. The two primary characters, Raven and Lauren/Holly, are among my favorites in fiction. Both are seriously wounded spiritually but are amazing survivors who never give up on the hope or dream of love. Their stories are emotionally gripping, and for readers who love to go though the maelstrom of emotions, this is a terrific choice. I highly recommend it. I have read almost all of Kathernine Stone's other novels, but this is the best and most satisfying.

Raven Winters, high profile attorney to the stars, is beautiful, rich and longing for someone to love her. She engages in many sexual affairs from the time she was 13 to the present. Her sex partners have told her she has ice in her veins. What they do not know is that Raven has been longing for someone to love her, truly love her. While jogging she meets Nicholas Gault--well doesn't really meet him, he almost runs over her. There romance proceeds from here. Raven thinks Nick is a landscape gardener and he doesn't tell her different--that actually he is a multimillionaire. They love, she meets his children (he's divorced)and she hopes he truly loves her. Read on.

Story two is multi Academy Award winner both as an actor and as a director, Jason Cole. He will be directing and starring in the story titled "Gift of Love" written by Lauren Sinclair. Lauren does not want Cole to change the ending to her story. Jason agrees to meet with reclusive writer, Lauren, and Raven. After 17 years away from the states, well renowned writer, Lauren agrees to travel from her home in Klondike, Alaska and meet with Jason. Lauren is carrying a lot of baggage from the past. When they meet something develops between Jason and Lauren. Lauren's real name is Holly Elliott and she has much tragedy in her life. Many wonderful things happen between Holly and Jason and all beautiful.

Lawrence Elliott meets lovely, rich Carolyn Hawthorne while cleaning animals caught in the "Valdez" oil spill. An attachment forms and soon, they fall in love. Read how these stories entwine and enjoy this warm, tragedy filled novel with "Happy Endings".

This is the best Katherine Stone novel yet!! I could read this book over and over again, and still find love, hope and happiness on every page!! Everyone who I've lent this book to, has cried and said that it was FANTASTIC!! You must read it!!! You can not put it down until you finish it!!

I just finished this book yesterday and it was one of those that you can't put down. Raven is a wealthy and succesful entertainment lawyer who has searched for love and never came out ahead. Holly is a romance author who is hiding from reality. Nick is a single dad that is trying to protect his family and heart. Jason is a actor/director/producer who has bought the rights to one of Holly's books. Holly doesn't want him to change it even though he has a right to. They are all connected enough to maintain in the same story but it is like reading 2 or 3 different stories within one book. You would think it would be somewhat confusing trying to keep track of who is connected to who and how but in this book it flows so smoothly that you don't even really think about it. This book is a romance without all the explicit love scenes but it isn't just a romance it's about the characters finding themselves and helping each other.

This is the resource that at last got me making and taking
herbal teas, instead of just thinking about it. The author's
tone is both informed and empathetic. The explanations both
of how body systems work and of how the health properties of herbs support the body are fascinating, plus the photos
and illustrations are beatifully designed.

I love this book! I check it out frequently for information about ailments and practical holistic solutions. Informative and easy to read.

It's a 'must have' for every household!

I love the simple and accessible healing treatments illustrated throughout the book. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Having this information is like knowing your grandmother's home remedies that really work. No drugs, just plain, simple ingredients that make us well and keep us healthy. Thank you, Dr. Washington!

This book was a pleasure to read, the author's tone is that of a good friend giving sensible advice. More importantly, I find myself referring to the book every couple of weeks. The recipes for herbal teas are wonderful; they so intrigued me that I started gathering wild herbs on hiking trips and added some key herbs to my garden--I'll never buy herbal teas from the grocery store again.

The book is visually pleasing and easy-to-use as a reference.

A beautifully written & illustrated reference book that is easy to read and apply to your personal situation. It is a book that I keep reading over and over. I highly recommend this book to you and your friends.

Being aware of the influence that Japanese print making had on European artists in the 19th century, but not having had much exposure to Japanese prints, I found this book to be a wonderful introduction. The essays that opened the book and the explicatory text that accompanied each print helped to establish a dialogue between the ideas that were exchanged between Oriental art and European art. I found this to be an excellent addition to my personal collection, and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in this area.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Europeans and Americans discovered the world of Japanese woodblock prints and thus began an enduring love affair. One result has been the publication over the last century of literally hundreds of books and thousands of articles about the prints known as "ukiyoe," with a particular emphasis on such giants of the genre as Hokusai and Hiroshige. How then, in this crowded field, does one manage to create a must-have publication for readers who may already have well-stocked libraries on Japanese art?

One answer is to be found in "Hokusai and Hiroshige: Great Japanese Prints from the James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts." Issued by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in conjunction with an exhibition, "Hokusai and Hiroshige" is typical of a new wave of "ukiyoe" books that combine excellent design (of layout and typography) with clear and interesting text. Every page displaying a print has a near equal amount of space devoted to text, and the book benefits as well from introductory essays by three established experts. The text in particular appeals to me, providing not only insights about the compositional nature of each print but also detail on the locales depicted by these two great landscape artists and appropriate historical information. There is room for improvement in "Hokusai and Hiroshige"--I would have preferred more standard romanizations for some Japanese words and the inclusion of an index covering well more than just print titles--but overall this is an excellent and valuable volume.

I have not "finished" this book, nor do I intend to for a long time. I take it out to admire, print by print, sometimes reading the informative text, sometimes not. This is not a comic book to rush through. Linger, enjoy.

This volume was the companion for the exhibits at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. It covers all the lerge number of works shown there, each with descriptions of what is depicted and some in the points of interest that highlight each artist's rendering of the scene. There are sections on the lives of each artist and the fairly primitive tools used to create these intricate multi-colored (and thus multi-pressed) prints. The full collection of sets, such as the Hokusai views of Mount Fuji, are very well done and would in themselves make this book worthwhile. The sum total of both these woodblock masters is awe inspiring and sumptuous.

I have not "finished" this book, nor do I intend to for a long time. I take it out to admire, print by print, sometimes reading the informative text, sometimes not. This is not a comic book to rush through. Linger, enjoy.

When one Edwin Henderson, a Harvard-educated African American physical education teacher - was introduced to basketball in Washington DC in 1907, he envisioned it as a method of organizing black athletes to allow them to excel at northern while colleges. In sports, he reasoned, blacks would get a fair chance to succeed. Hot Potato details the birth and rise of black amateur basketball in America, examines college basketball and the origins of the CIAA, and surveys the rise of black professional athletes. A truly outstanding sports history evolves.

Kuska has given us some details to back up the legends of black basketball stars from the first half of the 20th century. Many of the individual names are known and the New York Renaissance team has been heard of by real basketball fans. This book gives us some details and further understanding of what the individuals went through and what modern basketball owes to them. A GREAT READ!! Hope to hear more from this fine writer and sports historian.

I am the granddaughter of Samuel Buck Covington. I'd just like to point out in the editorial by John Grasso, from Guilford, NY, that my grandfather, Samuel Buck Covington was mistakenly referenced as "Cunningham". Samuel Buck Covington was an outstanding athlelete and pillar of the Washington Metropolitan community. He was honored to be part of the writing of this wonderful book and the naming of the title "Hot Potato". Growing up he told countless stories of what it was like breaking barriers and playing semi-professional basketball for the Washington Bruins against teams such as the Harlem Globtrotters. This is a wonderful tribute to those who came through during this time who had gone unnoticed. I am proud to say he was my grandfather. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the final product of this book. Samuel Buck Covington died in September,1998 . . . Cheryl Moore

There aren't enough adjectives to describe this important work on an oftentimes overlooked part of U.S. history/sports.

Bob Kuska takes the reader on an exploration of the development of black athletics at the turn of the last century, with his focus surrounding basketball teams and leagues in New York City and Washington, D.C.

The chapters are in chronological order by year and highlights the important personalities, teams and events in the two cities and throughout the country - from youth leagues to the colleges and beyond.

I am particularly impressed with Kuska's acknowledgement of many individuals that time had seemingly forgotten. The ten years of research he did certainly accomplished his goal of giving the reader a complete understanding of the era.

To set a clear path to the future, our society must have an appreciation of the rough paths taken by those who confronted the hideous Jim Crow laws and other forms of racisim & truly learn from the past.

America's game was changed forever, but not just on the hardwood floors. These heroes knocked down barriers and opened the door for others to pursue their dreams, no matter what the odds.

Seldom does a basketball historian find a book on basketball in which more than 75% of the material is new to him. Bob Kuska's new book - Hot Potato: How Washington and New York
Gave Birth to Black Basketball and Changed America's Game Forever is such a book.

It is a chronicle of the earliest days of Black basketball in the two cities where its impact was greatest and covers the period 1905 through the 1930s. There have only been a handful of
books written on basketball history of this period and none of them devote more than a few pages to Black teams.

More than a decade of research went into this work which includes a detailed reference section and twelve pages of photos.

The story begins with Edwin Henderson, the first major contributor to Black basketball and concludes with the New York Renaissance - the Hall of Fame team of the 1930s. Both amateur and pro basketball are covered.

Along the way the basketball exploits of such legendary figures as Paul Robeson and Cumberland Posey are detailed along with Fat (not Fats) Jenkins, Pop Gates, George Fiall, Bob Douglas and many others.

The intriguing title came about as a result of an discussion with Sam "Buck" Cunningham, one of the players interviewed during the research for the book. "The players today are much better than we were - ... but there is one thing that we could do better. We could pass the ball better than they can now.
Man, we used to pass that basketball around like it was a hot potato."

This is definitely a must addition to the library of a basketball historian. Thank you very much, Bob."

Fron the 1600's to the Present, this is the "go to" book for Hurricane history affecting the eastern coastline. But more than just weather and geographical facts, Rick "The Hurricane Man" Schwartz has conducted many personal interviews to put a human interest face in this well-read timeline of the Hurricanes' impact, and stories of miraculous survival and devastatingly tragic loss. As Mr. Schwartz reminds, "Hurricane history repeats" and "The Year of the Hurricane is coming"! Are we prepared?

Over the years any number of books have been written about the devastating hurricanes that have struck coastal New England. Likewise, there are a whole host of books available about the history of hurricanes in the great state of Florida. Yet, when he sought to do some research on the history of hurricanes in the Middle Atlantic states Rick Schwartz discovered to his great consternation that very little had been written about the subject and that no really comprehensive book on this topic had ever been written. So Rick Schwartz decided to correct this glaring oversight himself. After more than six years of painstaking research "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" was released in 2007. This is a book that proves to be well worth your time and attention.
As the complete title would indicate "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States: A Surprising History...From Jamestown To The Present" traces the history of hurricanes in this region from colonial times until the present day. It is a fascinating study. Rick Schwartz conducted more than 100 interviews in putting together this superb book. He also unearthed old newspaper articles, personal letters and state and local government documents in attempting to cobble together the real story. Consequently, there is an interesting narrative on almost all of the storms Rick decided to cover in his book. Schwartz also made a very wise decision by choosing to include track maps on a good many of these hurricanes. This feature greatly enhances the readers understanding of the storms and underscores just how unpredictable they can be. In addition, the inclusion of more than 200 black and white photographs helps readers to gage the full impact of these powerful cyclones and serves to emphasize the need for coastal communities to carefully reconsider public policies that have allowed for reckless overdevelopment on the waterfront. The question is not "if" these areas will be struck by a major hurricane in the future but only "when". Then there is the enormous toll these storms exact on everyday people. For all too many, life will never be the same again. Schwartz devotes considerable time to those who are victimized by hurricanes as well as those public officials who must find new and creative ways to deal with the devastation. High winds, heavy rain, tornadoes and flooding can all combine to wreak havoc for residents in the affected areas. Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to make mention of some of the fascinating local folklore that Rick Schwartz managed to sprinkle in throughout this book. Outstanding stuff!
Every now and then I come across a book like "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" that really seems to be much more appropriate as a reference volume. This is no knock on Rick Schwartz. This book is extremely well written, meticulously researched and thoughtfully laid out. Yet the stories inevitably do tend to become a bit repetitive and I found myself losing just a bit of interest from time to time. This is hardly surprising when one realizes that this book covers more than 300 years of hurricane history! Having said that, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" remains an extremely important addition to the literature on hurricanes in this nation and deserves a spot not only on the shelves of libraries in the Middle Atlantic region but in other parts of the country as well. It is a book that students, researchers and general interest readers will turn to time and again in the decades to come. Highly recommended!

Researched, compiled and written by hurricane historian Rick Schwartz, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States: A Surprising History, Jamestown To The Present" chronicles four hundred years of the Middle Atlantic region's significant tropical cyclones beginning with the experiences of the Jamestown settlers and continuing down to the present day. A unique and exhaustively researched study, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" features a substantial chronology profiling all of the Mid-Atlantic hurricanes and major storms, examines the patterns and characteristics of the region's tropical cyclones, and provides a sound basis for comparison, planning and preparation with respect to Mid-Atlantic hurricanes. Of special note is a forecasting history chapter offering insights into past progress and current knowledge about predicting hurricanes. Ideal for weather and meteorology students, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" is especially recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in hurricanes and climate-changed influences on storm behavior, frequency, and intensity. Enhanced with an extensive glossary, a bibliography, and a geographically oriented index, as well as track maps and some 200 black-and-white photographs, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" is confidently recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library Weather & Meteorology reference collections.

Fascinating Book!!! Very informative, interesting facts and interviews. A must read for anyone with any interest at all on this topic.

BOOK REVIEW - "HURRICANES AND THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES"
Author: Richard Schwartz (Hardcover - 400 pages)

This incredible book is a first of its kind - dedicated to the storms that have affected the Mid-Atlantic States through the past 300+ years, from the "Year of the Hurricane in 1667" up through Hurricane Jeanne in September 2004. A great reference for all hurricane enthusiasts the book includes explanations of all commonly used technical terms, references, and internet sources for everyone to use. But mostly it covers all the storms that through this extensive historical period had an affect on the mid-Atlantic States region. And Rick has done this with a definite personal touch, going to great lengths to get a "people- perspective" on what actually happened, what people went through during these storms. And he does his best to educate all of us that we are never "out of the woods" as to the future. We may be in a lull for action right now, but that is definitely temporary, and more storms that form in the future will definitely have more profound affects on the Mid-Atlantic region. Anyone and everyone in the mid-Atlantic area should reach out and get this book to have as a reference and to learn about the great effects these powerful storms have on their local areas. As Rick put it, "An understanding of storms past is vital to preparing for those ahead..."

This is an amazing story and I concur with the previous reviews. There is also a philosophy of suffering and human nature that is presented which the reader will realize as he reads the accounts of the pain and suffering and the authors reaction to them. This is a must read and I'm looking forward to another book about human rights that this author may consdier writing.

This is a gripping story of survival in the worst of political prisons comparable to the Soviet gulag and the Nazi concentration camps. This remarkable book reminds us of the human capacity for cruelty, how ideology can justify atrocity and how absolute power corrupts. The state did not want or expect these prisoners to ever leave alive. This is the only English account of life in the Pathet Lao political prison system and is a crucial document about both Laos under communism and more generally about political systems and man's potential for cruelty. It is also a good read. The ingenuity of the prisoners that allowed them to survive torture, harassment, a starvation rice diet and no medical care was fascinating. It was also heartening to hear that the assistance his wife received from American friends during the time he was imprisoned and she did not know where he was led them to immigrate to the US.

This book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in human rights. The author's personal story of survival is set against a strong, concise modern history of Laos and southeast Asia.

You will find that this is one of the most unbelievable stories of survival ever told. Of the few who did survive the 're-education' camps in northern Laos, only one, Bounsang Khamkeo, wrote the story to bring it to the world. The book is a de facto historic document that cannot be overlooked.

Khamkeo had editorial help from a few individuals in the writing of his book. The text is not awkward like the title. Khamkeo is able and fluent in English. His story both unique and representative maintains an engaging literary quality over the roughly 400 pages. Returning from France to his homeland of Laos after the Vietnam War was over with the intention of helping his country return to normalcy, the author was arrested and put into a prison camp in 1981 after an argument with an official of the communist Pathet Lao government. He was kept in prison until 1988. The lengthy memoir is about this whole time from the early 1970s to the late 1980s, with about half given to each period. The second half of Khamkeo's time in prison is naturally more gripping, and at times harrowing. But the first half has its own significant themes and drama as well--namely, the totalitarian, capricious, demanding rule of the Pathet Lao. Whereas the second part deals with how the author survived the hardships and threats of his years in prison, the first part deals with the more subtle, yet nonetheless engaging, informative, and at times suspenseful story of how he and others had to accommodate the rigid rule of the Pathet Lao while they were at the same time trying to bring improvements to a Laos which like the other nations of Southeast Asia, was disrupted and changed by the Vietnam War. "I Little Slave" brings to light these uncertain and hostile conditions in Laos following the Vietnam War; which have not received as much attention as those in Vietnam and Cambodia. After being released from prison, Khamkeo managed to flee Laos; and today lives in Oregon and works for a state health agency.

It's so easy to ignore the inhumanity and injustices occurring around the world, but once you know, you must speak up. Bounsang Khamkeo eloquently and honestly paints each scene with vivid precision. I felt as though I was actually flying over the forests of Laos, feeling the anxiety of hostile government actions, smelling the stench of hidden prison camps, and witnessing death in it's most unforgiving form. Bounsang should be proud that he kept his promise to speak up against the injustices at the hands of his communist oppressors. I will long-remember the lives of his lost prison-mates, as well as the hundreds of thousands who have no recorded names. This would be an excellent companion to political science texts, and a must-read for us all. I literally could not put it down. As horrifying as his shared experiences were, I am left wishing for another 400 pages. Bounsang, I am proud to have met you. Thank you for speaking out about such atrocities.

James Joyce has a rival in Maeve Brennan. In her first work, "The Visitor," Brennan creates a chilling portrait of a young woman, Anastasia King. But Anastasia is no Stephen Dedalus. Unlike Stephen, she is uneducated and has limited opportunities. Crossing the channel in opposite directions, for opposite reasons, Anastasia and Stephen have visions of different destinies.

For Anastasia,

"Somewhere in her mind a voice was saying clearly, 'Ireland is my dwelling place, Dublin is my station. . . .Home is a place in the mind. When it is empty, it frets. It is fretful with memory, faces and places and times gone by. Beloved images rise up in disobedience and make a mirror for emptiness. . . . Comical and hopeless, the long gaze back is always turned inward."

For Stephen,

"Mother is putting my new secondhand clothes in order. She prays now, she says, that I may learn in my own life and away from home and friends what the heart is and what it feels. Amen. So be it. Welcome, O life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated consciousness of my race" ("A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man").

For Joyce and Brennan, Dublin proved to be a cold inhospitable place from which they chose to escape--Joyce to Paris and Brennan to the United States. Here, in her new "station," Brennan created a perfect novella, "The Visitor." This undiscovered masterpiece will now take its place besides Joyce's perfect novella, "The Dead."

To say a novella is perfect is to say that one has no words to add nor subtract, for the work is rare, beautiful, and truth-telling. "The Visitor" speaks volumes about the Irish temper; the icy chill that greets Anastasia shivers through one's soul.

Christopher Carduff adds an insightful Editor's Note to the novella. In it, he says, "In the music of Maeve Brennan, three notes repeatedly sound together-a ravenous grudge, a ravenous nostalgia, and a ravenous need for love. In `The Visitor' she plays this chord for the first time, announcing the key of all the songs to follow." What follows are: "The Springs of Affection: Stories of Dublin," "The Rose Garden: Short Stories," and "The Long-Winded Lady: Notes from the New Yorker."

Read "The Visitor" first: an entrée into the mind of a mistress of manners, Maeve Brennan.

"The Visitor", by Maeve Brennan was found in an archive after her death, and now resides at The University Of Notre Dame. It is her earliest known writing, and the book was created from the only known copy of the manuscript. Written sometime during the 1940's, it represents her earliest work, and is older than her first published piece with The New Yorker in 1950, when she was 34 years of age. Christopher Carduff who has edited all of the posthumous work of this writer and he provides an Editor's note at the end of the volume that is the most concise and accurate description of her work I have read.

If you start with this work the balance of her writings will be understood as she intended them to be read. For though her later work contains humor, it is simply a veneer for dark feelings of contempt, selfishness, and the ice-cold characters she portrays. I have read all of her fiction and this is easily the most mean spirited. There is nothing here to soften the main character, she is cruelty personified. If ranked amongst Dickens' darkest portrayals of the blackness of the human heart, this grandmother would rank near the very top. This same woman is also a contagion; for if one spends enough time with her she can cause another behave in ways that otherwise would be foreign and unnatural.

If you have yet to discover this wonderful writer this is the place to begin. For this brief tale is the start of 4 decades of work that can in many instances be traced back to the dark side of human nature first written in, "The Visitor". The work and the editor's note will send you back, to again read her stories even if you have enjoyed them before. The amazing aspect of this story is that it foreshadows not only what will become of her later writing, but also contains another human condition that she too will become a victim of later in her life.

Twenty-two year old Anastasia's mother has just died and now, six years after leaving, she returns to Dublin to live with her grandmother, the years apart not dulling the bitterness and regret of an old woman obsessed with her dead son.

After a messy divorce, Anastasia's mother left her father, breaking his heart and sealing away any sense of sympathy or pity from her grandmother forever. With nowhere else to go, she is accepted into the purposely old-fashioned, stagnating household where time is whiled away drinking tea and remembering times when everything was better. Every character exudes a sense of existing only to remember the past; nobody has a future, nor do they have a desire for one. Not even Anastasia, the youngest character by fifty years, is interested in moving her life forward, she wants to regress to a time when she could be looked after and protected, unwilling to seek a future that involves taking care of herself.

The novella is very sad. One character loved a man in secret forty years ago, and, on her death-bed, requests that she be buried with a wedding ring he gave to her but that she could never wear. Another exists only to aid Anastasia's grandmother, helping here and there and making sure that everything is the same as it was ten, twenty, thirty years ago. Change itself is the enemy here, the grandmother's only desire is to be buried with her son, no more, no less.

There is a sense of completeness with the character's that is odd to find in a story. There are no great quests - physically, mentally or otherwise - nor are the characters given a chance to grow. In their minds, they have grown as much as they wish to - but not as much as they could - and that is enough for them. For now, they are dead without knowing it, waiting patiently for the time when God will call them up to Heaven.

The writing is grey and cold - at least, that is how I felt while reading it. Sentences are short, crisp, and wonderfully indicative of the mentalities of the characters. Very rarely are there any excursions into contemplation, everything stays very much in the moment, analysing in great detail the all-too-easy stagnation of a life where the reasons for living are gone, forever.

This novella is very short - 81 pages - but worth the read. It is unhappy, but not in a sense that the reader will become unhappy. Rather, we are able to examine the fruitless lives of four different people happy to wait and wait and wait. In them we can see a reality we do not want, and thus avoid.

THE VISITOR is a miracle of terse writing. The story - a young woman attempting to re-enter her only remaining family in Dublin after her mother's death in Paris and finding that even this is not her home - is as engrossing as a long novel. As a matter of fact, reading this short novella leaves the reader with such clear images of the four women characters that you feel you've been getting to know them for years. For Brennan, the clash of Irish women, struck firmly in the molds they have been assigned/chosen, is fodder for what could be a dark nightmare. But we are awake, her characters are real and unyielding, and we are given a glimpse of just how cruel and isolated estranged families can be. Brennan creates her tale amidst the foggy and rainy depressed atmosphere of Dublin, and even her women who attempt some morsel of kindness get buried in the dank reality of this sad tale. This is committed writing at its best, a joy to read despite the gothic horror of the tale.

What a delight to have read on a recent airline flight, and to be so close to finishing that my eyes raced on the final pages to beat the schreech of the tires on landing. It crossed my mind how awful to be denied the conclusion by some mishap. Of course I made it, but was nonetheless denied the more typical "happily ever after" ending. I believe the author desired the reader's work to continue a bit, to contemplate and possibly turn back and re-read key sections that might suggest a resolution. A terrific book for a book club. I would love to hear folks argue over the author's way of closing the story. If there is a Maeve Brennan expert out there for whom the ending was more obvious, it would be interesting to hear your take. But not necessary. I am happy with it as is.

This book is informative and very fun to read. I chose it to help prepare me for an upcoming trip to Rome, and, WOW, was it great for that! It gave me an anchor -- Michelangelo's life, art, and times -- to get a great sense of how to approach visiting Rome. It increased my enthusiasm about the trip and really helped me understand and appreciate what I saw.

The author also provides some delightful insights about life in Rome today, such as mentioning the San Giovanni dei Fiorentini church in the heart of historic Rome that welcomes well-behaved cats and dogs to attend services! I not only took the book with me on the trip, but have reread numerous passages since returning.

As I journeyed through the pages of Michelangelo's life, I couldn't put this wonderful book down. The photography is beautiful, and the sidebars give little glimpses of life during the Renaissance and also in present-day Italy. I'm ready to sign on for a tour to Rome with Angela!

"A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome" combines intriguing, enlightening details about Michelangelo's life with historical facts about Rome. It also brings Italian culture and history alive and transported me back to our amazing first visit to Rome and Florence. We were fortunate to travel with the author, Angela K. Nickerson, on that first trip to Italy and I can truly say it was the best travel decision we ever made. Angela's book is accurate, exciting and a great read whether you want to learn more about Michelangelo or Rome, the city where he spent most his life. It's also the perfect book to have before and during a trip to Italy, enhancing every experience. You can read hundreds of travel books on Italy but nothing compares to traveling with this author, seeing Italy through her eyes and benefiting from her years of travel and research.

I recently traveled to Rome and Florence with Angela Nickerson, the author of "A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome". The experience was both tremendously enjoyable as well as deeply educational. Ms. Nickerson has filled her book with passion for art, history and the great beauty of Rome through the lens of Michaelangelo's life and artistic triumphs. While visiting Rome is one of the greatest trips you can take, it can be truly enhanced by taking this book along as companion reading. The photos, sidebars, diagrams and insets all serve to make this book a treasure-trove of fun facts and delights to devour while in one of the world's most beautiful cities. Happy travels and happy reading!

In January 2008 a few friends and I had the good fortune to meet Angela (the author) and some members of her delightful family in Italy at Ostia Antica where we learned of the publication of this fine book. I've been to Rome twice in the past year and Angela's book is acccurate, informative--and best of all--interesting. The author's text, photos, and maps combine to make "A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome" a pleasure to read, to carry as a resource while visiting Rome--and in my case a book of memories and treasures and regrets...regrets only in the sense that this book did not exist prior to my visits to Rome. More than just an exposition of Michelangelo and his work, she captures the historical personalities of the period and brings the "rinascita" to life. Like taking a tidy course in Humanities, reading Angela's book will help anyone to become more learned in a pilgrimage to achieve the worthy status of being called "l'uomo universale."

This book, the second edition for Ellis, Balcomb and Ford, is a beautiful book for anyone interested in whales, their habitat and their behaviour. Focusing on the Orcas of the Pacific Northwest, this book details their lives from what they eat, to their social habits. It includes a wonderful photo chart of all the Northwest Orcas still alive when this book was published. It is a bit heavy reading, with many complex scientific terms. I would not reccommend for children, but if you know anyone with a facination with whales, this book will it into an obsession.

This book, the second edition for Ellis, Balcomb and Ford, is a beautiful book for anyone interested in whales, their habitat and their behaviour. Focusing on the Orcas of the Pacific Northwest, this book details their lives from what they eat, to their social habits. It includes a wonderful photo chart of all the Northwest Orcas still alive when this book was published. It is a bit heavy reading, with many complex scientific terms. I would not reccommend for children, but if you know anyone with a facination with whales, this book will it into an obsession.

May I first say I have never encountered a better identification book then Killer Whales and Transients. Both books are written by THE wild orca authority in the Pacific Northwest. Catalouged pictures and organized information of each individual in every pod along the coast from WA to northern BC along with accurate info on feeding, behavioral and other habits of the pods in Puget Sound and British Columbia. Truly a great book, and as I plan on researching these animals in my adulthood, it has been a great boost to my knowledge on them.

I just returned from a kayaking trip in the Johnston Straight just East of North Vancouver Island known as the inside passage. We had first hand views of the Orcas. This book was used as a reference manual to identify some of the whales. It has wonderful reference pictures of the known pods (families) in the area. It goes into great detail on their eating habits, language, and family history. It also explains their social behavior, and the differences between the pods. It is a wonderful book full of pictures, and details.

This is an excellent book for anyone who is interested in orca whales. It has mass amounts of great information, it's easy to read, there are great photographs, and the ID catalogue of orcas is nothing but the best. This book is a must have for any whale-lover, researcher, or someone with just a general interest.

The bygone days of steam-powered logging railways come back in this fascinating collection of B/W images.
As the title says, the locomotives are the protagonists, but many other details about the whole life of a logging railway in the Pacific Northwest manage to sneak in around the main subject - logging crews, base camps, service cars, rails and trestles - and of course the trees, both standing and felled, some quite awesome by their sheer size.
For the steam enthusiast, a visual feast: the logging locos were often quite off the beaten path - literally, of course, on their crude, temporary rails, but also in their design; several types of odd-looking engines were developed for the particular needs of this job, and rarely seen on mainline rails: all were different fron the conventional, side-rod driven locomotive and especially suited to sharp curves, uneven right-of-ways and, above all, unbelievable grades (happily, they very uniqueness made them survive until comparatively late in the steam era and some are to this day under steam in tourist service).
And for any other one, an interesting and entertaining trip down nostalgia lane; the well-written text complements nicely the images and makes the book enjoyable also to the newcomer.

This is an excellent book with great photos of many geared locomotives. A must have for anyone wanting to detail a model of a geared locomotive, or just for looking at the pictures. Each photo has a short narrative describing the photo. A well done book.

This book is a source of absolutely excellent photos of Shays, Heislers, and Climaxes used in the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest. With his huge box cameras and glass image plates, Kinsey was to B&W photography of the period as IMAX is to color motion pictures of today. The photos are the best B&W photographs I have ever seen on any subject. They are definitely of museum quality.

Geared Steam Locomotive Works

This is a beautifully produced work of a master photographer. The large format duotone prints are a joy to look at, with crisp detail and lovely tones. The book provides excellent examples of Darius' ability to capture the majestic beauty of hard working (but well cared for) steam locomotives (both geared and rod), along with the people whose lives they touched (engine crew, loggers, camp crew and families). I would have paid $20 each for several of the prints in this book. This is primarily a "picture book", but the additional commentary from railroaders and loggers of the Kinsey era adds that personal touch that the photographs so often contain.

I have looked at many hundreds of railroad books (and well over 100,000 photos), but the photographs in this volume are the best I've ever seen. Kinsey used a view camera and 11"x14" glass plate negatives to produce large contact prints for sale to the subjects (locomotive crew members) early in this century. The results are absolutely stunning; every photo has extraordinary tone and detail, impossible to produce with the small format (35mm and rollfilm) cameras commonly available today. This is a "must have" book for any photographer who wants to see what print quality large negatives are capable of producing. Darius Kinsey is the "Ansel Adams" of railroad photography.