States Books

What I as a man like most about this book is that Gary is humble enough to admit that he himself had to overcome the same typical male responses and insensitivity to women that nearly all men do. That makes me relieved that it's not just me, and gives me a lot of encouragement.


Lee Liebner, author/singer of As You Go, an inspirational gift book/song-on-CD/scrapbook-journal for young people leaving home to enter the world.

This book should be required reading for every married person - male and female. It's a quick read - written well - enjoyable and greatly informative. There's a ton of wisdom packed in its pages. My husband and I just read it and we've been together 11 years - it's truly helping us get back to where we used to be - the love of each others lives!! It will bless your life - it will also help you with your children. This book teaches you how to love unconditionally through commitment and kindness. It is a MUST READ!!

My husband and I read this book while we were engaged. It truly helped to prepare us for the love life in marriage that comes after the lovey-dovey stage is over. I have given this book to many engaged couples as well as seasoned couples who are having rocky times because marriage can be hard in the first, second, fifth, seventh years...

This is a classic book. If you are looking for some good information to build a life upon, this is a great book to start with.

If you are facing problems in your marriage, order this book and then look at The Man of Her Dreams The Woman of His! and The Man of Her Dreams The Woman of His 2 - Livin' It and Lovin' It! (Volume 2)

Blessings to you!

Joel and Kathy

Gary Smalley has written several outstanding books on building and maintaining a strong marriage. He has certainly earned the reputation of being someone at the forefront of marriage advice. Unfortunately, I do not find this book, LOVE IS A DECISION, to be anywhere near his best work. Here, Smalley teams with co-author John Trent. The work is good, and there is certainly some great advice here for both newlyweds and long term spouses alike, but I find this book to be difficult at times. What I mean is, I've read this book 3 times now. It is only just over 200 pages. Usually, a book of that size I would tear through in one or two days, but it always a week or more to read this one.

I must say, I certainly agree with the premise and foundational message of the book. So much so that I teach it as an integral part of my marriage coaching. Love is a decision. Oh, I know, it doesn't start out that way so much, but that is why our divorce rate is so high today. When we first meet someone, our attraction is emotional. We see qualities about a person that attract us causing an emotional bond to develop. However, usually somewhere between 1 and 3 years into living under the same roof as husband and wife, those characteristics that we once found attractive now are often like fingernails on a chalkboard.

We must keep in mind that we humans are static creatures, not dynamic. We are ever changing and when we build our relationships on characteristics, we don't realize the strain we are putting on our relationships, because, in time, our characteristics will change. Our interests will change. Our physical qualities will change. Even our opinions will change. Like the old saying, "a man in his twenties who is not liberal has no heart, but a man in his thirties who is not conservative has no brain". The point is, we all change. When we base our relationship on characteristics, we are basing it on something that will be much different down the road.

You see, at some point during the first few years of marriage, we lose our emotional attraction and we must find a new path to marital bliss. This is found through our decision to love that person, despite the fact that they are no longer the same person we fell in love with. That is the premise of the book here and Smalley and Trent do site some viable guidelines to that end, but for me, the book falls short.

I'm not one who normally puts down one book to tout another, but in this case, many people reading this review might find their marriage in a dire situation. Therefore, if you do find yourself in a marriage that seems to have lost its love, I would recommend first reading "Marriage Fitness" by Mort Fertel. It covers the same principles, and does it a more usable fashion.

Pastor Monty Rainey

This readable memoir of one of the darkest parts of World War II in the Pacific theater brings Lester Tenney's experiences as a young man, recruit, soldier, prisoner of war and repatriated civilian to life. Mr. Tenney's journey through the hell he describes leads us through pain, despair, hope, bitterness and ultimately to the forgiveness he found. We learn about one man's faith in family and loved ones that led to his determination to survive. Anyone interested in World War II will find this a valuable resource. My book group (women in our fifties and sixties) was moved by this book. Several bought more copies to give to friends and family.

This is a story about a terrible event in history. This is not a fun story to read but it is one that needs to be read to help us appreciate how good our life really is. There are many memorable parts to this book, I am amazed anyone could survive this.

I remember this situation when I was 10 years old during WW2. This is a fascinating read and so well written that I could not put it down. It tells it like it was..

I just finished this book, and I must say I am inspired. Lester Tenney deserves an enormous amount of respect and admiration for what he endured and acomplished during his time as an american POW.

While this is not exactly a full account of the Death March and the surrounding events filled with statistics and data, it is Tenney's first hand account that makes this horrendous event so palpable that the reader feels as though they are enduring the very same hardships.

Do not expect this to be a simple or comfortable read. While the book has some wonderful and very happy moments, namely Tenney's own postive attitude and inner strength, these moments are doubled by nearly unbearable situations that will make you cringe, as any story about one of the most horrifying events of the war should. Tenney describes in extreme detail the atrocities of the Japanese military. While this story is anything but rosy, it is indescribably important, as it tells a story which seems to be forgetten in our society. What these men suffered through was every bit as terrifying as those on the battlefield, and those who suffered during the Holocaust. Tenney does their story justice, and shows us that these harrowing men deserve every bit of respect and admiration as any other serving in an American uniform.

The story of the Bataan survivors is at the same time unbelievable and infuriating. It blows my mind the cruelty these heros were subjected to on an hourly basis and at the same time I'm ashamed to say that part of me feels like Japan got off easy with two nukes dropped on them. That anybody lived at all is in itself no small feat.

The book itself is a great read. It was obviously written by a survivor, so consequently it has that 1st person feel that I like.

I too was a forward air controller. The col. relives alot for me. The Ho Chi Ming trail was pure hell. 57mm rounds leave a lasting impression on one who has experienced war. The book deserves 20 stars.

This is an entertaining and honest read. I really enjoyed the writing style. This book focusses more on the life of a FAC than the actual flying of the missions. Fans of DaNang Diary and A Lonely Kind of War might be disappointed to find much less in the way of the white knuckle accounts of hostile engagements, but anyone interested in the people who fought the war can't fail but to be impressed with this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I am not very interested in war or military titles but this was a departure from the standard fare. Mr. Jackson's personality and joyful approach to life left me feeling proud. His view of life is very uplifting. I can't really explain the way this book made me feel, a combination of proud and sore, from laughing, but with a better understanding of why someone is willing to fight a war. The last chapter made me cry as did other parts but overall the book was a pleasure to read. I may even read it again I definitely will be buying it for friends. Thank you to the authors for helping me understand things that were unknown to me before this book.

I initially ordered this book because I didn't think it could live up to its reviews and I was going to give it less than five stars. After reading it, I would give it six stars if that was possible. This is a top drawer example of a really well constructed, well written and well drawn picture of a man and his impressions and experiences in combat. Te story telling is brilliant, a real "page turner." I have read numerous volumes of war stories, many were excellent but none were able to catch and hold me like this one. Mike Jacksin has done a large favor for Vietnam veterans by showing just how normal they really were.

What a special book this is. It traces Mr. Jackson's experiences as a young man growing up in Ohio and follows him into air force training, pilot training and, finally, into combat. It does an excellent job of showing civilians what it is like to train for and experience war. I think it gives a more personal and even funny view of Vietnam than other books I have read of that era. It is also a timely book with solders once again marching off to war. Mike Jackson has my respect and appreciation.

I thought this was a good book, and I do think John Walsh does great things for the missing. I prefer him in person, than reading his book. It was a little too intense for me.

John Walsh got across his feelings and made the reader feel them as well. The book was almost impossible to put down. It never lost my attention once. I wished there was more when I reached the last summary. I thought this book was even better than his first. I cannot wait for the third.

Apart from the traditional American emotional hype that John Walsh brings to this book, it is a good read.
it is good to see he used his anger in a positive way and he definately serves the community in a special way. We need more like him.

I grew up in Westfield, New Jersey where John List murdered his family. I remember clearly how these murders created fear in our town. He hid from authorities for nearly 20-years before America's Most Wanted aired a profile that led to his capture. This is just one of the stories in this book that would get 10-stars if ...(this website) gave out that many. John Walsh deserves a lot of credit for his great work, and this is a book everyone should read.

Be advised that the first story will haunt you for days. It is very disturbing. John Walsh is a modern day hero who sets out to put lowlifes where they belong....behind bars!! God Bless Mr. Walsh, and long may he reign!

Brian Copeland shares his life story with us in Not a Genuine Black Man. It is insightful, touching and important. Although the subject matter of racial prejudice is serious, he tells the story with much humor to help us, and him, be able to get through it.

If you've ever seen Brian do stand up comedy, listened to him discussing topical news issues on his highly rated talk radio show or met him in person he comes across as being "not like other blacks".

Every white person knows someone like Brian. The co-worker at the office who doesn't have the "accent". Who talks about and does "normal" things. The one who is "just like us". The one who "doesn't play the race card". You've heard at least one person say "why can't they all be like him?"

There are white people who believe racism and discrimination are a thing of the past, saying that no one alive today was ever a slave and everyone now has the right to vote. They feel that African Americans just have a chip on their shoulder based only on injustices that happened a long time ago to someone else. For "proof", they point to African Americans like Tiger Woods, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Dick Parsons, Stanley O'Neal, John W. Thompson and Oprah Winfrey. Surely they are "just like us", the theory goes, because they choose not to feel victimized by the ancient injustices others suffered.

Copeland lets us see behind the curtain. We learn of the pain that prejudice causes first hand through the eyes of Brian as a child and the toll that experience takes on him as an adult. We learn that with everything he has accomplished, there are white people to this day who say "Yeah, but he's still just a n____". We learn the pain doesn't stop with the discrimination -- when he refuses to make an issue of it and not let it get him down, there are those in the African American community that accuse him of not being a "genuine black man".

Brian let's us know that he is successful and "like us" not because he never experienced the pain of prejudice, but rather he is successful and "like us" despite it.

"Not a Genuine Black Man" is a must read with lessons for everyone. African American readers will surely relate to his experiences and the pain he feels. White readers may begin to understand it.

An ideal assigned reading for ANY and ALL high school/college level students. So poignant, humorous, self-reflective and blatantly truthful --Mr. Copeland's personal retrospective, analyzing just exactly what he knows (his life), comes entertainingly packaged in a wrenching yet totally engaging exhalation.

I'd say that this book IS GUARANTEED (yes, this is a superlative) to activate "the thinking mechanism" and elevate your class to that of an educational milestone. If there is one common element which student readers most respect, it's an author's iron-clad commitment to
"keeping it real". Well, Mr. Copeland's clever and stylish prose delivers a tasty dose of head-on reality which will move readers to a new and better place.

Reviewer's "poetic license" observation:

Inexplicably often, peoples' names accurately and ironically depict a significant measure of their calling. Mr. COPELAND, I'm personally thankful for you and your families' inspirational determination; I'm humbled by my ability to include you in this often recognized, yet little understood club.

NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN: OR, HOW I CLAIMED MY PIECE OF GROUND IN THE LILY-WHITE SUBURBS

I enjoyed the book, but not for $14. I thought the author could have had more depth instead of simply recalling the past. I did enjoy learning about the Bay Area and the history of San Leandro, though. He is a funny man, but the book could have had a little more "meat".

Brian Copeland's "Not a Genuine Black Man" is a provocative and moving autobiography that begins the Copeland family's 1972 move into "lily white" San Leandro, California. Brian was then eight years old. And San Leandro (99.9% white) was using any method it could to maintain an all-white status.

Copeland, a San Francisco Bay Area TV/Radio celebrity, comedian, and author, is an excellent story teller and tells his story alternating between his arrival in San Leandro and an awakening at age 35 which led to an attempted suicide. "Not a Genuine Black Man" is more than the story of Copeland's struggles with overt bigotry and eventual depression, it is also the story of his mother's and grandmother's resilience that brought San Leandro into the post-civil rights era as a diverse, inclusive community.

The book's title "Not a Genuine Black Man" comes from a letter Copeland received from talk-radio listener which said, "As an African-American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because you are not a genuine black man. The letter becomes a catalyst for Copeland to explore his past and find out who he is. "Not a genuine black man...What does that mean?"

Upon reflection, Copeland sees that his mother really wanted white childre and did not want to associate with the black community. "I'm not one of these blacks." As a result, a young black child was faced with the challenge of growing up in one of the most racist suburbs in America with a mother who was trying to escape her black roots. Unknowingly, he had to develop a mask to protect himself from these truths...a mask that would lead to depression.

"Behind most of our masks is a truth that is hidden for a specific reason. Often we don't know what that truth is. I wasn't ready to deal with my truths, but ready or not, they started to bubble to the surface. Once that began to happen, try as I might, I couldn't get the toothpaste to go back into the tube. I knew I had to face the truth about my mother."

Today, San Leandro has changed and Copeland now feels proud of being part of the change. Members of all races worship side by side in the pews of churches of all denominations. His grandmother and, posthumously, his mother were presented with a commendation from the City of San Leandro for "their bravery" to make San Leandro a better place for all.

And as the City has changed, Copeland has also changed. He knows now what it really means to be a genuine black man - he is a "unique man" who has the resilience of his forefathers and the fortitude of his mother and grandmother. His experience is unique and it is a "true" black experience because this is his experience.

A human life is the most complex narrative of all: it has many layers of events which embrace outside behavior and actions, the inner stream of the mind, the underworld of the unconscious, the soul, fantasy, dream and imagination. There is no account of life which can ever mirror or tell all of this. Copeland has offered us a sample of this complexity and reminds us that black people are not a monolith with one lifestyle, one viewpoint, and one agenda. They are a varied lot like any ethnic group, each with their own complex narrative to tell. Narratives that we all must hear.

This book is truly a manifesto for us blacks who grew up post-Jim Crow but still had to deal with the remnants of it afterwards, and who had to fight the double battle of not fittting in with "ghettocentric" mindsets in Black America. For those of us who've had this experience, it's all there. The rejection and humiliation from both sides (white racists and black dogmatists), feeling alone and unaccepted, and the eventual realization that you are who you are and to live life accordingly. Although few of us go to the extremes that Brain Copeland did in his despair over his experiences, it's still quite inspiring. His "you are nornal" soliloquy at the end speaks so eloquently to this situation that I have given this to students of mine who experience the same things and they have cried tears of joy from knowning that someone understands and has articulated their experiences.

You are not alone. You are normal. Thank you Brian.

This has to be one of my favorites and no child should be without it. The text is lively and easy to read and reads like people really talk, which gives the story a lot of warmth. The illustrations are beautifully drawn with lots of detail and humor and also look true to life, from the pained expression on the dad's face as he's rowing the boat, to sister Jane peeking from the top of the stairs or chasing the cat under the bench in Mr. Condon's store. Jane is depicted just as most children her age really are - a real livewire who is both curious and active, climbing and getting into things - she reminds me of my 16 month old daughter! And Sal is accurately portrayed as a typical preschooler - asking detailed questions about everything and talking up a storm.

You won't be disappointed. This classic is a must for any preschooler.

This book is a beautiful picture book, and I still enjoy looking at it. The pictures are gorgeous. And this isn't a cheesy book. It's a wonderful story for children, and I highly recommend it! Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

Great condition! I remember this childhood book being illustrated in navy blue ink. Has this been changed? I was looking forward to that. Great service. Thank you.

I had this book when I was a child and bought it for my grand-neice because I love the book. I was so happy to see that it is still in print. It is a wonderful little story and the illustrations are amazing. I highly recommend this story for all youngsters.

To a child, every morning is a new start with infinite possibilities; at least that's how it should be. In this classic 1953 book Robert McCloskey brings a child's simple world to life. McCloskey, better known for his Make Way for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal, gives us another look at little Sal. The story is timeless and his line drawings bring the children to life.

The simple coastal lifestyle of more than half a century ago may be hard to find today, in part because of the high local tax valuation of shore and island properties. Still, if you were to take a child to the rocky coast of Maine this summer, she could be little Sal in the clam flats. One Morning in Maine (Picture Puffin) is full of that magical atmosphere where the land and ocean meet. We all want that magic!

McCloskey's Caldecott-honored book tells a simple story. Young Sal wakes up on a sunny morning in Maine with an adventure in store. She and her little sister are going with their father in the boat to Buck's Harbor to dig clams. There are idyllic family scenes, lessons from their father about the world around them, ice cream cones at the store, and the disappointment of a loose tooth lost in the clam flats.

Simple stuff? It certainly is, and just the sort of simple stuff children thrive on. Sal's morning may be long ago and far away, but the curiosity and wonder of a child's new day will be with us forever.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This is one of the best combat depictions of the Viet Nam War that I have ever read. I highly recommend it for former military readers.

My friend Beetle was there. Lee Burns was there. Others were there. Nolan writes almost as if HE were there. It happened before I got in-country, but it was a legendary fight by legendary Marines and Nolan tells the story so very well. I am proud to have helped carry these Marines in my helicopters and supported them in every way possible. They are heroes in the truest sense of that so misused word. This book is an EXCELLENT read!

Keith Nolan has managed to capture the absolute confusion and fear associated with modern combat in Operation Buffalo. I started this book in 1997 or there abouts and was unable to finish it. As a former Marine who was in boot camp in San Diego when this operation took place I had a difficult time with the content. Lose an entire company of Marines to a sly enemy? Impossible. And then to read about the loss of additional Marines in trying to recover the dead and wounded (something that is very important by the way) that had fallen the day before....difficult. I just couldn't finish the book.

Well, I picked it up again, after ten years, and read it completely. In a very belated way I have to compliment Mr. Nolan on not only his ability to tell a difficult story, but to tell it in a way that makes sense and then manages to touch the heart. As another reviewer stated, Operation Buffalo hurts the heart of the reader and this reflects the sensitivity that the author weaved into his tale.

The doctrine at the time was that the Marines divided an area in to map grids. The Marines would sweep a grid with a company, clear it, and then move on. The NVA would wait for the Marines to leave and then move into that grid knowing that they were probably safe for a while. The battle that took place in July of 1967 is the result of the Marines out smarting themselves. They decided to sweep the same map grid twice, trying to catch the NVA off guard. It worked. But a single company was no match for what the Marines stepped into.

The American fighting man has been depicted in less than a glowing manner in Viet Nam. Brutal, drug crazed killers. I think while some of that may be deserved, the bulk of that criticism is undeserved and is served up by people who have never humped a pack or shared water out of a canteen. Nolan does a huge service for the Viet Nam vets by explaining the sheer meaness of the NVA in how our wounded were treated. Well done.

Operation Buffalo isn't a book for the weak of heart or for those who don't really want to be informed. It is a book that speaks well to the commitment of American fighting men in general and of U. S. Marines in particular.

Semper Fi.

This is as terrifying an account of the Vietnam war as I've ever read. Forget the melodrama and sensationalism that characterized much of Vietnam war literature in the early and mid-eighties: Nolan's sparse style and clear representation of what took place on the DMZ in the summer of 1967 will give you nightmares. Don't look to find refuge here in a simple war story: Nolan tenaciously presents history as it unfolds.

This is a must have book for your library. After over 30 years you forget why you hated Vietnam until you read a book that brings back all the memories. This is such a book. I served with 1/1 and 3/1 after these battles and am amazed that keith Nolan is able to bring to life what it meant to serve in a Marine Corps Infantry Bn in Vietnam. I got angry, I laughed and I cried as I read this book. At times I felt like I could reach out and touch some of the people, the writing was so vivid. Everyone should read this book and remember what the Marines paid in blood for that war. THANK YOU USMC for what you gave me and THANK YOU Marines all over the world protecting us now.

Whether you're an amateur or a pro, this book has a lot to offer. It's loaded with information on how and when to take fabulous pictures while you're in Yosemite. It's well organized and it's easy to read. It's loaded with beautiful photographs that serve as good examples.

It's small and can be easily packed with your stuff as you venture into the valley.

A must-have for those who are visiting the park and want to take great pictures!

I took the trip of a lifetime earlier this month to Yosemite and San Francisco, and it was wonderful. Photography is a big hobby for me, and I spent every second looking for photo opportunities. I read that this was a great book to have and bought it before the trip. It is available at most of the gift shops in the park, but you'll love having ahead of time if you want to make some plans before you go. It's not much cheaper here than in the park, though- maybe $1. Anyway, this was an invaluable tool and I used it to plan most of my hiking and sightseeing while in Yosemite. I also had a PhotoSecrets book for San Francisco, but it wasn't nearly as helpful as this book. This is a great investment to make sure you get the pictures you want on your trip to Yosemite National Park.

This is the first book I've ever bought to prepare for a trip. I usually spend endless hours searching out tips from links on websites and then printing them--now I look for a photographer's guide first! Michael Frye has given every tip on 'what, when, where, and how', including which filters to use for problem situations or enhancement. This guide is equally beneficial for those travelers looking for the perfect time and place for wonderment--those special spots not marked by signs with arrows and time tables. And the images are awe inspiring. Definitely something to keep out on the coffee table when you get back home.

Yosemite is a frequent photgraphic destination for me. I use Michael's book on each trip. There is so much to see at Yosemite that a plan is required. This book not only directs you to the best photo locations, but tells you precisely the time of year to get the best results. Highly recommended.

There are many glowing reviews of this book and it does provide the goods on how and where to go to get good shots. The maps (5) and sections are also quite simple to read. In addition, the sequential numbering of the points of interest is a help.

I was disappointed to find so much coverage of photographic technique. While some technique discussions directly relate to the unique character of Yosemite (for example talking about color and the lack of it in granite) most of it feels more like filler, and indeed makes it harder to navigate to the sections of interest.

The book also lacks an index so the only useful navigation tool is the brief table of contents. Without that table of contents it would be hard to find any particular section and even with it, you're going to have to resort to man-made book marks to find what you want. For example if Pohono Bridge and Fern Spring caught your fancy but you didn't remember to book mark it or remember its number you'll have to resort to scanning all of the maps and/or all of the numbered interest points because despite the page of content, there is no entry for this viewpoint in the table of contents (and remember there is no index).

I would prefer the maps be all together at the front or back so that it would work better as a reference book. I would also have liked to see some more examples of "out of the way" hikes to desirable vistas.

Finally, I would like the author to have provided some sort of "effort vs eye-appeal" rating to help me focus on which sunrise locations are the "not to miss" areas and which are "ok". Perhaps the author can even suggest a few itineraries. These more useful things could replace the "choosing film" techniques section and others like it that are a bit basic and detract from the otherwise good "where and when" information.

I'm tempted to get Harold Davis's book "The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite & the High Sierra" just to make a comparison.

I have read many of John McPhee's works. They are all excellent and captivating. He writes on so many subjects, it is amazing that they are all great. No wonder he teaches at Princeton, or did as I remember.

This time John McPhee turns his hand to one of those
anomalous natural treasures that has survived in
spite of intense urbanization. The Pine Barrens are
two-thirds of a million acres-an area the size of
Yosemite that sit beside a major artery of the most
developed region in the country. With the New Jersey
Turnpike to the west and bustling, chintzy Atlantic
City to the East, it's hard to imagine that this great,
weird wilderness could be so little known.

McPhee is the perfect guide to the Pines. He is as
sensitive to the natural history as he is to the
culture. He has a sympathetic ear for both the natives
and the outsiders who wander in from time to time. He's
a writer who can focus on a detail-a threatened fern or
the quality of water and then pull back to the big picture.

A thoroughly entertaining book.


--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005

Those of us from the Northeast know that wilderness can be found if you're willing to hit the road and search for it, and also that it's precious and worth protecting from the onslaught of industry and sprawl. But even those familiar with the region's wilderness offerings will be surprised by the natural bounty and remoteness of New Jersey's Pine Barrens area. The masterful essayist John McPhee published this travelogue and study of the area back in 1967, when the depths of the Pine Barrens still offered genuine seclusion form the outside world, with hardy folks still living off the land by picking berries or making charcoal. And this beautiful area was surrounded on all sides by the most urbanized and industrialized blight on Earth. Things aren't quite so rustic there anymore, but reading McPhee's engaging treatise on the area should make modern folks wish to both visit the Pine Barrens area as a valuable slice of nature, and to protect it as a precious and dwindling resource. That's what makes this short but lovable book from the great McPhee a timeless classic for nature lovers. [~doomsdayer520~]

My wife gave me this book in 1978, and I devoured it in one evening. I have since been all over the world, and no matter where I go, the pines are always the reference point for me. My teen years were spent in the pines, with my good friend Tom, where we would travel its dirt roads, canoe its streams and fish its lakes, and hike its trails and roads. Mr. McPhee weaves a story that is so true, so historically rich, and for me, so reminiscent of the years of my youth. Please read this book, and then go and make your own memories.

I'll keep this short and sweet: McPhee's The Pine Barrens is an entirely outstanding, fascinating look at the unique area that is the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. McPhee covers Piney culture, the unique ecological nature of the region, its history, and its hidden treasures. The writing is poetic and rich, the people interesting, and the information detailed, thorough and never dull. A really great read that anyone living in NJ should get.

This is the most expensive book I've bought, but it's well worth it. It's full of content and covers many topics. It's recommended to anyone from an enthusiast to anybody involved with law or law enforcement.

This was a great textbook, very helpful. Only thing, it's really graphic. Some of the pictures may be offensive to some people.

although the author has a fixation for weird sex deaths and spends more time then they are worth for an investigator in most areas, this is the best overall book i have seen for laying out a thorough investigation and peripheral issues. i wish more law enforcement officers used this book--rank, too--rank on a scene or in front of a camera can be like a bull in a china shop.

Vernon brings many years of experience to us all in his book so that we do not make the mistakes others have made.

Talk about a disturbing book. This one will probably give you nightmares if you haven't desensitized yourself to violence yet. If your denial mechanism is in disrepair, you'd probably be best to avoid this book which is the "Bible" of crime scene investigation techniques. Extremely graphic photographs of murder and suicide victims along with a compelling forensic text with such chapters as 'The Homicide Crime Scene Search,' 'Estimating Time Of Death,' 'Modes Of Death,' 'Suicide Investigation,' and 'The Autopsy' makes this one of the most informative and disturbing books available. Highly Recommended!