Mountain Books

I am not Suzy Homemaker, but I like to eat well -- as long as the food preparation doesn't take too much time or effort. The recipes Elliott includes are tasty and just as easy to fix as the title indicates. This lady knows what she's talking about and she makes it easy for domestic duds to eat well yet live a life outside the kitchen. Hooray for Virginia B. Elliott!

Chatty, easy to read. This warm writer/cook talks about her family with love and includes easy receipes that save money and time in the kitchen. Browsing through this book is like having dinner with a woderfully wild family. The author lives in Naples, Florida. The chapter on "Four Legged Chickens and Rabbits With Wings" is a must! After my mom's visit on the 4th of July, I felt compeled to update my review.

Very chatty and easy to read. She is a warm writer/cook. Talks about her family with love and includes easy receipes that do not cost an arm and a leg. It is like having dinner with her and her family and..."here is how to prepare this meal". I ought to know, I am her son, and her meal suggestions when I was in college in Califorina kept me fat and sassy.

Set in rural Kentucky around WWII, this book is so good, it should replace Huckelberry Finn as "the great american novel". It is a shame that it isn't better known, but unfortunately Arnow-Simpson is thought of as a regional writer. This is a very deep book, but it also has some very funny parts. Her description of pre-consumerism country life is very detailed and insightful. She saw how the world was changing, and captured a piece of it that is now long gone. I'm not even an hunting type, and I wanted to go out and get a couple of hounds after reading this. Better even than The Dollmaker, and not half as sad. Highly Recommended!

This book captures the spirit, character, and complexities of the mountain people of eastern Kentucky better than any other I have read. The individuals are simple, strong-willed, and proud like many of the people I grew up with. The descriptions of the landscape are detailed, accurate, and compelling as I remember them. For anyone interested in a better understanding of the depth of human character explained in a very readable way, this is a terrific book

If you've never read Harriette Arnow, or only know her through The Dollmaker, you'll be shocked at how stunning this novel is. Beautiful written, with some of the most complex and moving characters in literature.

Eu gostaria de falar com Susan Polis..

Eu gostaria de falar com Susan Polis..

This was an excellent book of love poems. Very heart-touching

This is the second in a series of 2 books on the Sugarloaf Mountain region in Barnesville, Maryland. A must-have for any local resident to Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia, you will literally feel like you are up on the mountain in the pages of this book, whose gorgeous illustrations and writing bring the mountain to life in any reader's mind as vividly as the real thing! More importantly, the beauty throughout the pages of this book will drive you out Hwy 70 right over to and up the mountain to see it first hand. One of the North-east's best kept treasures, Sugarloaf Mountain was once the runner-up for what became Camp David, this field guide provides readers with a truely tangible appreciation for why it was also among FDR's favorite resting spots! Make it yours too, beginning with this book!

This book is far more detailed than any other wildflower guides I've seen but is written in simple language that I can understand. The illustrations are beautiful and so detailed that it makes it easy to identify wildflowers I find on Sugarloaf Mountain and in walks along the Potomac River. I like learning about medicinal uses of native plants and the book is filled with herbal lore. It's a friendly book that is scientifically accurate and detailed but also contains personal anecdotes in which the author's love of trees and wildflowers comes through. I carry both this book and the companion volume--Sugarloaf: The Mountain's History, Geology and Natural Lore on my hikes.

One of my favorite things about the book is that the plants are organized according to families, with information about each plant family. It's fun to find members of the lily family and the rose family growing in the woods. The book helps you understand relationships between plants in a meaningful way. I like thinking about how this onion that I'm eating is related to the trout lily that grows along Sugarloaf Mountain's streams! Plus, its illustrated glossary is an extremely helpful learning tool.

I recommend this field guide to everyone, from novice to experienced botanists.

This is from the July issue of Pomegranate Seeds
pomegranateseeds@comcast.net

THE GOOD WORD:
A New Field Guide to Eastern
Wildflowers, Trees and Shrubs
by Jeri Metz

I just purchased the most authoritative and readable field guide to wildflowers, herbs, shrubs, vines and trees for the Mid-Eastern United States. An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees by Melanie Choukas-Bradley, illustrated by Tina Thieme Brown, is eminently readable and includes all the local native and naturalized species that grow abundantly here without any help from us. This is the perfect book for anyone who is interested in gardening with Mother Nature, creating a water-wise native plant garden, or just identifying the local plants while out walking and hiking. The author describes the plants with expert plant taxonomy, humor, and personal anecdotes, throwing in folklore and history where appropriate. She includes specifics on habitat and range, as well as bloom time and where the plants can be found when walking the trails of Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland. The illustrations, drawn from life, are simple and beautiful, appropriately delicate when describing fragile spring wildflowers, richly detailed and imposing when capturing the hardier species. They compliment every page they are on.

The book is a love letter from two naturalists to their adored Sugarloaf Mountain, where they spent ten years hiking and painstakingly identifying the plants. They view the mountain as a rare gift and "a learning laboratory." But this guide is so much more than the plants on Sugarloaf Mountain. It covers every plant I could think to look up. It includes a very readable botanical key and a comprehensive illustrated glossary. There are suggested readings. But what makes it unique and exceptional in my library of field guides, is the personal touch in both the writings and drawings. The love that Choukas-Bradley and Brown feel for these plants jumps from the pages and I can feel and see how wondrous and magical each plant is for them. By sharing their reverence and respect for all these plants, they inspire while they educate.

An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees; 350 Plants Observed at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland, by Melanie Choukas-Bradley. Illustrated by Tina Thieme Brown. University of Virginia Press. $39.95 through the Audubon Naturalist Society and bookstores and on www.amazon.com.

Jean Campbell's review of "Inland Island: The Sutter Buttes" is right on. This is an incredibly beautiful natural history book, both in its design and its text, and the drawings and color photographs are also marvelous!

Even the forwards (by David Cavagnaro and Craig Childs) are wonderful and informative.

I think this book will become the most-read natural history of The Buttes, but it is also in large part a natural history of much of northern California. I recommend it highly to all naturalists and environmentalists....it's a gem....

As a Professional Biologist I approached Walt Anderson's book with a critical eye to accuracy and detail. As a natural history student I approached his book with a curiosity about the Sutter Buttes, a place I have not yet visited (but now plan to).

In both instances I was thoroughly satisfied and excited by what I found. Clearly, Walt Anderson is a gifted writer and teacher. His subtle use of wit makes the reading most enjoyable. I felt as though the author and I might be standing on a hillside in the Buttes while he offered his observations, filtered through is obvious joy of knowing this special place.

His ability to introduce the natural history novice to advanced concepts and terms, while maintaining a sophistacted and scholarly treatment of the subject that will satisfy even the most critical naturalist, reflects his talent as a writer and teacher. In fact, I am now using his book as a resource for a book I am presently working on about another special place. Thanks Walt for the deep research and reporting.

Sure, this book is filled with fascinating facts about the Sutter Buttes, from its geological formation through minutia about the life histories of wild residents of the Buttes, but the book is much more than a dry treatise on the natural history of the Sutter Buttes. Rather, it is a journey through this special place in the natural world with a most talented guide. Don't miss this most complete and enjoyable tour from the perspective of one who truly knows this place.

Inland Island: The Sutter Buttes is one of the best natural histories that I have seen for going beyond mere descriptions of parts (flora, fauna, and geography) and imparting a true sense of place. Without question, a sense of place requires a detailed description of all the parts for these are its building blocks. Walt Anderson catalogues these parts for the Sutter Buttes as well as can be found in any number of monographs of local natural histories. However, the parts are just the parts and its not until we become aware of their interactions through stories of living actions that a sense of how everything comes together to give a place its character begins to emerge. Here, Walt Anderson excels in giving us several stories such as Red Tail Hawks catching ground squirrels and Turkey Vultures pelting him with excrement as he lectures to a class. He does this with tongue-in-cheek humor and with the warm sentiment that conveys a deep and abiding passion for the whole of the place as well as for all its parts. I believe that a sense of place is primal in finding the deep satisfaction that can come from connecting with the natural world. Walt Anderson does this for us with uncommonly good writing and an obvious passion. His passion sets this book apart from others.

I've gotten pretty into butterfly gardening and developed a pretty thorough interest in lepidoptera, and this book is part of what sparked that in me. It's a great intro, because it shows some of the more conspicuous local species, plus the information's less dry than your average field guide. Even if you're not a beginning butterfly watcher, chances are you'll learn SOMETHING from it, and it's a great book to own, especially since it gives specific locations where you can go see the butterflies. The photographs are awesome. If you decide you get more into butterflies after this book, I recommend the Butterflies through Binoculars series; this book gives you some of the knowledge to know what to look for in more advanced guides.

Herbert Clarke's gorgeous and colorful photos (over 250 of them) fill butterfly expert Fred Heath's An Introduction To Southern California Butterflies with clear close-ups of Southern California butterflies, enabling identification of almost 90 species and highlighting their favorite foods and plants. Heath has lectured, led field trips, and written many articles about the butterflies in his area: his region-specific Introduction To Southern California Butterflies is a strongly recommended pick for all butterfly enthusiasts!

Worth every penny! Great book! It's maybe 9" x 6". Pages are thick and glossy and good quality. Lots of photos. My only request to the authors would be to add a bit more info to help butterfly gardeners, such as the Latin name of "thistle". I would also love a companion book that provides extensive photos of caterpillars, so that when I find a caterpillar, I can figure out which butterfly it is going to become.

I really liked this book except for two things.

First the title. Ironclad is to me a basically wooden ship that is clad in iron. 'Merrimac' was an ironclad. 'Monitor,' in my mind was not. It's turret, was all iron. This book is mostly about the Monitor. 'Monitor' would have been a better title.

Second is the comment that bringing up the 200 ton turret was the largest, most complex and hazardous ocean salvage operation in history. Bigger and more complex than the 'Glomar Explorer' bringing up the Soviet Golf-II sub in the mid seventies. The Glomar Explorer venture cost in excess of $200 million. I can't believe that we spent that much on the Monitor turret. As for hazardous, what about the rescue of the crew of the 'Squalus?'

Now having finished bitching, this is a great book. Paul Claney has been involved with naval writing, naval history and underwater operations for a very long time. He knows whereof he writes. Living in the Virginia area, he was in the area where the story was happening so he had some personal insite. And finally he is a good writer, able to make this story almost read like a novel.

Anyone interested in the Civil War should find this of interest.

Now, one question I've never even seen asked. During the middle of the battle between the two giants it should have become clear that it was unlikely that they would be able to hurt each other. Why didn't the Confederates simply ignore the 'Cheesebox on a raft' and go sink some more yankee ships?

Warning; once you start this book cancel your other plans. This is definitely a cover to cover read. Clancy skillfully weaves the tale of Monitor from its conception to the Battle of Hampton Roads, through its untimely demise to its remarkable recovery. His approach it unusual in that he weaves the two tales of the 19th century Monitor against the drama of the recovery of the ironclad's turret.

While Clancy is admittedly not an engineer he is an accomplished sailor with a sense of history. He draws extensively on this knowledge to explain the Battle of Hampton Roads, why the ironclad sunk and how it was recovered (not salvaged). His descriptions of the rising seas and pending storm off Cape Hatteras and how the 19th century sailors judged the weather gave one an insight as to why this area is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Equally as insightful is the story of the recovery which was woven directly in with the history. This part too is a tribute to brave and dedicated sailors and archeologists whose willingness to commit everything to the task made you race through one chapter if for no other reason than to find out how the "other" story was unfolding.

It's a masterful book, full of information well told. Look out Tom, there's another Clancy on the radar screen.

Anyone who knows a little bit about the Civil War knows something about the battle between the _Monitor_ and the _Merrimack_, the novel ironclad ships that dueled in the waters off Norfolk in 1862. The story has been told many times, but recently there was a high tech twist as the _Monitor_'s turret and other artifacts were reclaimed from the sea bottom. The story of the ship and of the successful salvage operation 140 years later are told in _Ironclad: The Epic Battle, Calamitous Loss, and Historic Recovery of the USS Monitor_ (International Marine / McGraw-Hill) by Paul Clancy. Clancy is a journalist who was a witness to the recovery of _Monitor_ artifacts, and thus can tell of the excitement and dangers of the dives, as well as of the large egos involved, but his look back at the revolutionary ironclads is equally fascinating. He has cleverly combined the stories, devoting alternating chapters to each, so that there is a satisfying build up to the paired climaxes of the sinking of the _Monitor_ and it's re-arising.

The Union answer to the challenge of the _Merrimack_ was found through the inventor John Ericsson, who presented his invention to the Navy's "Ironclad Board" in 1861, which approved the strange vessel. It was really more of submarine, with only thirteen inches of freeboard. A Confederate sailor eventually confronted with the _Monitor_ gave a description that stuck: "an immense shingle floating in the water, with a giant cheesebox rising from its center." That cheesebox was Ericsson's chief innovation (of possibly forty patentable gadgets on the ship). It was the 120-ton turret, a cylinder 22 feet in diameter, wrapped in iron plates, and able to pivot so that its two eleven-inch cannons could fire 168 pound shot at will. Its four-hour battle with the _Merrimack_ was a stalemate; no sailors were killed, and the armor kept either vessel from being seriously damaged, but all navies thereupon realized the advantage of iron over wood. The ship was sunk in transport to the Carolinas, but was found in 1973. The modern part of Clancy's book has to do with the effort to bring up the turret, mostly by skilled Navy divers in saturation diving, breathing just the right combination of oxygen and helium. The area of the dive is one of cold, silt, and fast currents, and there is the constant threat of rough weather, as well as running out of funds, that make the recovery, even if we know the result, exciting.

A wealth of artifacts were brought up, as well as two skeletons which are being treated to the best identification procedures government pathologists can muster. The turret would have slowly and gracefully continued its deterioration in the sea, but in sunlight and air, the salt crystals within the metal were ready to expand and cause the iron to break away; it has had to be bathed in an electrolytic solution to leach out the salt crystals. It and the silverware, guns, engine parts, and more are to be shown in a special hall for the _Monitor_ at the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, opening next year. Clancy's book is a satisfying recounting of the _Monitor_'s important history within the Civil War and within naval history, as well as an exciting tale of a technologically advanced mission to bring the artifacts of that history back for research and display.

Are women ever tired of reading about the joys and wonder of the birth of a baby? I think not, and Lana Jordan brings not just the experiences of real women with the births of their babies to the reader, she also enlightens us with the important aspects of pregnancy and birth from a medical, physical and emotional standpoint.

Having had four children myself, everything in this book is enjoyable to read-and I sat down and read the book in a couple of evenings! I, like many other moms, enjoy reading and comparing the birth experiences of my own children to others. Above that, the rich content Ms. Jordan offers in each chapter about the traditional and non-traditional opportunities available to women helps shed light on some of the questions that we face with each positive pregnancy test.

In addition to the facts and the birth stories, Lana also brings a touch of faith into the motherhood experience. In my opinion, the miracle of birth came from Above, and there is no better place for us to remember the powers of God, as in our miracles of birth.

New moms-to-be should enjoy Journey, as it brings to light many of the fears about pregnancy and birth. Although you may have to endure every birth story for miles around within your own life, reading this book allows you to contemplate what you really want out of your pregnancy and childbirth-at your own pace and considering your own needs.

But, I believe that the mother who has had at least one child will get the most pleasure from reading this book. After you have your first child, and you ponder more, you have the chance to look back on your pregnancy and birth experience-to decide if you want the same things all over again, or if a different approach would be better for you. Some women featured in the book chose a different route with each child, while some explained that they liked their first experience and returned to have subsequent children in the same way. Whatever route a woman chooses to take with childbirth, Lana Jordan gives you all of the facts from a layperson's point of view, so that you can make a decision based on your very own personal feelings.

This is not another medical directory, with terms that are based on Latin phrases that a normal person cannot understand...nor is it a book about the 40 weeks of pregnancy and each little piece of downy fluff that grows on your baby during gestation. This book focuses on the mother-the one person that makes birth possible. And, it focuses on some of the physical and emotional information that a mother craves for the birth of her baby.

Journey to Motherhood on Cloud Nine empowers a mom-to-be and a mother. Whether it's through the knowledge and experience of the varied `real women' experiences, or through Lana's own experiences - this book gives the reader the goods so that they can research the options for an enjoyable pregnancy and birth experience.

Journey To Motherhood On Cloud Nine: Pregnancy And Childbirth From A Mother's Perspective by Lana Jordan is an amalgamation of honest, candid, and straightforward advice, tips, and thoughts drawn from the life experiences of over thirty mothers. Their experiences are told in their own words and offers the reader an invaluable collection of useful tips, handy suggestions, and emotional rapport relevant for mothers-to-be everywhere. Journey To Motherhood On Cloud Nine is very highly recommended for women aspiring to, or experiencing, the joys, tribulations, and realities of pregnancy and childbirth.

I grew up in a large family. I was the oldest, so I was able to see my mother pregnant nine times. I even witnessed the birth of my brother. With all of this, it is only natural that I have a huge interest in pregnancy and birth. Over the years, I have read endless books on the subjects, and I am always eager to read more.

I wish I could say that all books on pregnancy and childbirth were my favorites, but of course, that is not true. However, recently I read a book which I have totally fallen in love with that I am very excited to share with others. The book, "Journey to Motherhood...on Cloud Nine," is a compilation of essays from real-life mothers who have been pregnant and given birth, mixed with plenty of important information on the pregnancy and birth.

I read "Journey to Motherhood...on Cloud Nine" after I had already given birth to three children, but I wish this book was in existence 12 years ago! As I read it, I felt as though I had thirty women in my home talking with my personally -- telling me all the little, and big, details of their pregnancy and childbirth experiences. It was comforting to read that other mothers-to-be had some of the exact same thoughts as I did and to find out that I was indeed normal.

Overall, "Journey to Motherhood...on Cloud Nine," shows its readers a realistic view of pregnancy and the birthing process. After reading it, a mother-to-be won't be in the dark as what to expect and can go into each trimester, and the delivery room, with peace of mind and knowledge that they are an active participant in one of the most beautiful parts of life.

I highly recommend "Journey to Motherhood" to all women who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant. It is also an excellent book to share with fathers-to-be, who themselves usually have questions on the birthing process. "Journey to Motherhood...on Cloud Nine" is a must for every mother-to-be who wants to read soothing, uplifting, and educational personal stories before their precious little one enters this world.

A Walk Along Land's End, the author's book about his hike along the entire California coast, is a favorite of mine. When I saw The Joy of Hiking at REI, it was an easy decision to take it with us. It did not disappoint. Well written, it is both fun and educational. The author has covered all the basics you need to know including planning, preparation, the ten essentials for your day pack, best times to go, hiking with your dog and more. Once the necessities are covered, the author offers suggestions for day hikes, longer trips (i.e., National Parks, coastal walks, Rails to Trails, etc.) and walking holidays including Great Britain and Europe. The sidebar information and the 'Trailmaster Tales' of some of the author's hikes are an added bonus. For those of us that are primarily walkers, the information is applicable for both hikers and walkers. The author has provided us with more than enough motivation to get out the door and go. Definitely one I'll read more than once. Recommended.

The Joy of Hiking is full of practical, inspirational and even spiritual advice on hiking. Be certain to read the chapter on hiking with kids from infancy through the teen years. McKinney draws not just on his experience with his on kids, but on the words of his daughter as you provides everything from things you need to care about safety and things you need to let go of (what teens wear) when you hike with with you children.

If it's hiking and walking you do on holiday, don't miss trail expert John McKinney's The Joy Of Hiking: Hiking The Trailmaster Way (089997385X, $17.95). Newcomers will learn the basics, while seasoned hikers will gain new tips on how to enhance a hike, from wearing layers for different weather conditions to understanding fabric choices and hiking without boots.

Let Kasey take you on a magical journey through the Dream Forest. Great characters and the illustrations will appeal to the young readers!

We really thought Kasey and the Dream Forest was a wonderful book. Really unique perspective to what children dream about. My whole family enjoyed this book, and it was great having the read along I could continue with my household chores and still listen to the book with my children! All around great, adventurous, and fun book!

I recently read this story to a group of first graders and let me tell how much they loved this story! The children where so intrested and amazed by the different characters and the little adventures Kasey goes on throughout the story gave the children excitement. Highly recommended by myself and the first graders!!