Butler Books

Harvey Butchart is held high on a pedestal with the majority of Canyon hikers and deservedly holds the respect of all for what he accomplished through shear grit and determination. Knowing that he had a wife and family in Flagstaff, I was always curious how he was able to balance family, his work as a Northern Arizona University mathematics professor and his passion -- no, his obsession -- with the Grand Canyon. Elias Butler and Tom Myers did an EXCELLENT job in researching and writing about Harvey's life from early childhood in China to missionary parents until his death in 2002.

Be warned; you will learn that Harvey was human. A person cannot be a super human explorer of the Grand Canyon and still maintain healthy relationships at home. His family life did indeed suffer; how could that be avoided? Several of my friends were disappointed to learn of this, but it only makes sense. You cannot be obsessed with something and not have other aspects of your life get neglected. I feel the authors dealt very fairly with this. They did not paint Harvey as malevolent or saintly; they just stated the facts and very tactfully. The book is well written and the story of Harvey's life is extremely interesting. I highly recommend this book!

...or you'll never get to sleep!

Grand Obsession is a riveting biography of one of the most interesting characters ever to set foot in the Grand Canyon. An author himself, many hikers are familiar with Harvey Butchart's series of "guide books", Grand Canyon Treks. Even though Harvey somewhat vaguely reveals the secrets of the Grand Canyon in his books, he himself has remained a mystery until now.

It is evident that the authors put an amazing amount of work into writing this biography. Every detail of Harvey's life, from his childhood in China, to "settling down" in Sun City, has been clearly and interestingly explained. The biography takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions, from the elation of summiting a virgin butte to the heartache his frequent forays in the Canyon caused his wife.

The authors break up the biography with the tale of their own adventure; following the footsteps of Harvey Butchart to the summit of Wotan's Throne. Their quest, a series of triumphs and failures, mirrors the life Harvey Butchart and helps the reader understand what Harvey must have felt in an even more profound way.

I didn't want to put this book down. Every page was a new adventure, leaving me hungry for more, and making me want to go to the Canyon and follow the footsteps of Harvey Butchart myself!

Harvey Butchart was a mathematics professor. His doctoral thesis was "Helices in Euclidean N-Space", and at one point he had to get twenty feet of wrapping paper to do his massive calculations for it. He looked the part, for he was scrawny at five foot seven inches and 135 pounds, and he had thick bifocals. He was socially awkward and shy. He was a good mathematician, with further papers and competence within the Northern Arizona University Mathematics Department. He had a perfectly respectable professional life. So far so dull. You would not have known it if you had seen him in his professor role, but he was a tenacious adventurer who made the Grand Canyon his realm of expertise. He logged 12,000 hiking miles in over forty years of canyoneering, he found new routes of access from the canyon rim to river, and he climbed 83 of the buttes in the canyon, often climbing by himself, and 28 of those climbs were the first recorded conquests. Everyone who knew him knew of his obsession with the canyon, and he is a hero to the many who have followed the trails he described. No one appreciates Butchart's life's work more than hikers Elias Butler and Tom Myers, who have written an admiring biography of the man who knew the Grand Canyon better than anyone, _Grand Obsession: Harvey Butchart and the Exploration of Grand Canyon_ (Puma Press). Not only is this big, well-illustrated book an account of Butchart's life and work, it chronicles much of the history of the canyon, especially after the boom in camping and nature appreciation that has occurred in the past decades. It is also an account of an obsession that was dangerous at times, and even tragic. The obsession was also hazardous to Butchart's family life, but he did put it to practical use for the benefit of others.

Butchart only started hiking the canyon when he was 38 years old and moved to its region. It presented one challenge after another; he might have to bushwhack through a disused trial, float down a river, ascend sheer cliffs, or raise himself up scorching buttes. The almost photographic memory he used when he did mathematics was also put to work on the trial, so that he could remember routes long after he had trekked them. However, he took to documenting each hike he made, obsessively typing up a description once he returned home. He remained extremely fit, and as supervisor of the college hiking club, he found he had to take care so that he would not leave his students, less than half his age, in the dust. He was hard on himself. "You aren't really living if you don't risk your life once every six months," he wrote, and he was only half joking. Butler and Myers examine at length the effects of his hiking on his wife. Roma had no interest in hiking and had disdain for the fellow hikers who would visit her husband. She was able to have a truce when Butchart kept to schedule and made it home for bridge games and other activities Roma needed. Butchart had to slow down as he aged, although the slowing was very long in coming. After he had done his last hikes, there was a reconnection and delight in his relationship with Roma, and after she died in 2002, he was heartbroken and followed her just a couple of months later.

Butchart's fame is assured, not because he had so many firsts in climbing and hiking the canyon (although these are considerable), but because of the three volumes of _Grand Canyon Treks_ he produced, going from the logbook notes he made after a hike and turning them into trail guides for others to follow. Butler and Myers are devoted to the books and use them often (even on a hike to Wotan's Throne, a butte that was a particular favorite of Butchart, to put his and Roma's ashes there). "Although a casual hiker could use _Treks_ to negotiate the beaten paths, Harvey presents the trails as mere frames upon which to drape the more exciting information, his routes that lead into the wild. _Treks_ thus introduced the sport of canyoneering to a generation of eager practitioners." Butchart was not unappreciative of the beauty of the canyon, but his guidebooks reflect his priorities, getting out there, getting to a goal, and getting there in time, rather than pointing out the sights. What he thought was important about his life is in those books. _Grand Obsession_ contains wonderful pictures of the canyon and Butchart at work in it, and is engagingly written even for people that don't have anything like a devotion to hiking. It is a full and admiring portrait of a remarkable, flawed man who blazed a trail, thousands of trails.

Grand Obsession explores the full life of Harvey Butchart. Assessments on the whole seem prudent. A riveting, yet educational masterpiece presented well by Butler and Myers. Given a soul the reader will experience all emotions. I found myself laughing out loud, crying inside and obsessed to read the next chapter.

Lucky you, the authors are the exact opposite of the subject at hand. Virtually any question you may have about Harvey is answered. It's everything you need to know presenting intense facts along the way. Symbolic childhood moments decipher the psyche. Fun adventures to those that turned sour are interweaved with mini profiles of those that affected his life most. Personal and sometimes appalling tidbits make it real. Never before nor will I ever likely read another book this size, I just wish this one was bigger!

This is a tremendously interesting and enjoyable biography. The writing is superb, the photographs enriching, and the flow and structure of the book are excellent. Most importantly, the authors have beautifully and humanely illuminated the life of an extraordinary -- and until now for me and many others -- a somewhat mysterious man.

I met Dr. Butchart 35 years ago when I took his Algebra course at Northern Arizona University. He was a challenging professor (the best kind!), and as a young hiker and beginning Canyoneer, I was in awe of his Canyon reputation. I didn't get to know him beyond class. In subsequent years and after many off-trail and below-the-rim miles attempting to follow his terse guides, I was mystified as to who he really was. Thanks to Butler and Meyers, I have finally come to know him. And what a great arm-chair adventure getting to "know him" has been!

"Grand Obsession" is not only a fine addition to the ever enlarging literature of the Grand Canyon, it is a fittingly great biography of a little known but great western explorer.

We own many John Butler books. My 18 month old has loved them since the beginning. She is active and it is hard to get her to settle down for any old book, but this one does the trick. The pictures are wonderful and the simple flowing text of Hush Little Ones makes it a must have for any little one.

My daughter and I both love this book. The pictures are very sweet- each one includes a baby animal and the parent snuggled up for bed. My daughter picks this book and "While You Were Sleeping" also by John Butler, every night! I highly recommend them both.

John Butler is a great illustrator. I love how this books shows all the baby animals sleeping with their families, in their own habitats and how as you turn the pages the sky turns from a late sunset to evening on the last pages. This was one of my son's favorite bedtime books since he was 15 months old. Now that he is 3, we read it often and can talk about the different places where animals sleep and how they find shelter with one another.

I have been reading this book to my son at naps/bedtime since he was 8 months. Now, he's a good kid, but he doesn't sit still for EVERY book I try to read to him -- but this one he loves EVERY time. Even if he's fussy, this is the book I pick up first, and he usually settles down right away. If he's really fussy, he settles down by the "Zebra" page, guaranteed. You know that commercial for Staples with the red "easy" button? Well, for bedtime, this book is the "easy" button.

Even before he could understand the story or theme in a book, my son loved the "sing-song" of the text. The review on the back cover says it reads like a "lullaby", and that is a perfect description. Not too many words on a page (so he doesn't get bored), and the word choice and the rhyming make it perfect for bedtime! We rock in our rocker, with a soft lamp nearby, clean after his bath, warm in his pj's, and look at the book with the fuzzy animals in their soft bedtime environments... The pictures are simply beautiful, and John Butler adds a little, sweet, tender "character" to the face of each animal.

I loved this book so much I went out and bought several (3) of John Butler's other books, "Whose Nose and Toes," and others. However, I haven't been able to get my son as interested in them. They are a little more advanced, requiring interaction, memory, identification, etc. I think we will wait 4-5 months (when he's 2 years) before they will be age-appropriate. BUT, this book is perfect for babies and beyond! I will start reading it when our next child is 1 month old, and I am certain it will work!

I HIGHLY recommend this book for any small child. Reading to kids when they are young is ESSENTIAL for future success in school and beyond!

Day in and day out, baby animals are tucked into bed by their loving parents, and lulled to sleep by the sound of their heartbeats. A penguin curls in tight between his Father's feet, a kangaroo heads off to dreamland in her Mother's pouch, and so on, and so on.

John Butler's HUSH, LITTLE ONES is a delightful bedtime story that will appeal to both young children, and their parents. The prose is delightful, and will tucker a young child out when a parent reads this story to him or her in a soothing voice, while the gorgeous illustrations will quickly bring the story to life. Overall this is a wonderful book to purchase, especially for those looking for a cute bedtime story for their children.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

This book has been sitting around on my shelf since I was a child. I thought it was a child's book when I was young, but couldn't read it. I just pulled it off the shelf again, and have discovered what will become one of my favorite books about hope, determination, the power of positive thinking, and art - its struggles, its blisses, its importance. It is a must read for any writer, or for that matter, any artist who struggles with stealing time to do their art without feeling somehow guilty, or fearful, or terribly isolated. It is about transcendance despite ridiculous odds. It is an amazing, amazing book. I'm so glad I got around to it.

This is a beautiful book on so many levels. The author's voice, the author's spirit, the author's technique of storytelling are awe inspiring. If you have been led to this page, take it as a sign and order this book, reading it is an experience and I can't wait to read it again. If you are looking for a gift to give someone else then this is it, but read it first yourself so that you can trully share it.

My husband gave this book to me and I am truly enjoying it! Katharine sees things from a rare perspective. Her life transformed her into someone that could see deep into even the most mundane subjects. I feel a new appreciation for even the sounds of crickets! She was certainly a person who's cup was always half full! This book is like welcome raindrops, enveloping you and staying with you long after the drops have evaporated!

This book is enchanting, wonderful, and beyond description, except to say it is a testament to the human spirit.

If you read this and loved it, also look at "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," by Jean-Dominique Bauby. If you can't imagine living on your back for ten years, try imagining writing a book using only the ability to blink one eye, to dictate letter by letter. Tis book is another testament to the human spirit.

This book is amazing, I am 15 and I read it, my mother at 39 read it, my grandma read it and my younger sister at 13 read it. Everyone takes away some different, but something wonderful from this book. It is absolutely indescribable, you have to read it; right now, order it, read it, it will change your outlook on life.

Both my kids love this CD and its NOT annoying to listen to like some other kid CDs. Its actually a pleasant CD to listen to for adults. Have used it for 4 years and still using it.

This book has it all.

Great visuals -- the illustrations are jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Great auditory -- the nursery rhymes are just as you remember -- no revision, and they just pour off your tongue.
Great tactile -- this book feels luxurious, with its hard cover and its thick pages.

We haven't listened to the CD yet -- the kids just want me to read it to them again and again. I would choose this book for myself -- the illustrations are simply unbelievable.

Clare Beaton is amazing.

I am a Pre-K teacher and it never ceases to amaze me that most 4-year olds do not know any nursery rhymes. This book has an excellent collection of nursery rhymes plus the most amazing illustrations. My own 4-year old asks for this book almost every night and she can even recite some of them.

This is such a beautiful book, it sits on MY bookshelf. I do LOVE to read this with our children, 6, 3, 1, years old. Mother Goose offers something to all age groups. All of the familiar poems and stories are here, as well as a few not-so-familiar entries. The best part of the book, however, is the illustrations. The book is exquisitely illustrated with the look of felt patchwork pictures. We all Really Do Love this Book!

Both my children (2 and 3), and any cousin who happens to be visiting, love this book. It's not short, and it's not small, but they're simply captivated by it. Both started getting interested in the book at about a year old, and continue to choose it from the tons of other books we have. I can't explain exactly why they love it over other Mother Goose books, though I suspect the 3-D look of a stitched picture has somthing to do with it. Everything Barefoot Books does is amazing: someday I'll own all their books.

I'd had never heard of the FW2 generation until I read "Rosie's Daughters: the 'First Women To' Generation Tells its Stories." What a good book this is!

The generation covered in this book refers to those American women born between 1940 and 1945, the daughters of the iconic "Rosie the Riveters" who came to adulthood in the turbulent sixties. Talk about breaking glass ceilings -- only for this generation of women, those ceilings were often made of concrete. Yet they still managed to break through them and become the "first women to" -- you name it -- this generation of women achieved more firsts that any group of women before or since. They shaped the modern world for their younger sisters, daughters and granddaughters, providing us with freedoms and encouragement that they or their mothers never had.

Authors Matilda Butler (an FW2 herself) and Kendra Bonnett (a successor Baby Boomer) interviewed and tell the stories of more than 100 FW2 women -- intimate, richly detailed stories that will make you laugh, cry, nod in recognition, and most of all, feel grateful.

This is an inspirational read that reminds us again that it's not only the famous who make history; it's not only the rich and powerful who can change the world.

I have a file of newspaper and magazine interviews and stories on women-of-a-certain-age who accomplish amazing things in the last half of their lives. Matilda Butler's new book has many of these 'role models' and many more covered in "Rosie's Daughters". It is wonderful to trace how these admirable women were influenced by the events of post-WW2 America. Now, I am discovering that I and my friends are also those role models to the on-coming generations of younger women.
Denise Ferris

Rosie's Daughters: The "First Women To" Generation Tells Its Story. Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett

Butler and Bonnett skillfully weave personal stories, history, and psychological knowledge and insight into this collective memoir of women born during World War II. Their premise is that, yes, individuals are shaped by the times in which they live, but females are additionally shaped by the females who preceded them. Consequently, as the title suggests, women who were born between 1940 and 1945--Rosie the Riveter's daughters--"claim more firsts in personal change, educational attainment, and career achievements than any previous generation of women of comparable size" (17).

Replete with photos, a running timeline, and sidebars by other famous Rosie's daughters, this book is engaging, readable, and insightful. It provides numerous "aha" moments about life and living. This is an important book. I give it two thumbs up and five stars!

Patricia Roberts, Hollis, NH

This book is both a fascinating and serious look at the lives of women born during World War 11. I read it twice. The first time for the personal stories, and the second time for the socio-cultural context in which these women lived. It is the perfect book to give to adult children who think that the world begins and ends with the Boomer generation. I highly recommend Rosie's Daughters to readers of all ages.

I just recently finished reading Rosie's Daughters and LOVED IT! I thought I might have some difficulty with the format as it is a little different than my accustomed reading, but I had no problem at all. In fact, it was great fun deciding how I would go at it and which part or section I would read first. I didn't really develop a pattern, but just did what felt best. The book is definitely a "page turner". Thank you for the amazing insight you have of our generation. The book certainly helped me figure out many things in my own life that I wouldn't have considered before reading this amazing book.

There's much to be said for those who pen their first books at an age when many working folks are winding down their careers. Such writers can draw upon decades of experience, giving their writing the kind of nuance and ambiguity that comes with mature hindsight.

For these reasons, one may rejoice in Jim Tomlinson's debut short-story collection, "Things Kept, Things Left Behind" (University of Iowa Press, $[...] paperback), for which Tomlinson won the prestigious Iowa Short Fiction Award.

Born in 1941 three weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Tomlinson grew up in a small Illinois town and now lives in rural Kentucky. Perhaps not surprisingly, most of the 11 short stories in this collection have the Bluegrass State as their backdrop and have struggling, working-class folks at their center.

An example is LeAnn McCray, who appears in the two title stories, "Things Kept" and "Things Left Behind." In the first, we learn that LeAnn sometimes "felt restless, strange to her own skin. It was a troublesome feeling, one that would come on her without warning, as it did one Tuesday afternoon in late October."

That day, LeAnn's sister, Cass, needs to talk about helping their stubborn and widowed mother, Georgia, out of debt. Cass suggests that LeAnn ask a mutual friend, Dexter Chalk, for help. The married LeAnn agrees, never letting on that she and Dexter are having an affair. The plan to aid Georgia spirals into an unintended climax, in which LeAnn learns that it's not just the living who have secrets.

In "Things Left Behind," LeAnn's secret affair with Dexter is unwittingly divulged to her husband, Lonnie, by a well-intentioned hotel maid. Because Lonnie is far from a perfect husband and father, Tomlinson allows ambiguity to seep into LeAnn's infidelity.

In "Prologue (two lives in letters)," we are introduced to two young, idealistic teenagers, Davis Menifee Jr. and Claire Lyons, through a sampling of their correspondence spanning 34 years.

Thrown together as delegates to the 1963 Congressional Youth Leadership Conference for one week in Washington, D.C., Davis and Claire become close friends in the wake of Kennedy's assassination and political uncertainty. But they take radically different paths. Claire becomes an activist lawyer and eventually a member of Congress. Davis protests the Vietnam War and flees to Canada to evade the draft.

Both start families, question their choices, wonder where their youth has gone, and hope for better times. For many readers who have spent a few decades on this good earth, the words of these two Americans may be painfully familiar.

There are other gems in this collection: In "Stainless," Warren and Annie have one last dinner together as they divide up their belongings at the end of their marriage. In "Squirrels," a man is bedeviled by his ex-wife because she is bedeviled by squirrels that invaded her attic. And there are the two brothers in "Lake Charles" who share a bond forged in a horrendous, life-altering childhood accident. In such stories, Tomlinson keeps his observations and humor sharp, his prose lean as a marathon runner.

Sometimes in a Tomlinson tale, it's difficult to tell the winners from the losers, the resilient from the fragile. But his magic lies in the shadows of people's lives, those dark recesses where uncertainty reigns.

It's as if Tomlinson holds a mirror up to us and says: It's all a confusing mess, but we will survive because the other option is just too damn scary.

This is unadorned wisdom earned through experience. And it takes a skilled, mature writer such as Tomlinson to bring it to life.

[This review first appeared in the El Paso Times.]

Jim Tomlinson's book is truly deserving of the Iowa Short Fiction Award. This is the best collection of short stories I've read in the past few years. His characters are not doing anything extraordinary, yet they are compelling. His sense of voice and place are exquisitly honed. This is a must read; again and again.

Jim Tomlinson's book Things Kept, Things Left Behind is a collection of short stories which won the Iowa Short Fiction Award, and rightfully so. I have never been a fan of short stories, as I've mentioned in previous blogs, but slowly, I'm starting to change my opinion.

These stories were unlike any short stories I've ever read before. Rather than leaving me wanting more from the characters and the story line, they truly left me satisfied. After each story was finished, I felt as though I had just spent a novel's worth of time with the characters. They were that well developed, and the stories, though tragic at times, are written with a humor and wit that I really enjoyed.

In each story there is conflict; be it within the characters themselves as they dream about things they've sacrificed or lost out on, or be it between two or more characters. In each story the conflict is real; the stories are utterly human, and I think this is why I enjoyed reading them as much as I did.

If you like short stories, or even if you don't; this is a book I would recommend you pick up in your travels. You won't be sorry.

Jim Tomlinson's "Things Kept, Things Left Behind" is peopled by rounded, entirely believable characters--victims, as we all are, of life's quirks and mis-matchings. The almost inadvertently criminal couple, the absent father and his disengaged adult son, couples who should have married each other and couples who shouldn't have: there are only so many situations in the world, and all this has been written about before. What sets this collection apart--what makes it such an enjoyable read--is Tomlinson's solid craftsmanship. He writes with the assurance of someone who doesn't have to show off: a fine, empathic writer and a first-rate storyteller. I loved reading this book; I loved his respect for his characters, his simple spot-on dialogue, the hope he plants in small gestures. There is a depth to his prose that lingers in the mind, together with the small mysteries he plants so artfully for the reader to consider. Excellent collection, well-deserving of the Iowa Short Fiction Award.

Susan O'Neill, Author, Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam

I loved so much about Jim Tomlinson's short story collection, Things Kept, Things Left Behind. It was one of those reads that I felt compelled to carefully portion out so as to not have it be over too quickly. I wanted to savor it.

The working-class Appalachians that Tomlinson creates in his stories really resonate with me. They feel real. When Cass (in the the half-title story "Things Kept") says, "When he comes to see Ma, don't matter if it's a hundred degrees, Dale here is wearing long sleeves so she don't see them tattoos he's got drawed on his arms," I KNOW her. She is utterly, absolutely real.

I was also impressed by how the women in Things Kept, Things Left Behind are portrayed. They have flaws and desires and idiosyncracies that allowed me to see and appreciate them, warts and all--like real people. There is no gender divide in this collection. Men cheat, women cheat, men love obsessively, women love obsessively, both succeed, both fail. It is a totally engrossing, even-handed look at what makes us human.

I have the 2002 edition of the Travel Writer's Handbook (the 5th ed.). While it was updated to include the problems of post 9/11 problems it did not cover the Internet as much as one would expect. And the section on photography is still set in the pre-digital era.
That said, this is still the best all-around book on travel writing. Zobel covers different article types, how to do basic research,whether to accept freebies, what to take along on trips, keeping records for tax purposes and so forth. She spends a lot of time on interviewing techniques and different ways of capturing the sights and sounds of a travel destination.
I assume the newest edition (written with a co-author)is meant to bring this classic into the 21st century with references to pdas, laptops, digital cameras and other accoutrements that were hardly mentioned in the 2002 book. But when it comes to the basic elements of writing the travel article--whether for magazines, newspapers or the many travel websites out there--this book is still founded on solid information.

I read a lot of "how to" guides (trying to find career that I can enjoy) and Mrs. Zobel's is the best so far. She does a great job expanding on the basics and injecting her own personal stories when examples are needed. I re-read the book before every trip so that I don't forget any of her advice. I've already started research on one of my favorite destinations.

I really liked this book. The first six chapters are a little hard to get through, but the rest of the book is well worth the effort.

The chapters on interviewing, what to take with you, and market research are great. I learnt a lot from Zobel, her writing is friendly, helpful and crammed with useful and unusual facts.

A couple of years ago, I found a copy of the fourth edition of this book at a library bag sale. I read it cover to cover, devouring each word, and absorbing hints and tips into the molasses of my mind. To this day, some of these have shaped the way I approach my trips, and when I learned that a new edition had come out, I thought that it would make me a good Christmas present.

It's certainly an excellent book. But I found a few faults with it, all but one quite firmly the fault of the publisher. Let me get that over and done with before I continue with the good bits.

Criticisms:

1. There is no index. There should be. There is so much in this book that forcing the reader to re-read each chapter to find one nugget of information, or to take notes, seems very poor. Admittedly my copy is now covered in x marks and orange marker pen, but do you have any idea how far against the grain defacing a book goes?

2. I don't have any idea why, for this edition, there is a co-author. As far as I can see, this is not explained anywhere in the text. I'm not sure what a second author really contributes to the book. A second author certainly doesn't take away from it, but the major difference I can spot is that sentences beginning with "I" now begin with "Louise" or "Jacqueline". I don't get it. A brief introduction or explanation would have been nice.

3. Speaking of introductions, or the introduction, perhaps somebody should have proof-read it? It is quite obvious that someone did a quick and dirty search and replace and made a complete hash of it. Here is the first sentence of the book:

"Although the travel writing profession is seeing some difficult times this spring and summerthese (sic) past few years, this does not, by any means, indicate an end to the power and pleasure of the written wordtravel (sic) related stories."

This, the very first sentence of the introduction, was very off-putting. Howls of derision followed as I found other printed bloopers.

4. While there is a lovely updated chapter on digital photography, not once is my burning question answered: "What do you do when your magazine listing in "Writers Market 20073 says 'send slides/transparancies/prints?'" It would have been so nice to see a couple of paragraphs defining these terms and explaining how to go about handling the requests. The book seemed to assume that everyone would be using a digital camera, which is very nice because I do, but also seemed to assume that everybody who is a budding travel writer has some kind of in-built knowledge of what magazines want, which is not very nice because I don't. This book purports to be the definitive guide to travel writing, and in my opinion that's not something that should be missed out.

So saying...

This book is thorough. It covers all aspects of freelance writing for travel publications. It starts with a heavy emphasis on research: how to do it, where to get resources, what to look for. It covers interviewing: how to find sources and how to interview them. There is an entire chapter on querying, which I found very useful, as well as etiquette and ways to make yourself look professional even when you're a rank newbie.

I found the chapter entitled "being there is never enough" particlarly useful. It covers how to take notes, how to start noticing, and how to make sure you don't forget what you've seen. You are coached in what to bring along and how to handle it, as well as being reminded that some countries have different dress codes and you'd better be looking like the locals if you go there and want to fit it. Travel is about getting in amongst the people, and if you're wearing clothes that scream "tourist" you're never actually likely to get that far.

One key point emphasized over and over again is that you never write "generally"; always, always you must key your writing to a specific audience...and that without marketing, without learning that and working out your own system (I didn't really "get" the author's system as described) you'll never get far beyond "Gee, I want to be a writer." One of the last chapters in the book, and one of the most helpful, lists 25 different types of travel articles to help you a) find your voice and b) get the most mileage out of your existing writing.

There is some information in here about running the business and organizing yourself, dealing with editors and even the ethics of press trips. A little like having your own personal coach, despite my quibbles this book still thoroughly deserves its title as a classic. And it's highly likely that come the seventh edition, this one will be so thumbed over and have so many pages hanging out from constant reference that I'll need to buy that one, too.

I am now reading this book again before departing to Italy. I am not exactly a "travel writer", but I need some of the same skills to write and edit my travel website. This book is a tremendous help in preparing for a trip knowing I will come back with the information I need. This books coveres everything from packing to writing. It is very readable and very useful.

Butler-Bowdon's "50 Classics" series is one of the most comprehensive collections of summaries I have come across. This new book, "50 Prosperity Classics" is captivating, filling the reader with both modern and legendary knowledge about the game of wealth. From contemporary stories such the growth of companies like Starbucks and The Body Shop to well known social theorists such as Adam Smith and Max Weber, Butler-Bowdon provides succinct summations that are both engaging and enlightening. On a personal level, this book has changed my perspective towards my finances, career and way of life. I highly recommend not only this book but the series as a whole.

Although many good business books come and go, those writings summarized in this book are writings that will endure when all has shaken out. The authors are from the pool of the truly great who can "Walk the talk".

I chanced upon this book during my usual lunchtime browsing through bookshops in Singapore. Tom has done a great compilation of all the great books and ideas on the "wealth (about money)" and "prosperity (about life)". And he has presented these in a very readable and easily understood manner.

I will definitely recommend this book to all my friends.

This book read as if, I was sitting down with the author over a cup of coffee while he told me his insightful and intelligent opinions of books that he has read on the subject of prosperity.

I find his writing style fun and descriptive and the attitude that he delivers is that of someone who is curious and well informed in the subject matter.

The books covered in 50 Prosperity Classics included some that I would have never read for various reasons, but since I was able to quickly gather the essence of those writings, I have discovered some interesting books that I will read in full someday.

At first glance, you might think this to be a compilation of book reviews; I found that it was much more than that. It is informative opinions as well as background on the authors and thoughtful distillation of the subject.

I have read other books by Tom Butler-Bowden and have found them all to be equally useful, informative, and entertaining. I strongly recommend this book for anyone serious about understanding, prosperity from different perspectives.

It's difficult to over-estimate the beneficial effects that Tom Butler-Bowdon's books have had on my life. Whether he is discussing Classics in the Self Help, Success, Spiritual or Psychology - and now Prosperity - genres he has entertained, informed and guided my future reading. There are so many books in each area that it can be difficult to know where to turn when you want to take steps to improve your life. If you face this dilemma Butler-Bowdon is here to help, with his useful summaries and commentaries on classic books in each genre.

In 50 Prosperity Classics the writing is as crisp and clear as ever. The summary of each 'classic' is just the right length to give you a flavour of the book being discussed, but never outstays its welcome. While each book is heralded as a 'classic' Butler-Bowdon isn't afraid to note where criticisms have been made. You can read 50 Prosperity Classics from start to finish, you can dip into it at random, or you can follow certain themes. The 'In A Similar Vein' section is your roadmap if you decide to take the latter route. Even if you don't want to investigate the books further - and I'll be surprised if you don't - then 50 Prosperity Classics is enjoyable in isolation. As I read it I felt my mood lift as I was made aware of countless possibilities I had never considered before.

If you are interested in finding out more about property investment then you will enjoy reading about books such as William Nickerson's excellently-titled How I Turned $1,000 into Three Million in Real Estate in My Spare Time. For those that want to know more about investing in the stock market Peter Lynch's One Up on Wall Street: How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money in the Market will be one for you. Elsewhere there are the stories of entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson (Losing My Virginity: The Autobiography) and Felix Dennis (How To Get Rich) and for the Self Help fans out there you get numerous books about 'the law of attraction' (including Rhona Byrne's The Secret).

If you buy this book - and follow the advice given - you are bound to make a profit on the deal. Even if you don't follow the advice you will have been entertained and enlightened. Recommended.

I bought a few copies as early Christmas gifts because I know my dad and brothers are big fans. After flipping through just the first few pages of photos and text, I knew I made the right choice. The author really covered his tracks. The photos are fantastic! There's no better time in the midwest than fall -- and this book seems to bring out the best of that season.

Touchdown! This book drives the length of the field to take the reader on a journey through small towns and big cities who live and die for football. The tradition of Ohio High School Football is second to none and Butler's brilliant narration mixed in with interviews from coaches, players, parents and fans captures what Friday night in the fall is all about - a social gathering of sorts where football is the main focus. Rothchild's photography allows the reader to experience every facet of Friday night football from the star quarterback to the mom selling programs to raise money for the band.

Across Many Fields is a must for anyone who loves high school football.

I hesitated to buy this book because I had read some negative things about it on some Ohio high school internet sites. Then I browsed a copy in a local bookstore and realized how foolish I was to wait. This is one of the finest books on high school football I've ever seen (and I own many).

Across Many Fields is about football with capital "F". Having read it now (which I suspect some critics have not), I realize the authors were looking for the whole picture and that people unhappy with it were upset because their team wasn't represented. Well, this book isn't about one team or another. It's about all the teams in Ohio that strap on the helmets each season and all the people who support these young men (and a few women).

The pictures are tremendous, glorious and the writing is smooth and creative. For any football fan, for anyone who has relished the crisp autumn air on a Friday night in a local football stadium, this book is a can't miss. You'll be transported!

This book took me back to my high school years. I was a 320 pound offensive lineman. The 4 years I played high school football were the best of my life. I can never get them back, but with this book I was able to bring back all my memories. Chris and Jen have provided ex-jocks like me something to hold on to. I reccomend this book to anyone who wants some way to recall those glory years of high schoo.
Giles Powell.

While Across Many Fields chronicles the 2001 Ohio high school football season, this book is to be enjoyed by all -- regardless of the reader's geographic location. Across Many Fields goes well beyond statistics and X's and O's to explore the very essence of high school football; whereas a Friday Night Lights exposes the darker side of a big-time high school program, AMF is a celebration of the sights, sounds, athletes, and communities that make autumn evenings special for so many. From big-time rivalries to small town tradition, this book explores high school football with a depth and passion that make it a captivating read.

Handsomely photographed and insightfully written, Across Many Fields is a timeless tribute to a uniquely American institution.

Here is a unique work of reference for the embroiderer. As a result of extensive research and experience, Anne Butler brings together some five hundred individual stitches used in embroidery through the centuries. Each example has been worked by the author and photographed, to the same scale, to illustrate the complete stitch. Accompanying each photograph are diagrams explaining the step by step method of working the stitch. For ease of reference and identification, Anne Butler has grouped the stitches under families and these include: Line; Couchings; Stem; Running and back; Herringbone; Feather; Fly; Cretan; Buttonhole; Chain; Straight (including cross); Single Unit (such as woven wheels); Edgings; and Filling stitches. The colour plates show the working of the more complex stitches. Anne Butler (now Professor Anne Morrell) lectured at several schools and colleges before becoming Principal Lecturer and Head of the Embroidery School at Manchester Polytechnic (later Manchester Metropolitan University). Examples of her work have been exhibited all over the world, and her embroidery is much sought after by provate collectors, with many items purchased for public display. This definitive encyclopedia of embroidery stitches will be of the utmost value to everybody interested in embroidery, regardless of age or ability, and it is a book which no student of embroidery, at any level, should be without.

This book was a milestone in embroidery... every stitch you could possibly want to use, identify or practice is in here. A great book for working embroiderers or even just identifying the best stitch for mending things

This book, the result of extensive research and experience, brings together some five hundred individual stitches used in embroidery throughout the centuries. Each example has been worked by the author and photographed to the same scale, illustrating the complete stitch. Additional diagrams explain, step by step, the method of working the stitch. Most highly recommended!!

If you are at all interested in the medium of embroidery, or want to try it yourself, this book is the absolute essential- the Embroiderers' Bible, if you like! Nowhere else is there such a comprehensive descripton of stitches, with diagrams showing you how to do it. The author is renowned in her home country of England, and also here in India, where she was born... in fact, she has recently been lecturing here, showing us how to do stitches from our own traditions!

Discover exciting new ways of adding interest and variety to your embroidery designs! Here, you can choose from some five hundred individual stitches used in embroidery through the centuries! Each example has been worked by the author and photographed to the same scale to illustrate the complete stitch. Accompanying each photograph are clear diagrams explaining the step-by-step method of working the stitch.