Clark Books

Photoshop CS3 is a very "deep" application, and I think that this book can be an excellent resource for virtually any CS3 user (especially those who classify themselves as intermediate users of Photoshop). The author does not assume that you have already read a user manual or other book. He covers in detail many of the tools in detail that are frequently used to color correct, mask and composite images, and do many other common tasks. "Hints" and "Notes" can be found throughout the book in small green boxes, and I found them very helpful. For example, in Chapter 10, the author explains in a Hint box how to apply sharpening settings from one image to a batch of images in Bridge.

Weinrebe supports his lessons with good screen shots throughout the book. Just a small selection of the tools that he covers very well (in a step-by-step fashion) are the Healing Brush, Lens Correction tool, History Brush, the Bridge and Camera Raw (including a suggested Bridge/Camera Raw Workflow), tinting with a color layer, batch renaming, converting to DNG, creating contact sheets, creating panoramas with Photomerge, and actions.

One of the most interesting parts of the book are the artist interviews. These Q&A sessions with such luminaries as John Paul Caponigro, R. Mac Holbert, Pedro Meyer, Graham Nash, Maggie Taylor and Joyce Tenneson generally run from about 4-7 pages and include fantastic imagery and insight about the artists' background, their art, what motivates them, and how they approach and use various technologies. I believe that this series of essays could easily be a very strong coffee table book on their own. They are a really special.

I also like the Chapter Reviews questions and Exercises at the end of each chapter, which can definitely help people to learn more about the Photoshop techniques that were covered in the chapter. Having all the exercise files on a CD in the book is also a nice feature. Also, it really helps that Weinrebe is a professional photographer who has been preparing files for clients for years. His work really shines throughout the book.

As a long time film photographer making the move to digital this book was a life saver. The step by step approach took the mystery out of photoshop.
The language was clear and the examples relevant.

The development of pigments by chemists changed the art of painting in the Renaissance. The development of film sensitivity changed the art of movie making in the 20th century. How will Photoshop and other image processing software change the art of photography?

This book provides instruction in the use of Photoshop, in an unorthodox manner. Most Photoshop books are organized along workflow lines, although a few work their way through each of the Photoshop tools and menus in order. Weinrebe follow his own order, dealing with light and shadow, curves, black and white processing, color tools and so forth before dealing with the tools used when first bringing images into Photoshop. Often a chapter introduces important techniques not related to the main one, as in the author's discussion of the use of the history brush in the chapter on curves. The author recognizes his approach is unusual, and suggests that readers go through the chapters in the order the reader needs.

The chapters include practical exercises that use images provided on an included CD.

The book recognizes the version 4.1 update to Adobe Bridge which is a component of Photoshop CS3, although I expect that the update was made available at too late a date for the author to do much exploration of its potential. (There has been a 4.2 update, but the changes seem to have improved code, without adding tools.) How else can one explain the author's dismissal of the new sharpening facility that allows for input sharpening, which is different from output sharpening?

Besides the instruction on using Photoshop, each chapter concludes with an interview with a famous photographer. Most of these photographers seem to specialize in montage, that is, the creation of pictures by combining images.

My biggest question was what happened to "the Art of Photography" mentioned in the title? Nothing in the material on technique goes further than to describe what controls and sliders create what effects on an image. No advice is presented in how to use Photoshop to create a picture that is more "artful" (whatever that means). The interviews are interesting but they don't include any information on how the artists used Photoshop to make their pictures more artful. I suspect that even Rafael received some instruction from his teachers on how to use the new pigments beyond how to apply them to canvas. Certainly, a few books on Photoshop have covered this terrain. I particularly found Rob Sheppard's "Outdoor Photographer Landscape and Nature Photography with Photoshop CS2" to be useful.

I also have some small complaints about the book. The text always appeared to be one or two pages behind the related illustrations, leading to a lot of page flipping. Some instructional areas seemed to scant the tools being discussed. For example, the chapter on Adobe Bridge mentions how customizable Bridge is, but neglected to provide any details in how to do this.

Still, a photographer looking for an introduction to Photoshop will be able to get started with this book. On the other hand, those looking for a more detailed introduction might want to look at a favorite of mine, "Photoshop Artistry: For Photographers Using Photoshop CS2 and Beyond" by Barry Haynes. It doesn't cover all the changes made to Photoshop in its later versions, but it will provide an understanding of the software that may even include a little bit about injecting the artful into one's images.

the book is well worth the cost: it is well organized and presents all of the capabilities of Photoshop in a pseudo-textbook fashion that are easily understood. At the end of each of the 12 chapters, the author presents a review: questions that the reader should be able to answer and exercises covering the CS3 capabilities that had been explained in that specific chapter. Also, the author includes interviews with 12 noted creative photographers such as Maggie Taylor and Lois Greenfield.

Photoshop is incredibly feature-rich software, and frequently perceived as overwhelming. Weinrebe breaks it down into easily understandable bits while still providing useful tips for very experienced users.

And the interviews with renowned photographers add a unique element, opening - at least a little a bit - a window on their varying perspectives and workflows.

Well done. This book is a valuable addition to every photographer's reference library.

Given a new role at work as a Change Agent, I am pursuing different approaches to my job and helping people through change. I came across story telling as a tool for instilling and perpetuating corporate culture, which is a foundation required for effective change. This book provides great inspiration for how to utilize story telling to share corporate culture. In the selection of stories from multiple companies, I found lots of great tips on how to improve culture as well. I am recommending this book to our CEO and VPs, trusting they will also be inspired. This is a great introductory book to using storytelling in the corporate world; it both inspires and educates.

Eveyn Clark has written a wonderful book about corporate storytelling and in the process has told us a wonderful story. She has gathered us around in a corporate, global campfire circle and inspired, entertained, and taught us the value of storytelling. She gives us role models to follow and insights to understand why this is so important in today's business world. She gives guidance as to how to implement storytelling into our own corporate lives. A very important book in this digital world we live in.

"I believe this work is a `must read and understand' for all senior executives. Quite simply, most CEOs tell the world their most important assets are their people. Yet, what they most often discuss are their financials and their markets. This book is a wonderful review of companies relating to their employees through storytelling and becoming more successful as a result."

I chose this book because it was interesting and published recently so I thought a lot of the ideas in it would be modern. Communication is a field that requires up to date books and ideas that evolve as quickly as technology. I liked the fact that this book involved story telling, which is a relatively timeless communication technique. I thought that the contrast between the modern time it was written and one of the oldest means of entertainment would make for an interesting read.

Another intriguing quality of this book that I liked prior to reading it was the fact that it involved real life companies. What better way to teach about effective story telling and leadership success than from company leaders that have mastered the skill?

The book is filled with stories from well known multimillion dollar companies such as Nike, Costco, Kodak, Mary Kay, Southwest Airlines, and Medtronic among others. It is fascinating to learn the way that these companies use stories to inspire employee unity, consumer loyalty, and advertising. It seems that a theme throughout the book is that, regardless of what your company sells, there is one pathway to success and it is lined with stories. The stories range from touching (in a chapter titled Medtronic: Dad I Saved a Life Today) to entertaining (Nike: A Global Competitor Running on Waffle Soles). No matter what your future leadership role may be this book will definitely help you reach your goal.

After reading this book I thought that it was well written and organized. Each company has its own chapter and within this chapter Evelyn Clark describes at least one success story about the company's owners, employees, CEOs, or customers. I particularly liked the ease of understanding. I thought that she communicated her points well and offered a lot of insight into how to successfully master the art of story telling. A lot of the ideas she has in the book are things that make so much sense I could not believe I had not thought of them myself. I am a student and I can attest to the fact that I often remember lecture material better if the professor had a personal story that related to it.

Overall, this book was both entertaining and educational. I recommend this book to anyone that is a leader, wants to become a leader, or is interesting in learning about leadership techniques. I never considered how much stories affect our every day life. Stories have been being told long before there was written word or the internet and show no sign of going out of style. It is essential to learn how to use this type of communication for future success and this book is an excellent place to start.

"Stories play a major therapeutic role in life. As earthly sojourners in the 21st century we experience the outer world in society, organizations and communities as paradoxical, rapidly changing, and becoming more globally inter-dependent. This out world many times is at variance with our own inner world. And this is the therapeutic power of storytelling." ~David Dunning, Corporate Leadership Psychologist

Evelyn Clark works with many leaders who want to enhance creativity through storytelling. She also gives examples of the stories corporate leaders tell their employees. This gives insight into the philosophies of companies like Costco, Nike, Kodak, Mary Kay, FedEx and Southwest Airlines.

So, how can you strengthen your company with stories?

Employees need to understand the company's philosophy and the history. When leaders tell the stories of how a company came into existence or how a product changed lives, this gives meaning to going to work everyday. It is always helpful to know you are part of a greater plan, a company that is changing the world or at least making life better for people buying the products.

Evelyn Clark focuses on visionary leaders who use stories to create the future they desire. How was a track coach inspired by his wife's waffle iron? The story of Nike is rather intriguing and then the stories of how the company has influenced lives gets even more entertaining. The company puts stories at their corporate website to inspire and many stories can be told online.

You may find yourself gravitating to specific stories because you recognize the company or have an interest in the specific type of product a company is selling. The story of Kodak is more universal and if you have yet to see a Mary Kay car, then you may not be living in America. These are stories we can all relate to and Evelyn explains how to communicate through broadcast media or in print. Could you motivate your employees through a daily voice-mailbox message or would it be better to put the story at your website?

Around the Corporate Campfire is filled with stories to inspire success in your company. Even if you don't own a company, this book is entertaining reading and could give you some interesting material for conversations with friends, especially if they enjoy shopping at Costco, REI or wear Nike shoes. Reading the core values of REI gives insight into why some companies succeed and why core values are crucial to success.

~The Rebecca Review

The Best of Thymes should be in the Top Ten cookbooks in America! You can't beat it. This book is often billed as an herb cookbook. It's that, but so much more. There is a plethora of gorgeous, delicious recipes for anyone who likes to cook or eat! Not all recipes are herbal but many are. By herbal, I mean they contain wonderful flavoring agents like rosemary, thyme, sage, etc. - those great enhancers that gourmet cooks have relied on forever to create wonderful taste sensations. It is also packed with informative growing and use information. And it's beautiful to look at. Food lovers of all kinds should have this book. You won't need any other.

I had known and been a fan of Marge Clark for several years, and it was with great saddness that we lost our gardening sister last summer. As with all her cookbooks, Best of Thymes is tried and true. I have yet to try a recipe that wasn't excellent, creative and lovely. Who would think of adding basil to a nectarine lemonade? Brilliant! The cookbook is also very readable with many delightful comments in the margins. Thank you, Marge, for this and your other three cookbooks during your time here on earth.

I am ordering two more of these cookbooks today, to keep as gifts. I received Marge's book as a gift and let it sit on a shelf for two years, thinking it to be about herbs. Then one day I was looking for a good cheesecake recipe and found one in Best of Thymes. The pages for boursin, honey-mustard dressing, chocolate cake and potato salad are stained and worn. I think of this as my most basic, go-to cookbook now.

Marge does a great job with the recipes in this book--both hers and others from the community and around the country. This book is also a great herb resource book.

The size of this book is the first thing that impresses you, then the exquisite water color illustrations. But that's just the beginning. This is jam-packed with mouth-watering recipes that run the culinary gamut! As an extra plus, there is concise, accurate growing information for the most popular herbs featured here. Marge Clark has definitely done it again! Her award-winning Christmas Thyme At Oak Hill Farm seemed to be the last word in the culinary arts. Not so. The Best of Thymes is on equal footing! If you love to cook and/or eat, you'll want this!

(My review is on Thoreau's Cape Cod rather than this specific edition).

While some literary critics seem to slight this work by Thoreau, saying that it is not as "powerful" as his other works, etc., I personally find this one very enjoyable. Sure, it does not have as much "philosophizing" as other books by him, but it is full of humor and very fun to read. The part where he describes the old man spitting into the hearth is particularly hilarious. The part about him sleeping in a lighthouse is also very funny. It lets us experience the more jovial side of Thoreau. This is probably one of the easiest to read among Thoreau's books.

Published posthumously, this volume is surprisingly consistent and complete (unlike "The Maine Woods" which is chopped into three different parts), it gives one the feel of walking along the entire cape, although the materials are quarried from several different trips. One only wish Thoreau had lived longer and had seen the West, imagine him taking a trip in the Sierra! Oh, well, meanwhile, we still have this one to enjoy.

This hardcover edition from Peninsula Press is unquestionably the best available edition of Thoreau's Cape Cod, for these reasons:

1) While all other editions are based on Thoreau's journal entries from only his first three visits to the Cape, this edition includes an epilogue compiling Thoreau's notes from his fourth and final visit, in which he traveled south to Chatham and Monomoy.

2) This is the only edition to translate the many, many Greek and Latin phrases Thoreau includes throughout the work, and it is also the only edition to provide illustrations, maps, and sidenotes in-text.

3) This is the only indexed edition ever created.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for fans of both Cape literature and Thoreau in general.

Thoreau visited Cape Cod in 1849, 1850, and 1853. These trips formed the basis for a series of essays, several of which Thoreau published in magazines. After Thoreau's death, the essays were gathered together and published as "Cape Cod" in 1865.

Thoreau's "Cape Cod" is different in tone in theme from his earlier books. The tone is leisurely and light. Instead of solitude or the wild woods, the picture that remains with me from this book is that of a long walk, or, as Thoreau puts it, a "ramble" through the sand and dunes of Cape Cod. The book is picturesque, full of humor and wry observation. Thoreau unforgettably describes the ocean, in its storms, vicissitudes, and moments of peace, the fish and the fishermen, the sands, birds, plants and lighthouses of Cape Cod, and the people. I have visited portions of the Masachusetts coast, but I have never been to Cape Cod. Thoreau took me there in his book.

The book is arranged into ten chapters. It opens with a description of the shipwreck of the St John on a rock off the Cape. Thoreau then describes a ride by coach across the Cape. But the heart of the book lies in the following chapters in which Thoreau with a companion walks the 30 mile beach from Nauset Harbor to Provincetown with many stops and diversions along the way. I felt the salt air and saw the fishermen and the sandy beach as I walked with Thoreau.

The most vivid characterization in the book is in the chapter "The Wellfleet Oysterman", as Thoreau describes a grizzled, taciturn, and ancient native of Cape Cod and his family who offer him hospitality for the night. Another memorable chapter involves the description of the Highland Lighthouse, no longer standing, and its keeper. The stops with the Oysterman and the Lighthouse punctuate Thoreau's long walks through the day over the beach and his meditiations about and descriptions of what he finds there.

Thoreaus walk ended at Provincetown, on the northernmost portion of Cape Cod, with its wood walkway, shanty houses, and ever-present scenes of fishermen, boats, and drying fish. Thoreau offers what I found an affectionate portrait of these hardy fishermen and their families. Following a description of what he found at Provincetown, Thoreau offers a great deal of historical background on the exploration of the Cape, from the Pilgrims reaching back to earlier French, Icelandic, and English explorers.

Thoreau's "Cape Cod" is a worthy companion to his books describing his experiences inland, on Walden Pond and on the rivers and woods of New England and Maine. It is beautifuly written with unforgettable descriptive passages. It made me want to get up and go from my life in the city, and over 150 years after Thoreau wrote, wander and walk for myself along the dunes and sands of Cape Cod.

This book details the flora, fauna and people that Thoreau found in Cape Cod in the 1850s. Thoreau organizes the book around a single trip to Provincetown, although much of the material that he uses in the book came from various visits to the Cape, and to the ocean in general. He starts with a description of a shipwreck at Cohasset, then a stagecoach ride from Plymouth, then a walking trip with a companion along the outer shore to Provincetown. Along the way, he describes not only the plants and animals he encountered, but also the people who he met. The book finishes with a lengthy academic historical account of the discovery and mapping of the Cape.

I found this to be the most humorous of all Thoreau's work. The character sketches he provides in this book, sharpened with his trained eye for observation of natural phenomena, are legendary. The cultural description of the Cape and its environment is quite fascinating for those interested in the history of daily life in 19th century Massachusetts. As Thoreau describes the desolate, treeless desert that made up the far reaches of the Cape, one begins to comprehend what it meant for an economy to be based on wood and whale oil for fuels. Thoreau stresses how valued driftwood was for residents of the Cape, as one of their main sources of heating and cooking fuel. Doubtless, he would not recognize the Cape today with its lush new forests. Or its Wal-Marts--switching to an oil economy has brought mixed blessings for the Cape. For those who think Thoreau to be a humorless didactic philosopher, this book shows a very different aspect of Thoreau as a writer.

You will forget about the outside world when you read this; nothing but sand, wind, and water. Plus some natural history, local folklore, a few shipwreck tales. Typical Thoreau; he finds beauty, interest, detail in the wilderness. The desolate landscape will help to clear your mind. Highly recommended.

For those of us fascinated by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, this new novel by Jeffrey W. Tenney uses fiction to bring history dramatically to life. With an engaging style and a superb breadth of knowledge, the author has crafted a masterpiece. Reading this book will reveal the challenges and eventual triumphs of this first "Man to the Moon" quest in the nascent United States.

This one, plain and simple, has made me a believer in historical fiction. Too much of what I have tried in the past has suffered from weak and glorified characterizations, improbable, synthetic, hyped, and ultimately lifeless re-portrayals of media-worn events. Jeffrey W. Tenney provides us with a ground-level view of the historical, wherein the epic is broken down into its smallest, untidiest increments, and characters falter as much as they charge ahead. Everyone knows the basic plot and the 'star' characters of this epic story. Who would not now, after so many conventional renditions, prefer to see the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the eyes of characters like William Clark's slave, York? Or through those of the hunters, who spend most of their time in the backcountry where 'captain's orders' pale in the presence of the onrushing grizzly bear or the hard-faced Indian warrior? Tenney's narrative, pacing, and dialogue take the reader on a smooth, entertaining ride, but characters are the heart of this novel. The soldiers, hunters, guides, and boatmen of the Expedition, as well as the Indians met along the way, come in those mixes of flaw and virtue that make people interesting and sympathetic. Characters must battle their own inner enemies while contending with the layers of outer conflict the author heaps upon them. Using a highly creative structure, in each new chapter Tenney shifts perspective to portray different characters' experiences with these struggles. This device makes for chapters as vivid as short stories, the whole of the novel unfolding like a carefully pieced and brightly hued quilt. I recommend Corps of Discovery highly for the history buff, but even more so for the novice of that genre, as a guide to what it can be at its best.

Excellent novel, interesting characters, both heroes and scumbags. It may have been just like this on the real journey.

This one, plain and simple, has made me a believer in historical fiction. Too much of what I have tried in the past has suffered from weak and glorified characterizations, improbable, synthetic, hyped, and ultimately lifeless re-portrayals of media-worn events. Jeffrey W. Tenney provides us with a ground-level view of the historical, wherein the epic is broken down into its smallest, untidiest increments, and characters falter as much as they charge ahead. Everyone knows the basic plot and the 'star' characters of this epic story. Who would not now, after so many conventional renditions, prefer to see the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the eyes of characters like William Clark's slave, York? Or through those of the hunters, who spend most of their time in the backcountry where 'captain's orders' pale in the presence of the onrushing grizzly bear or the hard-faced Indian warrior? Tenney's narrative, pacing, and dialogue take the reader on a smooth, entertaining ride, but characters are the heart of this novel. The soldiers, hunters, guides, and boatmen of the Expedition, as well as the Indians met along the way, come in those mixes of flaw and virtue that make people interesting and sympathetic. Characters must battle their own inner enemies while contending with the layers of outer conflict the author heaps upon them. Using a highly creative structure, in each new chapter Tenney shifts perspective to portray different characters' experiences with these struggles. This device makes for chapters as vivid as short stories, the whole of the novel unfolding like a carefully pieced and brightly hued quilt. I recommend Corps of Discovery highly for the history buff, but even more so for the novice of that genre, as a guide to what it can be at its best.

This one, plain and simple, has made me a believer in historical fiction. Too much of what I have tried in the past has suffered from weak and glorified characterizations, improbable, synthetic, hyped, and ultimately lifeless re-portrayals of media-worn events. Jeffrey W. Tenney provides us with a ground-level view of the historical, wherein the epic is broken down into its smallest, untidiest increments, and characters falter as much as they charge ahead.

Everyone knows the basic plot and the "star" characters of this epic story. Who would not now, after so many conventional renditions, prefer to see the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the eyes of characters like William Clark's slave, York? Or through those of the hunters, who spend most of their time in the backcountry where "captain's orders" pale in the presence of the onrushing grizzly bear or the hard-faced Indian warrior?

Tenney's narrative, pacing, and dialogue take the reader on a smooth, entertaining ride, but characters are the heart of this novel. The soldiers, hunters, guides, and boatmen of the Expedition, as well as the Indians met along the way, come in those mixes of flaw and virtue that make people interesting and sympathetic. Characters must battle their own inner enemies while contending with the layers of outer conflict the author heaps upon them. Using a highly creative structure, in each new chapter Tenney shifts perspective to portray different characters' experiences with these struggles. This device makes for chapters as vivid as short stories, the whole of the novel unfolding like a carefully pieced and brightly hued quilt.

I recommend Corps of Discovery highly for the history buff, but even more so for the novice of that genre, as a guide to what it can be at its best.

Yes, Bowen is a racounteur, saving the history of the Metis, sharing passion for the land, and telling a taut mystery. Then is the account of one of his daughter's thirteen little children taking down the imported FBI man -- then proposing to him. But also the confrontation of ecologists and those at peace with the land with which they try to earn a living. Du Pre says, "The wrong ones get killed."

Read the series for all the above reasons.

The Montana mysterys are going to keep you guesing all through
the books. Cruzatte and Maria is probly the most fun to read.
When you read one of Peter Bowens books you will be hooked!
I just wish they were all on audio!

Peter Bowen has been writing his tales of Gabriel Du Pre, a Metis Indian, master fiddler, detective and righter-of-wrongs extraordinaire for some time now. Du Pre, his mate, Madelaine and his many dear friends in Toussaint, Montana have acquired a loyal following during that time. Bowen's new book, "Cruzatte and Maria" is his finest yet, and will greatly please all readers, new and old.

When Du Pre's old friend in the FBI, Harvey Wallace, asks him to look into a series of disappearances in the White Cliffs area of the Missouri River Gabriel is troubled and refuses to become involved. Residents of that area, mostly ranchers, have been under continuous attack by environmentalists and encroachment by yuppie wilderness seekers. Du Pre understands the ranchers' struggle and senses an underlying, irresolvable tragedy.

Unfortunately, Du Pre's is unable to maintain his distance. His daughter Maria has returned to Toussaint with her boyfriend to help with the making of a television special on the Lewis and Clark voyage. Maria is descended on both sides from the four Metis Indians that accompanied the adventurers and Gabriel is dragged into the production as a consultant and advisor. Naturally, the movie is to be filmed on the banks of the Missouri, in the same location as the disappearances. Gabriel smells a set up, but concedes gracefully (actually he curses a lot) and undertakes both missions. As the story progresses Du Pre's worst fears and greatest hopes are realized. Metis life and history, politics, Hollywood and the rancher's struggle for recognition and independence mix together in a heady, sometimes disquieting, stew.

Bowen is an absolute wizard with characters. Not only Du Pre, but many other characters come brilliantly to life, even in the short space of this novel. Bart, Du Pre's billionaire friend and Benetsee, the mad/wise holy man who drives Du Pre crazy with riddles stand out. A new and special character is Pallas, one of Du Pre's eleven grandchildren. She will totally charm the reader with her seven-going-on-thirty attitude and her sharp, accurate tongue. The ranchers, members of the movie company and countless bit players are all unforgettably painted.

Perhaps the best thing about Bowen's writing is his insight into the Metis Indians. They are a tribe mostly forgotten to American and Canadian history, who played a great part in the fur trade in Canada and Montana. As a multi-tribal mixture of indigenous, French and Scottish blood they have had great difficulty gaining recognition as an independent culture. The are strong folk, with a rich musical tradition and an indomitable spirit. Bowen's Metis are people of great character, wry, fun loving, and deeply respectful of their people, their friends and the land they live on. Bowen captures their language and dry sarcastic wit perfectly. The reader will leave "Cruzatte and Maria" delighted to have spent time with these remarkable people.

Du Pre's daughter Maria comes home from school with her boyfriend Ben who is the assistant director on the movie being made on Lewis & Clark. Maria asks Du Pre to be the historical consultant on the set and Du Pre reluctantly agrees. Harvey Weasel Fat asks Du Pre to check into the disappearances of several people at the White Cliffs area of the Missouri River. These two tasks come together and make for murder.

The local residents don't like newcomers and somebody is making sure that strangers don't stay. Two environmental journalists are found in the river and it doesn't look like it was an accident. Du Pre must find out who is doing the killing before anybody else gets hurt.

Peter Bowen does an excellent job bringing out the local customs and mannerisms of the Metis people. Du Pre is an offbeat but thoroughly engaging sleuth. Makes you maybe want visit for a while.

"Cruzatte and Maria" is basically a replay of Bowen's earlier "Wolf, No Wolf," where the noble ranchers are pitted against the eco-ninnies, and in this book, the Yuppies who putter up and down the far reaches of the Missouri in their canoes and stinkboats. The local residents defend their rural stretch of the Missouri against all intruders, and shoot a couple of guys who were actually writing a pro-rancher, anti-ecoNazi book. This is where Harvey Weasel Fat Wallace, the Blackfeet FBI guy calls on Du Pré to find the murderer.

Another FBI guy, Ripper sums up the plot:

"These people out here have had it, basically, with the twentieth century, and who can blame them? But potting passing canoe paddlers is, and I must make this perfectly clear, like the late Tricky Dick, not going to be the protest of choice. It's illegal. It's also wrong."

Everyone leans on Du Pré in this book, including his daughter Maria. She persuades him to help a group of filmmakers (her boyfriend is the assistant director) who are shooting a documentary about the Lewis and Clark expedition. As it happens, Maria and her father are Métis descendants of the fiddler, Cruzatte who was a member of that famous 1805 expedition.

Even Du Pré's long-term mistress Madeleine gets into the act, and tricks her man into trying on glasses:

"`Du Pré,' said Madelaine, `I think you maybe got eyes like a hawk, see things far away, up close you got eyes like a pocket gopher.'

"Du Pré grunted.

"`Put a bead on that ...needle,' said Madelaine.

"Du Pré picked up a bead, poked the needle at it, and missed.

"...'Okay, Du Pré,' said Madelaine. `You try these on, yes.'"

Madelaine whips out a bag of dime-store reading glasses and Du Pré is made to realize that he hasn't seen her face or her beadwork in years. The dialogue in this book is up to Bowen's best standards, and I love these scenes between long-time friends. The author telegraphs just enough information to give us readers a warm, fuzzy sense of involvement.

The scenes I don't like usually take place in a bar, where the ranchers gather to literally and metaphorically bash guitar-playing, expensively-attired Yuppies, eco-Nazis, and film-makers. Too much drinking. Too much smoking. Too much high cholesterol. Too much violence. Bad for sensitive Yuppie stomachs like mine. Don't read this book if you have the flu.

Otherwise, read it. "Cruzatte and Maria" is the latest in Bowen's excellent, tough-love series of not-so-hard-to-figure-out mysteries.

This series just gets better with each book. If you want an in-your-face protagonist, with a sharp wit and a keen sense of justice, Thea Kozak is a great read. In this book, she's out of her native New England, but murder follows her to Hawaii. "Death in Paradise" has a well-constructed plot, interesting characters, including a young "buddy" who helps her solve the case, and a slam-bang finish.

Thea mops up the crime scene in Hawaii in her usual style. Kate Flora has built a strong series with likable characters. She is witty and informative. I look forward to her next book.

Paradise is Hawaii, but private school consultant Thea Kozak doesn't have much time to enjoy it as she's at the mercy of the whims and bad temper of Martina, the director of an organization of girls' schools. When Martina is murdered, Thea tries to stay out of the way especially since she is not fond of cops except for her love, Andre back in the States. Even trying to avoid "detecting", Thea is more than once in great physical danger. Great characters, behind-the-scenes wrangling and a lovable little girl make this more than "just a mystery."

I read Death in a Funhouse Mirror after reading reviews on Amazon's site. It was excellent - so I then had to find each and every book written by Kate Flora. I haven't been disappointed. They get better and better. Death in Paradise is interesting, earthy and full of suspense. Kate is right up there with Jan Burke and Michael Connelly.

Thea Kozak returns, this time attending an education convention on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Thea hadn't planned on attending, but when her partner comes down with pneumonia, Thea has to take her place. But instead of spending part of her time in convention activities and the rest of her time on the beach relaxing and working on her tan, Thea finds herself in the "Ms. Fixit" role as problem after problem arises at the convention. When the universally disliked convention organizer is strangled, Thea finds herself investigating the case in spite of her desire not to become involved. She is aided by a charming 11-year-old girl who sees herself as a secret agent and spies on hotel guests constantly.

Poor Thea is much abused in DEATH IN PARADISE. Every time she turns around, she is attacked verbally and/or physically. On top of that, she is feeling ill from the very first chapter, to the point she knows she must see a doctor when she returns to Boston. What amazed me is how Thea remained oblivious to the nature of her illness throughout the book. While admitting the symptoms (extreme tiredness, nausea and excessive thirst), she didn't put 2 and 2 together to come up with the correct diagnosis. I spent the entire book waiting for her to figure things out!

As far as the mystery goes, I was clueless as to the killer's identity. Suspects abounded, and the author kept the suspence level high throughout the book. You won't want to miss this series, which combines a strong, likeable heroine with great secondary characters and realistic situations.

Catch up on your knowledge, or review what you know. Fun series of all that's Disney.

This is a great book about Disney Company. It goes chronologically from 1901 to 1999 and beyond. Every event in the company's history is put in the book, but without much detail.
Since he maintains Disney Archives, Dave Smith could have done a litle better, like he did with Disney's Encyclopedia.

This book was excellent! It had terrific pictures and it told from 1901 when Walt was born until 2001. It is a great keepsake. I purchased mine at Walt Disney World during the 100 Years of Magic celebration.

I really enjoyed this book. It is packed with lots of great photographs and artwork from Walt Disney and the Disney Company. It also has a really nice overview of the life of Walt Disney and the work of the Disney Company in text.

I appreciated the organization of the book. The book is arranged chronologically, which helped me to understand the flow of events better. This book has a very upbeat, positive tone and paints a very bright and exciting future for the Disney Company.

This book does not contain nearly as much information about Walt Disney as some of the biographies that I have read, but I don't think that was the goal of this book. This book does a very nice job of chronicling the art and the work of this great American icon and then continues the chronology with the work of the Disney Company in the post Walt era.

This book starts with very early Disney and takes the reader all the way through to Fantasia 2000. This is an excellent coffee table book. I highly recommended it to anyone that loves Walt, his work and the continuing work of the Disney Company.

This 213 page book is just full of an endless supply of full color photos of everything Disney for the past 100 years. You'll learn all about Walt's early life and how his ideas created worldwide Disney worlds. Each chapter covers a decade from 1901 to 2001 !! Many of these pictures are archival and never made available before. The book provides many memories for "children" of all ages. It's a keeper. Enjoy !

I quit reading. Books these days are either vulgar or trite. I met Richard and enjoyed a discusson with him about Lewis and Clark; I had to get the book. I hated Undaunted Courage; what a joke of a 'historical fiction' book. GAG. I was understandably hesitant to read Eclipse. But with the first page, I loved it. I did not want to put it down. I almost missed my own booksigning because I did not want to quit reading it. His research is outstanding. His interpretation is fantastically executed. FINALLY a modern writer who can WRITE. In less than a month, I now own 7 Richard S. Wheeler books.

This novel written in first person from both Lewis's and Clark's viewpoint peered deeply into the Captains' souls in the years following the Expedition until Lewis's death. Clark prospered; Lewis stepped onto a slope more deadly than any he faced on the trail.

The author's case is convincing. But it is heartbreaking. It pulls back some of the mystery surrounding Lewis's untimely death, revealing unspeakable and, for Lewis, intolerable tragedy.

I can't say I enjoyed this book, but I could not put it down.

In 1997 a Seattle epidemiologist, Reimert Thorolf Ravenholt, M.D., did a little forensic diagnosis by looking at the Lewis & Clark journals. He concluded that Lewis was dying of advanced syphillis (complicated by malaria) when he was killed by two bullets, probably shooting himself simultaneously with his set of two pistols. I'm not qualified to pass judgment on medical matters.

Neither is Wheeler, but he takes the challenge of "what if" this theory were true, a challenge side-stepped by Ambrose, who likes his heroes stainless. The book Wheeler creates is two parallel and episodic monologues, one inside Clark's head and one inside Lewis' mind, so that we see each with the other's eyes. It's immediately clear that the two men are not alike in voice, experience, position or temperament, but that they are linked by friendship and shared adventure. They have been deeply marked and changed by the long trail to the Pacific. Clark's salient issue is what to do about York, his slave and childhood playmate, who was an equal throughout the journey, but must now return to being owned. Not easy for either man.

After the expedition both Lewis and Clark were expected to take hold of the seething and often disease-ridden Louisiana purchase and wring profit out of it while they were still celebrities. Clark had a hard time, in spite of his sturdy diligence. But Lewis went steadily downhill, making enemies, blundering -- not getting the vital journals edited and out to the public despite everyone's demands, including President Jefferson's. No one knew how to help him. He was angry and secretive.

Wheeler gives us the terrible details of a descent into hell that no one could stop, all begun in one moment of unguarded relaxation at the very moment the Shoshone supplied the horses that made the success of the expedition possible. Other men of the expedition also suffered contagion and some of them died earlier than Lewis, so he knew what to expect. They were starved, exhausted, battered and stressed, which made them especially vulnerable. In spite of access to a reliable physician, Lewis tried self-doctoring with alcohol and drugs which, on top of malaria and the brutal heavy-metal drugs of the time, assured his destruction.

This book is transparently written -- one does not stop and think, "Oh what a fine phrase!" The scenes unfold grimly and inevitably until, at the end, one thinks, "That's about how it must have been." And personally, I think Lewis comes through as a mortal hero, a man who fought death with honor, a tragic figure who paid a terrible price for his president and his country.

The historical accuracy of ECLIPSE is a credit to the author's careful research. He ties together the known events in the life of these well-known American heroes, using his extensive knowledge of the nineteenth century. Fiction it is, but it is also very true to the known facts. The book "reads well", never boring, never dull. ECLIPSE is a fine addition to the many books about Lewis and Clark, especially as we celebrate the 200th year of their expedition to the Pacific and back.

Eclipse - A Novel of Lewis and Clark, by Richard S. Wheeler, is a book I could not put down until I finished it. Wheeler turns the aftermath of Louis and Clark's historic trek into a gripping novel with vividly portrayed characters and an engaging plot. The title characters are far more than just historically significant. They also have flaws, rivals, financial difficulties, diseases, and other problems resulting in large part from their heroic deeds. I highly recommend this book to all readers.

My interest in this book was triggered by an encounter with a brother-in-law who denied any blood-atonment incidents in the early Basin Kingdom. I knew otherwise from reading Mike Quinn and Mountain Meadows history. Forgotten Kingdom was a good dispassionate source confimring the rough-and-tumble times of early Utah. Full-fledged democratic institutions hadn't yet taken shape in the US generally, much less on the frontier, much less in a territory dominated by a theocratic kingdom not yet ready to accommodate outsiders. Violence was a part of life, just as it is now (only more institutionalized now).

I didn't sense any particular ideology or ax to grind. You don't get that voyeuristic feel of sensationalism that you might with a less sympathetic view. Biglet lets the story tell itself. He doesn't pull punches or whitewash, but neither does he judge from a 21st century view how these frontiersmen made do in their lives. The most important thing I look for when I read a history is a sympathetic storyteller - someone who doesn't judge participants from a narrow point of view. Bigler's history is sympathetic and compassionate.

I have ancestors who settled in southern Utah, and Bigler helps me understand better what they went through. The vision of an independent kingdom of God was doomed from the start, for the same reasons that it failed in Ohio, Missour, and Illinois, You can't help but admire the audacity and tenacity of these early settlers, though. Forgotten Kingdom does a useful services by shedding light on these times.

I agreed with the previous reviewers in saying that this is one of the best books regarding the theocratic state that the Mormons tried to create during their early territorial years. The book does a wonderful job contrasting the theocratic values of the Mormon's ideal world to the republican ideology of the United States at that time.

The key figure of this book proves to be the theocratic dictator of Utah Territory, Brigham Young, prophet and president of the LDS. Its pretty clear by the book that Young saved his church from destruction and with his single-minded clarity of mission, managed to saved Utah for the Mormons. But in doing so, he committed himself to unforgivable sins, worst being the cover-up of the Mountain Meadow Massacre. But it was also interesting how he created a shadow government to off set the loss of formal position. But to paraphase one of the quotes from the book, "I may be the governor of the territory but Young is the govenor of the people" (close?). His defense of polygamy aided the enemies of his church and his willingness to over looked the misdeeds of his underlings marked him as a great but deeply flawed man. The book covered this struggled between Young and all his foes who stood against his theocratic dictatorship.

The book appears to be very well researched, clearly written and easy to read. Its an interesting read of Utah's politics, wars and religious conflicts as the Mormons slowly but surely, began to assimulated into the American society.

If you are looking for a comprehensive and accurate history (1847-1896) of the Mormons this book is the one to buy. David Bigler's ability to accurately research and write about Mormon history is second to none. From the discovery of gold at John Sutter and James Marshall's lumber mill to the Mountain Meadows Massacre this book covers some of the most important events in the history of the United States.

This important and seminal work should be required for those interested in or those currently studying Mormonism and its forgotten legacy to western America.

Beggining with the Arrival of the Mormons in 1847 and the creation of the state of Deseret we are taken through the many twists and turns of the Mormon effort to establish a country west of the mississippi. Truly a tale of endurance and originality. This was the only state ever created in the americas not relying on colinialism to create it. Here the 'Saints' built schools, railroads and an army. The settled the land from California to Nevada to Arizona and beyond. The almost came to war with the American government in 1858. Some mormons massacred a group of Gentiles traveling through Utah(but gee history seems to have forgotten the massacres of mormons back east). We learn of the regime of Young.

The book details the indian wars and immigration. Like estbalishing the state of Israel by the Jews, these pioneers esablished their own Zion which in many ways parrallels the creatiion of the Jewish state a 100 years later.

This bridges the gap between the mormon histories of Nauvoo, the hero making of Orrin Port Rockwell, and the modern mormon books that detail the power and secrecy of the chruch. This book also goes beyond the sensationalistic accounts of the Mountain Meadows Massacre(titled 'American Massacre' it would have been more aptly named for the Waco massacre in 93.)

An important book, well written and structured so as to make it easy for the reader to grasp.

Westerners International gave David L. Bigler's Forgotten Kingdom its Best Book award for 1998.

Will Bagley, Series Editor