Biography Books

This is one of the few books I've had trouble putting down. It's the story of an amazing man that I truly admire. I would recommend this book to everyone. Also his CD's and those of the three tenors are beautiful music to say the least.

Dr. Ronan Tynan has to be one of the most friendly, inspirational, and heart-warming people on the face of the planet. I'm convinced of it. For a man who has had to persevere as much as he has, his outlook on life, his accomplishments, and his stories are awe-inspiring.

I first learned of Tynan when I heard him sing "God Bless America" on TV. I was enthralled. I had never heard a voice so pure, so powerful, so emotional. His voice touched me, it caused goose-bumps. I immediately began to research, trying to find out about the man who had just amazed me so.

After reading "Halfway Home", I am even more impressed with the man. In every aspect of life, he has triumphed over odds and circumstances that would have buckled the average person. To be accomplished in so many ways, to have lived such a rich, full life, is a dream for which we all should strive. The blueprint for such a goal is in Ronan Tynan's approach to life, which is guided by kindness, decency, hard work, love, passion, and faith.

At times the book is a bit boring, as is nearly all biographical material, but the inspiration overcomes, just like Tynan. Add him to my short list of personal heroes.

Firstly this review is not intended in any way to be objective. I love the man who is Ronan Tynan, I love his voice and all that he has contributed to the world. Halfway Home is the story of a man who is passionate, driven, inspired and someone who refuses to beaten down in any way. He is a Maverick, who in this side-splittingly funny book, outlines just some of the things that he has done in his life. What makes this book special is that his accomplishments that are detailed in this are done so with such humility that it seems as if he is with you in your living room having a friendly chat. I met him a few weeks ago and he is just as funny and outgoing in person as this book suggests. One of life's true heroes.

Dennis Charles

In the book "Halfway Home-My Life til Now" Ronan talks about family and those whom he has met so far in his life. He also talks about the women he has slept with so far. Which I find appalling, and just plain bad taste. He should apoligize to the women he talks about in the book. I wouldn't let anyone under the age of 21 to read this book. Keep it away from children.

This is an inspiring book. I cannot overstate that. Ronan could have folded his cards and done nothing in the face of adversity. He could have just stayed inside and watched tv or something of that nature. Instead he did not even let it bother him at all. In fact he hurdled right over the adversities.

I feel like I know Sgt. Martinez better than I know many of my family members and friends. This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's well-written and the story of his personal redemption is remarkable. I found the author to be very honest, which works best with someone insightful and thoughtful, so this isn't some self-indulgent story of how cool his combat experiences were. In fact, he comes across as humble, caring and grateful for the opportunity to serve his country with honor.

I learned a lot from his description of boot camp about the tactics that the Marines use to achieve the culture they need to be effective. Publisher's Weekly didn't seem to grasp this, but you really get an insight into how they turn a wide variety of teenagers into men who would die for each other and for the rest of us, as well.

I am thankful that Sgt. Martinez took the opportunity given him to turn his life around. I couldn't stop thinking how proud his parents must have been of him, and I was so glad to learn that he was awarded the Navy Cross before his father's premature death.

Thank you for your service and for recounting some of your experiences for us, Sgt. Martinez!

This is an awsome book i hope whoever is reading this review decides to get the book. I havent actually read the book but i can tell it will be a good one just by looking at the cover.

I have recommended this book to read to all my friends, I
read it in one full day, just could not put it down.
It's written with honesty, to the point, words written
directly from Marco Martinez's heart and mind.
My husband (a retired Marine) read it and was flooded
with memories of Camp Pendleton.

this book is not only for military personnel and their
families, everyone from all walks of life should read this
book. All teens should read this, it will give them an
insight of what it takes to keep America Free.

To all those who says, "Support our Troops", read this
and you will truly appreciate our military serving this
free country, USA. Freedom is not free.


Marine Sgt. Marco Martinez is truly a great American,
may success follow you always, God bless you.

This book is a smooth read taking you from the author's life as a gangster to becoming a marine to fighting in Iraq. I wish it was longer I really enjoyed it. I'd also recommend the book Lone Survivor for anyone who enjoyed this book.

I am proud to say that Marco Martinez was a student of mine. It was an honor being the teacher of such an outstanding American hero. His book is an extraordinary account of personal responsibility, devotion to duty and love of country.

He is also an excellent scholar with unlimited academic potential.

I wish Marco the best of everything. He represents the best America has to offer.

Michael Fremont Redfield

I read books in a wide variety of topics. I decided to read about Lewis and Clark because I felt I just did not know enough about it and I felt that I should. When I received the book, I opened it and was fearful that I made a mistake because it was made up of journal entries, day by day in Lewis and Clark's own words. I started reading and I found myself immmediately engrossed in the story. I mean immediately. You can read the letter from Jefferson containing the instructions and mission of the expedition- just fascinating. Then you get the story of the expedition, day by day, straight from the horses' mouth. I could not put this book down. I could not stop talking about it. I used Google Earth (so cool!!!) to follow the Missouri River into the Rockies, across the mountains, finally to the Columbia to the Pacific and then back. Canoeing up rivers, down rivers, fighting bears, trading and smoking with indians, fighting with some indians, at times overheated, at times freezing. Surving on the land with strategy and forethought. I learn an incredible amount of information about that time in our country's history. I was blown away. And the greatest part, I had to keep reminding myself of, is that it was absent all of the politically corrected revisionism we read today. This story is straight from them. They are sitting down at night and recording what they experienced in 1804 (05-06). Those notes are delivered to you via an author Bernard Devoto who uses only the most relevant parts of the journals (leaves out the volumes of strict scientific research data). Then, when he has to make the occasion insertion of a letter or two to make sure a misspelled word is not misinterpreted, he gives very clear instruction on how he has denoted the change. He also, upon occasion will give a summary of events, or a note of interest.
The end result is a splendid story, rich in historical information, written by the men who lived it, about one of the most important events in our country's history. I leave you with this excerpt, logged Sunday August 18th, 1805 by a man who is in the middle of the American West, where no white man has tread before, trading and smoking with Indians, shooting bear and deer to survive, canoeing upriver for 2000 miles;
"This day I completed my thirty first year, and conceived that I had in all human probability now existed about half the period which I am to remain in this subluminary world. I reflected that I had as yet done but little, very little indeed, to further the happiness of the human race or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence..."

I would use one word to characterize this work: Timeless. To relive the great expedition through the words of Lewis and Clark themselves is a fantastic experience. I think that most people who enjoy American history will love this book. People who are not inclined to read or enjoy historical non-fiction might find it tedious (such as students forced to do so for class assignments), as it is long and detailed.

I previously read Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" (which itself is excellent), which contains many passages from these journals, but the journals themselves are unsurpassed.

I recently took a college class about the hidden history of the West--and it was a great class, one of the best ever--but one of the books we read in there was all about the Native American perspective of the Lewis and Clark expedition and while it was interesting to hear that take on the subject, I couldn't have been more at odds with the discussion that followed, most of which had to do with the low characters of the men of the expedition, the subversive agenda behind it all, and the thought that the world would have been a better place if the entire undertaking had never taken place.
That's because, to me, there has never been anything cooler than the Corps of Discovery, than the journey West, than Lewis and Clark and their whole ragged crew.
Actually, I take that back: the journals they kept...those are even cooler.
From Lewis's insightful reflections, to Clark's lyrical descriptions, to their hilariously bad attempts at spelling, to the thought of moving unknowing into America at its most pristine, these journals have it all. This is the quintessential American adventure story, an amazing account of men against the unknown. This edited collection of the journals, well-compiled by Bernard DeVoto, is one of the greatest things I have ever read, and ever since reading it, I have had an undeniable love for Lewis and Clark, and for their expedition.
Words fail me, but they didn't fail these guys, because here is the West of 1803, vividly rendered for us all to see today. When I first read these in 1999, they convinced me to move into the wild, onto the water, and I spent seven months afterward living out of a canoe...keeping a journal of my own.
If you haven't read these journals, do yourself a favor, and do so now: read them. DeVoto has already made it easy for you, by picking out all the most interesting parts, and by putting them in context with a well-written introduction. You need this book, and you may not even know it.

This work has been edited for the general reader. Many entries have been considerably shortened in the hope of gaining a wider public. For the most part only the highlights are kept, being the actual journal in its full version is so extensive. Most of the original punctuation's and spellings are kept (this gives it a feel of nostalgia). There is repetition. But this, I would think would be impossible to overcome. DeVoto has "produced a straight forward text which could be read without distraction".

The introduction is lengthy; discussed are: the importance of the Louisiana Purchase; the history and purpose leading up to the exploration; earlier expeditions, such as Thompsons' and Mckenzies'; and Lewis' and Clark's background. This was said of these two great men: "The two agreed and worked together with a mutuality unknown elsewhere in the history of exploration and rare in any kind of human association", and "Ingenuity and resourcefulness [by Lewis and Clark] in the field are so continuous that a casual reader may not notice them".

Each chapter is identified by the author whose journal it is taken from, such as Lewis, Clark, Biddle, Orduray, and others. The journal writings have been left as original, giving it that early America mystique. On the 14th of May, 1804, 32 men embark in search of a trade route from the Atlantic to the Pacific:

Dangers lurk around every curve. Indian, grizzly, and immense animal herd encounters are prevalent throughout the journey. To think of the rich bounty contained in the wilderness of the past is beyond comprehension. With leadership that is both strong and wise, Lewis and Clark take this large party of men on a blind epic journey. And on looking back, it was relatively safe. The treatment of the Natives is to be commended, even though many tribes were untrustworthy and warring to other Nations. Trade with the Indians was essential if they were to survive. Also recorded were observations and behaviors of the different tribes. A few of these tribes possessed a huge wealth in horses. Lewis and Clark's party purchased these horses both for traveling overland (which I was never aware) and for food. They did not seem to be displeased with eating horse-meat, dog or roots, which they bought and traded for. The days spent on the Pacific coast were to be the most miserable. The medical remedies used were almost comical; some that were proved beneficial have since been lost through time. The journey ends over 28 months later on the 25th of September, 1806.

I don't know if we can understand completely, how important this expedition was for our country. The undertaking involved in putting this book together from the hundreds of pages of numerous journals is truly amazing. And finally: Appendix I contains Jefferson's instructions; Appendix II is the personnel (32+); and appendix III is the list of specimens brought back.

Wish you well
Scott

I am not an accomplished reader so it has to really hold my attention to finish a book. This book is written exactly from L&C's journals. Lots of mispelled words and some confusion. Sometimes hard to follow. Sometimes the minute details are a bit much. They don't really expound on things. I guess what they go through on a day to day basis is somewhat mundane at times. Overall a decent read IMO...I wouldn't get it again if I knew what I know now. Oh well. Enjoy!

I bought this book for my Chinese adopted daughter. She is only one right now, so I'm saving it for when she's older. I read the book and it is really well written, and definitely written from a kids point of view, which is why I like it so much. Lots and lots of colorful pictures in the book, and it also addresses the topic of abandonment in a very careful way.

The book arrived in a timely manner and in excellent condition as promised. Thank you.

By accident, i found this site! I am Chinese and my English teachers (They are a couple)were from the US. They also adopted a girl named Evie Xuezhi Braun from Changsha just the same city as Ying Ying.I was really moved by their adoptive actions when I heard they had no kids and wanna adopt a Chinese orphan. I can still remember the time they saw me off when I started for Shanghai to work there after my graduation.Evie was also there with her American Parents. I really wanna recommand this book to them. It sounds helpful to them and Evie. But we are all in China. I can't get the book~but I will tell them the name of this great book!! Thanks for your Americans' kindness!!! Many Thanks!!!

I liked this book written in the voice of a 9 year old girl, a very mature girl, I hope my daughter will enjoy reading this in the future, I enjoyed reading it.

This book gives us an inside look at an orphanage in Hunan Province and a young girl's homeland trip. It is full of big, color photographs from inside an orphanage, which is such a rare treat. Our 2 1/2 yr-old loves this book and loves all the pictures of the babies and the nannies. When it comes time to talk with our daughter about other issues surrounding her adoption, this book will be a valuable resource. In Ying Ying's own voice we hear about the one-child policy, infant abandonment and adoption.

"Kids Like Me in China" is a great book for children adopted from China and their siblings, cousins and friends. It can help adoptive parents bring up topics that may be difficult for us. It is a must-have!

Super killer return.


This is now probably in the class of really good forgotten novels.

The Paratwa were engineered to be superhuman killing machines.

There were enough of them that they could decide to band together and try and take over themselves.

Everybody else thought that was a bad idea and decided on a process of elimination.

A long time later it seems there may still be some around, and a man who just happens to have the physical abilities, if helped by a team and some appropriate fancy weapons tech is tasked to hunt them down.

A violent, but well characterized novel that is far above your run of the mill adventure story.

Well worth looking into.


4.5 out of 5

I will not bore you with details of the plot since other reviewers have already have done an excellent job at that. The big questions are: Is this a good book? Will I like it? What's it's like? Let me try to answer those.

This book is definitely in the genre of a science fiction thriller in the best sense. The action and the plot flows very quickly, very significant events happen that will determine the fate of human colonies, and conspiracies within conspiracies are plotted, revealed, thwarted, and rehatched. The pages do turn very quickly and the plot never stalls.

The only downside is that the characterization is somewhat minimal. The book is plot driven and the characters are interested but they're mostly there as standins for concepts rather than people you might be passionate about. If that doesn't bother you and if you like action oriented, plot driven stories, this is truly a great read.

On another note, there are two sequels to this book, Ash Ock and Paratwa. The two sequels combined to make one story, so if you're going to buy Ash Ock, you should definitely get Paratwa also. Ash Ock ends right in the middle of the action and Paratwa continues right where Ash Ock left off. Will you like the sequels? If you liked Liege-Killer, you'll definitely like Ash Ock and Paratwa. There's more of what makes Liege-Killer a thrilling read - more conspiracies, more revelations, more events that may decide the fate of the human colonies.

I haven't had this much fun reading science fiction for a long while. I highly recommend the entire series.

STORY: As one editorial review so nicely summariezed: "Two hundred years after Earth is devastated by nuclear war and genetically engineered Paratwa assassins, the humans of orbiting Earth colonies are at peace, until a series of murders reveal the reemergence of the Paratwa."

MY FEEDBACK:
1) SETTING - Prior to the destruction of all life on Earth, humans left for the stars. One group took off into spaceships headed for another solar system. The other group onto the colony capsule that orbits Earth. The later is where the story takes place. The colony capsule is 76 miles long, which is big enough to sustain different regions and groups. I had just come across a real-life group called the Lifeboat Foundation. Thus the setting seemed very plausible and real. It worked well for this story.

2) CHARACTERS - Our group of protagonists are likeable and plausible. Nick is my favorite character, but there is something to admire in each of them. The antagonists as gathered from the story description are a group of genetically created assassins. The Paratwa are very cool and deadly. The characters work well together in this story.

3) STORY - The only reason I gave this story a 4 star (very good read) vs. a 5 star (great read) is because of some of what I felt were long sections of exposition needed in order to explain man's history and how he go to this point in the future. Other than that, the story had plenty of intrigue, action and suspense. The author does give things away by page 122-125 out of 460+ page book. This worked for the most part because as characters came on stage there were two you kept looking for hints at to see which one was the "real" bad guy.

OVERALL: Fun read within a great sci-fi setting. It is not necessary to read the next book as this story resolved 95% of all plotlines. I've read that it the next two books are a bit of a let down anyhow. Nevertheless, get your hands on this book.

This opening novel of a space opera sets up an interesting world and is based on an interesting idea. In this world earth is destroyed in a biological and nuculear war and humanity has moved to colonies in orbit. A deadly killer has been released by earths old enemies. Killers that are superhumans enties that have two bodies controled by the same mind.

This book introduces several interesting characters. More importanly the book gets the mood and setting right. The characters move around in style and the story flows well. This book is really a modern dime novel, with the privet eye replaced by a special ops expert.

Unfortuneatly as a trilogy this story fails rather badly. The second and third books do not work nearly as well as the first two. Only the main two characters are kept through all three books and they simply don't stand up the rigor of another seven hundred pages. It is never truly awful the more of this you read the less interesting it is. I can recomend this first novel as a good quick read, but don't feel bad if you don't get around to the sequals.

My friend bought this book for me as a joke because I found the cover art to be amusing. I had read the synopsis on the back of the book, but never seriously thought about reading it until my friend bought it for me. Boy am I glad she did! The book was an genuine page-turner with twists and surprises around every bend. It follows a paratwa - an assassin that is composed of two bodies but one mind - and the paratawa's hunters and victims. In a relatively peaceful existence where everything (including the weather) is controlled by technology, the citizens are literally sheep for the taking as the paratwa reaks havoc. Two paratwa hunters are unfrozen from stasis and sent on the hunt... with technolgoy enabling anybody to alter their identity and the Ash Ock able to fill any position of power, everybody becomes a suspect!

Not only is the book a fascinating and well-crafted story, it brings the eery question to mind of how much technology is too much? And when, not if, will humanity become its own worse enemy?

A revealing portrait of a great saint, this book contains the correspondence between St. Therese and her spiritual brother Maurice Belliere, a struggling young seminarian. As you read the letters you can see the growing friendship between the saint and the seminarian as they learn about each other more. Even though the letters were only intended for Maurice, we can learn deeper throught them the meaning of her " little way ". It is also amazing that despite of her own struggles with illness and the spiritual darkness she is experiencing, she is still able to uplift and encourage Maurice in his difficulties. The author also gives explanations after each letter which gives us a picture of what is happening in thier lives while they were answering the other one's letter. A book I would highly recommend especially for those interested in St. Therese and her little way.

This book changed my life!
I never have shown much of an intrest in St. Therese. Many people are devoted, but I never understood why.

This book helped me to see why.

This book taught me how to love and taught me much about mercy and trust.

Therese, a doctor of the Catholic Church, writes beautiful letters to Maurice, at times a somewhat confused seminarian. Therese meets us at our level to show us the love of Jesus.
This book is a one that points past the works of Therese, and straight to Christ.

God is nothing but mercy and love.
Thank you for showing me St. Therese!

This is a fantastic book! I enjoyed reading it immensely, and I want to give copies away to friends. I am sad to see it is out of print. It really should be brought back. It has a powerful synthesis of the Little Way, and the correspondence with Maurice brings this out very well. It becomes a correspondence and a comparison between a saint and someone who is trying to become one. Most of us can relate well with Maurice. The way St Therese relates with him helps me see the role of the saints in our life.

Bring this book back in print!!!

if you admire and hold lots of devotion for St. Therese of Lisieux as I have for so long now- she always said she was Little Therese. However in this book the most moving charisma of her love and personality are seen in a "big" way regarding her friendship with Maurice. We see a saint so full of love and compassion for his shortcomings and never does she once in this book show anything but encouragement to Maurice. There are many lessons to be learned in reflecting on this book . One of the most significant things I feel is our should be support to our priests, bishops and clergy in the universal catholic church. As Maurice radiates in this book as an aspiring semanarian our clergy does have up's and down's also. May we all love our clergy as St. Therese did, does and symbolizes her special love for the priests, and bishops. A most marvelous book. As the late John Cardinal O'Connor said in his review to Ahern's book " We see Therese now more as a woman and we are fascinated. :)

What a wonderful book about a wonderful saint! This book, while not a difficult read, is certainly rich in emotion, beauty, and spirituality. If you have read St.Therese's "Story of a Soul", this is an excellent "second book" to read. It tells of the story of a relationship between a seminarian/priest and St.Therese in her last days. I recommend it for anyone's spiritual edification, especially Catholic Christians.

This is such a great book! It's well written and witty - and completely hilarious! I actually enjoyed this book and found myself laughing out loud a lot more than I did when I read the new David Sedaris (which I also loved and don't tell him I'm saying this). Totally recommended. Go read this book immediately.

This book was great. It is nice to know that there is someone out there as crazy as me and enjoys every minute of it! I'm going out to start a finger puppet collection today!

one of the funniest books i've ever read. very witty. laugh out loud funny.

Wow. What a total and utter surprise.

After reading the rave reviews on Amazon I figured I would get the book and it would be a letdown. Good, but not 5-star good. Well, I was wrong -- and the reviews were right. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

You probably won't learn any life lessons that you can teach your children, but you'll close the book with an understanding of life in another person's shoes. There were lots of things I was shocked about (people live like that?!) and just as many things I identified with (oh my gosh, me too!!). As soon as I finished this book I forced my roomate to read it -- every 5 minutes there was a roar of laughter from the next room for the next few nights.

Its honest. Its funny. You'll want to read it all, and you'll be sad when it is over. I recommend it.

I do not read much non-fiction. I live real life. I read to escape it. But the bright neon yellow cover of this book was eye-catching. So, against my will, my feet walked up to it, my hand picked it up, and my eyes began reading. Before I knew it, hours had gone by and I had read the whole thing.

In this book, Wendy "Wendaay" Spero tells readers true stories about her life in a way that only she can do. From her childhood, to her awkward years, and on up to the present day. Being raised by a mother like Wendy's makes for some interesting memories. (I will think of Wendy and her mother every time I go to a fair from now on.)

***** Engrossing, packed with humor, and just all around fun, this is one book you will never forget. Very highly recommended! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Many people favor gardening as a form of recreation; for others, the opportunity to commune with nature imparts to gardening an almost meditative character. For the author, a third dimension makes an even bigger impact in an unexpected series of visitations from his late, beloved mother, at times just seeking his companionship, and at others bearing specific messages from God to be more attentive to his family and form a closer bond with his father. This is a risky mix that might turn maudlin, or worse, in lesser skilled hands. Fortunately, Matott is more than up to the challenge, and the resulting portrait of his mother adroitly mixes amateur horticulture with personal memories in a "garden" made almost palpable by Victoria Kwasinski's lilting watercolor illustrations.

Many people favor gardening as a form of recreation; for others, the opportunity to commune with nature imparts to gardening an almost meditative character. For the author, a third dimension makes an even bigger impact in an unexpected series of visitations from his late, beloved mother, at times just seeking his companionship, and at others bearing specific messages from God to be more attentive to his family and form a closer bond with his father. This is a risky mix that might turn maudlin, or worse, in lesser skilled hands. Fortunately, Matott is more than up to the challenge, and the resulting portrait of his mother adroitly mixes amateur horticulture with personal memories in a "garden" made almost palpable by Victoria Kwasinski's lilting watercolor illustrations.

This book is out of print, what a crime.

This book is a real treasure! It is one of my favorites that I have read several times. I could really relate to the author's story. While reading I found that we had similar experiences but for me it was with my father. It made me reflect on my memories with him. I am grateful the author shared his experiences...I love that each chapter begins with a watercolor illustration of a flower with both the botanical and common name and a brief description of this flower...The author is a great storyteller and his book is positive and full of good energy. I found his words comforting: "Love is Eternal"....

This book is a real treasure! It is one of my favorites that I have read several times. I could really relate to the author's story. While reading I found that we had similar experiences but for me it was with my father. It made me reflect on my memories with him. I am grateful the author shared his experiences...I love that each chapter begins with a watercolor illustration of a flower with both the botanical and common name and a brief description of this flower...The author is a great storyteller and his book is positive and full of good energy. I found his words comforting: "Love is Eternal"....

This book was amazing.It is the story of four women in their fight against breast cancer.I couldn't put it down.I didn't want it to end.This book is not just about breast cancer.It inspires you to enjoy and appreciate life.I know a few women who have battled breast cancer and it made me feel closer to them.

I read about this book in People magazine and just had to get it. The book was even better than I could even imagine. Would recommend buying the book for all your girlfriends. A real tear jerker!

I have been a long-time supporter of breast cancer research and really enjoyed the tales of these women who were all diagnosed much younger than anyone thought possible. This book made me laugh and cry. While I was sad when it was over, I walked away inspired and uplifted. Would make a perfect gift for any woman in your life!

I had the pleasure of meeting Kim at a Komen event where she was the keynote speaker. I of course bought the book after her talk.
Nodies at Noon is a very honest account of breast cancer in young women. The four women each write their experiences on several poignant topics. While some issues are universal to all women going through the breast cancer experience, this book highlights certain issues unique to young women. Child birth and motherhood are two examples.
The book is bittersweet with one of the authors losing their battle with the disease, and one giving birth to a second child. Like Kim herself, the book is warm and thoughtful.
I would recommend it to anyone going through breast cancer or supporters of breast cancer patients.

I bought this for my mom, a breast cancer survivor. I had read a bit of it before I gave it to her and really like the style, very clever and real. My mom did say she is enjoying the book but would have rather had it while she was going through her treatments. She says that it is hard to go back to that place in time be it in films, tv, or books. She is very involved in helping other women going through treatments and says that she plans to use this book to help her new friends. Best of luck to those of you out there facing this horrible cancer or have loved ones in this situation, but you are never alone and there are always angels when you least expect it.

but encountering this book again after 35 years brings tears to my eyes.

(A note on the description: If you will examine the font in the text, it's "Tang-jar", not "Jang-jar." Tang is the orange flavored powder concentrate that the early astronauts drank in space. At least that's what the commercials said. Untold thousands of ordinary Americans drank it too.)

Excellent, quick read...wide range of quotes both poetry and proes...pics are breathtaking...these two young men have infected me with their philosophy of life.

What a treasure to find that On The Loose is still around. This book is full of wonder and joy on every page. On The Loose found me in 1967 when I was an undergraduate student. It is still with me. I was wandering and On The Loose spoke to me of the wilderness as something full of awe. This is truly a beautiful book. It continues to remind me over and over that, as I can see I will keep looking and as long as I can walk, I will keep moving. I am so happy that with the reprinting of On The Loose it will now find its way into my grown children's hands as they continue to make their way and look beyond the light and dark.

There are so many wonderful and amazing photographs and quotes in this book. This book is truly an invitation towards insights gained by looking outward and beyond. Let yourself go beyond where you can barely see. Buy this book. Always ride for the high points! This is the book to take with you.

D. Budd
Edmonton, AB Canada

If I had to choose 10 books that I would bring with me to a desert island, this would be one of them.

This is an enjoyable little book full of photos taken by two brothers in the 1960s. The photos are all from the brothers' road trips across the U.S., but the stories of these trips aren't really here. Instead, the brothers pair each photos with a quote, in the classic Sierra Club style. Many of the quotes are from famous works, many are from the brothers themselves. Some don't make sense at all, such as a quote from a deer that's somehow multiple millennia old. Hmmm.
The book does have a GREAT photo of a girl looking sadly at a rising Lake Powell/flooding Glen Canyon, and a good section on Glen Canyon in general. However, I wish the book had more on the brothers' actual story, as the photos of them look intriguing, and the book's afterward mentions that one of the brothers died shortly before the book's initial publication.
I recommend this for Glen Canyon scholars, those interested in the Sierra Club and this century's environmenal movement and grainy sixties imagery, but I don't see how it's the life changing book that some people say it is. It didn't strike me that way.