Alaska Books

I have been a spiritual "seeker" for a long time. Disenchanted with 18 years of "traditional" protestant theology I had sought the path of Buddhism and so-called eastern spirituality. Then a good friend introduced me to Eastern Orthodox Christianity - WOW!! I found the lid to the spiritual puzzle that I'd been trying to put together for so many years.

This book by St. Theophan is the real deal. It describes the path to Salvation. Not just how to become a Christian, but how to be transformed into the likeness of God becoming "partakers of the divine nature" - 1 Peter 1:4.

It's not an easy read, but well worth the effort. It also contains some great advice on raising children and teenagers, with pointers on education and discipline.

You can access some of the writings of St. Theophan on the Internet. Just search for "St. Theophan" and you'll find excerpts from this book and others on Orthodox Christian websites. After that you'll want this book. It's a classic.

trust your heart , you will not be disappointed

St. Theophan translated Philokalia and other works to Russian and had a vast correspondence during his 23 years as a recluse. Tha Path to Salvation is his main work in which he goes through the Christian life from cradle to grave; from birth to salvation.
The practical instructions in the book are many: starting from the beginning of the Christian life, on turning towards God and the union with Him. 'Staying within', prayer, the meaning of the 'mysteries and sacraments' are all gone through thoroughly and spelled out as the unceasing work in remembering God. The death of the tyrant, the enemy, satan, what we normally call self, is one step on the way.
Besides the instructions to the Christian life The Path to Salvation will give many clues to better understanding of the Patristic writings of Philokalia as well as to what is meant with concepts like the struggle, labour and work of the Christian life.

What does it mean to call a spiritual writer a "Church Father for modern times"? For some, it might be easy hyperbole, or hype without depth. But for someone like Staretz Theophan's translator, Fr. Seraphim Rose, who dedicated his entire all-too-short life until his death in 1982 to the acquisition of the "mind of the Fathers" through a life of prayer and spiritual effort, and who was not apt to overpraise anyone born after the fall of Constantinople, this is praise you can trust. It brings together the two areas that were at loggerheads in his soul, which are also the two forces all spiritual seekers must struggle today to reconcile: modern life and authentic spirituality. The key question, which must become a life-and-death issue for anyone wishing to make genuine spiritual progress is: how is it possible to live an authentic spiritual life in this world of sham and selfishness, desire and deceit, pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, emptiness and hope?

The Path to Salvation answers that question, and in a manner so thorough, complete, effective and simple as to be almost beyond expectation. Theophan the Recluse was indeed a Church Father for modern times. He lived in the latter half of the 19th century when all the elements of modern life--rationalism, pluralism, secularism, humanism, etc.--were gathering their all-consuming force; he lived a life totally steeped in prayer and spiritual practice based on the centuries-old spiritual tradition of the Philokalia and the hesychasts of Orthodoxy; and--and this is especially important--he had a ministry of spiritual direction to thousands of people throughout Russia and the world, most of whom were not monks and recluses but men and women living in the world. The result was a way of teaching that took the reality of the Gospel of Christ, and the truths of the Epistles of Paul, as illumined by the insights of a Maximus the Confessor or Isaac the Syrian and, without losing any of that power or brilliance, communicating their essence in a form accessible to the sensibilities of people born in modern times. This book is truly a treasure among books, hidden in plain sight in a field of works of so-called spirituality that are as weeds or stubble in comparison. Find this book. Dig into it. Savor it. Take it into your heart. You will not be disappointed

Here is the truth! St. Theophan clearly spells it all out step by step so that everyone can understand it. He doesn't leave you stranded at "join a church" level. He takes you all the way to Union With God. If you really want to know about the real Christianity, this is it. You will not find better.

It's like Blue Highways or Travels with Charlie (no pun intended), but by someone who is happy and upbeat. She talks about the mechanical and weather challenges, and how she deals with them. She is so enthusiastic about Alaska and the Canadian Northwest, it makes you want to go up there NOW! (Well, maybe in spring.) I looked forward to coming home at night and reading this book with the Auto Club map in one hand. At first I thought her travels might be too tame and her adventures too un-macho -- but she had some great adventures and, hey, she did the Alaska Highway solo. I can't wait to order her other books.

I read about "Charlie" Minshall's Alaska adventures twice through and couldn't resist going myself. I traveled in Alaska (by car)and included many of the places I enjoyed in her book, finding delightful tiny villages and friendly Alaskans like she wrote about. My trip was unforgetable.

Whether you're an "armchair traveler" or you're planning to visit Alaska, this book is a MUST. I give it five stars!

Sue in Virginia

For anyone planning the great RV trip to Alaska, or the armchair traveler just dreaming of the northland, this book cannot be missed! The author takes you along in the passenger seat and introduces you to the sights, the people and the thrills to be found in Alaska. Part travelogue, part guidebook, part diary, and always interesting, you'll feel like you're part of the trip. No journey to Alaska should be condidered without reading this book first! I've read it twice and will keep in on my bookshelf for future reference and enjoyment.

This was the first book I read when planning our RV trip to Alaska. It was a fun and informative read, after which I went on to other books. The interesting thing is that when I got down to the nitty-gritty of planning I found myself referring to it more than I ever thought I would. I took it with us and...guess what? I referred to it quite often.

The reason I found it so useful was that I got a real feeling for what places were like. Other Alaska travel books give a lot of information on campgrounds and places of interest, but Charlie's book was like having a friend tell you what things are REALLY like. An example: Charlie says, "I stayed at Centennial Park just outside of Anchorage. Some pleasant big campground, with all the amenities plus, exist within the city limits, but their prices are not as pleasant as the Centennial Park. It is a dry camp park for $13/night. They have showers, dump station, and telephone. I like it because it is in a wooded area, and convenient." Compare that to a popular guide book: "Centennial Camper Park - 83 spaces w/o hookups; 3 pull-throughs; sewage dump station; flush toilets; drinking water...separate tenting area; 14 day limit."

Yes, Rving Alaska is not a guide book but one person's traveling experience. But with the author's practical advice, positive attitude and true love of adventure you can't help but love this book. Like the back cover says, "This book explains the practical 'How to' and the bold 'Why not'".

By the way, when parking in an area described in the book, I noticed a familiar looking RV. I couldn't believe it but it was her...the silver gypsy! (Picture in my personal profile.) As we talked I realized how alive and vivacious she really was. This woman has a lot of spirit and she's a kick to be around.

I typically read reference books, not storybooks, picking through them for bits and pieces of helpful information. I couldn't do that with Charlie's book about RVing in Alaska. I tried, but it just didn't work. I'd try to look up some particular thing - and a half hour later I'd be just reading along - absorbed in her adventure.

RVing Alaska! (and Canada) is Charlie's story. It's a true and fascinating story of her ventures into the Alaskan wilderness, her partaking of typical tourist attractions, her mingling and interacting with the Alaskan locals, and her descriptions of how she combines daily life as a working, full-time RVer with having a fantastic time.

If you'd love to go to Alaska, but think you can't - read this book. Charlie will have you there in a matter of minutes.

If you are planning a trip to Alaska - read this book. You need it to help you plan and prepare. It can serve as your travel planner and guidebook. It can save you grief over not knowing what to expect, what to take, how to get where you are going, etc.

If you are already in Alaska - read this book. You will find things you would never find otherwise - everything from peaceful campgrounds to scrumptious clam chowder.

There is often a schism between our everyday life and our dreams of someday. Someday often stays out reach of us like an carrot on a stick until circumstances that would have allowed the dream no longer exist. Michael Burke gently opens the someday window and steps through. He takes you with him. He gives a balanced and real look at what is on the other side. He speaks with a fine voice that puts you in the raft, in his head, till you smell the wet stuff and feel the angst. He makes a case for making someday happen while you can. He tells a tale that made me look forward to the quiet part of the evening, after the kids were in bed, so I could be back on the river again. The Same River Twice is fertile ground to plant you own someday seeds in. I found it an inspriation.

I guess I am lucky to be attending Univeristy of Maine at Farmington, where a lot of non fiction writing has come from recently (Gretchen Legler AND Michael Burke).
I went to Professor Burkes reading last night and it was so fun. His book is full of humor, at least, the passages he read were. I haven't read the whole book (yet).
But from what I heard, I am buying it and I would recommend it!

I read this book almost in one sitting. Micheal Burke tells a good story and gives the reader the feeling of being on the river and experiencing the beauty of situation while taking us along on his own personal journey. Very good read!

What happens to white-water guides when they leave the rivers? Michael Burke gives us one answer: they never leave the rivers, and the rivers never leave them. Burke's story is part memoir, part "road trip," and part love story about the wild places that "can't be improved by changes." His tale of a 1991 trip down the wildest of British Columbia's rivers is one hundred percent enjoyment.

Having guided seasonally since he was a college student, Burke at thirty-eight was married, a professor at a college in Maine, with a baby on the way. This ambitiously planned trip was a three-week-long pilgrimage to the places where a distant relative, Sid Barrington, had lived a life of legend on the wild rivers of long ago. Burke, along with a stranger named Max whose only qualification was availability, set out with an ancient rubber raft, a heavy load of gear, a rifle in case of bears, and jury-rigged arrangements with bush pilots. From this unpromising start, Mike and Max had a soul-stirring experience in this "humbling land."

Putting in by plane to breathtaking Chutine Lake, they worked their way down glacier-fed rivers with wild names: the Chutine, the Stikine, the Sheslay, the Taku. Along the way they encountered black bears, grizzlies, moose, and on one memorable evening a wolf with two pups. Burke's deep love of the challenging terrain is evident throughout the book.

Stories of the old river runner, Sid, are woven in, along with some hair-raising stories of Burke's younger days as a guide; a wild, adrenaline-saturated life that he remembers with affection at this settling-down time of life. Thoughts of his pregnant wife are with him always but he was unable to resist the pull of the river.

Why do this crazy, dangerous thing? Burke writes about the meaning of memory as a defining concept; about freedom and control. But mostly it's because he loves the rivers. "Rivers," he writes, "are an experience of time. The river is more human than the ocean, limited like humans are, yet sweeping forward in its implacable way, like time itself sweeping past. We are proportioned to rivers..."

Have you ever stood on the slope of a mountain and felt its age and power? Looked up into the weird blue ice of a glacier and heard its deep voice? Or even felt the edge of a river on your ankles and known that it flowed according to forces older than time? Then you should read this book. The geography is bewildering but just put in at the beginning and let the current take you to the end, rapids and all. You're sure to feel the awe and beauty of the planet's wild places. Go there, even if it's just in a book.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This work is a delightful memoir that is a pleasure reading, starting from the first page, right along to the last word of the last page. This is the story of a man; a middle aged man at the time the story takes place, and at the same time is a history lesson, a journey of enlightenment, and a tour into one of the truly wild areas left in North America. It is also, and most importantly, a very insightful look at human nature.

The author, Michael Burke, dropped out of the University of California-Berkeley, and became, through faking his lack of experience, a white water river guide. Burke has apparently been guiding now for over thirty five years. The author obviously continued his education, as he now teaches at a University, and beyond a doubt, the guy can certainly write. In 1991, when the author was 38, he found himself with a pregnant wife, two step-children, an academic career, living in Maine and driving a station wagon. Now, although the author does not admit to the fact, it is pretty obvious he is probably losing some of his hair, getting less muscle tone than he had when he was twenty, and, most importantly,(again, not really stated)is feeling rather trapped. Gosh, it does not take much of a creative leap to figure out that a gigantic mid-life crises is about to descend on this poor guy. This is okay though, at least Burke faced his crises with class, like a man, and did not go the route of gold chains around his neck, a little sports car, a poor comb-over and chase twenty year old undergrads around campus; something we see all too frequently. Rather, he returned to the roots of his youth, the river!

The Same River Twice is the story of Michael Burke's journey down three rivers in the Canadian Wilderness of British Columbia. Using his old river raft, a left over from his youth, and in the company of a relative stranger, a fellow adventurer, who was chasing his own demons, the author starts on a very poorly planned adventure. The premise of the trip is to find and trace the territory traveled by distant relative of the author's, who himself was a famous river man during the Klondike glory days at the turn of the century. The author feels a connection with this long dead river man and wants to strengthen this connection with information. The story Michael tells of his trip is interwoven with stories of this old river man mixed with tales of the author's own glory days as a professional guide on some of the most famous white water rivers in North America. This three section story is wonderfully intertwined and the author has the ability to make you feel you are in all three eras with him, as he physically and mentally journeys through them.

Burke's ability as a descriptive writer is truly wonderful. His true love for the wilderness, for the wild places in our planet, for wildlife, solitude and yes, danger, comes shinning through on every page. You can actually squint in your mind's eye, as you read his prose and picture what he is seeing as he writes. The author makes a point that this sort of thing, once experienced, never quite leaves your blood. Great bodies of water have been apart of our souls throughout time...once you are hooked, you are hooked for life.

This work is truly a satisfying read, one of the better reads I have had in sometime now. I will quite likely give this one a second going over down the road. I must admit that I would love for this author to give us another book, telling of his adventures on the other rivers that he ran while learning his trade. The author can be quite humorous at times and I suspect was and is quite good at camp fire stories. It would be a delight to read some of them. NOTE: There seems to be a great deal of nonfiction writing coming out of Maine right now, and has been over the past few years. To be quite frank, the only thing I really knew about Maine was that they had Moose, potatoes, had a good store to order clothes from, and made good canoes...now I find the place is full of good writers...go figure.

As a longtime Alaskan, I feel fortunate to have had both Doug and Jill in many courses. The book Snow sense is now the required reading material for all Nat'l Ski Patrol avalanche courses, and rightly so. I read it at the begining of every season. True avalanche professionals. If you ever have the chance, come to Alaska and take one of their courses.

Used by avalanche professionals as a base for avalanche education classes. Small size but HUGE on concise information for learning to recognize, evaluate, and avoid potential avalanche hazards.

"Here's a book you should have. I know, I know, everybody says that but this is different. This book lays out what avalanches are and how they happen, and it will save your life. Now notice I didn't say this is a book you should have on your bookshelf. This one should be in the top pocket of your pack. Simply put,"Snow Sense" is a pocket guide to safe snow travel, whether you're hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowshoeing, or mountaineering in high risk areas.

Avalanches don't simply explode out of nowhere. The ones that kill people are usually started by the victims. This book will teach you that such catastrophes are avoidable. You can learn to recognize and evaluate avalanche hazards. You can learn to "read" the snowpack, "read" the mountains, and save your skin. "Snow Sense" is a hands-on, explicit, clear-thinking, hard-hitting field guide that teaches you how. By studying the book's "bulls-eye" clues to snowpack stability, hardness tests, shear block tests, weather analysis, simple physics, and hazard checklists, you'll come away with all you need to know about avalanches and how to avoid being caught by one.

Read it once. Read it again. Take it into the field and practice the skills it teaches. Every time I hear of another avalanche-caused death in the Rockies, I wish the victim had read this book. The survivors must read it.

"Avalanches are not acts of God. This valuable book details how to read terrain, snowpack, and weather variables to determine the possiblities of avalanche and how to save yourself in case of one.

"Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler are the best avalanche instructors in North America, period. No other teachers have more credibility or put as much effort into the curriculum, presentation, and teaching methods...Their book "Snow Sense" is by far the best material available on staying alive in avalanche country."

Sonny's Dream not only teaches children about bear activity in Alaska but also serves as a metaphor for growing up, gaining independence, and trusting one's instinct. Drawn in a soft soothing style she presents nature as vibrant and uncontaminated. The anthropomorphic qualities given to the bears does not hinder their feral nature providing children a lesson in empowerment.

I am a teacher of younger boys and they LOVE this book! It's a wonderful, read and the illustrations are gorgeous!
Sophia

The soft pictures and poignant words of this book speak magic to the cycles of life. A joy to read, A joy to look at, A great addition to any Child's room!

Alaska Wellness magazine: January/February 2004

Good Winter Reading ~ Something for Everyone

by Dawn Brunke

For Facing Fear ~ A Book for Children & Parents
Sonny's Dream
Sonny is a young grizzly bear with a scary dream. When he awakens in the spring, his mother teaches him how to hunt for food - which includes those red, monster salmon fish he remembers from his dreams! While Sonny learns many things, as summer ends, his mother advises that a big lesson is coming his way. Slumbering deep inside his winter den, Sonny once again encounters the monster fish. Drawing upon his mother's teachings and his own strength, Sonny learns how to move past his fears, marching out into the world that spring to become "a master fisher in the Land of the Midnight Sun." This is a lovely story with bright, dreamy illustrations by Anchorage author and illustrator Noriko Senshu. Dedicated to "all friends who have bad dreams," both children and parents will enjoy the gentle wisdom of Sonny's tale.

Sonny's Dream
By Noriko Senshu

One is beguiled by the cover's artwork showing a Mama Grizzly holding her baby tightly in her arms. Sonny, her cub, young, snuggly and asleep suddenly he has a bad dream. In it, red, monster fish come swimming directly towards him with their menacing teeth showing. Scared, he issues a huge roar in his sleep that disburses the fish and wakes him up to find that the long winter is over and spring has arrived. Sonny's Mother spends the coming months teaching Sonny how to hunt squirrels and to fish for salmon. He becomes proficient at both and as the summer ends his Mother says that to be an adult grizzly he has to make one decision. While he is frolicking, she disappears leaving him alone. Sonny wonders what big decision he has to make? He finds a cave for the winter and settles down for a long sleep. The red monster fish return in a terrifyingly bad dream. Again his roar chased them away and when he awoke it was spring again. He hunted squirrel and fished for salmon and with a full belly, he dozed off for an afternoon nap. The red monster fish quickly returned in his dream, but now, all grown up, Sonny wasn't afraid. He ate them! A marvelous story for preschoolers on how to overcome their bad dreams told simply and with beautiful illustrations.

Martin McDermott
Author of "CLEC" An Insider's Look at the Rise and Fall of Local Exchange Competition.

Dr. Ott's book will serve as an excellent supplement to course syllabi around the country. The book's interdisciplinary approach makes it a perfect educational tool for a variety of departments - public health, environmental studies, ecology, and sociology to name a few. Ott's ability to combine rigourous science with an accessbile writing style offers an engaging expose of oil's effects on humans and nature. Perhaps just as important, the book also presents students and teachers with an inspiring model of how one scientist's passion and determination can uncover truths of global importance.

Highly recommended for teachers and students.

Dr. Riki Ott has devoted her life to uncovering the truth about the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. She has a Ph.D. in Marine Toxicology and has worked as a commercial fisherwoman off the shores of Alaska. She was one of the first people to witness the devastation caused by the oil spill. She knew this was the big one and she asked herself the question, "I know enough to make a difference, but do I care enough for the Sound to commit my life to this?" Clearly Dr. Ott does care enough as she has worked tirelessly to educate people about the truth about what really happened and about the toxicity of oil.

This is the story of people who care and people who don't. Most people have heard a bit about the spill, but most people have not heard about the health damage done to workers involved with the clean up. Many people stepped up to help the minute they heard about the spill, putting their lives on hold to do what they could to clean up the spill not realizing the devastating effects it would have on their own health. Many people suffer with symptoms of a mysterious illness due to the toxicity of the oil they were inhaling along with the powerful and toxic cleaning agents. Imagine being on an oil-covered beach surrounded by dead and decaying animals "engulfed in clouds of oil mist and saltwater steam." (89) It is hard to imagine enduring even one minute of this let alone weeks on end without proper safety equipment. Dr. Ott tells the stories of the people who unknowingly sacrificed themselves to a greater good and the people who lied and covered up the truth about the damaging health effects from oil exposure.

This is also the story of the non-human inhabitants affected by the oil spill. It is the story of the birds, mammals, fish, plankton and other life in Prince William Sound. How many were lost due to oiling? Are populations recovering? What are the long-lasting effects? Dr. Ott has put all the studies together to give a broad overview on the subject. There are 64 pages of references to this book! Dr. Ott has interviewed people and read all she could find to compile what is known at this point. This book provides a comprehensive look at pre-spill studies, early oil spill studies, ecosystem studies, and the status of the Sound.

This is not an easy book to read because it exposes such awful truths, not just about Exxon's oil spill, but about our own contribution, from fossil fuel use, to damaging our health and our environment. However, this book leaves readers feeling hopeful as Dr. Ott takes the third part of the book to discuss her recommendations to reduce risk of oil spills and oil pollution, inspiring people everywhere to take action by supporting responsible companies and doing what they can to reduce consumption of fossil fuels.

It is hard for me to find the words to adequately express what a tremendous contribution this book makes to the world. It should be in every library in the country and instructors should include it in the readings for courses in ethics, environmental sciences, business, and others. I highly recommend this book to everyone because this is a story that needs to be told lest we continue on our same path making the same mistakes.

C.J. Wong, M.S.(Biology), M.S. (Lib. Info. Sci.)
Editor, Organic Family Magazine

Dr. Ott , like the lone pedestrian facing a tank about to run him over, faces the giant Exxon. In Sound Truth and Corporate Myth$, Ott reveals the far reaching effects of the Valdez oil spill on human health, wildlife populations, and the environment. Worker safety and environmental laws based on antiquated science need to be revamped, the industry needs to be held fully accountable and finally we need to take a look at ourselves and the role we can play in reducing the toxicity of our environment. This journey with Dr. Ott, through the initial devastation and lingering after effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, tells the incredible magnitude of the disaster. Through her first hand account we are transported to Prince William Sound, and hear the silencing of the birds, see the slick lapping the shore and smell the inescapable fumes. We also learn that drilling is no longer necessary when looking for oil in Alaska, just scrap away some rocks and a little sand and there on the beaches you'll find it.

Dr. Ott's book is not only an exceptionally good read but her message must reach our Senators and Representatives now and action must be taken. Dependence on oil is NOT the way of the future. It is highly toxic not only to the environment but to human health as well. We need to start now, to conserve our oil reserves and develop alternative energy sources or the chances are, that our retirement years will be the setting for a major economic shift toward the worst.

If President Bush would like to enter the history books as a man of incredible foresight, he'd better pick up this banner and start leading us in that direction now.

As a lifelong resident of the area affected by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, I was ecstatic when this crusader, Dr. Ott, accurately portrayed the spill. Not only does Dr. Ott expose Exxon's myths and public deceptions, but she does justice to the thousands of residents affected by the spill.

This book personalizes the disaster by adding a human dimension without compromising fact. If you believe that Prince William Sound has recovered from the effects of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Dr. Ott's book will show you how Exxon has deceived us all.

Overall, a groundbreaking worthwhile read!!

History, true adventure, travel and science blend in the vivid survey STELLER'S ISLAND: ADVENTURES OF A PIONEER NATURALIST IN ALASKA. Georg Steller predated Lewis and Clark and John Muir and made some amazing discoveries - so it's surprising to note this provides some of rare insights on the man and his legacy - including the only scientific account of the Steller's sea cow before it became extinct. A wide audience will find this absorbing, from any library specializing in Alaskan history to general-interest holdings where patrons seek true-life adventure or tales of scientific discovery.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Ever since the publication of Thomas Kuhn's 'Structure of Scientific Revolutions' science history has been preoccupied with changing paradigms and social influence upon scientific thought. This focus has offered many benefits, but a decided negative is that there are fewer traditional biographies of significant but forgotten scientists. This short volume by Dean Littlepage is an exception to the rule. A throwback to an older style of historiography, it is an excellent account of the life and contributions of Georg Steller, the first naturalist to write an account of the Northwestern Pacific Coast.

Georg Steller was a German naturalist, a predecessor of Linneaus, and a member of the early Russian expeditions to map the Pacific coast of North America. Steller was a multi-talented product of the Enlightenment. He spoke several languages and received formal training in theology, medicine, and biology. After teaching in Germany for a short stint, he moved to Russia and joined the newly formed Russian Academy of Science. He joined Captain Bering (for whom the Bering strait is named) and in a visit to Kayak Island began the first scientific exploration of the Northwest. But Steller was much more than just a talented naturalist (he collected 140 specimens in a mere 6 hours on Kayak Island.) He was also an extraordinary physician who correctly hypothesized that a diet heavy in green vegetables would fend of scurvy centuries before the discovery of vitamin C. His scientific background ultimately saved the crew of the St. Peter, Bering's ship, in the face of disaster. The challenges facing the crew shipwrecked for the winter are truly gripping and it is hard to put the book down as Littlepage recounts this period.

This book makes a for a fascinating read. The author not only notes the breadth of Steller's scientific discoveries, but traces the fates of the animals he wrote about in his best known work 'Beasts of the Sea.' Many were nearly hunted to extinction while environmental changes threaten others. The Steller Sea Cow is now extinct and all that remains is Seller's description. In all, this makes for a wonderful book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in reading some traditional science history with profound implications for today's world.

Traveling the breadth of Russia and sailing east from Kamchatka with Bering across the north Pacific, Steller encounters frustrating, and at times harrowing, conditions and amazing creatures in his explorations of what we now know as maritime Alaska. The author weaves his own journey to one of Steller's study sites into an historic account of these voyages of discovery. Simply a great read. Looking forward to more stories of Alaska and the people of the maritime Pacific Northwest by this author.
Highly recommended.

Interesting account of Steller's explorations, juxtaposed with a modern journey -- reminds me in that sense of Jonathan Waterman's Mount St. Elias book, which is also recommended. Contains information on Pacific Northwest wildlife, but also on native people, shipwrecks, truly stupid explorer mistakes, and more; entertainingly written. Kind of makes one think, to realize how many species either barely survived the advent of Europeans or didn't survive at all, and to be reminded how many of them are in danger again today.

Georg Steller was a German scientist who eventually went to Russia and became a naturalist on Vitus Bering's second expedition to eastern Siberia and the eastern Arctic.

He identified hundreds of plant species in just a few hours of landfall on an Alaskan island. He also was the first European to closely examine animals such as the Steller's sea lion, Steller's sea cow (now extinct) and others.

Unfortunately, many of his research samples didn't make it back to Russia. Bering's flagship, St. Peter, became separated from his other ship, St. Paul, on the way east to Alaska. And, it didn't make it all the way back to Kamchatka. Eventually, after wintering on a sub-arctic island, the crew made a small hooker out of St. Peter's remains and completed the trip.

The crew who were left, that is. Many died from scurvy, though Steller saved many others with his knowledge of plants, and observation of Siberian and Aleut customs.

The remaining crew forced Steller to leave behind his specimen slides and his dissected sea cow, among other things. He wrote up what he could after getting back to European Russia, but his samples were lost forever.

An excellent book on science, natural history, and Arctic exploration, all in one.

I just returned from a trip to Alaska - 4th trip to Alaska, first trip to Larsen Bay on Kodiak, AK. The first day that my husband and I were out on a fishing trip with our guides from Kodiak Island Resort we passed the islands were the Fields have their homes where they live when they fish. Our boat captain pointed these out and commented about the family working together on the setnets. A day later we happened to go to the cannery to get the weight on a large fish I caught. At the cannery store I bought Surviving the Island of Grace and could barely put it down after I started it. Leslie is an excellent writer. She wove the story of how she grew up into how it prepared her for the life she made with her husband on Harvester Island. I am actually on Amazon tonight looking for something else by her to read.

Since I am interested in going to Alaska for a vacation, I wanted to read something informative written by a resident. Leslie Fields did just that. In fact, I would love to stop by and see her when I go. This was truly a memoir and not just a bio. She very honestly and affectionately tells her story while leaving a written legacy for her children. I usually read fast, but I took this book on a Caribbean cruise this winter and took the whole two weeks to read it. It was an intereting contrast to where I was at the time. I particularly enjoyed hearing an insider's view of the Valdez oil spill. A very good book!

Once in a while along comes a book worth owning and certainly worth reading. Surviving the Island of Grace is such a book. It is a well written and fascinating true story of a young couple who meet in college, marry and make a life in Alaska, living summers on an island in the Shelikof Straits fishing for salmon. It is a story of hard work and achievement and paints a vivid picture of the beauty of place as well as the hardships and hazards of being out on the water tending the nets. This author opens up her life to the reader in a warm engaging way, sharing her amazing experiences. I couldn't put this book down until the last page at 3:00 in the morning.

I have just finished reading Surviving The Island Of Grace. I savored it really. I can read quickly when I am reading to collect information. But when I read for pleasure, I read very slowly. I stretched this savory meal over a couple of weeks.

The richly textured use of words drew me in, while the occassional terror of life on a wind swept island gripped me. The author is very honest, yet inspiring with her insights.

My wife was chiding me to finish, so that she could pick it up. She couldn't wait. For a few days there have been two bookmarks tracing their way through this rich and intimate memoir of life in a world very different from my own.

"Surviving the Island of Grace" by Leslie Leyland Fields opens up a world for the reader that few see in such frank, unyielding literary light. The author's practiced instinct enables her to construct "Grace" out of exceptionally strong stuff. She weaves together the tapestry of her story as a youngster, young woman, wife and mother. These segments of her life take us from her rigorous New England childhood, through post-oil spill Alaska. The sturdy, sure-lined threads of learning, working and growing into marriage are blended skillfully into the workscape of the Alaska setnetter--a form of salmon fishing where the fish come to the net, rather than the net to the fish.
It is all here--and I mean all, the harsh, ugly griminess of living in a remote summer fish camp. There is also love, good fellowship, learning and above all else, faith. Leyland Fields is a person of deep religious conviction. Her faith appears, for the most part, in tasteful doses, even for a non-religious reader such as myself.
There are too many Alaska books by "hit and run" authors, who live up north a few years, then write a book or three. In "Grace" Leyland-Fields engraves all of her two-decades plus Alaska living on every one of its 330 pages. This book's most conspicuous literary achievement is the genuine, ardent authority of the narrator's voice.

This book was my introduction to rural Alaska. The collection of stories was engaging and, as I later found, hauntingly real. Thank you Tom Kizzia, for this book, which introduced me not only to rural Alaska, but to people whom would become my neighbors, friends and family members in ensuing years.

I can't put it any more succinctly than this: Tom Kizzia wrote a great, true book and somehow he got stiffed. This book should be recognized as one of the great books of contemporary Alaska. I look at its sales ranking, and shake my head. How could so many readers have missed this beauty? --Nick Jans, contributing editor, Alaska Magazine

Yes, this is a collection of essays. But it is also a collection of stories, for Tom Kizzia is a skillful narrative writer on a par with the very best fiction writers. He takes readers into the heart of Alaska Native culture, revealing along the way the contradictions of the intersection of modern life with ancient traditions. But that description makes this book sound like work, and it is, rather, the kind of book that makes a person long to get OUT of work in order to read it. I could not put this book down.

This is an extraordinarily well written and perceptive group of essays by highly respected Alaska journalist, describing his travels through western Alaska. Kizzia's reports on contemporary Yupik life are sensitive and thoughtful without being sentimental. An impor5tant book for anyone seeing to understand the tensions and conflicts present in modern Alaska native cultures. R Monkman, Juneau

Tom Kizzia wrote these rather lengthy essays originally for the Anchorage Daily News. Basically centering around locations in western Alaska, Kizzia writes of the people encountered there, the changes that have taken place, and prospects for the future. These are not just nature essays, and they are not merely the accounts of "rugged individuals" eking out a living in an inhospitable terrain, though certainly both those themes are touched upon. The essays are a lot more than that. He goes to the western fringes of Alaska - the Seward Peninsula and the Yukon Delta - knowing full well he's an "outsider" and not to be trusted. (On the Cape Prince of Wales, Natives mistake him as an ivory hunter.) But he earns the trust of enough people to get a feel for what life is really like in this remote area.

His description of life in Tin City, just outside of Wales, is fascinating. He also incorporates historical information, such as Amundsen's balloon expedition to the North Pole in 1926 and the total destruction of the town of Chenega from the 1964 earthquake, in an interesting way. His tales of Tonashay, an Apache Indian living in Golovin, are intriguing. But his portrait of the town of Tok and its tremendous changes in growth, perhaps moved me the most. Kizzia is an excellent writer, and this book is an informative, honest, and entertaining look at a part of Alaska that few people ever get to see or can even imagine.

Parry makes this an interesting read. It's easy to move through the book quickly. There may be one point where you feel that the read slows but it's difficult to put down the book. Be sure you have an image of the geographic layout of the west coast.

This is the story of Wyatt Earp and his son, maybe, that he knows nothing about. Nathan Blaylock is the supposed son who is looking for Wyatt to kill him. Blaylock has been left a letter by his mother, before she died, stating that $20,000.00 dollars is his if he provides proof he killed Wyatt Earp. This book is how Nathan, Jim Riley and friends try to find Wyatt. The chase leads them through San Francisco, up to Alaska. There are many adventures and gun fights along the way. Do they find Wyatt in the end, do they kill him???? Have to read to find out. A well written book that gets you involved with the characters. You are sad when something happens to some of them. Keeps you attention. Think you will like this book. Really just fiction but after all most are just fiction.

I have been reading books on Wyatt Earp for some time now, fiction and non-fiction. Richard Parry's Winter Wolf was a very good "What if" type of book. I was kept involved with the characters from the start of the book till the end. The real figures from Wyatt Earp's past helped to bring a feeling of reality to the story. Made me kind of sorry to know it was fiction.

It certianlly got me to wondering what might have happened if Wyatt had a son. I look foward to his next book and I am sure the readers of Winter Wolf will also. This is a book well worth the time.

I typically read at least one book per week. This book is the best I've read in over two years. I normally don't pick up western themed novels, but after watching several Earp movies recently I gave it a shot. I was not disappointed. I have recommended it to all my reading partners - and all have come back with similar experiences.

As an author myself, I am distressingly short on time for pleasure reading. This book was worth the time! Having discovered it while teaching at University of Alaska, Fairbanks last summer, it gave me all kinds of insight and background into the terrain, the spirit, and the history of Alaska, an almost indescribably fascinating place. Louis L'Amour was my mentor, and I think he'd have been impressed both with Richard Parry's detailed historical research, and his capacity for keeping a story moving. Parry also proves my point that the SERIAL novel is a GREAT form of literature and entertainment. This book whetted the appetite for Book II!!!