North Carolina Books

I did not think I would like this book when I started it. but as I got into it I found it to be very interesting. I loved the story about the twins and just how easy going life was back then it is a shame it is not still like that! this book will take you back to a very simple time when andy was growing up. you will learn a lot about Mt Airy. which is very very much like mayberry. any mayberry fan would like this book.

I recently moved to Mount Airy, the fabled Mayberry, and wanted a resource to help me learn a little bit about the "lore" behind this community. This was an excellent resource and a fun read at that. For me, it helped bring to life not only the ties of my new hometown to the TV show, but also to learn a little bit of history about this community.

My wife just purchased this book for me and it was very interesting, especially being in the first person from Jewell. Brings back so many memories from my wife's family. I will be sending it to my 92 year old mother-in-law to read and I know she will enjoy it. Thanks, Jewell, good talking with you. Bill Tarpley

Hardly anyone who has been exposed to television over the last forty years has not come in contact with the good people of Mayberry. Walk up to most people on the street and ask them to name three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court and you just might get a blank stare. Ask the same person to name three residents of Mayberry, North Carolina and very few people will have a problem. Andy, Barney, Opie, Aunt Bea, Otis, Goober and Floyd have become so much a part of American culture that to most of us they are just like family. Mayberry is as real to most people as Chicago or Los Angeles and almost everybody knows that you have to go to Mount Pilot to get Chinese food.

Mayberry of course is not a real place but is instead a product of Andy Griffith's mind. Griffith's mind was however heavily influenced by his hometown and Mount Airy, North Carolina has become to most people, the real Mayberry. Jewell Kutzer grew up in Mount Airy and is just a few years younger than Andy. This book therefore, depicts on a very personal level the Mount Airy that has become America's most famous small town.

Many of the stories that are related in this book had a very obvious influence on the happenings in Mayberry. One story involves a young man who went on a small crime spree that included throwing rocks through most of the windows at the school. The authorities kept catching the young man but he would escape from jail almost as quickly as they locked him up. It all sounds a lot like Earnest T. Bass to me. If you remember Barney's very off key rendition of, "Welcome Sweet Springtime" you will not be surprised to learn that this song was a favorite of Andy's grammar school music teacher. Over and over, as one reads this book, they will be reminded of some happening in Mayberry.

There are many stories in this book that do not relate to Mayberry at all but are personal reminiscences of the author. At first I felt like these stories should not have been included since I bought this book to learn about Mayberry. As I read however, I changed my mind for these stories add greatly to the reader's ability to relate to life in a small southern town. Thank you Mrs. Kutzer for giving us all the chance to feel like we grew up in Mayberry just like you and Andy.

Thousands and thousands of us faithfully watched the television classic, The Andy Griffith Show and its sequel, Mayberry RFD. We followed Sheriff Taylor, Barney, Aunt Bea, and the rest through 249 episodes from 1960 through 1968. From 1968 through 1971, we were treated to 78 episodes of Mayberry RFD. Watching these shows today is a heartwarming nostalgic experience. Why, there's even an active The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club!

Mayberry has its roots firmly and deeply planted in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, a small town nestled in the mountains between Winston-Salem and the Virginia state line. Andy Griffith is celebrated there, along with all the traditions of hometown America, during community festivals and other events.

Jewell Kutzer grew up in Mayberry, just a couple of years behind Andy Griffith. She shares many of the memories that inspired Griffith to create Mayberry and the character of the popular television show. In Memories of Mayberry, she shares her experiences growing up in this now-famous small town. It's a pleasant, comfortable book to read, like having a conversation with a friend. Mt. Airy was a microcosm of life in a changing country, in a changing world. Lives were interwoven with the lives of others in the community. People were real, they were caring neighbors, they led simpler lives in the 1940s and 1950s. This book takes the reader back to those uncomplicated times.

Did I say uncomplicated? Well, compared to today's complex lifestyles. But for Jewell, growing up in a small town, life brought one adventure after another. Her tales of yesteryear are referenced to episodes in The Andy Griffith Show that relate to the memories. Readers will gain a deeper appreciation of how Griffith made the show so real in the earlier days of television.

Want a trip back to our roots? To the values on which our country was built? Pick up a copy of Memories of Mayberry to open your mind and heart to our wonderful past, not just in Mt. Airy, but in hundreds of other small towns across the land. Definitely designed for readers over 40 (we were there), but offers valuable insights for younger readers, too.

THIS BOOK IS PART MEMORIES AND PART SOCIOLOGY AS IT EXAMINES THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING A FANATIC OF ANY MAJOR COLLEGE TEAM (IN THIS CASE THE BASKETBALL TARHEELS). THE MEMORIES OF THE AUTHOR ARE AUGMENTED BY THE DIARIES KEPT BY 15 DIEHARD UNC FANS FROM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND BEYOND. ITS A GREAT BOOK ABOUT BASKETBALL AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE A FAN IN THE AGE OF TELEVISION AND THE INTERNET. A MUST READ FOR ANY SPORTS ENTHUSIAST.

THIS A COMPILATION BETWEEN MEMORIES OF CAROLINA FANS AND A STUDY OF MAJOR COLLEGE FANATICS. THAD DOES A WONDERFUL JOB TALKING ABOUT HIS HISTORY GROWING UP AS A TAR HEEL FAN. THE DIARISTS ALSO PRESENT AN INTERESTING PICTURE OF THE UPS AND DOWNS OF A COLLEGE BASKETBALL FAN. THE LAST SEGMENT OF THE BOOK PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE BASKETBALL FAN IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET AND CHAT ROOMS. ALL IN ALL A GREAT BOOK AND A WORTHY ADDITION TO YOUR BASKETBALL LIBRARY.

I'm a student at UNC and when I first got here I didn't know much about our basketball team. I thought this book was really cool because it has so many fun facts in it and I learned so much about the proud tradition of UNC Basketball!

Mr. Williamson's unique position, growing up in Chapel Hill with close connections to the Carolina program, provide him with a perfect vantagepoint from which to view and analyze the phenomenon that is Carolina Basketball. Part history, part social analysis, part simple fandom, More Than A Game is an extremely interesting and impassioned book which provides the reader with questions to answer for him or herself about extremism vs. a fun hobby. Particularly interesting is the fan survey which gives us a look at the nuances of everyday life from alumni, fans and those who take it to another level altogether (like myself). Reading the book took me for a stroll down memory lane, comparing Mr. Williamson's view of Carolina basketball history to my own. Sports fans, hoops fans and recruiting junkies will love it.

First off, I'll admit that I'm biased - I'm a member of the email list-serve that figures so prominently in this book. But the appeal of Thad's work reaches far beyond this core constituency. It presents a scholarly analysis of the good and the bad of fandom, and an insight into how one arrives at the stage where a basketball team can mean so much. Divided into four parts, there's something here for everyone: social commentary, philosophy, statistics, and yes, basketball. Carolina basketball, no less! The combination of the fan diaries and the survey give powerful insight into the UNC fan community - at least, that portion of the community on the internet. To my knowledge, such an honest assessment has never been performed on any team's fans before now, but it's worth the wait. If you've ever felt the Fever, and wondered, even for a moment, whether it was a good thing, pick up this book and let it help you decide for yourself.

I got this book because Magnolia Grill is a favorite restaurant. It's a gorgeous book with incredible photographs, but after seeing the authors of the Food Network the other night I am inspired to get it dirty in the kitchen. The recipes they cooked on the air were not terribly complicated and they looked yummy. I particularly like the Barkers' advice to break the rules and adapt the recipes to your own tastes and to what fresh ingredients are available.

I'm a recent transplant from New York and have been spoiled rotten by its hundreds of cutting-edge restaurants and innovative chefs. But I have to tell you, the Barkers and Magnolia Grill are right up there. As a rule, I find chef cookbooks beyond the capabilities of the average-- or even the advanced-- home cook. NOT AFRAID OF FLAVOR is the exception. Not only are its recipes inviting, they're approachable. Moreover the story of the Barkers and their Durham, NC restaurant is warm and appealing. Thanks to the Barkers (not to mention several other local chefs they've mentored), this red-clay country is no gastromic wasteland. Even my New York City friends are impressed. I've given NOT AFRAID OF FLAVOR to half a dozen of them and they're as impressed by the cookbook as they are by the cooking they sampled at Magnolia Grill. From a huge Barker fan.

The author run the Magnolia Grill restaurant in North Carolina and here provides a cookbook of their dishes and Southern culinary traditions. The restaurant's favorites have been adjusted for the home cook and include fine innovations ranging form Salmon Choucroute in Creamy Mustard Sauce to Roasted Duck Breast with Sun-Dried Cherry Conserve. Color photos pepper and finish the presentation.

Having desired this cookbook for awhile, not disappointed in the least now that its in my collection.

This is rich book, with a rectangular format with big print and nice photos accompanying each recipe, which is given in adequate instructions and comments.

Knocked out by the variety and creativity of this recipe collection. They combine so many tastes and styles here --- Moraccan, Asian, Mexican, etc. Try these and you'll go bonkers as I--- Spicy Green Tomato Soup with Crab & Country Ham, Moraccan Roasted Eggplant Bisque with Grilled Chicken and Minted Yogurt, Roast Squab with Blackberry Essence & Carrot-Thyme Spaetzle, Pan Fried Mountain Rainbow Trout with Green Tomato and Lime Brown Butter Salsa on Sweet Potato, Artichoke and Crawfish Hash, or Grilled Sturgeon on Wild Rice Risotto with Butternuts, Grilled Leeks, and Cider Reduction.

Desserts are exceptional here, especially: Brown Sugar Pear Poundcake, and the Banana Pecan Crostata with Jack Daniels vanilla ice cream.

Super creative food, that takes some time and attention to prepare, but the results are worth it.

Recommended for the serious cook who likes this food which ventures to truly zap the diner with flavor, flavor, flavor. Excellent!

Not Afraid Of Flavor: Recipes From Magnolia Grill showcases more than one hundred Southern dishes that are simply delicious and ingredient-driven. From Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Grits Cake, Country Ham & Redeye Vinaigrette, Gabriel's Favorite Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Lemon & Capers, and Molasses Mashed Sweet Potatoes, to Pickled Pepper Relish, Deep-Dish Apple Cinnamon Crisp with Brandied Vanilla Ice Cream, and Watermelon Ganita, Not Afraid Of Flavor is a beautifully illustrated, aptly elegant, and very welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook collection.

I learned more about the personalities in the Washington and Lee families and the history of food. It was really enjoyable.

I'm seventh cousin to U.S. Grant but have always had tremendous respect for, and interest in, the family of General Robert E. Lee. Altho we know that General Lee was a man of impecable morals and a champion of valor and honor, less has been known of his immediate family. Anne Carter Zimmer's book gives us a window in time into the life of the family of her great grandparents and a look at 19th century housekeeping. I grew up in Ohio before moving South and some of Mary Lee's household hints were utilized by my grandmother and mother. This is a fantastic book, warm, humorous, informative and with photos and shetches enough to make one sense that they might have felt at home in the Lee household.

Please, Anne, let us hear from you in the future. I'd very much like to know more about your singular family!

Anyone who is interested in knowing more about the personal side of Gen. Robert E. Lee and the people who stood behind him and allowed him to become great (his family) will enjoy this insight into their everyday lives and the heritage the author (Lee's great-granddaughter) has had to live up to throughout her life.

I would strongly recommend this.

This book is a great one for providing us a glimpse into life over 100 years ago. It is hard to imagine what a woman had to do back then to create the genteel life. Every household had to be self-sufficient, as this remarkable volume shows, making its own foodstuff, soap and cleansers. I loved this book and have shared it with good friends.

Mix together some spicy ingredients of Southern history, add "receipts" (aka recipes) for food, plus personal memoir, and a fascinating book is ready for you to devour or to send to friends as a gift.
What a marvelous, brilliant weaving together of the family history of the Robert E. Lee family, along with insider Civil War history, social history, food history, family characters and so on, have been put together by Anne Carter Zimmer, who gives us recipes one longs to try. I definitely want to attempt the Charlotte Russe and certainly the Sally Lunn. (Wish I had the courage for the oyster dish where, halfway throughout, you throw out one batch of oysters and add a fresh batch.) When I read the book's first line, "We didn't make much of ancestors when I was growing up," (this from the great-grandaughter of Robert E. Lee), I knew I was in touch with an authentic voice and that I would love this book. And love it I did.

This book is one of those great sports tales that they make an move of.It is not written just for the fotballfans.If u are just an guy that likes sports this book will be an great read for u.But if you are an Panthers fan or u got an Panthers fan in your family the book is a must.It covers everything that happened that season on the field in the locerroom and of the field.It makes you wanna play football.And it really touches you when you read how strong Sam Mills was to fight cancer be a couch and father at the same time.Man you just got to read it.That is all I got to say to you.Scott Fowler wrote a great book I became an Panthers fan after I read

Tales from the Panthers Sideline is a must-read for Panthers fans! This book is filled with funny and fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, and includes recaps of electrifying Panther moments on the field. I laughed out loud often while reading; and nodded my head and said, "cool", many times... If you have a short attention span, as I do, you'll appreciate that the book is broken up into short stories, so you can skip around without losing continuity.

I got this book for christmas, and it didnt take me long to find out this was my favorite present. After reading just a few stories, I was hooked. I am a HUGE Jake Delhomme fan, and i even have my own website ( www.cajunpride.cjb.net ). And if you love Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith, or any of the fabulous cardiac cats, you'll LOVE this book. Scott Fowler tells some of the funniest stories you'll ever read in here, and tells everything about the Panthers from the very beginning to the Superbowl last year. Every panther fan should have this book, and it's well worth the money.

As a die-hard Panthers fan and Jake Delhomme fan living in Canada, I knew I had to have this book. I wasn't disappointed after reading it in one sitting - I couldn't put it down.

Fowler's writing style is perfect for conversations over beer and wings with other football fans - Fowler shares short bursts of inside information all organized neatly into sections about either your favourite player or historical season through to last year's Superbowl trip... perfect for sharing "did you know" stories with your football buddies, Panther fans or not.

The stories are amusing (three words... Delhomme. Karaoke. Hilarious...), insightful (just who IS Steve Smith), unprecedented (the story behind THAT Rams game) and even humbling (detailing Sam Mills' and Mark Fields' bouts with cancer).

This book is a must-have for Panther fans and fans of any team will enjoy it too. It is a true behind-the-scenes look into the players you've grown to love every Sunday and I highly recommend this book.

When I read Scott Fowler's book, Tales From The
Carolina Panthers Sideline, I felt like I was pacing the sideline with the Panthers. Fowler was able to take me to the sidelines and locker room of this exciting and mercurial
team. I have been a faithful reader of Scott Fowler's columns over the years in The Charlotte Observer newspaper and felt certain my personal time devoted to reading this book would
be time well spent, and it was. I feel as though I now know the players, coaches and owner in a way the average fan wishes they could. The journey through the storied 2003-2004 season which
took the Panthers to an appearance in the Super Bowl has been captured by Scott Fowler in such a way that any Panthers fan will want to relive the ride again and again. And with Tales From The Carolina Panthers Sideline, they can. This is a must have for any football fan -- and especially Panther fans!! Enjoy!!

I absolutely adored this book. The story of Sam is amazing, compelling, and most of all, humbling. Since reading it four years ago, I have found myself looking more for the good things of life instead of finding tiny, unimportant details to criticize. In that, I can truly say this book was life-changing for me. Sam, wherever you are, I hope that you are well and happy. You are a role model for us all with your courage and point of view!

This book is an excellent reading assignment for a student who thinks they want to be a doctor, especially a pediatrician or surgeon. It is a good choice to use in differentiating the curriculum for a gifted student in a regular health occupations classroom. My students enjoyed it very much.

This is the extraordinary story of Sam Lightner, a boy who showed me more about beauty and courage than anyone I've ever known. He has the toughness and persistence of any *ten* adults, and his parents and brother and sister are simply angels. The author's top-notch reporting and soulful writing make for an enlightening read.

I'm usually more of a "library rat" than a book buyer, but this is one book I'm adding to my personal collection. Read Sam's amazing story, and pass it on to your family and friends.

This story will touch your heart in an incredibe way! The author reaches inside you and grabs your heart, in order to take you from the day of his birth, when Sam's problems started, though his recovery process, after his surgery. The book is so well written and it invites you to view Sam's experiences in an up-close and personal way. If you want to learn about what life really means, or if you have a teenager that feels self-conscious, read this. This book makes you realize that inspiration can come from anywhere and that you should count your blessings and be happy for what God has given you. Learn from Sam and live.

Sam Lightner was born with a horribly deforming vascular tumor on the left side of his face that was so disfiguring and otherworldly that an adult at a Halloween party complimented for his marvelous costume. This is the kind of situation that Sam has lived with since he was an infant - the stares, the laughter, the shock, the misunderstandings. If any story teaches the lesson of appreciating a person's heart rather than his appearance, it is this one.

Sam was born with a large vascular tumor on the left side of his place that progressively compromised not only his appearance but also his basic vital functions including breathing and eating. It took a few courageous physicians to treat his condition. Drs. Marler and Mulleken at Boston Children's and Dr. Wehby in Portland are a few of the doctors that enabled Sam to have a fighting chance. What makes this book such a compelling read is not only the heroics of Sam's physicians but the courage of Sam and his family. Hallman delivers Sam's struggle to fit in with such an emotional impact that I had to quit reading the book in parts to take a breather. Sam's family is portrayed as truly remarkable, and their handling of Sam's problems is a lesson to be learned by all.

Unfortunately, the book leaves us hanging (not the author's fault) because Sam's story is not finished. He most likely will undergo further plastic surgery to shape his face, and he may undergo additional operations if his tumor returns.

Hopefully, this book can teach us a little about how to give respect to those like Sam who need support rather than the stares we often give them.

Fantastic message. Every parent of a young athlete should read it, and every aspiring young athlete should read it. Alan Williams demonstrates everything that is still right about wanting to succeed as an athlete... and the way to go about it. And for those athletes that are a "can't miss" or already there, the example and impacts that a Robert O'Kelly can make on those kids fighting to succeed are priceless. I made every girl on my 12U AAU basketball team read it.

They always say if you want to know what the Coach or the star of the team is really like, then you should ask the last player on the bench. This is exactly what Allan Williams does as he takes you on a journey through his life and times of triumph and dejection on the Wake Forest men's basketball team. It's a great story for basketball players and non players alike. truly inspirational

Walk-on is a must read for coaches, parents (especially fathers),star athletes and "bench-warmers." Alan Williams is a living example of what it means to be a team player. His story is a great encouragement to the athlete who loves his/her sport, but rarely "gets in the game." The book also brings out the positive relationship he has with his father.

Realistically describes the role of the non-starter in college athletics; worth reading for the roles of determination, family and faith in an individual's life. Good to share with high school athletes aspiring to play in college. Quick read, not the very best writing, but not awful either.

This book is incredibly inspiring and one that anyone will enjoy reading. I would give it six stars on a scale from 1 to 5!!!!!

The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.

for a day trip, a weekend trip, or a long vacation. We have hiked and camped in several of the places mentioned. I have lived in NC all of my life and did not realize there was such enriching trails and escapades off the parkway. I wish I had known about this book while attending WCU! Take it with you, it is very worthwhile.

Designed as a "drive awhile - stop awhile" recreational road, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit in the National Park Service. It has 17 million visitors a year as compared to 10 million a year for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. But the Parkway is more than a beautiful drive; it is also a good base from which to hike. Adkins describes all the ways that we can get out of the car as we explore the Parkway. From a leg-stretcher to a view of Glassmine Falls Trail to the eighteen miles of the Shut-In Trail, Adkins gives a contextual introduction to the hike as well as step-by-step directions. He rates each hike from an easy leg-stretcher to strenuous.

My only objection to the rating is that the author considers too many hikes as strenuous. For example, Adkins labels the Snooks Nose Trail, eight miles round trip and described as "not well-maintained and hard to locate" as strenuous. The two-and-a-half mile round trip hike up to Mt. Pisgah, on a clear, well-marked trail, is also rated as "strenuous". Hikers will have to decide what strenuous means to them. Ratings aside, the book is necessary to anyone looking for a variety of hikes in the area. The appendices are also a wealth of information. He lists every feature on the Parkway along with its mileage, all the inns and campgrounds as well as a roadside bloom calendar

My wife and I have just come home from a 3 week trip along the entire parkway. We started the trip with Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, but ended up buying Walking the Blue Ridge at one of the visitor centers. While Hiking was ok, we found Walking the Blue Ridge to be the better of the two. It was very easy to use, easy to find information, and full of wonderful tidbits. The way the mileage data was set up in a vertical way made it very easy to use while we were hiking the trails, simple to always know where we were. In the Hiking book we had to wade through a lot paragraphs just to match up the descriptions with where we actually were on the trail. Also, it was obvious that the author of Walking the Blue Ridge had actually walked every one of the trails he was writing about. It was also nice knowing that it gave descriptions of every one of the trails along the parkway, even if it was just a short pathway; the other book neglected some that we found to be truly delightful. In addition, its smaller weight and size made it much easier to carry while on the hikes.
All in all, we were happy to have found Walking the Blue Ridge and will be using it often.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.

I am on a one year leave from teaching second grade to stay home with my 5 month old. The teacher in me purchased this product because I wanted to make sure my baby was not missing out on any learning. I wish I would have discovered it sooner as the guide is set up for babies not able to sit up, babies able to sit up, and babies able to crawl. It gives activities to do at each of these stages. It is easy to use and activities are divided into categories: listening and talking, physical development, creative and learning from the work around them. We were already doing some of the activities included, but the book offers many ideas I would not have thought of. Overall, I feel it is a great resource to have.

As a first time mom,of a child with special needs to boot, I had no idea. This book and the others in the series are great resources for finding things to do with your child other than watching Teletubbies for the thousandth time. If your child needs extra help in a certain area, like fine motor or listening skills, you can easily find a variety of exercises to help here. The later books in the series (Threes, Fours, and Fives) would also be a great resource for a homeschooling parent.

It's almost overwhelming. There is no way you can spend this much time teaching everything, but it's nice to be able to pick and choose fun things to do with your baby. It's easy to use in a well thought out layout from birth on, divided by sensory perception.

Not just for daycare! I am a first-time, stay-at-home mom and needed a way to tell if I was "doing all the right stuff" in regards to play, development, speech, music, etc. This book gives you exercises that are so easy for each stage of the first year of life. There is not a lot to read like a typical baby care book, but each section outlines what the child should be accomplishing and gives you exercises to ensure that your child reaches those development milestones. If you can look past the idea that it is written for daycare providers, you will find this book extremely helpful. I knew I was giving my child all he needed because I had these exercises to use as a handy guide. Good luck to you!

I absolutly recommend this book for all providers working with infants. It is loaded with ideas and learning expeirences for babies. A must for providers and mothers who want to expand their child's learning!

I first read this book after coming across it in my local library. I checked it out and found myself lovingly dipping into it, looking forward to it each time I picked it up, savoring every moment, and thinking of it all the time I had to put it down. I soon found that I couldn't bear to turn it in (although I loved the idea that others would discover it there as did I). So I came here and bought it, to treasure:

For anyone who loves the richness of this land (or ANY land), and have wondered about its history, this book is a treasure. If you've wondered about the wildness that lives unseen deep in the hills, this book is a treasure. If you just want exceptional armchair adventure high in the Smokies and the Blue Ridge, this is ... well, you know.

But instead of reading this as my recommendation, read this as what I experienced in this book. Which is what ANY good book should do - not just read through, but to EXPERIENCE fully, as if you are there. And, better, to CHANGE you and enrich you.

Of course, I am a lifelong Appalachian mountain devotee, so I'm biased. But anyone who loves mountains, and loves the rich history and culture (wild and human) of a place, you will appreciate it. Camuto's writing takes you there, so that you feel the wind on your face, smell the crisp mountain air, hear the howl of the red wolf -
But I digress.
I deeply enjoyed this book, and I hope it will move you as it did me.

PS - If you liked this, you will enjoy "Where There Are Mountains: An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians" by Donald Edward Davis. While somewhat more technical, it still will take you back to the southern Appalachians, long before the white settlers and explorers came to take it from the Cherokees and cleared so much of the land. The picture it paints of vast open forests of old-growth Chestnut trees (pre-blight), with deer and bison grazing on its mast beneath, massive flocks of wild turkeys nearby... is enough to fire your imagination.

Most of all, get out there and enjoy the mountains!

to be rushed through while reading it. It is a book meant to be savored, thought-upon and reflected upon. This book is haunting in its thoughts and language as the author travels the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains. It is also a book on the re-introduction of the Red Wolf back into its natural habitat. It is also a book that explores the history of the Cherokees, who used to roam over the land and lived off the vast wealth of the forest, mountains and rivers before driven off in the unnatural (or perhaps natural) stem of progress. It is a reflective book meant to be savored over a period of time, as the language of the author is dense, lyrical and very thoughtful. It is a beautiful book. It is a sad book. It is a book meant to capture a time now lost to the mists of time.

I picked this book up while visiting the Great Smoky Mountains last September. Out of the pile of books I bought then, this was the first one I picked up and I put it down after a month since it was too much to read in the midst of a crazy lifestyle. I picked it up again several months later to savor the words and thoughts of this author. Then I put it down again. This last few days, I picked it up since I have a craving to go back to the Mountains and teach my children what has happened in the past and what may happen in the future ~~ and I finished it in two days.

Christopher Camuto is a wonderful naturalist writer and a keen observer. I have only been to the Great Smoky Mountains once and we did your basic touristy things simply because my boys were too young to even hike the regular trails. That doesn't mean that we're not going to eventually because we do want to in the future. We want our children to preserve their heritage, what is left of it. We want them to see the magical wonder of being so close to nature and see the natural beauty of this world. And reading this book helped confirm that "want." Camuto goes back and forth from talking about the Red Wolf program in the Great Smoky Mountains, the Cherokee visions and his own observations while hiking along forgotten trails. They all tie together in a beautiful book that is sure to be treasured.

Need an introduction to Mother Nature and her history? I think you should start with this one. It's an unforgettable journey back through the mists of time.

7-30-06

Have you ever read a book that you loved reading so much you could not stand to finish? Another Country was such a book for me. I have felt so alone for so long as I have both loved my time in the outdoors and equally mourned the loss of it. Every time I pass a mountain and see the red-dirt scar of a new home perched atop it, every time I see a wooded lot scalped completely clean of all life for a new development, I mourn. Christopher Camuto has helped me feel less alone and helped me more completely appreciate the oft-ignored gift of beauty, variety, and history that the land, the Cherokee, and the wolf give us.

Another Country is a search for the soul of a land almost destroyed. Christopher Camuto writes a powerful narrative describing his exploration of the Cherokee homeland in the appalachians. He seeks communion, a connection he can sense in what is left of the natural landscape and wildness around him. It is as elusive as the dying Cherokee myths, as tangible as the arrowheads and village sites he finds. Camuto refers to the Appalacians as the Cherokee Mountains, their former nomenclature, because it is to the Cherokees they really belong. The rape and exploitation of their land parallels the rape and exploitation of their culture. Camuto's search for a wildness, that now remains only in remnants, is set in counterpoint to the reintroduction of the red wolf into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The most important clan animal of the Cherokee, it is symbolic of the differences between the Cherokee and the early Europeans. One revered its wildness and sought to preserve it. The other despised and killed it. One honored the wolf's home, seeking harmony with the land and its spirits. The other saw something untamed that must be destroyed. The author's journey begins as the wolves are being set free. Like many of the members of this first Canus Rufus release who step beyond their shrinking boundaries, Camuto confronts the vestiges of civilization at almost every turn. Set against continual references to Native-American mythology, and the history of the area, Camuto's book allows the reader to share his insight into the Cherokee view of the world. Unlike many who write about early culture, he does not attempt to steal it as his own. His statement that he is not Cherokee and thus can never totally understand, adds credibility to the objectiveness of his observations. It also demonstrates humbleness of endeavor, a bow of respect to the Cherokee nation. The book is firmly rooted in place as it combines the ethereal with the tangible landscape. Those who cherish wildness and honor those first here, will also treasure this book. In many ways , it is a sad obituary, lamenting that which was, as it examines what is left. The reintroduction of the red wolf represents one small, but hopeful, step in the restoration of that which is lost.

I've searched for years for just the right book that sums up my feelings for lost wilderness and finally found it with this book. I find Mr. Camuto's contrast with William Bartram's descriptions of the mountains both startling and sad. I've walked these mountains for over 30 years and in just the last 10 have I begun to realize the tragic consequences of overdevelopment and urban sprawl. Mountains and streams once largely clean and pristine now are considered off limits for fishing and drinking and I wonder why we have no love for the complexity of our natural environment. Like a Sand County Almanac, Chris Camuto has begun a modern discussion of the land ethic. An ethic our country, I fear, has so far refused to acknowledge or accept.