Newspapers Books

John Blanchette is the best sports columnist you never heard of. Hidden away in Spokane, one of the most remote cities in America, he's covered...well, maybe not everything. But any town that gave us John Stockton, Mark Rypien, Ryne Sandberg and Bing Crosby can't be all bad.
Blanchette, the wry Big Sky guy (he's from Montana), hasn't had a lot of national exposure. Recent success by Gonzaga hoops and Washington State football, however, has gotten him some attention on the West Coast. Those of us who aren't afraid to venture far from our homes, even on line, have been rewarded with one of the most unique sports voices anywhere.
For this writer, "quirky-witty-thoughtful" is the best type of writing, sports or otherwise, there is. Blanchette just might have the patent on it. If you're brave enough to dig this book up, you'll find some of the most unusual- and best-written- pieces anywhere. From the Seattle Mariners' emergence as a baseball power to the WSU Cougs' first visit to Pasadena in 67 years, and from Spokane's proud hometown heroes to an offbeat look at sporting life in a little-seen part of the country, he brings the scene to life in a way that will surprise outsiders. Believe me, this guy can outwrite most of the big-city slickers from coast to coast. And, best of all, he's funny as heck.
In the Northwest, when you blow it/drop it/choke/just miss whatever, you pay tribute to WSU's not-so-glorious sports history...you Coug it! Blanchette may have introduced that term, but he never Cougs it.
John Blanchette. Spokane's only big-league franchise since 1981. You're gonna love this guy. I live in sports-obsessed Boston, and I'll trade the entire Globe sports staff for him even-up!

I have worked in television news, and my experiences have left me wondering about the parts of our culture that we embraced and that which we ignored. So, as I began to do some graduate study research, I thought this book would be interesting. Comparing the U. S. system to a different culture such as India's help us gain insight into what we do and why, so I enjoyed the book, as well as the author's style and insight.

Halloween hijinks and catching rides on the train going thru town (planning to get off at the next stop)getting thru the snafus of army life and finally reaching one's ambition-Agricultural School librarian at the University of Illinois. Then he began to gather together the materials for his famous book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. This is a wonderful first person true-to-life story of growing up in the early part of the last century-not so long ago, actually. This a short,varied,to-the-point narrative that I recommend to most anyone.I found a paperback in my collection that I had never read until now and liked it so well that I just bought a nice hardback copy.

You would like this book if you like Erma Bombeck, if you come from a big family, (or wish you did), if you are looking for short easy bites of reading material. This book tells everyday experiences with depth and humor. I would recommend this book especially if you need to encourage someone. I would say the message of this book is: Faith perseveres in spite of what happens in life. I loved reading this book! I hope she continues to write books. I am first in line for her next one.

I love this book- it makes you want to swim in every place she writes about, and until then feel like you have through the evocative and playful prose. I have so far given two as gifts and they've both been loved.

I bought this book for my daughter who is an avid reader and she really liked it. She finished it in only a couple nights of before-bedtime reading because she was so interested in the book. I then read it for myself and discovered why she enjoyed it so much.

Not too deeply buried in a very readable story about Stephanie's desire to join her gradeschool newspaper are real lessons about actually writing a story, the value of persistence and hard work, and a couple of insights into sibling and child-parent relationships that every parent would want their child to think about. I think I had a knowing smirk on my face many times while reading this book!

The concepts and how they are presented are completely appropriate for the 8-12 age group. The story is positive overall, but does not omit mention of the struggles encountered, the choices to be made, and the sacrifices necessary to really excel at a favorite activity. Stephanie is ultimately a great success, but the truly important lesson is in her initial failure and the hard work she must do to become successful.

Incorporating a real-life role model as part of the book is a nice touch that makes the message more than 'just a story.' The general format seems well-suited to a series covering different professions or other pursuits, and I'll be sure to give these to my daughter (and son -- no reason to leave all the fun to girls!) as they become available.

Hearst was the king of 'yellow journalism', using his newspapers as a public forum for swaying political opinions. This biography for teens considers his influence and newspaper involvements and provides a little over a hundred pages of biographical and social background.

I have read a very great deal about the 1st World War, many many personal accounts from ordinary Soldiers to Officers. I have read accounts from both sides of the lines, I have also read accounts about the Air War as well So when I obtained a copy of the 'Wipers Times' it was fascinating.
Reading through this you get a sense of how the guys were feeling, their outlook on life, the grim humour of the desperate times they were involved with. From that sense of perspective its a must have document to get a wider view on how things were in those dark dreadful days.

It should be an essential part of ones collection if you are studying these far off days.

Never before has such a scholarly yet accessible treatment of this complicated and gripping topic been written. Dr. Grayzel shows a mastery of the subject and attention to detail that draws the reader in from the first page. An academic achievement of the highest order.

It gives around 1500 words and nice excerpts from New York Times which contain them. Most of them are nice words. I consider myself to have a good vocabulary but I still enjoyed and learned from this book.