By Region Books

After reading so many praises from young adult readers, I'd like to make a suggestion for adult readers of historical fiction. I read this book, not so that I could instill a love of reading for my children, but rather, for my own pleasure in reading young adult fiction. The books may not involve many subplots, intrigues, and thickly woven characterizations, but certain ones can immerse you into their world of historical make-believe and even lead you to tears. I for one cried when reading this book. The way Louise Erdrich handles the coping of virulent illness and death through the eyes of a child is incredible. Not only does she paint this glorious heroine from a late 1800s Ojibwa girl, but she makes me dwell on the delicate vitality of the human soul and the subtle interconnectedness of each other. Yes, this book describes accurately the lives of the Ojibwa people of that time, but more importantly, above the cultural/historical lesson, the most prominent lesson from Erdrich's storytelling is her unveiling of human transformation into maturity clothed in the culture of the Ojibwa girl, Omakayas. Her auspicious past, her gifts with animals, her perseverance in caring for her family during the smallpox epidemic, and her coping with her brother's death -- for readers to feel that the book has a slow start, Erdrich more than likely chose to portray Omakayas' life in that way because that was exactly the pace it was. Meaning to say, it's not always violence and passion every minute, every chapter. The life of Ojibwas had a steady rhythm that followed the course of nature and only when the white settlers introduced themselves did that rhythm falter. For people who'd like an exciting quick read having to do with Native American history, I can't think of any. But for people who want to see life through a young girl's eyes -- life that involved hard work, sacrifice, love, death and living with what nature has provided, then this book is an excellent choice. Otherwise, there are a lot of old western novels that involve Native Americans (inaccurately of course) that would provide more of a thrill ride, if thrills are what you seek.

I purchased this book for my daughter who is attending CSUN. It arrived in a week and was in good condition, just like the description said.
Very happy with this purchase and many others.

This sweet, tender, sometimes humorous book, chronicles a year in the life of Omakayas, a seven year old girl who lives with her tribe on an island near Lake Superior. The book is divided into four main sections, each relating to a season of the year, just as the Native America daily life is based. Through Omakayas, children learn as they read about how she helps build a birch bark house, how she does her chores, and many other important details of Native American life. This makes the book especially invaluable for the fifth grade Social Studies curriculum. Many Native American words are used throughout this book, but this is done in a manner which makes their meaning apparent. There is even a glossary for these words in the back of the book. Children will love this book as Omakayas makes friends with animals and deals with feelings about her family, loss, fear, happiness, and contentment, as well as other feelings familiar to the young reader.

Generations of American children have grown up reading Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I'm in one of those generations. These stories gave us a view into settlers moving into formerly Indian territories and the hardships of breaking new lands to the plow, fighting weather, droughts, floods, and illness. These stories are our stories of conquering the prairie West. But there's another story that needs to be told and this story is of the Indians we died of disease and starvation and were moved off the lands so that white settlers could build farms and towns.

Laura Ingalls Wilder told the only stories she could tell - one dimensional tales of white people in a white nation. Louise Erdrich tells the story she is equipped to tell - one of a rich group of people living together in the Northern prairie lands. In this story Omakayas is a young Ojibwe girl living with her family, but the characters aren't all Indian. There's Albert LaPautre, a Frenchman who bumbles through trades and wild visions. There's Omakayas' father who works to pay off his yearly debt to the trading post and knows how to play chess so well that he can sometimes win enough food to help his family through hard times. There's Old Tallow, a medicine woman with a pack of angry dogs who teaches kind lessons through harsh examples.

For Omakayas and her family life is both hard and wonderful. There's enough sadness in the book to make you cry and enough happiness to make a child play-act the parts. The one thing I love about native storytelling is the respect shown to animals and plants that are needed to survive. Ms. Erdrich tells of this relationship with the skill of a master storyteller.

This book is richer and more complete than Little House on the Prairie. It's a responsible book and deserves more accolades and a greater following than that earlier work. It's brilliant and sensitive and fun. Everyday life never made me feel so fully. Please let all children in your life read this beautiful book.

- CV Rick, May 2008

We had to read the Birchbark House for a 7th grade class assignment. I thought this book was kind of interesting, because it had some funny parts and some sad parts in the middle of the story. In the beginning it was really boring. Sometimes it's hard to understand because they used a lot of Indian words but they provide a glossary. I think thee book could use some more funny and violent parts to get people interested to read more. I gave this book 3 stars because it was an o.k. book. It was kind of boring in the beginning but it got a lot better. It needed more funny parts. It was a good book but not one I would have picked. I would recommend this book to high schoolers, but they have to have a little Indian in them to understand you must like: sad, boring, exciting, and funny to enjoy this book.

This is a very good book, but not great. Matthiessen's writing is engrossing and it is difficult to put it down. However, the vileness of some of the subject matter is a bit hard to swallow. This is, no doubt, a realistic tale, written after Matthiessen had traveled throughout the continent. The movie does have an influence, as one keeps thinking of Ms. Hannah. The plight and evolution of the natives and their values is intriguing. The disaster that results from outsiders forcing culture and religion down the throats of the "savages" is thought provoking and relates to many situations one sees. The characters aren't all that likable, but certainly very real. Hazel is a sad case. The jaguar shaman-to-be is a character about which it would be nice to learn more. Matthiessen says that he rewrote the last journey many times. This is the toughest part of the book to follow; is it real or a dream? I actually did reread parts of the end. There's no escaping the depression that comes from dwelling on the conflict in the jungle. I still feel that, despite the author's beliefs, his nonfiction work is better. But this is an enjoyable novel, regardless.

An excellent adventure story that is both fast paced and well developed. I've read a number of books by Matthiessen. This is the best I've read yet by him. His fiction is far better than his non fiction in my opinion.

I see there are many 5 star reviews here on Amazon. I 2nd these reviews. Recommended.

I am reading this book as a book on tape which is a good way to "read" it. This is a "good read" and worth your time. Recommended. Email Boland7214@aol.co

Why do I never hear Matthissen's name come up when there is speculation about who will win future Nobel Literature prizes?
AT PLAY is surely one of the great novels of the last half-century, and the reviewers hit on all of the reasons why. But add to that FAR TORTUGA, and the Watson Florida trilogy; and then add to THAT his brilliant and important non-fiction, from The Tree Where Man Was Born to The Snow Leopard, to In the Spirit of Crazy Horse; then, for good measure add in Matthiessen's involvement in The Paris Review, and you have a resume that is Nobel-quality.
Hey, I love Roth, too (admittedly not everything), but get serious!

This case study of culture clash is the story of Protestant missionaries trying to bring the Word of God to jungle savages. They think themselves heroes of The Lord, but there are no heroes here save, perhaps, Louis Moon a reservation half-breed who lost his faith. Moon is now an aimless mercenary staggering through life, bouncing off one obstacle after another. When it becomes his job to massacre the indigenous people, he is revisited by drug-induced dreams of his youth and instead joins them as their rain god fallen from the sky (and a failing airplane).

Self-righteous missionary Martin Quarier, becomes less certain of his beliefs as the novel progresses, but seems incapable of moving beyond them. He sees the absurdity of the doctrinal feud between Catholics and Protestants, yet cannot think of priests as anything but the Enemy, in league with Satin. And Satin seems to be working on him, as well, churning up lust for the wife of another missionary.

The religious beliefs of the natives give a glimpse of how faith gets started. Their minor gods clearly provide more for them on a day-to-day basis than the major one Quarier tries to serve. He creates a "rice convert" or two, but is ultimately a miserable failure.
At Play in the Fields of the Lord is a classic tragedy of misunderstanding and miscommunication. If you haven't read it, it's worth that first read. If you have, it was probably long enough ago that it deserves a second look.

That's what Helen Thayer said when the natives told her she needed a dog team for protection against polar bears. They said you won't hear the bears when they sneak up on your tent at night. She said she'd take just one and that one was Charlie. And, wow what a dog...not used to humans...not a pet, but a bear dog. Luckily they bonded quickly and he not only saved her life more than once, he also became her beloved friend.

All of her books are great reads and this one is at the top of the list.

I have not actually read this book, but today I listened to the author present the story in person while showing some of the pictures that she took during the journey. It is nothing short of remarkable to witness the sheer determination that made her success possible.

Of course, determination was less than half the battle. Thayer explained that it took her two years of meticulous planning and rigorous training to prepare for every possible contingency she might encounter on the journey. Clearly she could not have hoped to succeed without such detailed and thoughtful preparation.

This story certainly inspired my respect and admiration, not only for the power of the mind to carry us beyond perceived limitations, but also in response to the human-canine connection which was pivotal to the successful completion of the journey. It is heartwarming to hear of the bond that developed between Thayer and Charlie as one sustained the other through the various hardships they encountered.

A great book! It is so exciting that it is very difficult to put it down! After reading it, I ordered a total of 10 copies as presents for relatives and friends.

Great book. Helen Thayer set off in her 50s to walk to the magnetic North Pole. She did it only with Charlie, the polar bear wonder dog, given (sold) to her by the Inuit who were sure she wouldn't survive without a dog team who knew how to fend off polar bears. She finally agreed to taking one dog, who became her true partner in the journey (and afterward). The story is an outstanding tale of what she learned about herself and how she and Charlie so totally bonded, mutually dependent on each other. Helen prepared well and clearly fully respects Nature in all senses. It is also a wonderful tale about Charlie--about the intelligence of dogs we people would see more often if we just give them a chance to be themselves. This is an outstanding book for anyone of any age and hopefully will help more people understand the criticality and fragility of Nature, and the importance of treating animals (in this case, dogs) with true respect, care, compassion, and love. The book clearly shows the intelligence not just of Charlie, but also of the various polar bears Helena encountered (and successfully avoided attack from, without killing them). It also is an excellent book to get people thinking about themselves and their thoughts. Some of the lessons Helen learned, for example, included early on learning to say "no" as well as the importance of remaining positive and in control even when Nature seemed to be in control via a strong storm whirling around her for several days at a time. She includes photos from her journey, which also are amazing. An exciting, excellent book. I highly recommend this for everyone.

I am a big fan of stories of artic adventure, and this is one of the best. In this day of snow mobiles and ATVs, we have a woman at 50 -- author Helen Thayer -- setting out to walk to the magnectic north pole, pulling her own sled and accompanied by an Inuit dog she had only known for a couple of days. On her first day out, she suffers such terrible frostbite of her fingers they become almost useless. (I would have called it quits right there.) Then come polar bears -- one the world's most deadliest creatures. And they keep on coming. Some curious, some life-threatening. But, she continues on her amazing journey, not for fame or fortune, but for scientific information for her program Adventure Classroom. There are some fantastic photos included and very helpful maps. Her writing style is breezy and compelling. It's trimph of the human spirit and the bonding of a dog and companion. What a terrific book.

My wife and I are planning a trip to DW with our 2 kids, her sister, brother-in-law and 2 nieces. As a gift, we bought 2 copies of this book for the kids. One for their family and one for ours. Both families really like the book and find the information helpful, but not enough pictures of everything spoken about for the kids to get really excited about.

I bought this book for a Christmas present for my then 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 daughters to get them ready for our trip to Disney World. They really enjoyed having me read them this book cover to cover. They still look at this book now. While I know it's geared towards the older crowd (8+), the younger ones can still enjoy it but with adult interaction.

Birnbaum Guides "Walt Disney World For Kids" should be your #1 book at Disney.
I went to Walt Disney World with my three grandchildren and two books. Fodor's "Walt Disney World With Kids" was the other book.Birnbaum's was by far the better one.It was more concise, had better tips, it was easy to carry and refer to.
I bought Birnbaum's book for the grandchildren and ended up using it myself.

Very enjoyable book for my son. We read a little each night so that when we go on our trip to Disney, he will know what to expect. Also, there is a ton of pages in the back for Autograph's with a place to put a picture next to it.

My daughter and son both LOVE this book. It gets them excited and shows them a little of what to expect. There are real kids' opinions and reviews of rides and attractions. My daughter very much enjoys reading all about Disney! She'll definitely be prepared when we set off for our trip!! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!

As I read this book, I felt like I was with Pam as she crossed Alaska. A truly well written book which gives the reader a wonderful insight into the beauty of Alaska and most of all into the human emotions of such an arduous journey. It is a book of truimph, beating all the odds!

Excellent true story, well told with many explanations so the reader understands what is going on.

This is a great book that will inspire you to be a stronger, more adventursome person than you might otherwise be. I like the way the author incorporates diary entries from her expedition, and also the text inserts including helpful background information that might otherwise have bogged down the flow of the story. I bought both this (the version for adults or teens) and the companion book, Big Enough Anna, which tells the same story in a manner appropriate for young children. Both are fantastic, and I plan to give copies to friends as gifts. Way to go, Pam Flowers!!!

Dear Pam,
I am from Burton Valley Elementry and in third grade.You did an amazing show!I loved it!I have one of your books .I have 'Big Enough ,Anna.Ihope to get more of your books.You have amazing and incredible adventures!I am a BIG fan of your work.Can we buy another copy of Big Enough, Anna and have it signed by you? (...).Thank You for your great books and presentations!

Thank you,
Iris Wagner

I needed something to read during the benchmarks, so I ran to the library during passing time and grabbed the first book I could find on mushing (I'm an addicted musher). I had a hard time putting it down. The pictures were wonderful, and the story was great. It was a pretty fast read, I finished it that day, but I enjoyed it. I've reread it twice since I bought my own copy.

"Martin's Hundred" by Ivor Noel Hume is as exciting as a detective story and contains the best prose ever spilled on the subject of archaeology. Hume, the Father of Historical Archaeology, was the head archaeologist at Colonial Williamsburg (CW) for many years, and was once given the job of archaeologically investigating the expansive grounds of the James River estate known as Carter's Grove. He was actually looking for the underground remains of 18th century buildings that could be interpreted during tours of the mansion, which was to about to open to the public. What Hume and his associates actually found, completely by accident (as the best mysteries always unravel), was what was left of 17th century Wolstenholme Towne - an English settlement at a place called Martin's Hundred that had been completely lost to history after its destruction in the Indian Massacre of 1622. This book gives a blow by blow description of the finding and further excavations of this long lost settlement, and describes in exciting detail how the archaeologists and other researchers searched the globe for answers to the mysteries and questions raised by the dig. The story takes the reader from Virginia to England, Bermuda, Turkey, Holland and back to Virginia on an epic quest of high adventure. When I first read this book I was a young student archaeologist at Jamestown, Virginia, and overnight it became the best book about an archaeological excavation that I had ever read - although I had not read many at that point. A decade later, and after reading countless other popular and academic books, reports, and articles as a professional archaeologist, "Martin's Hundred" is still by far my favorite. Archaeologists normally write site reports, and if they actually publish anything at all it is laden with all kinds of anthropological jargon and dry, factual descriptions that the public (and even many other archaeologists!) can't understand. This book is the antithesis of that because it was written by a self-effacing, humorous, English gentleman with a great talent for using the English language as it is supposed to be used - with grace and flair and a unique style. I give this book the highest recommendation possible, and only wish that there were more books about archaeology as great as this one is.

I first read "Martin's Hundred" while I was in elementary school and hung on every word. Fifteen years later I bought a copy and reread it, and I have read it again every three or four years for another decade still. Here's why "Martin's Hundred" is so good: Ivor Noel Hume's prose. Gentle, funny, self-effacing, and erudite, Hume's narrative of archeological discovery is a nonfiction page-turner. The evidence of a 17th-century English colony in Virginia is fragmentary, and only luck and patient scholarship sustained over many years yields a coherent picture of what happened and when. In the hands of some writers this could be deadly material, but Hume's elegant turn of phrase makes the story crackle along. This is a book to curl up with on a rainy day.

It is rare that an academic book, no matter what the subject, will both inform as well as entertain. This book does both in spades. It details the four-year excavation project (much of it supported by the National Geographic Society) of part of the Carter's Grove plantation, near Jamestown, Virginia, in the hopes of finding evidence of earlier inhabitation and clues to the 1622 Indian "massacre" that occured there. Before it was all over, a fort, a lost town (Wolstenholme Towne), and the skeletal remains of at least three victims of the Indian attack were unearthed. Hume tells of the archealogical excavation in great detail, yet avaoids the ho-hum pitfalls such detailed scientific explanations might produce by utilizing a very approachable style, filled with humor and good cheer, especially when the weather got bad. Even archeologists are human after all, and false leads, wild goose chases, and seemingly endless unanswerable questions plague them as much as the rest of us; Hume's dealing with that in very human terms we all can appreciate makes this book a welcomed exception to the general rule. An excellent book.

One small quibble: in discussing the wooden palisade that surrounded the fort, Hume refers to a "Fort Laramie-style wall of pointed tree trunks." It's true that many American forts in the West had that kind of protective wall around them, but Fort Laramie never did; it had no wall around it at all.

I purchased this book on a visit to Williamsburg and it sat on my shelf for quite a while before I seriously dove in. This book combines a clear explaination of archaeological methods with the building suspense of a good detective novel. As The author and his team uncover the existence of an early Virginia colony and utilize an astounding range of techniques and research to slowly piece together the lives of the inhabitants you will be drawn into the past. More than that you will be excited to read on and discover with these archaeologists what really happened. I.N. Hume writes eloquently on all aspects of organizing and proceeding with a project of this scale and mixes those details regarding administration and method with the fascinating story of the settlement of Martin's Hundred flawlessly. I could not imagine a better introduction to the discipline of archaeology for the layperson.

It's been said that the extent of most Americans' knowledge of their colonial history encompasses the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In fact much else occurred over a period of almost 200 years: the Lost Colony at Roanoke, the Dutch colony of New Netherland, Roger Williams and William Penn's settlement of Rhode Island and Pennsylvania as havens for religious freedom, the bloodiest per capita conflict on American soil (King Phillip's War), the Palatine migration of the 1700s...

On the eve of the 400th anniversary of the first permanent settlement in America, Jamestown, Ivor Noel Hume's "Martin's Hundred" is an excellent launching point for learning about our antecedents and their attempts at colonization in the New World. Martin's Hundred was settled not far from Jamestown only 12 years after the first Jamestown settlers arrived. At one time the settlement had several hundred residents, with a fort, potter's hut, dwellings, etc. The "town" holds the distinction of being the first settlement destroyed by Indians, in 1622, when two-thirds of the populace was massacred. There was a fitful effort to reestablish the village, but it eventually died out. It was plowed under in the 18th century after a plantation, Carter's Grove, was built on top of it.

The exact location of the Martin's Hundred settlement was unknown until the 1970s, when archaeologist Hume chanced upon it during preparations for a renaissance of Carter's Grove. Hume's book traces the archaeological discoveries and subsequent research of this fascinating village. I was more intrigued by the history, while the archaeological discussion of potsherds and postholes became a little tedious. However, the reader comes away with a great appreciation for the patience, research, and organization that accompanies historical archaeology. Hume had to deal not only with pesky reporters, for whom the discovery represented major news in the popular press, but also cold, rainy weather conditions (which had the potential to destroy valuable artifacts), and the fickle reliability of summer interns.

Hume comes across as a true Renaissance man. For many of the clues and artifacts, he consulted obscure European etchings and paintings of the early 17th century, using these to substantiate many of his finds. A discriminating reader might view this with a jaundiced eye, but Hume is humble enough to avoid making sweeping pronouncements of his finds.

I can't imagine a better introduction to historical archaeology than "Martin's Hundred." Just continue plunging past the endless potsherds and postholes, and you'll be rewarded; much like what happened to me when I saw the photo of a piece of porcelain with the year "1631" etched into it. Truly breathtaking.

Intriguing mankind for millenia, the pyramids of Eqypt have prompted numerous investigations by scholars and scientists over the centuries. In this book, John Romer's most impressive achievement is his extensive analysis and masterful synthesis of these investigations, enhanced with his own on-site studies and observations. The ease and clarity with which he presents his conclusions, and the scope of the material covered, is astonishing. Many photos, line drawings, and other visual aids complement his presentation.

Even if this had been a strictly scholarly book of dry facts and observations, it would be significant enough, but Romer also brings to life the society and people that produced the pyramids, revealing them to be skilled and dedicated craftsman who created works of timeless beauty with simple tools, professionalism, and perseverance. The idea that "ancient man" could never produce such structures is quietly, confidently, and thoroughly refuted. This book is a "must read" for any layman who wants a clear and compelling answer to the age-old question, 'who built the pyramids?'

It is difficult to imagine how anyone is going to top this treatment of the Great Pyramid. Romer, an Egyptologist for more than 40 years, describes in unprecedentedly precise detail how the pyramid was designed and built. There is none of the mystical nonsense that has appeared in some books about the pyramids. This massive structure was built by humans like us who learned from their mistakes on earlier pyramids and adjusted their plans to the realities of the Giza plateau.

Romer brings out the sophistication and architectural subtlety of the Great Pyramid, and the clever alignments that made its construction possible. This was an astounding feat of planning, organization, and execution for people living 4,500 years ago. Medieval cathedrals look relatively modest by comparison.

Romer admires the dedication and skill of the stone-workers, giving the reader a good feel for the adjustments they used to make their ambitious plan work. Some of the most interesting chapters show how pyramid-builders learned from the mistakes made in building pyramids for Khufu's father.

Romer tracks down related parts of the pyramid project such as quarries and ramps. He provides intriguing sidelights, such as the huge amount of copper needed to make chisels for the masons who shaped the stone blocks.

Romer describes the pyramids as the physical residue of establishing the Egyptian state. This age was short-lived; the pyramids that followed the Great one were less ambitious, and the pyramid age soon died out.

Romer writes with style, though he occasionally dwells too much on certain features such as the "prism point."
He praises some earlier Egyptologists such as Flinders Petrie. The accuracy of Petrie's surveys, made over a century ago, has never been surpassed.

This is a large format book of more than five hundred pages. It is well illustrated with diagrams, drawings, and black and white photographs, including well-chosen photos from as early as 1865. This is not a book for the lazy reader, but it rewards those with sustained interest.

A new book by John Romer on the library shelf! I could hardly contain my excitement since his books have always had fascinating views of Egypt presented in a readable way that suddenly opens vistas of ancient Egypt and puts things in a new light, brings the people more to life than most other authors. I adore his "Ancient Lives" TV series. Here was a new and fascinating book to read - photos of parts of the Great Pyramid and views of parts of it I'd never seen in the books I had available; discussions of sources of minerals, stone and copper; calculations of awesome quantities of resources and how this changed Egypt; methods of transport and calculations of manpower needed; details of quarries; details of earlier pyramids that made it clearer how they "evolved" and were planned. This was also a frustrating book to read and I returned again and again over about 2 months - "squaring the circle" had me going in circles trying to reproduce, from the description, what was intended, and deciding he must mean circumference, not diameter; finding some of the diagrams on how the builders worked things out confusing until finally about page 364 (?) a reasonable diagram finally was clear. Frustrating because I'm sure I could explain the basic idea to my 14 year old students in about 10 minutes with that last diagram and wondering why it took so long to get around to that diagram. Fascinating in the simplicity of the overall method of control once it was clear the east field could be used as a full size planning area. As a teacher always on the lookout for things from the real world to base problems on for maths or science, and as someone used to teaching areas, nets and scale models for a technology unit, maybe the placement of the Great Step didn't seem quite so miraculous to me. I still think the book is a monumental work and should be read by anyone interested in Egypt and the pyramids. John Romer has again given a fascinating and different view of ancient Egypt and its most well known monument.

Since many illustrious and famous Egyptologists have already written their praise for this book on its cover, I shall not try to emulate their eloquent praise for John Romer's quite extraordinary book. However, as an amateur lover of ancient Egypt's history, engineering and artistic achievements, I was spellbound by Romer's quite amazing conhesion of painstaking research and found myself totally absorbed and amazed. The reader is taken on a spellbinding journey through every aspect of the building of the great Pyramid and back in time. His text is elegant and fluidly written, the pictures and diagrams most interesting and easy to understand. I loved this book.
Out of Africa. Johannesburg

John Romer has outdone himself with his book, The Great Pyramid. Highly readable, this well researched book shows the remarkable engineering skills of the ancient Egyptians. For those who will look for such silly theories as building assistance by extra-terrestrias and other rubbish, this is not the book for them. It is a book for rational, intelligent readers who admire and wish to have a better understanding of the creative abilities of older civilizations.
Greg Slater
Australia

"The Shaman's Apprentice" presents more information about the relationship between people and nature than many much larger volumes. The story of Kamanya, Gabriela, and the shaman Nahtahlah, educates children about the important roles of all living things. The text is supported by rich and colorful illustrations which easily maintains the interest of children from four to 14. If you want the children in your life to understand the importance of rain forests and the need to preserve them, you must have this book.

It was a really good book. I'd recommend it. It is about a boy in Kwamala that wants to be a Shaman. He becomes the Shaman's apperentice. Read this book if you want to know if he becomes a Shaman himself. This would be a good book for 10 year olds.

I saw this book on Reading Rainbow today, and I was enthralled by the story and the beautiful illustrations. The episode took Levar to the village the book was about and introduced us to the apprentice, now grown, being teacher to the village and his twin sons. My daughter is only a year old, but just the colors kept her attention. I look forward to when the words will have the same effect, as I'm sure they will.

This beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written book is that rare children's story that teaches and says something important while preserving the wonder and magic of how children (grown and otherwise) view the world.

The Shaman's Apprenctice is one of the rarest of books. It combines an engaging true story with beautiful illustrations. The result in an aural-visual experience that transcends the age of the audience and presents a valuable message to all. It should be required reading for every planetary denizen.

This is an incredible grilling guide. I've tried multiple recipies and they have all come out on fire with taste, inspiration, and yes, desire for incredible food. DO try it, I highly recommend it.

This book is full of great-tasting, well-written recipes. I have been using it for a number of years with consistently good results. There is a useful resources section in the back for getting ingredients you might not be able to locally.

I love the Kerr family thinking when it comes to food-- big, blowsy, can't-have-too-much-of-a-good-thing type thinking. I've used this cookbook for five years, and everything I make has great, authentic Tex-Mex taste. I'd take any advice Park Kerr is giving out.

This book has been my bible for entertainment since I bought it at least 7 years ago. I was on business in Austin, Texas and found it in the airport book store, luckily. Homemade salsas, bbq sauces, ointments and marinades, guides to grilling and smoking all kinds of beef, chicken, pork, fish, lamb...how to make sausages, how to make pizza from scratch and cook them on the grill, how to grill sandwhiches...tons of bbq type side dishes...alchoholic and non type drinks, and special deserts. All my most favored recipes have come from this book. Not one thing I have made has been a disspointment and this book has helped me earn the reputation of being one of the best bbq entertainers around.

My personal favorites:

spicy lemon chicken
molasses mop beef ribs
avocado salsa
picadillo salsa
Western Red BBQ sauce
bbq pizza (make dough from scratch!)
smoked t bone steaks with green chile butter
marinaded and grilled mushrooms, red onions, vegetables
rosemary new potatoes
grilled sweet potatoe planks
marinaded red pepper & jalepeno Cole Slaw (no mayonaise!)
jack daniels pudding cake
pineapple tequila
pineapple tequila margaritas
Grilled peaches with walnut oil on vanilla bean ice cream

I am going from memory on the titles, but I have captured the essence. If you like to grill, or have an affinity for chips and salsa, smoked meats, spicy foods, beer or tequila..this book will not dissappoint. Even if you don't love all those things you will find killer recipes here. And hey, I don't even know the author (unfortunately) I just love this book.

Great cookbook! The recipes are easy to understand and even better tasting. Mr. Kerr has a flair for setting the mood for each of his recipes with anecdotal descriptions of how to serve and what to serve with the dish. The only drawback is sometimes the recipes call for ingredients that are not easily obtained (common grocery store), but he warns of that in the book! It's a good read and a great cookbook.

Left me wishing the book was twice as long.

Simon Marsden is a master of the art of infrared photography. The pictures are haunting and project an eerie dreamlike quality. I highly recommend this book as an excellent example of the chilling effects of infrared photography

A most interesting pictorial collection of forlorn sadness.
I find the images both beautiful and emensly contemplative, images that conjure ghosts and spirits real or perhaps imagined, yet provacative none the less. One ponders how these phantoms shall apear in a thousand years, and rue the thought how long they may have lasted would they not been murdred by circumstances. The text that accompanies the images an important, interesting, and informative heuristic. This book ostensibly one any Artist, Architectae, or student of history should have in his Librarié.

A wonderful book full of haunting images of the castles and houses of Ireland that have now fallen into ruin and decay. Excellent subjects for infrared photography.

The photographs are on the whole well composed and the overall effect can be quite disturbing. An explanation of the fate of the various buildings is included. A book which sits on the shelf ready to show visitors instantly the nature and feel of infrared photography.

There is an excellent supporting article by Pete Schermerhorn in the Official Infrared FAQ describing his visits to the places photographed in the book together with map grid references.

For some reason neither the authors nor the publishers admit that the images in this book are photographed in infrared. This is a pity since the juxtaposition of buildings and foliage is one of the best subjects for this and overgrown ruins are an excellent subject. As an infrared specialist myself I have a small reservation about a few of the photographs from a technical standpoint but I can't fault the sense of composition and form that they show.