North America Books

I gave this book to my husband. He is a rangeland management major and he is in love with the book. I do not know anything about plants, but he seems to love it and find it extremely useful. Compare to the expensive "weeds of the west" this book is relatively cheap for the amount of plants it has.

As a Range Conservationist in WA State a great book for all range mgrs, range techs., however, I was surprised to see Thurber needlegrass taken out of the most recent issue.

This is a great reference book for North American Range plants. It includes a detailed description of each plant along with sketchs and a maps to show distribution. Grasses, forbs and shrubs are included. This book also closely follows the lists for university range plant identification team contests. An excellent reference or study book for North American plants.

This book contains 200 of the most common range plants in North America. Each entry contains a detailed illustration, range maps, scientific and common names, complete written description, growth habit, origin, livestock value, and medicinal uses of the plant. I found the illustrations to be the best I've ever seen, especially the detail included in the grass spikelets. This is an excellent reference for anyone trying to familiarize themselves with common range plants.

North American Range Plants is a great book for any beginer, taxonomy student, layman, and expert alike. It is easy for the novice, because it's not in a key format, which may disappoint some more serious plant collectors. It contains 200 of the most common, and important plants found in the United States, Canada and Mexico. I have had this book for sometime now, and it has become an invaluable resource in my studies at Texas A&M University, where I have come to know one of the co-authors, Stephan Hatch. He has an unparralled knowledge of plants and a dedication like no other to put forth a good product, so i know from experience that this book was written by folks who are the top in their field of study. Being from Texas, i have worked internships in the plains of central North Dakota and the desert "outback" of eastern Oregon and have found the book to most useful, oftentimes referring to it before trying to "key out" a plant in a more technical publication. It just doesn't get any better than this.

For somebody who appreciates exceptionally fine photography and writing that is definitely a cut above today's standard, I highly recommend Pacific in My Soul. Seldom does a "picture book" do it for me, but this is an exception. Having acquired my first copy as a gift, I've now found it an excellent way to communicate that majesty we here on the Northwest Coast are lucky enough to call "home". I've not yet read any of Anne Chadwick's other work, but am looking forward to doing so. Her descriptions are accurate, vivid and most of all, readable. She is an author who knows both her subject, and has a way of delighting her readers with the simplicity and the depth of her understanding of nature captured in both word and photography.

Looking at the pictures in this book took my breath away! The photography is so wonderful, I felt as if I could reach into the pictures and feel the water. I would love to have many of these framed in my house. I loved how Ms. Chadwick used her personal experiences in the book to tell me how she took them. She gave information about the animals and locations in such and easy to read and relateable way. A lovely book to keep around!

I picked this up while I was on vacation up at Sea Ranch this August. I love finding local books. I've been going to Sea Ranch for the past 5 years or so and this book is like bringing a little bit of that life home with us. I have read it and loved it, but leave it out on the coffee table, where just a glance is like a whiff of ocean breeze that calms my soul and soothes me.

Pacific in My Soul by Anne Chadwick is a remarkable effort. From the gray whales of San Ignacio Bay in Baja to the brown bears of Katmai in Alaska, the book examines the Pacific coast from a naturalist's keen and insightful perspective. It's a surprisingly big view of a big place in a compact 96-page package. More than 40 illustrated essays cover fauna (seals, otters, sea lions, whales, raccoons, deer, bear, elk, eagles, cormorants, swans, butterflies); flora (azaleas, rhododendrons, lilies, amanita); phenomena (waves, storms, fog, moon); and moods (sunrises, solitude, morning dew, sunsets). The writing is engaging, entertaining, and enlightening. The style is crisp, fresh, and lyrical. The voice is contemplative and reverent, and not a bit shrill or strident. The photography is stunning. Pacific in My Soul is practically a clinic in combining the visual with the verbal to evoke a powerful sense of place. Highly recommended.

Whether you have been there and want to reminisce or just want to understand the draw of the northern Pacific coast you will enjoy the beautiful photography and personal narrative of Pacific in My Soul. Pelicans, elephant seals, egrets, waves, sea otters, solitude, rhododendrons, herons, tidal pools, gray whales, redwoods, raccoons, ospreys, wildflowers, fog (beautiful picture), sea lions, lily, orcas, butterflies, elk, bald eagles, sunsets and other subjects are addressed in the book. Written as a personal sharing of the author's favorite things about the Pacific Northwest, it is both a beautiful and intimate work. Pacific in My Soul is highly recommended for nature enthusiasts of all kinds.

About the only objection I could have for this book was there wasn't enough of it.
But in reality, this is a very good and useful overview of an ancient and still-vibrant American Church movement. Origins are explained well, if not in too much detail, and the various ceremonies themselves are outlined with accuracy.

And then there is the art and the artifacts. Some fine examples of Peyote Visual Arts are featured like the sacred implements used by the Road-Man and his helpers as well as the personal items, fans, gourd rattles and cedar storage boxes.
There are great pictures of silverwork, altar cloths, hide and ledger-book paintings, and sacred staffs from differing fireplaces.

Probably what I like most about this book, is the respectful and dignified approach to the subject itself. Even the title expresses respect.
The institution of the Native American Church has been controversial throughout it's whole history, but Daniel Swan assumes the topic from the standpoint of what it is to the people who attend and worship: the Art of an ancient American religion, and it's symbols of Faith and Belief.

"Peyote Religious Art" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy."

Not only a wonderful book for the uninitiated, but a lovely work for those familiar not only with the NAC but also those featured in the book. Daniel Swan presents a well-written and enjoyable read on the topic.

The artistic traditions associated with the Native American Church are amazingly diverse and dynamic. Long neglected by scholars, Peyote Religious Art is now the definitive examination of this rich artistic field. While Peyotism is often misunderstood by both its detractors and its admirers, this clear and factual book is the result of Swan's long-term friendships with artists and other members of the church. It is beautifully written and wonderfully illustrated in color.

I am truely taken by this book. As a fan of Native American artwork, I found this book not only informative regarding the struggle for religios freedom taking place in our nations heartland, but the images to go with it were incredable. A must read for any one interested in current Native American affairs, Native American religious history, or Native American traditional artwork.

...this book is definitely for the obsessive. These are pioneers who, for the most part, predate the concepts of stardom. Early recording companies, like early movie studios, were not interested in sharing any revenue with any "stars" that required promotion -- yes, Sarah Bernhardt made a movie or two, and Caruso sold a lot of records, but they were exceptions -- people who had reputations built outside the new mediums. For this reason, you'll find a lack of big-name stars. What you will find is a wealth of information on the practically unknown legions of men and women who were among the first to actually record the sounds and songs from the last two centuries. I found it fascinating, and of value in the obsessive cataloging that often goes hand-in-hand with the hobby of record collecting. It also helped to make a great many names a lot more human to me, and I'm thankful to the author for that. Not for the average reader, but if you have an interest in the acoustic recordings of popular music from the earliest days... well, you'll be as happy as Jones & Hare.

This is a well written biographical dictionary of the key popular (vs. classical) performers featured on early recordings. For example, you can look up "Edison Quartette" and find out that it was also known as the Hayden Quartet and exchanged performers with the American Quartet. Then you can look up the individual singers. I just consulted it this morning to find out about an early recording of John Philip Sousa's band.

While it is not a discography, it has information about selected early records, along with a song index. If you want to get a peek at the style, check out Tim Gracyk's site online.

I don't see how any collector of early popular records could live without this book.

POPULAR AMERICAN RECORDING PIONEERS: 1895-1925, by Tim Gracyk, has detailed biographies of singers/musicians on old records! 444 pages. This is the ONLY book ever published to give biographies of early recording pioneers. Learn facts about the singers who made records of "popular" music before 1925! The book's opening essay gives a summary of the history of the early recording industry, the "acoustic" era. Rare sources were used--trade journals like TALKING MACHINE WORLD, memos from the Edison, Victor, Zon-O-Phone, U-S Everlasting, and Columbia record companies, etc. Following the long intro are detailed encyclopedic articles (organized alphabetically): 100 artists with separate entries in the book include the American Quartet, Billy Murray, Ada Jones, Cal Stewart (Uncle Josh), Nat Wills, Steve Porter, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (other "jass" bands of 1917 covered, too), Paul Whiteman, George J. Gaskin, Carl Fenton, Sam Ash, Aileen Stanley, Henry Burr, the Peerless Quartet, Arthur Collins, Byron G. Harlan, the duo Collins and Harlan (separate entry--new info!), S. H. Dudley, Al Bernard, Edward M. Favor, Rudy Wiedoeft, Sousa, Walter B. Rogers, Vess L. Ossman, Sam Lanin, Bert Williams, Frisco Jazz Band, Olive Kline, J. W. Myers, Ben Selvin, the Green Brothers, Haydn Quartet (the quartet that sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for Victor), Marion Harris, Arthur Fields, Irving Kaufman, Will F. Denny, Frank C. Stanley, Nat Shilkret, Frank Ferera (did his wife and fellow recording artist Helen Louise die of foul play? she vanished during a ship voyage in 1919!), James Reese Europe (Jim Europe), Victor Military Band, Victor Light Opera Company, Werrenrath, Shannon Four (Revelers), Richard Jose...many more! Rare info here from descendants of the artists, from old letters sent to historian Jim Walsh (some never published by Walsh), from rare primary sources like birth & death certificates, from archives! This is the ONLY book that covers artists who, from the 1890s to the mid-1920s, made records of music that was "popular" in nature, as opposed to records of operatic arias, symphonic works, or concert pieces. A pre-electric method for recording was used, with musicians performing into a horn, not a microphone. This encyclopedia covers American artists who recorded Tin Pan Alley numbers, Broadway show tunes, ragtime, "coon" songs, novelty numbers, quartet arrangements, parlor ballads, early jazz (sometimes called "jass"), blues, dance music, hymns, and early country. This book makes a distinction between stage personalities who happened to make some recordings--when they found time in their busy schedules--and artists who made their living largely by recording regularly, perhaps finding a little time on the side for theatrical performances, vaudeville, or concert recitals. Few stars of the stage made records regularly, exceptions being Bert Williams, Nora Bayes, and Al Jolson--even their output is minuscule compared with that of Henry Burr, Harry Macdonough, Lewis James, Vernon Dalhart, Irving Kaufman, and others who, for a long time, earned a living by recording. Over 100 of these kinds of artists covered in detail, with info available nowhere else! This book has a GREAT INDEX if you want to look up specific records/songs.

Anyone who collects old 78s knows how frustratingly difficult it can sometimes be to learn about the musicians responsible for making the recordings. This book spotlights dozens of acoustic-era (1890s-1920s) recording stars, in most cases providing the most complete and detailed biographies I've found anywhere. The introduction is particularly helpful, providing an overview of the recording industry in its early years, examining how recording limitations dictated what and who was recorded, offering glimpses into the studios where these records were made, and a valuable note about estimations of record sales. This introduction nicely balances the individual accounts that come after and helps us see how these musicians fit in the "overall picture." If you've got moldy stacks of old 78s by Arthur Fields, Irving Kaufman, Ada Jones, The Sannon Quartet, Joseph C. Smith, or others like that, you might just find yourself cleaning them off and playing them again after reading this book. I find these old acoustics are much easier to enjoy once I know something about the people who made them.

This isn't a sit-down-and-read-like-a-novel book, it's more like an encyclopedia, with 1-10 page articles about individual musicians and groups. At times, the articles feel a bit "choppy," but on the whole they are quite readable and there's plenty of information. Unfortunately, the binding of this paperback version is rather poor (the sheets are just glued directly to the flimsy spine, not sewn together), maybe the hardcover version is better bound? So far, my paperback is still intact, but for how much longer, I can only guess. This is a book I pull off the shelf often to answer many of the questions that come up when I listen to my 78s. Gracyk and Hoffman will give you a whole new appreciation for these old records! Highly recommended!

POPULAR AMERICAN RECORDING PIONEERS: 1895-1925, by Tim Gracyk, has detailed biographies of singers/musicians on old records! 444 pages. This is the ONLY book ever published to give biographies of early recording pioneers. Learn facts about the singers who made records of "popular" music before 1925! The book's opening essay gives a summary of the history of the early recording industry, the "acoustic" era. Rare sources were used--trade journals like TALKING MACHINE WORLD, memos from the Edison, Victor, Zon-O-Phone, U-S Everlasting, and Columbia record companies, etc. Following the long intro are detailed encyclopedic articles (organized alphabetically): 100 artists with separate entries in the book include the American Quartet, Billy Murray, Ada Jones, Cal Stewart (Uncle Josh), Nat Wills, Steve Porter, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (other "jass" bands of 1917 covered, too), Paul Whiteman, George J. Gaskin, Carl Fenton, Sam Ash, Aileen Stanley, Henry Burr, the Peerless Quartet, Arthur Collins, Byron G. Harlan, the duo Collins and Harlan (separate entry--new info!), S. H. Dudley, Al Bernard, Edward M. Favor, Rudy Wiedoeft, Sousa, Walter B. Rogers, Vess L. Ossman, Sam Lanin, Bert Williams, Frisco Jazz Band, Olive Kline, J. W. Myers, Ben Selvin, the Green Brothers, Haydn Quartet (the quartet that sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for Victor), Marion Harris, Arthur Fields, Irving Kaufman, Will F. Denny, Frank C. Stanley, Nat Shilkret, Frank Ferera (did his wife and fellow recording artist Helen Louise die of foul play? she vanished during a ship voyage in 1919!), James Reese Europe (Jim Europe), Victor Military Band, Victor Light Opera Company, Werrenrath, Shannon Four (Revelers), Richard Jose...many more! Rare info here from descendants of the artists, from old letters sent to historian Jim Walsh (some never published by Walsh), from rare primary sources like birth & death certificates, from archives! This is the ONLY book that covers artists who, from the 1890s to the mid-1920s, made records of music that was "popular" in nature, as opposed to records of operatic arias, symphonic works, or concert pieces. A pre-electric method for recording was used, with musicians performing into a horn, not a microphone. This encyclopedia covers American artists who recorded Tin Pan Alley numbers, Broadway show tunes, ragtime, "coon" songs, novelty numbers, quartet arrangements, parlor ballads, early jazz (sometimes called "jass"), blues, dance music, hymns, and early country. This book makes a distinction between stage personalities who happened to make some recordings--when they found time in their busy schedules--and artists who made their living largely by recording regularly, perhaps finding a little time on the side for theatrical performances, vaudeville, or concert recitals. Few stars of the stage made records regularly, exceptions being Bert Williams, Nora Bayes, and Al Jolson--even their output is minuscule compared with that of Henry Burr, Harry Macdonough, Lewis James, Vernon Dalhart, Irving Kaufman, and others who, for a long time, earned a living by recording. Over 100 of these kinds of artists covered in detail, with info available nowhere else! This book has a GREAT INDEX if you want to look up specific records/songs.

I found this to be a well written, high quality book that should prove to be a great read for anyone. The language is easy to understand which makes it a good leisure read but at the same time it provides a wealth of information about wildlife, habitats, environments, and interactions that, as a grad student, I still found very interesting and informative.

The Great Plains of the North America extend from Alberta to Texas and from the Rockies to the Mississippi river. It's the heartland of America.

This book, profusely illustrated and reverantly written is the story of the heartland. While it is the story of people, it's more the story of the land itself. It's the story of ancient seas, of Tyannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, and grass. Grass, seemingly engless miles of grass. Tall grass, short grass, drought resistent grass, food for the buffalo that wandered here in vast herds.

Of course the book talks about man's impact on the land. Farming plants a handful of crop species, where 5,000 wild plants grow in the Great Plains.

The future has to be discussed in a book like this, and for once the news is not all bad. To be sure, there are species at risk, but the overall picture is certainly one of hope.

A fascinating book on an area that is rarely thought about, let along the subject of books.

An excellent book. Well written and scientifically accurate. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is enchanted with the beauty and grandeur of the North American prairie.

I love the prairie, no doubt about that, and I'm proud to have been born and raised in the vast expanse of the middle of the great continent. The prairie brings a unique feeling of solitude, quietude, and openness that can be found not many places else in the world. I fully recommend this book to those that love the prairie, but also to those who are not interested at all in the vast expanse, who, as the book asserts, would rather get across it as quickly as possible. Scientifically and emotionally written, it is a beautiful book, with many illustrations, one that is worthy to be read.

The book is very well written, and the many artful photos in the book really make me wish I could spend a whole summer in the prairies. The author knows what she's talking about for certain. I could just keep on reading such educating books.

'The Presidents', edited by Henry F. Graff, is a spectacular reference. There are essays on each of the presidents from George Washington to Bill Clinton (with a few exceptions), as well as handy reference pages at the back with quick snapshots of crucial data.

The essays are roughly 20 pages per figure, more for some and less for others (it is ironic that Teddy Roosevelt has more pages than Franklin Roosevelt, or that both Richard Nixon and George Bush the elder have more pages than Abraham Lincoln, but then, quality is not a simple calculation of page numbers). Some presidents are paired for purposes of the essays - William Henry Harrison and John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore, James Garfield and Chester Arthur are each paired, as the length of time in office for each of the former figures in the pairs is rather brief, and none of the successors from the vice presidency went on to second terms.

The essays include very brief overviews of the time before office, as well as time after the presidency (as appropriate). However, the primary focus of the information is on the policies and events during the time of the presidency; this extends to military, diplomatic, administrative, legislative and judicial matters. This is one of the best one-volume references that includes cabinet members and other leaders of the executive branch in addition to the presidents; one has but to read headlines today to realise how important these figures can be in shaping the overall image and direction of a presidency.

There is also a concluding essay on role of the first lady, from Martha Washington to Hillary Clinton. From Dolley Madison's saving the portrait of Washington as the British burned the city to the extraordinary influence of figures such as Edith Galt Wilson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton, these women are deserving of attention for their work and influence.

Perhaps the most handy feature is Appendix B, the summary tables of data on the presidents. These feature in bullet form key biographical data, election returns, major appointments, political composition of Congress, Cabinet and Supreme Court appointments, and key events arranged chronologically. The index is also very well done; at 64 pages in length, I was hard pressed to find something in the text not referenced in the index.

The essays vary in quality, but even the least of them is pretty good. The essays on the earlier presidents, because they concentrate more on details of in-office activity, filled in many gaps in my knowledge of some of the administrations. This is a book destined to be more of a library volume than a personal possession, which is unfortunate, as this is a valuable text.

This book has a short (15-20 pages) biography of each president
through Bill Clinton (remember, it was published in 1996); obviously,
it cannot give as full a history as a full, comprehensive biography
could. But for many of the presidents, it is almost impossible to find
a full, comprehensive biography, and for those interested in those
presidents, this work is invaluable. Also, each chapter has an
exhaustive bibliography, so those interested in learning more are given
the names of books, many of them out of print, to look for.

A must for any presidential history buff.

This book is an excellent source for presidential research. As an AP American History student, this book is an INVALUABLE resource. It discusses all of the major events of the presidency with some detail. This saves a lot of secondary research which can delay completion of a project for days.

This book is not for people who want to learn interesting facts about the presidents. At times the book focuses more on the president's cabinet than on himself. However, this does accuratly describe how certain presidents controlled the country. There are chapters for each president. Each essay is very knowlegdable as each essay is written by an expert on that particular president. The terms are very detailed. This book does, however, seem to exclude much of the effects of the presidents decisions. The essays at times are overly complex. But in general the author describes himself well. Each author seems to be unbiased and is quick to reveal short-comings of his particular president. The readability seems to increase with the number of president. Starting with Wilson the essays are great. Notable essays include Wilson's, Harding's, and L. Johnson's. Overall this book is great. But, this book is NOT for everybody. It requires great interest a! nd an active mind. But, it is worth it.

This is one of the best one-volume references on the American presidents I have come across. While some general biographical material is provided, such as how each man spent his formative years, each section is mostly devoted to an over-the-shoulder look at the key figures of his administration, with benefit of historical hindsight, as they grapple with the issues and problems of the time. Particular attention is paid to distinctive qualities that set each president apart from his peers and to key decisions and actions that made a lasting difference to the country. This is more than a mere presentation of facts: we get a definite feel for each man's style of leadership and even his vision for the nation.

With each section written by a different contributor, there is bound to be some unevenness of style and tone, and there is. Generally, each presentation is scholarly and disinterested--although by no means dry--and free from excessive praise or condemnation, but for two exceptions that somewhat detract from the work. The most egregious of these is the section on Franklin Pierce, which is filled with personal gibes and, to a much lesser degree, the section on Calvin Coolidge. This is particularly surprising in light of the fact that such controversial figures as Andrew Johnson, Warren G. Harding and even Richard Nixon have been handled so professionally. But otherwise there is little to fault.

With only 15 to 20 pages devoted to each administration, obviously many difficult decisions had to be made on what material to include and exclude. Yet, it is the insight that went into these decisions that is one of the high points of this book; indeed, there is more than enough material to satisy most history buffs. However, those looking for obscure facts or trivia about each man, except when such details are directly relevant to the central issues of the time, are best advised to consult full-length biographies. Extensive references, including a list of such biographies, have been provided at the end of each section.

My 5 year old daughter recently became interested in eagles and this book is perfect in helping her learn more. Each page is dedicated to a bird, and information is written in small amounts so she actually reads everthing about a particular raptor and learns someting too. There are also "cool facts" on each page, and they are exactly that, cool.

If you love raptors, then this book is a great way to get you started learning about them. The drawings and full color paintings are superb. The information is more than enough for a good introduction, and if you like bird carving, then this is one of the best reference books you can have. I got one for myself, and gave the kids their own. It's not just a coloring book, the activities are designed to get the reader thinking and doing, especially observing nature and not television. Perfect for home schoolers.

This is the only children's book I've seen that does a comprehensive job portraying the richness and diversity of birds of prey that exist in North America...As a scientist, this is certainly the kind of coloring book I'd be happy to give my kids. And, as a raptor biologist, I'd be proud to give it to a colleague's kids.

Wonderful facts and great drawings! Excellent natural history information. Great fun for children of all ages.

Coloring books are not appropriate for library lending and are typically not featured here; but Raptors: The Eagles Hawks Falcons And Owls Of North America is a very fine educational guide and a highly recommended pick parents will want to pick up for their children and that librarians could utilize as a reading prize incentive for their summer reading program promotions. Color drawings of hawks, eagles, and owls accompany basic information on North American raptors, with complex and detailed black and white drawings kids can fill in. A simple, appealing coverage.

David Fuller cook has "impart(ed)a state of well-being to the cosmos by story.." that has restored me. Each of his carefully crafted characters has taught me a lesson in truth ~ as all beings do. David knows that all of us have a gift to offer, even the most imperfect among us. Bravo and thanks for reminding us of our interconnectedness and the value that we all carry.

It took me a few pages to get into the rhythm of this storyteller's easy voice. Yet the narrative blossomed--simple, yet rich with the spirit of an ancient Uwharrie society evolving into a modern era. Warren's voice released the essence of Native American culture; which weaves folklore, mischief, gossip, and even mystery into a fabric as sweet and sorrowful as reservation life itself must be. The youth's account also gives the reader a taste of the legal and social bearing of life in a tiny nation within a nation. A joy to read!

Dave Cook has revealed his deeply intuitive intellect in every word and in each character in his story.He possesses the natural ear and cadence of the native Uwharrie.
Warren Eubanks, the Seed, takes us on a journey that will change how you feel about the life and the history of the American Indian. He gently lifts the veil that separates the harsh reality of reservation life and the timeless spirituality which we have come to seek and revere in the Native American Indian.
Dave has captured the heartbeat, breath, and soul of a people we seldom have the privilege meeting. At last, a worthy sequel to "Bury my heart at Wounded Knee".

Dave's writing draws you in and carries you right along. This book was a quick read and I want to reread it because I have a sense that there are parts I missed the first time because of the quiet way he drops clues throughout the story.The wonderful circular way that the story is woven felt familiar and intimate. I could see every character. Also, although he says in the beginning that it is fictional, he speaks with the voice of someone who understands reservation life all too well. Bravo Dave!
SSD - Reston, VA

Reservation Nation had layers of symbolism. I've only read it once, but I plan on having another go. Although it was a quick read each and every character was vivid. I highly recommend this book for it's subtlety and complexity because both are masked by the sweet voice of a boy simply trying to understand his own culture and his place in it. Aren't we all?

I'm often frustrated by books on "the environment," much of which talk about pollution, toxic chemicals, recycling and related topics. Those strike me as questions of human health and safety - - these issues don't really value the environment for itself, but only in terms of whether or not humans are fouling our nest.

This book lays out a different vision, one much closer to the kind of manifesto that I've been looking for. Foreman wants to "rewild" large chunks of land in North America. Some of these lands will be strictly preserved, such as wildernesses and national parks, but much of the action takes place in buffer zones, corridors between preserved areas, and thinking about how to make the human-occupied matrix more friendly to nature.

Foreman wants to create four "Continental MegaLinkages," which would preserve a network of preserved lands. The MegaLinkages are breathtaking: the Pacific MegaLinkage (Baja to Alaska); the Spine of the Continent MegaLinkage (Central America to Alaska through the Rockies); the Atlantic MegaLinkage (Florida through the Appalachian Mountains to New Brunswick); and the Arctic-Boreal MegaLinkage (from Alaska across Canada to the Maritimes).

Did you notice that the prairies of the United States and Canada are completely left out? Neither did Foreman. He never discusses them. That was my biggest single disappointment of the book, and it cost him that fifth star.

To make his argument, Foreman talks about how humans have caused extinctions from the Stone Age until the present - - 40,000 years of environmental destruction. Then he talks about the core ideas of conservation biology to set the stage for his proposed MegaLinkages. In particular, he emphasizes the importance of cores, corridors and carnivores.

Both the extinctions chapters and the presentation of conservation biology are well-written and clear. If you're not familiar with these ideas, this is a good place to get an introduction.

Then Foreman descends to the nitty-gritty details about how activists can survey a region and put together proposals for preserved lands and linkages between them. These chapters draw heavily on his own experience in the Southwest, especially in New Mexico. It's not obvious to me that they translate well to, say, boreal Canada - - or to the prairies. A greater diversity of examples would help him here.

Objections aside, this is an impressive and impassioned manifesto. Foreman makes a convincing case that we need to think about how to preserve a lot of lands on a very large scale. There are other books making similar cases, and I've reviewed a few others on Amazon, but this one is the best for the general reader.

Finally there is something which dares to challenge conventionality in its face and say capitalism and manifest destiny arent doing us any favours... This books opens your mind to greater processes and aspirations than what were are trained for in society... go for it!

Nearly 60 years ago, Aldo Leopold gave the world a treasure: his "Sand County Almanac". "Rewilding North America" is the Sand County Almanac of our time, in eloquence as well as vision. Dave Foreman, who raised the conservation bar so shockingly (and successfully) with "Earth First!" 25 years ago, has now become an elder, a respected colleague of the leading lights in conservation biology, while carrying on his legacy of showing the rest of us new possibities for bolder and more biocentric paths of ethics and action.

"Rewilding North America" is THE environmental vision for this era and for this continent. The book begins with the most succinct and heart-stoppingly depressing summary of the bad news of biodiversity and ecological losses that I have yet encountered. But hang in there, because Foreman then masterfully unfolds a program of possibility that is both radical and realistic -- and inspirational beyond measure!

As we biodiversity and wilderness advocates continue the important work in the paradigm of preservation (that is, saving all the pieces we can against the onslaught of vapid consumerism), we can also begin to take the exciting first steps in a new form of ecological restoration. Dave's "rewilding" proposal is long-term in both directions: He considers a baseline for rewilding that goes back 13,000 years to just before the first humans arrived in North America, while setting forth a vision that is intended -- dare I say, destined -- to grow over this century and the next. That means we don't just stop at bringing back Wolf and Griz; we also start plotting paths for repatriating Cheetah to its continent of origin, and assisting Order Proboscidea in once again leisurely reshaping the tusked behemoths of the Old World into New World natives.

Onward with the Great Work!

Foreman paints both a depressing and hopeful picture of the state of eco-affairs. Sobering information regarding the war on nature along with a plan to recoup some of the biological losses mother nature has endured in the industrial/tech ages.

This is a MUST READ book for anyone with an ounce of caring in their bones for the future of life on Earth.

Dave Foreman (of Earth First!) has written a powerful manifesto for the recovery of American wild space. What is so refreshing about his approach is that, like Leopold and Thoreau before him, he recognizes that the real problem for an environmentalist who values wilderness is not how to preserve pockets of wilderness against human activity, but how to reintegrate wilderness back into our lives and habitations. One reason for this is that pockets of wilderness are unsustainable --to flourish they need to be large enough to sustain populations of large predators and that requires much more space than we currently allot to our wildlife preserves, and even this amount of space is constantly under threat. The solution is to allow for corridors that connect wild spaces, and Foreman shows how this can be done and is already being done in certain parts of North America. Another reason is that in the long run to survive as a species we are going to have to move away from the fuel intensive and non-localized approaches to economy that have been largely responsible for the decimation of vast chunks of land. Finally, he argues that there is something about wilderness that is essential to our humanity, and that the presence of vital natural areas and even of large predators closer to home is an important factor in fostering the humility in the face of nature that we are going to need to rediscover if we are to learn to live sustainably. In some ways this all might seem like a utopian project, but what is powerful about the book is how elaborately it lays out the details of how such a project can be accomplished, and how it explains the conservation science at the root of this project, and identifies the networks of organizations already working with these concerns. The point is not utopia -- literally a non-place -- but learning how to get back into place as a culture. I don't know if his vision can be put into practice but I like the vision -- and find it much more exciting and realistic and motivating than, say, the vision of conquering space and going to Mars. I also think his vision of a recovered American wildness is compatible with and complementary to visions of a green economy. This is the kind of visionary book that young politicians and activists should be reading today.

It is hard to believe that other people have not written about Richard Taylor, but they need not bother now that Parrish has written this book. This book on Taylor is engaging and interesting, but also very scholarly. Although Parrish's writing style can be dry at times, his topic does not allow the book to get mired in details or become boring. Instead, Taylor's life jumps off the pages and Taylor led such a life that we, the reader, get a great overview of pre-Civil War politics, the war in the Trans-Mississippi, and the Reconstruction Era. Normally, I find the pages on the time before and after the war somewhat boring, but this was not the case with this book. The whole book really kept my attention and was very interesting. Thinking back, I really cannot think of any criticisms of this work. Just a good, solid history book.

In my humble opinion, Parrish's is one of the best biographies I have ever read. Admittingly, the book is about a fascinating person: the son of a US President and Mexican War Hero who continues his family's military heritage by becoming a Lieutenant General in the Confederate Army without the benefit of a West Point education and becomes power in pre and post Civil War Louisiana. Writing a book about such a person should result in an interesting read!

Throughout the book, Parrish maintains an excellent balance in presenting Taylor's life, including: early life and pressures as the son of a famous hero, early indifference to formal education, success as a wealthy plantation owner, relationships with slaves, views of slavery, entrance into Louisiana politics, CSA military service eventually leading to the rank of lieutenant general, post Civil War years, and later years. Parrish does an excellent job of covering each area and as a result, the reader learns the many sides of a fascinating character.

Particularly interesting to me were the descriptions of Taylor's relationships with several noted Civil War personalities: Lee, Davis, Beauregard, Johnston, Jackson, Grant, Sibley, Smith, Forrest, Bragg, and others. With few exceptions, Taylor was able to get along with most of the people he encountered during the war - a rare accomplishment indeed. Parrish does an excellent job or summarizing Taylor's valuable service to the CSA and the book contains excellent maps of the battles Taylor participated in.

All in all, an excellent and highly recommended read of one of the Civil War's most fascinating personalities!

This is a highly readable yet scholarly treatment of an important nineteenth century Southerner. Dick Taylor, son of President Zachary Taylor, was a Yale-educated aristocrat and Louisiana sugar plantation owner when the Civil War broke out. By war's end he was a Lieutenant General. Although he had no pre-war military training, he became one of the Confederacy's most able commanders. Parrish expertly covers Taylor's entire life, but naturally focuses on the Civil War exploits. In addition to being an excellent strategist and tactician, Taylor was colorful, self-confident, oblivious to what others thought of him, and a lifelong practitioner of noblesse oblige. Parrish is clearly enamored of his subject, but this does not stop him from critically examining the contradictions and hypocrisies inherent in Taylor's worldview. The book is free of the anachronisms and politically correct jargon which mar so much recent American historical scholarship.

This is a highly readable yet scholarly treatment of an important nineteenth century Southerner. Dick Taylor, son of President Zachary Taylor, was a Yale-educated aristocrat and Louisiana sugar plantation owner when the Civil War broke out. By war's end he was a Lieutenant General. Although he had no pre-war military training, he became one of the Confederacy's most able commanders. Parrish expertly covers Taylor's entire life, but naturally focuses on the Civil War exploits. In addition to being an excellent strategist and tactician, Taylor was colorful, self-confident, oblivious to what others thought of him, and a lifelong practitioner of noblesse oblige. Parrish is clearly enamored of his subject, but this does not stop him from critically examining the contradictions and hypocrisies inherent in Taylor's worldview. The book is free of the anachronisms and politically correct jargon which mar so much recent American historical scholarship.

This is the best bio I have read to date of General Taylor, although sometimes one must wonder if Mr. Parrish had much sympathy for his subject, with his sometimes disparaging remarks about Southern patriarchy. Perhaps he was simply trying to be PC on the slavery issue, but this didn't add much to the book for me. Still, serious students of General Taylor's exploits and the Western theater of the war will find this book an excellent resource