North America Books

Poor Joe Jefferson. He has a noisy family, not enough time and an assignment to write an essay on "My Amazing Adventure." Given his boring life, he's not even sure what to write about --- but soon he'll have enough adventures to fill a whole book, not just a term paper.

Joe is about to be whisked away to the land of Muddle Earth by Randalf, a truly inept wizard who knows exactly one spell. Randalf and his sidekicks --- the ogre known as Norbert the Not-Very-Big and the bird named Veronica --- have summoned Joe (and his own sidekick, his dog Harry) to Muddle Earth in order to save the kingdom from the horrid ogre known as Engelbert the Enormous.

Joe is a reluctant warrior at best, and despite his new name of Joe the Barbarian, all he really wants is to fulfill his duties and get back home again. Before Joe can even approach the fearsome Engelbert, however, he has to be outfitted with the appropriate warrior garb: the Woolly Gloves of Determination, the Wellies of Power, the War-bonnet of Sarcasm and the Trident of Trickery (which, given Randalf's pitiful budget, are actually old gloves and boots, a saucepan and a toasting-fork).

Nevertheless, despite his apprehension, Joe turns out to be a most capable hero, even when confronted not only with fearsome ogres and trolls but even by dragons, rogue cutlery and the fiercest villain of all --- Doctor Cuddles of Giggle Glade, who vows to become Lord and Master of Muddle Earth. But will Randalf, whose only spell involves bringing questionable heroes to Muddle Earth, be able to return Joe to the place he wants to be most of all --- home?

Originally published in Great Britain in 2003 by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, the duo responsible for the hugely successful Edge Chronicles series, MUDDLE EARTH is now available to American readers for the first time. It is probably obvious from the title that MUDDLE EARTH is, in many ways, a parody of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. From its three-part structure to its detailed maps at the novel's opening to the names of its characters (Randalf = Gandalf, Joe = Frodo, Musty Mountains = Misty Mountains, etc.), it's clear that Stewart and Riddell are having a great deal of fun at the expense of Tolkien's enduringly popular series.

It is fortunate, however, that MUDDLE EARTH has much to recommend it beyond being simply a funny parody. Its humor will appeal to all fans of light-hearted, satirical fantasy, particularly those who enjoy the works of Terry Pratchett. The book manages to combine inventive storylines with tongue-in-cheek humor: "The following day dawned bright and early --- unlike the day before, when it had been an hour late, and the previous Wednesday when it hadn't dawned until one-twenty in the afternoon."

It's hard to say which aspect will hook readers first --- Joe's "Amazing Adventures" or the antics of Muddle Earth's achingly funny characters. Regardless, this is one fantasy destination that kids won't soon want to come home from.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

if you know a child or adult who needs a good fun laugh and has the imagination to enjoy this child/adult book then don't hesitate to get it. i received it just before new years day and had a good laugh to blow 2007 blues away completely. know someone in hospital who is allowed to laugh --- best gift ever. my father would have enjoyed this book during his hospital stay. i intend to share it with him shortly and he's 84.

Excellent Book. Fun Read. We loved the Edge Chronicles - this is just as good.

My granddaughter and I share a love for these books and enjoy reading them and then talking about them. Great book!

Muddle Earth is a great humourous book, which will make you laughing in a min.
Joe is a normal school kid on Earth, that is until he gets sucked up to Muddle Earth with his dog, Henry by a Wizard Randalf that only knows half a spell and who turns him to a warrior hero. The other thing is, he can't go home! He's stuck with Veronica, a sarcastic talking budgie, the clueless Wizard Randalf, and Norbert the Not-so-big, a troll, who's obsessed with baking, and icing sugar.
Soon he finds out that the thing about Mudddle Earth, is that it's really muddled! There's cutlery stampedes, talking trees, and babbling brooks.
AND He's expected to fight dragons, defeat trolls, and Stop Dr. Cuddles from taking over Muddle Earth!
This was a really great book, with a humourous plot, and with even more funnier characters! 5 stars just isn't enough for this book!

Though my atlas is in need of an update now, more than seven years after I purchased it, it is still the only one I use when I have a choice. It is, quite simply, the most readable atlas there was when it was made, and, I can say from experience, more accurate than AAA. The hierarchy of lines and type, the fonts, the use of color, and the use of solid color borders on the highway roads especially, increase the readability of the map greatly. It is the only one that can be read at a glance while on the road (not that I recommend doing that...often).

I bought my National Geographic atlas last November. I have been pretty amazed at its accuracy and detail. I think it is ALOT better than Rand McNally or AAA maps. I threw away all my other atlases!

Blows Rand McNally and AAA away! If you need an atlas, quit looking and buy this one. Best I've seen.

Take it from a real "map nut", this is the best road atlas ever. RM and AAA might as well stop publishing. Not only is it VERY readable, but it contains references to interesting places along the way, places like "Carhenge", lots of rail and otehr museums and other off-beat but interesting sites you just shouldn't pass up.

My friend from Ohio summed it up best: "When I look at it, I can see the roads." As the earlier reviewer says, it blows Rand-McNally away. I was a big RM loyalist until we used the National Geo atlas on a recent drive from New Mexico to Iowa.

The major highways and state roads are much clearer on these maps than in the RM, and the national parks are exponentially more visible.

It is a pleasure to use this atlas. Can't wait til the 2000 version comes out in September.

I never received this book ~ Wondering why? ?

I receiced the book on Native American Beadwork promply and am happy with the order. Bill

and that ain't an easy pathway to find, believe me. I love Barth's insistance on using only the most traditional methods, when there are multiple techniques that could be covered. His instructions are so clearly illustrated and explained that I've actually gotten a grip on a method that I have failed to understand for years and am presently using to cover a walking stick with - traditional style gourd stitch. Most books simply teach the two step method and don't even mention the older, three step method and when they do, their instructions tend to be so confusing that I end up with a stick wrapped in a tangled net of tiny beads and thread. But thanks to Barth, I finally get it!

The other methods he covers, lane stitch, loomwork, diagonal weaving and others, he covers with equal clarity and skill and I'm looking forward to using this book to upgrade my abilities and make my art jewelry better than ever!

In Europe, people dress up in buckskins, hang out in tipis and emulate the Native Americans of days gone more than a century and a half ago. Their attention to detail seems to be no less than compulsive, and this book is an ultimate product of this compulsion for authenticity, accuracy and completeness.

Barth has completed an instructional masterpiece of Native American Bead work that I give to experienced Native beaders to their astonishment. If you want to learn technique, buy this book.

I found the book to be one of the best sources of information pertaining the native- american -style beading, espeacially the transmontane beadwork. I have found there several hints and pieces of information I was looking for for several years. Thank you, Mr. Barth.

A Natural History of Trees is a compilation of a rich resource of material on native U.S. Trees. While you'll do better with a Peterson's Field Guide for identification, I don't think you'll find more fun.

Grouped by Family(beginning with Pines and ending with the Ashes) the stories are king here. Just pick your favorite tree and sit back and enjoy. The history of the White Pine, for example, seems almost mythic in its sheer height and size back in colonial days. It very well helped build near most of colonial America, too!

From White Pine to White Oak to Redbud to Sycamore, this is a fascinating and informative read. There is an index of both scientific and common names, plus a glossary and a section called Keys to Species and Genera (which is much easier to decode with a Peterson's Guide at hand).

Also recommended, Petrerson's Field Guide to Eastern Trees(ISBN: 0395904552) and National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees(ISBN: 0394507606) for IDing and Trees in my Forest(ISBN: 0060929421) and the Man Who Planted Trees(ISBN: 1570625387) for more great stories.

What an extraordinary book. You might not think it possible, but this book about trees reads like fine literature. It is full of stories, legends, and facts about these giants in the earth, not to mention the author's interesting ruminations. Here's a sample of Peattie's writing on the bur oak, after the pages devoted to its Latin name, range, characteristics, and the like: "[W]hen we are gone the rippling fox squirrels and the jeering crows will not remember us; the big dull yellow leaves of the Bur Oaks will cover the paths of our autumns. But these same trees will see our children and our children's children, and look to them the mansions that they are."

Wonderful stuff. In addition to all this the book is chockablock with anecdotes of specific trees and their histories, and how our forefathers and the American Indian viewed the various types of trees. Tree lover or not, you'll enjoy this book.

This is a great book for tree lovers.Though not very good for identification(one of the field guides would be better for that),this is an excellent book for the reader who has already learned to identify the various trees and now wants to learn something about them.The short,non-technical articles cover a host of topics,from botany and historical reports to the author's personal acquaintance with the various trees discussed.

This book and its companion volume, "A Natural History of Western Trees," are by far the most detailed accounts of the trees of North America. It's truly too bad the author didn't have the chance to complete the third book in this series: "Southern Trees." Never have I read a richer, more lovingly or enthusiastically written description of trees. Aside from being packed with facts, the books offer a glimpse of man's interaction with trees and teaches one how to interact with them and respect them. The author's enthusiasm is contagious!

This is the essential book for anyone who cares for the trees and forests of the USA. The writer has a talent, unmatched as far as I know, to spin a tale on trees, bringing to life not only the trees of North America but also the people who walked among them.

It also is an essential book for anyone interested in the history of the USA. Fittingly the book starts off with a description of white pine and the birth of what is now the USA. In short anyone who claims to care for trees or to be interested in how the USA came to be and who is not familiar with the contents of this book is in serious danger of appearing to be a charlatan.

[Quality of the reprint could be better; actually this book deserves to be in hardcover. However, the quality of the reprint could also be a lot worse, or -horrible thought!- the book might go out of print altogether]

Edward Sheriff Curtis dedicated his life's work to documenting the customs and lifeways of the Native American peoples of North America. This extraordinary book includes some of the best photographic examples from Curtis' twenty volume masterpiece, "The North American Indian," one of the most significant representations of traditional indigenous culture ever produced.

Curtis was one of two official photographers for the 1899 Harriman expedition to Alaska.
On his return, he stopped in northern Montana, accompanied by George Bird Grinell, editor of Forest and Stream. There he witnesses the deeply sacred Sundance of the Piegan and Blackfoot tribes, a sight which transformed his life. Grinell said to him at that time, "Take a good look. We're not going to see this kind of thing much longer. It already belongs to the past". It became clear to him then, that he was to record, with pen and camera, the life of the North American Indian.

Beginning in 1900 and continuing over the next thirty years, Edward S. Curtis, sometimes called the "Shadow Catcher" by tribes' people, took over 40,000 photographs and recorded ethnographic information from over eighty American Indian tribal groups, ranging from the Eskimo or Inuit people in the North to the Hopi people of the Southwest. In the end, the work comprised twenty textual volumes and twenty portfolios with over 2,000 illustrations
They are organized by tribes and culture areas, encompassing the Great Plains, Great Basin, Plateau Region, Southwest, California, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. Featured here are some of the photographer's most impressive pictures, including: seal-hunting Eskimos of Nunivak Island, portraits of three Piegan chiefs on horseback, portraits of Chief Red Cloud, Ogalala Sioux, Geronimo, Chief Joseph, Nez Perce, the magnificent Canon de Chelly, (Navaho), and one of my favorites, Kotsuis and Hohhuq - Nakoaktok - 2 masked performers in a winter dance.

These reproductions are a precious American legacy and an artistic masterpiece worthy of any collection.
JANA

This book is an indispensable reference for any artist who aspires to paint or draw Native Americans as part of their Western art if they want an authentic representation of those forgotten times.

[As an aside, I managed to find a hardback copy of this book, so they are out there if one looks hard enough for one.]

This book contains the best black/white images from the original complete collection. The portraits of Indian and the past moment of their daily life were captured with their character and dignity.

It is a marvelous image collection (Edward spent 30 years to make this 20-volume encyclopedia) of history. It represents the love of the dying population, and records the broken dream of native Indian.

absolutely stunning recollection of his complete photos. the reproductions are somewhat small, but easily viewable. such a complete set is so awe inspiring, anyone who has an interest or a love for native ameircan history/american history must have this book. absolute beauty.

This is an incredible collection of pictures. Piles on piles of pictures. But... The pictures are small. I was hoping for a collection of large pictures(i.e. 8x10) but the majority of them are approximately 4x5. It's a wonderful book, but don't expect full sized images. Irregardless it's a great buy for the price. You'll have a hard time finding a collection of pictures as big as this(even if the pictures are small) :)

Wow, what great photography. Jim Burns without question knows how to use a camera as well as his pen. The stories make me want to plan my next trip out into the wilderness. I will use the photography as a refrence for years to come. nice work

Instead of creating another field guide, bird photographer Jim Burns has approached writing this book from a different angle. Covering 19 species of North American owls, he sets about describing his own personal observations and experiences with each species in a "journal of owling". His style of writing brings forth the mysterious and illusive side of owls and owling, creating in the reader a sense of desire to experience the owls as he did.
The writings for each species are accompanied by beautiful photographs, including wing detail from above and below. There is also a brief statistics table for each species covering description, size, vocalization, nesting, movements, habits, range and habitat.
Accompanying the Book is short audio CD containing the calls of each of the species in the book. Generally, it is the main call, but several tracks have alternative songs as well. For this reason, it would have been good to have a more detailed track listing than the one provided in the book.
Overall, "North American Owls, a Journey through a Shadowed World" is a splendid experience for any owl lover, and is likely to draw all readers to this unique bird family.

All of my favorite scenes in the Harry Potter movies involve owls. Now that I live in the woods, I can hear owls hooting almost every night, but how can I go about identifying them? Is there someone out there who is even nuttier about owls than I am? Someone who has actually spent nights out in the woods with a flashlight and camera, identifying these mysterious birds? The answer of course, is yes. Jim Burns, author of "North American Owls" doesn't write a 'mere' natural history text about these (mostly) nocturnal predators. He also narrates his journeys of discovery, from Alaska to southern Arizona, usually accompanied by Deva and the bumbles (his wife and two boys). His stories sing a mysterious, mythical, even mystical nocturne. He familiarizes us with "the more nebulous and mysterious aspects of [the owls'] darker side."

Owls are creatures of wisdom, harbingers of death. Even a naturalist of "reputed backcountry acumen and skill feels a little shaky thrashing around in the dead of night chasing ghosts." The chapter on Long-Eared Owls is written as a poem, and many of the narratives of other North American owls lapse into blank verse.

The book's photographs equal the beauty and strangeness of the text. One photograph of a Short-Eared Owl shows its head rotated so that its beak is pointed at 'two-o'clock.' I knew owls could swivel their heads around to look over their backs, but I had no idea they could rotate them like the hands of a clock. I laugh every time I come across this photo. The photos also capture the predatory nature of owls: bloody bits of rabbit and mouse dangling from their claws and beaks.

The author, Jim Burns, has been photographing birds for over 20 years and many of the pictures in this book are his. I am guessing from the text that his favorite photograph is one he took of a Northern Pygmy-Owl, silhouetted against a hazy solar disk, mouse clutched in talons--more art than identification photograph. My own favorite is of a soaring Snowy Owl, because that's the only owl I've ever seen, gliding down the road ahead of me on a cold December evening. I swear its wings spanned the entire width of the state highway. Big. Silent. Snow-colored. Eerie. A visitor from the Arctic that we Michiganders are rarely privileged to see.

This book also contains sidebars with identification features, habits, and range/habitat maps. A CD is included with the book that contains the vocalizations of all nineteen owls included in the text. My only complaint is that the author did not include his own vocalizations on each track in order to identify the owl that is hooting, screeching, or barking. You have to follow the track numbers in order to identify the owl--a small complaint indeed, concerning a very fine book.

Incidentally, one of the things I learned from this book is that Harry Potter's owl Hedwig is a MALE Snowy Owl.

I've always been intrigued by owls. Jim Burns has as well. His knowledge and expertise are rivaled only by his sincerity and passion. His goal, via this book, is not so much that you come to understand owls...but that you come to appreciate owls. His goal is mightily accomplished.

Mr. Burns has done a wonderful job in putting together this book for use by either a layman or a serious birdwatcher. I had the fortune to meet Jim and his wife Deva and they are fascinating people. Jim came across as very knowledgeable not just about owls, but about North American birds in general. His photography is superb despite the inherent difficulty of photographing owls. And the accompanying narrative is a delight to follow. Kudos to Mr. Burns for succeeding admirably on a challenging topic!

This is our first family field guide that we picked up at a used book sale. It is not comprehensive, but covers more than the basics well. The color illustrations are great and we have learned much from the book so far in the year that we've owned it.

Our family uses this book for identification of North American Wildlife -Animals - all the time. We live on a farm with a lake and have many different waterfowl, fox, beavers, deer and other animals visit our farm and we really enjoy looking up the animals to learn its' name, habitat and food requirements. Also as an artist I personally use the beautiful color drawings of the animals as a reference guide to correctly paint them.

My dad would occasionally bring me a book or two, saying "Kathy, I think you would enjoy this." He's been gone for 21 years now, and I have had to reglue sections of pages back onto the spine with PVA glue, but this little book remains the most valuable of all my huge collection of field guides. It has so many entries, and indexed by both common and scientific names; most importantly, the listings for each grouping are organized in a logical way, clustering similar species together so that you can easily find what you are looking for. One of my big gripes about some otherwise-helpful field guides is that there seems to be so little logic in their organization. This one is my favorite because it's not exhaustingly bulky. but so well-researched, that most of what you are likely to come across in your field wanderings will be found here - or you will at least have clues to locating it in a more detailed field guide in your library. They have illustrations of 34 native orchids, again, not comprehensive, but such a good representative sampling of the most-frequently found, and so well and carefully illustrated, that, again, I can give my full recommendation for this fine book. Thanks, Dad! : )

This book has the best fact-filled text and color portraits of any I have read. It includes over 2,000 plants and animals of all types. It is easy to read and research because each section is color tabed. If you wont to exolore Wildlife you need this Book!!

This is the best resource book I have found on the subject matter. All illustrations are done beautifully in color. The following are a few of the specific identification aids used: check marks for physical feature identifiers, symbols identifing habitat, maps displaying geographic location. The book is indexed by common and scientific names, is compact, easy to handle, an excellent reference tool and is good for leisure reading

You cannot put a price on how many hours this book will save you! Has every possible side street. You will never get lost!

This guidebook's title is right on: it's not for tourists. It's for those of us who are moving to Boston and need good maps, information on T-stops and bus lines (very helpful, as no other guidebook I've seen shows bus lines), restaurants, bars, etc. We don't need information on fancy hotels and the Freedom Trail- for that, a different guidebook might do. But this is the one worth buying and keeping tucked in your purse or bag when you're out and about in the city.

I first picked up the NFT guide for New York City in May of 2006 when I was looking for a tourbook for a long weekend trip I had planned. I now have the Chicago and Boston books as well.

These books are the ultimate guide to a city and are not just for people new to the cities. They provide EXCELLENT coverage of the public transportation systems and numbered nieghborhood maps. As well as the locations of resturants, coffe shops, bookstores, edcuational instutions, hospitals, shopping and more.

The design of the books; compact with a black elastic band to either hold your place in the text or to keep items secure within the book, easy to read, and somewhat sarcastic demeanor; is a joy.

If you like to travel, these books are a must.

I bought this book off Amazon and was a little ticked off when it came because:
A) It was so small
B) Half of it was maps

However I have come to love this little book for precisely those reasons. It's the ultimate walking around the city book. It's small enough to fit in your pocket, yet the maps are detailed enough to show every street. The authors accomplish this two ways: there are a lot of map pages, and the guide doesn't try to cover too large an area. If you live in Medford or Arlington, you're out of luck. Somerville is as far north as the guide goes.

Since each map page covers such a small area, you have to turn pages fairly often, but this is not a big deal because:
A) The authors let the map pages overlap considerably, so it's easy to orient yourself on the new page.
B) The maps cover neighborhoods, using logical boundaries. For example, one map page will stop at the charles river, and the next will pick up on the other side.

By devoting three map pages to each neighbourhood (essentials, entertainment, and transportation), the book can convey a lot of information without being cluttered.

Since it fits in your back pocket, this guide is best suited to those taking public transportation. It covers probably ~85% of the T's network (some outlying areas are excluded) and also includes bus routes.

I have been using Rand McNally's street guide boston when I drive around. It's great in the suburban areas. Since its pages are big and is spiral bound, I can keep one page open in the passenger seat. However since it uses a grid system, the positioning of the page boundaries is arbitrary. Since there is no overlap between the pages, navigating around the page boundaries can be a pain.

If you move to Boston, you will need some type of map. There is no rhyme or reason to the streets here.

As a new Bostonian this book has saves me a million times already. If you are newly moved to Boston, this book is a definite must have. There is no rhyme or reason to the streets of the city. Boston was made before the grid pattern existed. Streets constantly change names and directions. Half of the time there is no street sign, and if there is it is microscopic. This perfect compact book fits nicely in your purse or pocket so it is extremely portable and easy to carry with you. It is filled with maps of all areas of Boston and also includes some surrounding areas. It is mostly a map book but also lists entertainment, nightlife, schools, liquor stores, grocery stores, restaurants, banks, etc. Has multiple maps of each area including a public transportation map and a key map. Maps are very user friendly and easy to read. I have gotten lost multiple times and this book has always helped me find my way. There is a street index in the back and an elastic band that you can use to hold the page you need. A small price to pay for your sanity while navigating the city!

This guide continues it's tradition of being an excellent resource of current pricing and point identification. The pictures and identification of the points are worth the price alone.

This is a very good book. Full of good illustrations and info.

Very helpfull,easy to understand.

This is a complete reference and price guide for anyone interested in Indian Point design and collecting with current retail pricing. It contains good photographs of the known Indian Points. You will find page after page of photo's to compare your points to and assist you in point identification. If you only buy one book on Indian Point collecting this is "The Book" that every collector and dealer will recomend that you buy. Back editions contain articles that are always interesting reading so always keep your back editions in your collection.

This paperback is chock full of useful information about collecting and estimating the value of the pieces in your collection written in plain English.

Great book whether you are from Texas or not. The author's artwork is superb and gives you the real feelings of these "old Texas friends". The stories are right out of history and very entertaining. Whether you are young or old, the past is always a great place to visit and Mr. Morgan's book is a wonderful time machine with which to travel there. Highly recommended.

The prose is remarkably uplifting and allows one to look at history in a unique fashion. The stories are interesting and some local people with firsthand knowledge about one particular story told me the article was correct to the letter. The drawings are amazingly accurate to the finest detail. An excellent gift for the upcoming holidays. Your friends or relatives would greatly appreciate this book.

This book provides an entertaining historical account of the grand old courthouses of Texas. The author takes you back to days when the county seat was the center of activity and the letter of the law was a bit dusty. The drawings are spectacular in detail as are the tall tales of Texas lore. It is an excellent gift book and very reasonably priced.

Very good book.Lots of Texas history. Well written. I enjoyed the tales of Texas lore.Superb art work with excellent details.A great book to have in your library. B.

This is a fascinating work on a fairly esoteric topic. Although I usually don't usually encounter such works unless I am looking up specific information, I came across this book and had a difficult time putting it down. The illustrations are a magical blend of art and fact. When I have visited the courthouses, I felt as if I had been there - from both the prose and the drawings. If this topic (Texas history and culture) sounds interesting, get the book - you'll love it. If you are not sure, get the book - you'll love it. This will make a wonderful gift.