Michigan Books

I have enjoyed all the books in this series and was disappointed that this was not a Louis Kincaid book. I find it easy to like Kincaid and think him an honorable man. While A Thousand Bones as a thriller is good, I was disturbed by the ending. Jo's choice of justice was simply wrong. I have to like the hero of the story and Jo's dishonorable decision makes that impossible for me. Just ask the agent who could not accept it either.
I like Parrish's books and will continue to read them. Let's hope the next one I do not have to throw against the wall in frustration when I am finished.

I just finished reading this book and it had me hooked until the very end. The characters were true to life and the situations they found themselves in were very plausible.

This, in my opinion, is one of the better police procedural books as it was set in a time period when DNA was not yet discovered. Thus, murders were solved by honest to God police work. Clues were followed instead of just matching DNA to a person.

A very well written book.

First thing first it astounds me that A: one of these books haven't been made into a movie yet. And B: that these books aren't published in hardcover.

Back to back I read Micheal Connelly's Echo Park and then P.J. Parrish's A Thousand Bones. And I be honest with you A Thousand Bones was every bit just as good if not better.
Every novel these two author's write get nominated for a Thousand awards in the mystery field and every year. And every year I sit there in disbelief when they don't win at least one.
And yet every novel they write is better then the last.
Possibly the best mystery novel of 2007.
I give it a 10 out of 10.

I have only recently discovered this author, but I'm loving everything I've read so far and this is no exception. Compelling story well told.

If you were hoping that the new P.J. Parrish book would be another installment in the Louis Kincaid series, you only get half your wish. Kincaid takes a minor role in this tale that stars his girlfriend, Miami homicide detective Joette Frye. Joe has grown significantly from the young rookie who worked for the Echo Bay Police Department, where even most of the veteran cops had never drawn their weapons in the line of duty. As the story of her rookie year unfolds, so does the character of this determined, capable and unique woman --- a welcome addition to this popular series.

Most of the book takes place as Joe recalls the horrific events that shattered the serenity of Echo Bay and left a town devastated. The woods around this quiet little village held not only the bones of countless victims but also the dark secrets of the monsters who buried them. It was in these woods that two boys found a human bone and triggered an investigation that would still haunt Joe 13 years later.

As we have come to expect from skilled writers, their characters draw us into the story and create a sense of urgency so vital to good police work. While Joe tends to be impulsive, her mentor seems to be overly cautious and the relationship between Joe and Detective Rafsky develops in a most satisfying way as they form a solid bond and strong partnership.

The poignancy with which Parrish (sisters Kristy Montee and Kelly Nichols) deal with the parents of the girls who have gone missing over the years is another example of how the authors blend poetry with prose. On the other hand, one is overwhelmed when the mind of the perpetrator is revealed and victims are seen through the eyes of evil. Delving into the psyches of predators can be disturbing, but it definitely adds to the texture of the story. And, regardless of their disappointments and rejections, I want to see them pay for what they have done! And so do the cops who cannot rest until justice is done.

A THOUSAND BONES will hold your attention and run you through a gamut of emotions as the small-town cops work to solve the crimes and bring some resolution to those who have suffered. We look forward to more of Joe Frye and Louis Kincaid as they work through their own histories to bring new freedom into their relationship.

--- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened. She reviews for www.bookreporter.com and www.faithfulreader.com To contact Maggie, e-mail Magster2@cox.net.

We loved the first edition version of this book, and tried in vain to locate the second edition for more up to date info. We ended up checking it out of the library in Paradise, MI. We love our U.P. trips and these guides are invaluable, easy to read and lots of fun.

Ditto the comments of the reviewers before me. This is easily the best guide for travel in the U.P. The number of listings, the variety of listings, and the highly readable style make this guide stand above the rest. Now the bad news. It's out of print. You won't find it in major bookstores. We eventually found one in a historical society museum.

We spoke with people at two bookstores and at a restaurant listed in the guide, who said they had spoken with the author recently. (Apparently she calls around regularly to get updates.) They told us that the second edition (with the red cover) didn't sell well, which is insane, because this is a great guide. The plan was to publish the third edition online. However, the website we were given, www.huntsguides.com "no longer exists". Sigh.

We just got back from a U.P. trip. This book was recommended by a friend before we left. It was extremely useful. There were many places we would never have known to visit without this book. It covers local history, describes natural features, tourist places, and restaurants. There are many illustrations, although they're all in black-and-white and don't convey the full beauty of the U.P. This is definitely the book to take along on a U.P. exploration.

I too love this book to the point of the pages being very worn and dog-eared. I had never heard of an online version, but after seeing the previous review, I did some digging and found the website that was referred to. (...) Now we can all get the updated info we've been looking for!

Since our book has been delayed, many people seem desperate for the old one. But too much has changed, even in the Upper Peninsula, to make it very useful. These high prices are not ours! I don't think an out-of-date guidebook is even worth $20, its original price.

A new edition of "Hunts' Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula," completely revised, is coming out sometime this spring. It is the book to get! Editorially, it covers the same material as the old book -- probably more.

The new edition will be smaller (6" by 9") but fatter. Easier to shelve.

Meanwhile, much of the book's content is on our web site, hunts-upguide.com. Be aware that it is not always up to date. Gradually new material will be added, with the date at the end.

As always, no one pays to be in our book or on our site. The Upper Peninsula is a wonderful, little known place for vacations and getaways, rich in natural beauty and in history -- great for families -- and relatively quite inexpensive, too.

U.P. reading tip: People familiar with the Upper Peninsula and its weather may well enjoy "So Cold a Sky: Upper Michigan Weather Stories" by Karl Bohnak, weather forecaster at TV 6 in Marquette/Neguanee. Weather has played such an important role in U.P. history, and Karl combines meterology and history in a fascinating way.

This was a very useful guidebook to read before arriving on Isle Royale. It helped me decide what parts of the island I wanted to visit in my limited time there, and it gave me a good sense of what to expect at campgrounds, etc. I strongly recommend also purchasing the National Geographic map of the park, available from the ferry companies and at the camp store at Rock Harbor. The maps in the book tend to be a little small and not very detailed.

A must have for everyone going to Isle Royale. Of course, it is the best book until I write one.

I am planning a trip to Isle Royale and couldn't find much information searching the web. My friend and I are debating whether to make the trip a hiking trip, a canoe trip, or a packraft trip. Whatever we choose, this book provides enough information to make any of these trips will be successful. One thing is for sure, the book inspires you to plan multiple trips.

This book helped me prepare for my first backpacking experience at Isle Royale. I was able to plan my routes and camping areas and knew what to expect as far as climate conditions, wildlife, and overall options of the park. It gave me realistic expectations and advice that definitely helped me to enjoy my Isle Royale experience.

I have never been to Isle Royale and this book did a fantastic job talking not only about the trails at the park, but also the history too. The author goes into detail about the 3 main trails and gives good descriptions about what you'll experience while hiking. He also rates the trails for difficulty which helped me in planning my trip.

This is a great book to pick up if you've never been there as it has a wealth of good information for you to plan your initial visit to Isle Royale. I know I can't wait!!!

I learned so much from these books. (I have all 3) They are amazing! Very easy to read and understand, just great!

While these volumes are now online, I love having them in print because I can't read for long periods of time in an electronic format. These books are great for every day real questions that people ask about the Catholic Church, from the most common to the most absurd. The two fathers always answer in a frank and honest manner - they do not mince words, but they are charitable. Well in the top 100 Catholic books.

These books are probably the best resource available for someone wishing to learn about Catholicism and faith in general. The authors respond to the toughest questions posed by Protestants, Agnostics, Atheists, and other non-Catholics. The answers are simple, brief, and logical. The only downfall is the fact that they pre-date the Vatican II council; otherwise this set captures the faith quite well, and is indexed by topic. If you are a Catholic looking to expand your knowledge of your religion, or are questioning the beliefs of the Church, I challenge you to read these books. Also, I challenge any Protestant to read the responses of the authors on any doctrine you find difficulty believing. Every question has a strong and complete answer. These books are a must-have!

This three-volume set is considered a classic text of Catholic apologetics. The writing is clear, concise, and relentlessly logical. The arguments put forth are a remarkable combination of common sense, logic, and Scriptural reference. Not only does the book give Protestants, agnostics, humanists, and atheists a lot to think about, it is a fantastic resource for Catholics who desire a full understanding of our religious beliefs and practices, top to bottom. The big difference between Volumes 1 and 2 is that the latter responds to far more challenging questions, delving deeper into the same general topics covered in Volume 1.

I covered Volumes One and Two under those listings, so this is about Volume Three. As the series progresses, the questions get harder. Volume Three covers Church dogma and morals in great detail. In particular, the sixty year-old commentary on morals is eerily, sadly prophetic. The consequences of a drift toward complete moral relativism are described as a nightmare scenario, yet how much of it has come to pass--steadily rising divorce, abortion, alienation, violence, division into smaller and smaller groups dedicated only to the advancement of some self-proclaimed social imperative. Undoubtedly, to a non-believer, the prophetic quality of the arguments is the strongest point in their favor. It is not hard to see the moral quagmire we live in (if one only bothers to look), but to see it so clearly when it was just forming--that requires a true vision, a true perspective. For the believer, the truth of the Fathers' arguments is self-evident, for it is simply the Word of God.

This book of domestic essays by Michigan journalist Cindy LaFerle is a major delight. The rich topic of LaFerle's family life, from delivering newspapers on dark Sunday mornings with her son to remodeling her historic home and baking bread for peace, is comfort food without the calories. The essays pair especially well with a warm cup of tea on a cold afternoon. LaFerle's calm and compassionate humor will remind readers to be grateful for the many blessings of home.

From the preface: "At a writers' retreat I attended several years ago, author Madeleine L'Engle posed a question, "Why do all of us want to share our stories?" Her answer affirmed what each of us knew but couldn't express as elegantly: "We share our stories because we have faith--faith the universe has meaning and that our little lives are not irrelevant." I found this profound and wanted to read deeper.

Cindy has put together some wonderfully arranged thematic essays. The essays are funny, poignant and show a slice of life. The essays are fun reading them in book sequence or skipping around (Sorry Cindy. You probably wanted them read in the sequence published.). I enjoyed reading them.

Cindy's writing style in this book is like a conversation between friends. There is a sense of humor mixed with plain down to earth speech and common everyday situations that anyone can relate to. Most essays are short, easy and fun to read.

The Christian Science Monitor, Reader's Digest, Country Gardens, Writer's Digest, The Oakland Press and The Royal Oak Daily Tribune have all published Cindy's essays and columns. Cindy lives in her home town, Royal Oak, Michigan, with her family.

I found this book easy and fun to read. I don't know when these essays were first published, but they just a relevant. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone wanting something entertaining to read. Since there a re a series of essays, there is no real need to rush, reading from cover to cover. You can pick up this book at anytime and read one or more of the essays when you have a few minutes to spare while relaxing. I would rate this book as a great read and worthy of consideration by readers.

Bob Medak, Allbooks Reviews

Cracking open Cindy LaFerle's debut collection of columns and essays is the equivalent of chatting with your best friend at a coffeehouse. She talks about everything under the sun -- from the love of her deceased tabby cat to the ubiquitous mean mommy syndrome we all face at the PTA. Her steady, flowing writing lulls you into the comforts of her world. It's not all rosy, however. Her discussion of the Iraqi War or Martha Stewart's decline are timely issues to be taken seriously. Nonetheless, you feel you are in trusted hands with Ms. LaFerle. She won't let you down. In every one of her 294 pages, she never does.



The book is a compilation of over a decade of newspaper columns in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, Michigan) and essays which have appeared in notable magazines such as Readers' Digest and Better Homes and Gardens. Since her background mirriors that of many work from home mothers, she is a highly relatable writer both in intention and in content. Her tone is never preachy. It is truthful and without pretense.



This nurturing scribe has stopped her column. Her local readers in Michigan must mourn the loss of their regular commentator. As she recently sent her only child off to college, she may have been concerned that her home life would not yield a full column's worth. She quotes Aldous Huxley at one point (page 64):



"Everyone who knows how to read has it in their power to magnify themselves, to multiply the ways in which they exist, to make their life full, significant, and interesting."



Cindy LaFerle does that with her writing. She magnifies her own world to make it our own. We can only hope she will be inspired to continue the quest with her pen. Her obvious talent to weave honest, yet striking tales is definitely something to write home about.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends WRITING HOME as a lovely bouquet of womanly thoughts about things little & big, sad & funny, & topical to today's modern life.

Cindy La Ferle's essays are grouped together by subject rather than eras: first she welcomes us into her House and Garden, & then introduces us to the muggy swamp of Child Care; to her Social Life (such as it is being a work-at-home-parent & spouse); to the philosophies of Kitchen Duty, & to her Creature Comforts.

Then she gets as serious as she can about Work Ethics before opening the Family Album. She also shows us how she's Keeping Up Appearance & Keeping the Seasons, & as with all things, she gets Older and Wiser & into Soul Caring.

Oh, & she's into organic produce, herbs, overnight retreats at a Jesuit monastery, walking with her women friends, & a life of prayer & peace. & she likes to laugh!

WRITING HOME is for everywoman who thinks about her world, & would make a perfect reading group selection, & gift, no matter the season!

"The sacred is in the ordinary. It is found in one's daily life - in friends, family, and neighbors; in one's own backyard."

The above quote comes from a thank-you note Cindy La Ferle keeps in an "altar" above her kitchen sink. Its simple observation pretty much sums up the philosophy expounded in her book, Writing Home. A columnist for a Detroit area paper and freelance article writer, La Ferle writes about what she knows best - home - and how our home life shapes and colors who we are.

My personal favorite essay is "Quit Picking on Barbie." The big-breasted fashion doll has been getting a bum rap for years... Most little girls just enjoy dressing her up and designing homes and careers for her. She doesn't scar our sense of femininity at all. Another column, "Recovering Perfectionist," stirs up many familiar emotions as well. Women do seem especially susceptible to perfectionistic behavior, La Ferle observes. Our "people-pleasing" impulses prevent us from attempting many worthwhile endeavors because we're afraid we won't be able to do them perfectly. We need to let go of this need to "be right or look good" all the time. In the humorous "Seeing Red" we learn about the pros and cons of being a redhead - or at least the Miss Clairol version of it.

From "Baghdad and Banana Bread"- finding security from the horrors of the world in simple baking - to "The Lost Art of Loafing"- an art I really need to take advantage of this summer- Writing Home wisely reminds us that truly there is no place like home. -- Cindy Appel for the FEARLESS REVIEWS

This book is amazing! Lots of mothers with many different breastfeeding experiences share their stories...and I cried through many of them because they were so touching. When you feel like no one understands why you are so glad to be breastfeeding your baby, this is the book to have. It's very inspiring to hear what some mothers go through to establish and maintain a breastfeeding relationship and it's encouraging that even after difficulties, they're glad they stuck with it. Wonderful book!!

I happened apon this book while reading flyers at the Library. Some ladies were getting together once a month at a local coffee shop and creating a support group "based on The Breastfeeding Cafe Book" I found the book to check out and was pleastly surprised!!
This book is filled with wonderful, inspiring, thoughtful stories that women from ALL walks of life have contributed to.
I was dealing with a second round of mastitis while I had this book and it became a comfort to me when my baby and I would be waking from a nap to nurse and read a few stories and fall back to sleep. It felt as though my mid wife or girl friends were hanging out with me.
I truely recommend this to every mom first time breastfeeing or nursing your fourth child. It makes a wonderful gift for a new mother or someone that you think may not have a whole lot of support to continue if they ever feel discouraged.

Your book is wonderful. It is giving me a blessed feeling of normalcy among all mothers...the feeling I get is of acceptance and of us all being in this same patriarchal boat together doing the best we can. It is refreshing to me after years of being an LLL leader and having my own issues with judgment and shame. I really appreciate what you've done, especially the very clear way you have written about women, femininity, biology, and work in our culture. The more we can do to pave the way for motherbaby togetherness and paid work, the better.

The Breastfeeding Cafe is perfect -- just like breastmilk! It contains all the essentials, including an intangible nurturing essence. This hearty smorgasbord of women's stories will nourish breastfeeding mothers just like breastmilk nourishes their babies. It will also fulfill lactation and childbirth professionals, as well as feminists.

Some people would call The Breastfeeding Cafe a scholarly work; others would call it a collection of intimate personal stories. Both descriptions would be accurate. Behrmann combines extensive research in the fields of medicine, sociology, history, and anthropology with anecdotal evidence cultivated from interviews with an amazingly diverse group of women. The result is a fascinating survey of breastfeeding in America today, and an in-depth examination of the ways in which breastfeeding is valued -- and devalued -- in our culture.

Mothers from all walks of life very openly share their experiences as breastfeeding women. Behrmann interviews mothers who planned their pregnancies and mothers who did not, mothers who gave birth in a hospital and mothers who gave birth at home, mothers of twins, mothers who are lesbians, mothers who are teenagers, mothers who have had breast implants, mothers who are employed in the corporate world, mothers who serve in the army, mothers who are college students, mothers who work minimum wage jobs, mothers who are immigrants, mothers who are highly educated, mothers who are former gang members, mothers of premature infants, mothers of babies who did not survive, mothers who have given their babies up for adoption.... Breastfeeding mothers are sure to see their own experiences reflected somewhere in these pages. Other women will get an accurate picture of the range of challenges and rewards involved in breastfeeding.

The focus is on exploring the physical, emotional, and cultural challenges and hardships that women have encountered as breastfeeding mothers; however, the overall message of The Breastfeeding Cafe is uplifting and encouraging. Behrmann's insights inspire hope for the future of women and babies, and for a cultural that is more supportive of breastfeeding and mothering.

If The Breastfeeding Cafe were a restaurant, its master chef Barbara Behrmann would receive rave reviews for her varied menu, her socially conscious approach, her tantalizingly original recipes, and her fulfilling portions.

I am a doula, chilbirth educator and mom of four. I absolutely loved the book. I thought that Ms. Behrmann covered so many great issues involved with breastfeeding. What was very refreshing to me was that she not only covered the "typical" topics, but also covered some of the issues that most people don't discuss. The book was highly motivating to me for continuing to breastfeed through challenges and to seek help when problems are encountered. As a doula, I give all of my clients and pregnant friends a copy of this book as their pre or postpartum gift. It very well may be the best book on breastfeeding they receive.

Enjoyed reading this book. I had family who survived Camille in Nelson County, spent several weeks there during the summers visiting during my youth and remember vividly going there as soon as we were allowed in to see the damage. This book did an excellent job describing the storm, the aftermath and how it changed the lives of so many people who lived in that area.

Once you pick this book up, you won't want to put it down until you've read the very last page and the dust cover notes as well. As a reader all too familiar with the wrath and destruction of hurricanes, I found the historical facts eerily accurate and the human drama so tense that the reader is drawn into the story as if sucked into the vortex of the storm itself. Category 5 is gripping and powerful like a well-written novel and not the true account of devastation and suffering that it is -- without the dry, clinical approach of a mere assessment of storm damage. The human element is often invisible when looking at the overall picture. Howard and Zebrowski take us to ground zero to examine the personal lives of those affected and no reader can ever put those images out of his or her mind. Excellent read!

Tom Aswell
Baton Rouge, LA.

"Category 5" is excellent reading. The plot, with many interesting facts, keeps the reader spellbound. It is difficult to stop reading once you start! Many long hours of research had to be done for this fact filled book. The racial feelings in Louisanna, corupt polititions, and the "state of the art" science of 1969, all combine to make this book all come together for one of the best books I have ever read!

The authors of this book were putting the finishing touches on it when Katrina made landfall in generally the same area as Camille. They went back and added a chapter but for the most part the book was left to stand on its own in light of the more recent disaster and it stood up quite well. All through the book there are obvious parallels between the two storms and especially the response that came in their aftermath. It is to be hoped that government officials took the lessons of Katrina to heart in a much more effective way than they did the lessons of Camille and that when the next major hurricane devastates a costal area the outside response will be far more effective.

One of the few things that did improve in the years between the hurricanes was the ability of forecasters to predict the track of the storm and to get the word out. In 1969 radar tracking and computer models were in their infancy and up until shortly before landfall forecasters were sure that Camille would strike Florida. Once they did realize that it was headed for Mississippi they had trouble getting the word out and had it not been for the foresight of local officials the death toll would have been much higher. These authors take the meteorological aspects of this story and present them in a remarkably easy to understand way and do so to the extent that the reader will almost be able to feel the angst of forecasters as they try to figure out just what Camille is up to. These Hurricane Center people are remarkable.

These authors do an excellent job of relating how local authorities had taken to heart the lessons learned from hurricane Audrey in 1957 and the precautions that they had taken because of those lessons. It is not hard to see in this narrative that state and federal authorities were far behind the local authorities in preparedness for Camille and that the same was true all those years later when Katrina came ashore. This is not however just a story about the failure of government though, it is also very much a story of the people who were the victims of this great storm. This is a story of the heroism of and resilience of people who were hit with the worst that nature has to offer.

These authors do a marvelous job of relating the stories of individuals and families who were in the path of the monster Camille. Through the reminiscences of those who survived the authors tell the stories of families ripped apart and of whole families who just vanished. They tell the true story of the much publicized collapse of the Richelieu apartments in Pass Christian, they tell the story of a group of men out for a sail who end up weathering the storm near the mouth of the Mississippi as their boat breaks up around them, they tell the story of people who sought refuge in local churches only to find the large old building disintegrating around them and they tell the story of quiet communities in Virginia where the people went to bed with no warning at all that many of them would be washed away before dawn. Through it all the survivors immediately turned their attention toward helping each other once the storm had passed and these survivors, many of them wounded or in mourning themselves immediately began rescue efforts that saved untold numbers of people. It is the heart and soul of these people that is the true story to be found in this book and these authors have truly done these people justice in this highly readable account of one of the great disasters in American history.

This book, the story of 1969's Hurricane Camille, is a breezy (yes, that word APPLIES) read which interweaves several plotlines -- the powerful force of a Cat 5 hurricane, the lives it touched and the tragedies which occurred, the will to survive, the peculiar and corrupt qualities of Louisiana politics, the ongoing civil rights movement of the time, and the surprisingly primitive nature of weather forecasting in the late 1960's.
As a person who once moved out of a city in part due to the fact that the local cable company DIDN'T carry The Weather Channel, I expected to enjoy the stormy aspects of the book. I did not expect the history and politics of the time to carry this story down unexpected avenues. It was a pleasant surprise.
I recommend it without hesitation.

If you're looking for a light read, Trotsky's History of Russian Revolution is not the way to go by any means. It's long, at times it's heavy going. But it is, after all, a big topic, and there's a lot of very complicated history behind the Russian Revolution - but it's still a terrific read which, despite the enormity of its subject, is for the most part surprisingly accessible. In any event, if you want a thorough, detailed account of one of the modern world's most important political and historical events, written by one of its main players, then this is well worth the effort that it will take you to get through it. I don't think any other history of the revolution is as detailed, as comprehensive, and as engaging as this.

Max Eastman, who was a friend of Trotsky, gives us a translation that feels tremendously fresh and was enthusiastically endorsed by Trotsky himself.

Leon Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution is partisan history at its best. One does not and should not, at least in this day in age, ask historians to be `objective'. One simply asks that the historian present his or her narrative and analysis and get out of the way. Trotsky meets that criterion. Furthermore, in Trotsky's case there is nothing like having a central actor in that drama, who can also write brilliantly and wittily, give his interpretation of the important events and undercurrents swirling around Russia in 1917. If you are looking for a general history of the revolution or want an analysis of what the revolution meant for the fate of various nations after World War I or its affect on world geopolitics look elsewhere. E.H. Carr's History of the Russian Revolution offers an excellent multi-volume set that tells that story through the 1920's. Or if you want to know what the various parliamentary leaders, both bourgeois and Soviet, were thinking and doing from a moderately leftist viewpoint read Sukhanov's Notes on the Russian Revolution. For a more journalistic account John Reed's classic Ten Days That Shook the World is invaluable. Trotsky covers some of this material as well. However, if additionally, you want to get a feel for the molecular process of the Russian Revolution in its ebbs and flows down at the base in the masses where the revolution was made Trotsky's is the book for you.

The life of Leon Trotsky is intimately intertwined with the rise and decline of the Russian Revolution in the first part of the 20th century. As a young man, like an extraordinary number of talented Russian youth, he entered the revolutionary struggle against Czarism in the late 1890's. Shortly thereafter he embraced what became a lifelong devotion to a Marxist political perspective. However, except for the period of the 1905 Revolution when Trotsky was chairman of the Petrograd Soviet and later in 1912 when he tried to unite all the Russian Social Democratic forces in an ill-fated unity conference, which goes down in history as the `August Bloc', he was essentially a free lancer in the international socialist movement. At that time Trotsky saw the Bolsheviks as "sectarians" as it was not clear to him at that time that for socialist revolution to be successful the reformist and revolutionary wings of the movement had to be organizationally split. With the coming of World War I Trotsky drew closer to Bolshevik positions but did not actually join the party until the summer of 1917 when he entered the Central Committee after the fusion of his organization, the Inter-District Organization, and the Bolsheviks. This act represented an important and decisive switch in his understanding of the necessity of a revolutionary workers party to lead the revolution.

As Trotsky himself noted, although he was a late comer to the concept of a Bolshevik Party that delay only instilled in him a greater understanding of the need for a vanguard revolutionary workers party to lead the revolutionary struggles. This understanding underscored his political analysis throughout the rest of his career as a Soviet official and as the leader of the struggle of the Left Opposition against the Stalinist degeneration of the Russian Revolution. After his defeat at the hands of Stalin and his henchmen Trotsky wrote these three volumes in exile in Turkey from 1930 to 1932. At that time Trotsky was not only trying to draw the lessons of the Revolution from an historian's perspective but to teach new cadre the necessary lessons of that struggle as he tried first reform the Bolshevik Party and the Communist International and then later, after that position became politically untenable , to form a new, revolutionary Fourth International. Trotsky was still fighting from this perspective in defense of the gains of the Russian Revolution when a Stalinist agent cut him down. Thus, without doubt, beyond a keen historian's eye for detail and antidote, Trotsky's political insights developed over long experience give his volumes an invaluable added dimension not found in other sources on the Russian Revolution.

As a result of the Bolshevik seizure of power the so-called Russian Question was the central question for world politics throughout most of the 20th century. That central question ended practically with the demise of the Soviet Union in the early 1990's. However, there are still lessons, not all negative, to be learned from the experience of the Russian Revolution. Today, an understanding of this experience is the task for the natural audience for this book, the young alienated radicals of Western society.

The central preoccupation of Trotsky's volumes reviewed here and of his later political career concerns the problem of the crisis of revolutionary leadership of the international labor movement and its national components. That problem can be stated as the gap between the already existing objective conditions necessary for beginning socialist construction based on the current level of capitalist development and the immaturity or lack of revolutionary leadership to overthrow the old order. From the European Revolutions of 1848 on, not excepting the heroic Paris Commune, until his time the only successful working class revolution had been in led by the Bolsheviks in Russia in 1917. Why? Anarchists may look back to the Paris Commune or forward to the Spanish Civil War in 1936 for solace but the plain fact is that absent a revolutionary party those struggles were defeated without establishing the prerequisites for socialism. History has indicated that a revolutionary party that has assimilated the lessons of the past and is rooted in the working class allied with and leading the plebian masses in its wake is the only way to bring the socialist program to fruition. That hard truth shines through Trotsky's three volumes. Unfortunately, this is still the central problem confronting the international labor movement today. Read this book many times.

In spite of its length, I've read this book several times. It isn't just a widely acclaimed historic and literary masterpiece, written by a leading participant in the events he describes. It isn't just vividly written and thoroughly researched.

More importantly, it's one of the best books ever written about revolution, as relevant today as ever.

The most important conclusion that emerges is the crucial role of a revolutionary party with an overwhelmingly working class membership, leadership and political orientation: a party that has trained itself in the many years of partial struggles that precede a revolutionary crisis; studied together the lessons of past revolutionary struggles throughout the world; and done everything possible to educate broader layers of workers in those lessons.

(The point is illustrated both positively and negatively. More than once, Lenin had to turn to the Bolshevik's working class rank and file against wavering intellectuals in the party leadership.)

Please don't be put off by the first chapter, the driest and most difficult in the book. The basic idea is that capitalism arrived late in Russia, imported from abroad in the form of huge factories, which laid the basis for the rapid development of a strong, militant labor movement. As a result, the emerging capitalist class was reluctant to mobilize the masses against the feudal nobles and landlords that stood in their way, for fear that the aroused workers might turn on the capitalists themselves.

Under the impact of war and economic crisis, the resulting mixture of different forms of class oppression exploded in a combined revolt of workers, farmers, and oppressed nationalities, destroying both feudalism and capitalism by the time it was through.

Several postcripts:

(1) If you're wondering what went wrong in the Soviet Union after such a promising start, I recommend "The Revolution Betrayed" by Trotsky; also "Lenin's Final Fight" by Lenin.

(2) I disagree with Trotsky's assessment of the pre-1917 differences between himself and Lenin concerning the role of working farmers, the relationship between democratic (anti-feudal) revolution and socialist revolution, and Lenin's formula, "the democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry". I think Trotsky's discussion of this is confusing. I recommend "Their Trotsky and Ours" by Jack Barnes. There is also a good debate in "Bolshevism and the Russian Revolution" by Doug Jenness, Ernest Mandel, and V.I. Lenin.

(3) Another reviewer pointed out that this book is available online. However, the printed version has glossaries of people, places, organizations and unfamiliar terms; a more complete chronology; and a thorough index. I relied very heavily on all of these, so much so that I used color-coded post-its to turn to them easily. Also, parts of the online version are full of obvious typos; books from Pathfinder Press are proofread very thoroughly.

(4) Finally, I recommend the ads in the back of the book. Pathfinder Press is defined by a political goal, not commercial success. It aims to provide a platform for revolutionary leaders speaking in their own words. If you like one book, you will probably like others.

This is one of the most exciting books I've ever read. It tells the amazing story of the Russian revolution of 1917, from the overthrow of the Czar to the Bolshevik Revolution of October. What makes it an incredible read is that the author, Leon Trotsky, was at the middle of it all, as one of the central planners of the insurrection that took power. Trotsky was a great revolutionary and great writer. But one thing I especially like about the book is that Trotsky uses excerpts from many other accounts, including those who hated him with a passion, to tell the story accurately. It is an inspiring story, especially for new generations of young people, workers and farmers who need to learn about an example showing that the dog-eat-dog system of capitalism we live in can be overthrown. For the definitive account of how this great revolution was later derailed, see Trotsky's Revolution Betrayed.

This is a huge and wonderful book-- three volumes in one book, some 1200 pages in all. The story Trotsky lays out is most inspiring and encouraging: how revolutionary-minded workers and peasants in Russia, led by the Bolshevik party, overthrew the centuries-old Czarist monarchy, defeated the attempts to impose a capitalist dictatorship and went on to establish a worker and peasant revolutionary government, opening the road to the possibility of building a socialist society. It's a book you can read repeatedly, getting more out of it each time.

Trotsky explains with rich detail the growing social crisis that wracked Russia, the devastating impact of World War I, the economic collapse, and the incapacity of the old regime to offer any way out. He takes up political developments amongst workers and peasants and the oppressed nationalities of the Russian Empire, including the many millions forced into the Russian army. You understand their growing conviction that the old society had to be and could be overturned and a new order established. And Trotsky gives real insight into the leadership that made possible an actual revolution under these conditions-- the development of the Bolshevik party led by V.I. Lenin and it's successful fight to win the allegiance of the struggling millions.

Trotsky was, along with Lenin, a central leader of the 1917 revolution and of the government it established. After Lenin's death in 1924, he led the international fight to defend the Bolshevik's revolutionary course against the conservative and reactionary bureaucracy headed by Joseph Stalin that came to power later in the Soviet Union. This work was a key part of Trotsky's efforts to make the real facts and lessons 1917 available to future generations of workers, farmers and radicalizing young people. Read it along with some of his many other important works, including The Transitional Program for Socialist Revolution, In Defense of Marxism, The Revolution Betrayed, and The Struggle Against Fascism in Germany.

If you go hunting or wild camping it is important to know what land is for public or private property. Also very useful by driving with car (any car). Easy to know which street/road are ok for different kind of vehicle, truck or motorcycle.
The size of the map could be better it is not very handy, but so you don't need to have magnifying glass to use this guide.

We bought this book with the idea of just wandering Michigan for our week of vacation. We wanted to avoid the Interstate as much as possible. This book was great for our plan! There are many roads and towns on these pages that aren't on a regular map! We really enjoyed traveling back roads, while never feeling lost.

This book is incredibly detailed and easy to use. Along with a GPS, there is nothing you cannot find. Whether an occasional traveler or a resident, this is a must to have for God's Country, Michigan's U.P.

I spend a lot of time off the beaten path. This map is great for getting there and back. Very useful. This is my third one, as I keep wearing them out.

I have been using DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteers for many states for many years. I have always found them very useful for travelling over the back roads and secondary highways as they give one detail not found on the usual road maps. They also list parks, historic sites, recreaton areas, etc. which are also very valuable when travelling in unfamiliar areas.

While I also own a GPS system for my automobile, it doesn't give you topographic detail or large area views due to the limitatons of the small GPS screen. However, I find using both the DeLorme Maps and the GPS system to make for very efficient trip planning.

the effects of inhibition and cellular localization of succinate dehydrogenase

I used it as I studied agromy and gave me a strong ground on this subject. I will probably buy it for my personal library, since I always borrowed it from University Of Chile Library.

Lehninger's book remains the best single text in biochemistry, at least in English. A fine book for undergraduates, it is also the one volume that you may keep on your shelf for years to come, and the best biochem text for those whose primary specialty is not biochemistry (e.g. medicine, p-chem, microbio). No text is ever a substitute for the journals if you work in the field, but this book gives a sense of the whole discipline that is beneficial for anyone who may become too narrowly fixed on one topic. Its clear writing is also a blessing, both for those using English as a second language, and for native speakers with some affection for their own language

This book is good, with many charts and diagrams. But it is also true that this book is a little bit difficult for a beginner in biochemistry.

I am student of Agronomy, Ljubljana - Slovenia. This subject is one of the most terrible in our 2nd year, but when I bought this book it was like I found a treasure. I passed the exam at first time and with a good mark. This is the best book I was ever studying from. I wish you to do more books like this one is. My best and kindest regards. All the best in the future, to everyone at the book and to all the readers.