North America Books

This book gives very concise and complete directions to the locations of the places listed. Not only was I able to find every location that I wanted to see and with little or no problem, but also there were good places to eat and other things to do along the way.The accuracy in the distances from the starting points to the destinations is so good that with care there is almost no chance of getting lost. Obviously the authors took great care to be accurate in their discriptions and directions and have written a book that is a real joy to use. I look forward to using other guides by the same authors as I know the will be correct in their information.

This is the best series of travel books about New England that I have found. It is easy to read with information I haven't found in other travel books. The New Hampshire book didn't disappoint. It is up to the standard I expect from this series.

This book gives very concise and complete directions to the locations of the places listed. Not only was I able to find every location that I wanted to see and with little or no problem, but also there were good places to eat and other things to do alone the way.The accuracy in the distances from the starting points to the destinations is so good that with care there is almost no chance of getting lost. Obviously the authors took great care to be accurate in their discriptions and directions and have written a book that is a real joy to use. I look forward to using other guides by the same authors as I know the will be correct in their information.

Spent a week in the White Mtns and used the book extensively. Most interesting was "discovering" the old Mineral Springs resort in Conway. Book was well written, concise maps and directions were very clear. This book, combined with a good road map and a general guidebook make touring NH very enjoyable.

This is a well written and very informative book about the survival of a tenacious people and about a part of the hidden history of the state of New Mexico. I would recommend it to any one interested in Jewish history, Sephardic Judaism, Crypto-Jews, Spanish culture and New Mexico history.

The written word with photos gives us some historic background of jews who came from Spain, because of being persecuted. While they gave up their jewish religion, we find out that many rituals were kept and practiced. Fasinating book.

The culmination of years of heartfelt, dedicated work by a fine artist, the photographs reveal the depth and complexity of this story with beauty and true humanity.

I'll admit I am biased but this book finally puts a real human face on this southwest phenomena. Haunting images of a living glimmer of an almost forgotten people. Cary Herz performs a mitzvah by remembering us and in a small way provides help along the road to redemption of this small remnant.

I was originally given an expected delivery time of 3-4 weeks. The book arrived in just over a week. It was packed well and arrived in pristine shape.
Overall - an excellent experience that I'll be willing to repeat.

5 stars for a beginner who has never kept an aquarium, 3 stars for everyone else. The first half of this book covers the basics, which was of no use to me. The second half of the book covers the fish, and is pure gold, I just wish there was more of it.

This is not a book to buy for the pictures, the photography is nothing to get excited about. Most of the pictures are small with poor color reproduction.

this book is a throw back in many ways. Much like the old Innes books , Schleser's book starts out with the fundamentals. Topics like why to keep natives, fish taxonomy, conservation issues, collecting information, aquarium keeping tips and such cover the first 8 chapters. I like that. It starts the reader off right with a good foundation. Instead of just dumping you into a glossy book of pretty pictures of fish , this book starts you off with the how's and the why's of native fish keeping. This old fashioned nuts and bolts approach gives the reader a better chance to become a conservation minded Aquarist instead of just a pet store consumer. For Conservation efforts to be a success it must reach the grassroots level. The average person must be able to apply in a practical way, learned conservation ethics. I like to apply my housewife from Dubuque Iowa test to any book about collecting and keeping fish. If a housewife (or hubby) can read this book and apply it to activities with their local youth group, school or their own children then this book is a success. Well following my Dubuque test , this book is winner.

After 8 chapters of the basics , chapter 9 is all about fish. It breaks the fish down into basic types and goes into excellent detail about suitable aquarium species within each genus. Almost 100 pages is spent highlighting North America's unique aquatic heritage. Beautiful and obscure fish like the banded pygmy sunfish, dollar sunfish, gulf darter , Flagfin shiner , Fundulus Chrysotus , brindeled madtom and scores of other unloved North American fishes get the exposure they deserve . Full color photo's , range maps and rearing information follow each species. If you are interested in Longear Sunfish for example (page 139) you get 2 pages of great information , 3 photo's of the various strains out there and the basic information to keep , rear and enjoy this temperate fish. That's the kind of stuff anyone interested in Native Fish wants needs and got's to have. Get this book it's a winner.

Dave Schelser has done it again. His "Native Fish" book covers just about everything the enthusiast could want to know. Schelser describes everything from setting up the aquarium, to collection, feeding, and disease. A worthy sequel to his book "Pirahna: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual," also published by Barron's. All 133 photographs are taken by Schelser himself, whether in the wild or in the lab. One would never guess there were so many small but amazingly attractive fish native to North America without reading this book. Bravo Dave!!

Great stuff. Good information - BUT, what has been of the most use to me is the maps - I've used it in many presentations...tremendous information, looking forward to the new addition.

This book gives a very good description of pinot in the USA. It cuts through all the stereotypes assoiciated with growing and making pinot noir, and gives warm-climate growers a second look.

Ever since the movie "Sideways," it's been easy to love pinot and to know why. Like the movie's characters, pinot noir (the grape) is unpredictable, occasionally brilliant, often bad and otherwise given to fits and starts of temperment and quirkiness. John Haeger's "North American Pinot Noir" is the backstory. From the grape's historic evolution (probably in Burgundy) to it's spread through North America's most marginal winelands, the pinot story on our continent is one of renegade artisinal winemakers living and dying with fickle vintages and improvised technology and, ultimately, winning the grudging respect of Burgundy's barons. This encyclopedic account starts with the plant, it's natural history (habits, pests, preferences and all) and progresses all the way through it's best products -- the wines themselves. The tasting notes are extensive and regrettably bounded in time, but they offer acclaim to some great vintages and some great vintners. As the book ages, the notes themselves will only serve to remind most of us of what we missed. But as a survey of pinot's great American terroirs and their beautiful fruits, the book confers rich knowlege and a deep sense of why this grape matters. The book is the University of Pinot Noir. For graduate school, find a place that you like -- Dundee HIlls or Santa Maria Bench -- and proceed to the advanced seminars they offer.

As a part-time wine instructor and wine enthusiast, I'm always looking for good resources to share as well as for my own use. This book is simply outstanding: the writing is clear, there is more information than you could ever possibly use, but you don't feel like you're drowning in irrelevant junk. Bravo!

This is a fantastic book on nature in North America. The pictures are large and glossy, and the pages are thick. Somehow they cover every animal in North America with a large picture, and some writing. It is written smoothly, however, and isn't like a catalogue. The information provided is not too much, nor too little. Just the perfect information. It is a large book. 14 inches in length, and 12 inches in width. So the pictures are huge, as is the text. A must have for nature lovers.

For an oversized visual approach packing in color photo close-ups of North American wildlife, David Jones' title can't be beat: it pairs delightful full-page color photos with natural history, descriptions of research studies and findings, and protection routines, creating a catalog of wildlife which draws readers in with fine color and completes the education task with plenty of facts. As suitable for high school holdings as for public libraries, NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE is simply gorgeous.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is an amazing book. I could sit for hours and stare at the wonderful photography. It is a visual masterpiece!

This would be the kind of book you will want to read when you don't want to think too much about what you are reading. You just breeze through the pages admiring the photography and the occasional useful insight into the animal kingdom...and, believe me, there are a lot of pages. This is a big book and definitely an excellent read for anyone fascinated by nature and wildlife.

Already have an Atlas, topo CD set of Northeast, Garmin GPS Vista with topo/street maps. Once I found these Gazetteers, I bought one for every state in New England and New York. Each of the above provide different levels of information and alternative routes and access to various locations, often places with no direct road or trails. The gazatteers provide fast detail access to areas in question over the GPS or atlas and are invaluable to me while in the vehical. Although, the GPS is my lifeline away from the vehical, the gazatteers are large and not weather resistant.

You really cannot go wrong with the Atlas Gazetteer from Delorme. Especially if you are flying into Jackson, MS and planning to drive around half(literally) the state on all sorts of back roads trying to find streams, creeks, etc.

I wanted to get this atlas, especially to help us find places to go camping and hiking.. It's not always easy to find campgrounds or primitive campsites (since they're not always located in clearly identified campgrounds), so having these detailed maps is very useful for that. We recently used the atlas when we camped in the Catskill Mountains region, and I was glad we had these maps to help us out.

We have come to rely on the Gazetteer series for general navigation when an Internet connection is not available. My husband purchased the New York version for a business trip and found it to provide exactly the information he needed.

OFF THE BEATEN (SUBWAY) TRACK by Suzanne Reisman is the kind of book I wish was available in the early 70s when I carried my wife to New York.

We bought a book called something like NYC ON $15 A DAY. OFF THE BEATEN TRACK is much better. There are plenty of museums and attractions on every subject in the Big Apple, but I think most first time visitors consider most places either on 5th Avenue or Off 5th Avenue. If it is in the Off 5th Avenue category, then it might be too hard to find.

Ms Reisman gives you excellent directions, by street or by subway.

The places visited are presented in almanac style, kind of. It gets right to the meat of the matter, and gives you a good descriptive run-down of just what the museum or attraction is trying to do. But not without throwing in her excellent wit.

And for no extra charge, if there is an eatery with character near the attraction described you will get a run-down on it too and maybe even some advice on what to order or what not to order. The eateries are highlighted in a shaded gray and has some kind of symbol that looks like two shoes doing the two-step.

The book is designed to easily find things. They are divided into different segments, such as Lower Manhattan, Middle Manhattan, the Bronx, etc. And on top of that you have an index. If you wanted to check out the Forts, go to the index and look up Forts. She made it as easy as it can be to find places, the next step would be she met you with a cab as you stepped out of your hotel, and she asked you, "Where you folks from? Whacha wanna see?"

I think it is a great tour guide book.

As a native New Yorker, I was thrilled to finally find a source that discussed the unusual attractions that existed in my beloved city. It is a refreshing change from the usual guidebooks that point out the obvious attractions. Instead, it dares to delve into the world of the lesser traveled which also includes many gems that were new to even a native New Yorker like myself. I've dog-eared all the pages that made me say, "They have that here?" I cannot wait to visit and experience a whole new New York. The book is entertaining, humorous and a fun read packed with interesting tidbits. The author provides information in a friendly and enduring manner. I absolutely recommend this to anyone who wants to experience a New York beyond its skyscrapers and crowds.

The colorful front of the book attracted me when I was in a book store last week, and I admittedly judged the book initially based on the cover. Fortunately, it did not disappoint when I got it from Amazon. As a life-long New Yorker, I was pretty surprised to find that I was largely unfamiliar with most of the sites profiled in the book. There is some truly weird stuff in here, including home-based museums and bizarro stores all across the five boroughs. There was a nice balance, though, of some fairly 'normal' places that the city does nothing to promote, such as the predecessor to LaGuardia Airport which gives tours out in Brooklyn.

The book takes a breezy narrative for each of the places highlighted, which helps give some flavor to each of the locations. That differs from staid guide books that only list the location of sites. Reading this book provides a pretty good sense for what to expect.

In summary, I am pretty excite to use my unlimited Metrocard, since I'll be heading out to some of the places right away.

As a librarian, I am frequently asked for recommendations for travel books. Without any question I will suggest "Off the Beaten Subway Track." Whereas other travel books focus on the common and mundane, Ms. Reisman highlights unknown treasures that are easily accessible by public transportation. I am a native New Yorker and am embarassed to say that I was unaware of many of these sights. With this book as my guide, I will set about exploring my city.
Let me add that most travelogues are written in a dry style. That is certainly not the case here. With wit and warmth, Ms. Reisman conveys a love of NYC and its hidden treasures.

This book is an excellent resource for not just tourists, but residents as well. As someone who lived in NYC for a couple of years, I was impressed by all the sites in Suzanne's book that I didn't know existed. Sure everyone knows the standard tourist attractions in NYC, but one of the many things that makes NYC unique is all the other less known attractions like the Lower East Side Troll Museum (reviewed on page 37). This is the beauty of Suzanne's book. This book is also well written and funny. There's not too many tour books out there that have humor in them as well. I definitely recommend this book. This book would make a fun gift as well.

I had to travel to Oklahoma for a business trip, and as i often do i like to spend a extra day seeing some of the local sites. I took a side trip to Guthrie, and really had a slice of history wich was just what i was looking for. I would have never done this, if i had not read this book. So for me, it was a gem.

The charm of this book is the way the author describes the history and background of the state. It is more than just facts. Her descriptions of the state make one want to go to Oklahoma!

Oklahoma doesn't get much tourist attention, so a guidebook to the pleasures of traveling there is most welcome. This is far from a complete guide, but rather a potpourri of places to visit, eat, and stay.

The book divides Oklahoma into seven regions and covers the attractions of each region, especially in small towns and rural areas. Down-home, long-established restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts are well-described. Sidebars sprinkled liberally through the text provide a historical overview of Oklahoma, especially of its cowboy and Indian heritage.

There is no Grand Canyon or Yosemite in Oklahoma. The natural attractions are modest. For those from more congested states, the charm of Oklahoma is open empty country and friendly people, clear blue skies, and weather that is pretty good on the average -- but the weather in Oklahoma is rarely average. "The immensity of the plains can exhilarate or overwhelm travelers," says the author. That's about right. Oklahoma is a good place to take a random drive down a country road. Amidst the endless prairie, the oil wells, and the wheat fields, there's usually a valley oasis of woodland, a rocky mesa, one of Oklahoma's big man-made lakes, or an old town with a restaurant that features chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes. This book will give you some ideas on places to go and things to do.

Smallchief

This is a well-written book and worthwhile for what it contains, but what it does not include is inexplicable. What about Ada, Queen City of the Chicksaw Nation? It's on the map in the book (as it should be) but no mention of it whatsover in the text. This lovely town is important to Oklahoma's history and worth a visit with its many historic buildings and turn-of-the-century downtown.

This is the wonderful result of one person's five-year dedication to the life of this fascinating bird. Not only is the photography superb, the text is heartfelt and poetic. The organization by region provides a coherent structure for traveling with cranes through their various habitats. A generous gift to all of us who otherwise would not be able to make this journey.

A geo-photographic tribute to America's elusive but elegant cranes, along with their widely diverse habitats. Part journal and part photography book, the author takes the reader on journeys to Alaska (including a breathtaking view of cranes flying past Mt. McKinley) to Florida, from the Central Valley of California to the agricultural plains of Wisconsin. Between, readers are treated to wildlife vistas in the Teton and Yellowstone National Park region, Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in the desert of New Mexico, and the Platte River, which flows through the High Plains of Central Nebraska. Not just a travel documentary, this is the first book of a remarkable young artist, who will dazzle and delight readers with a poetry of cranes as observed through the lens of his camera.

At once a coffee table photo celebration and a natural history, any avid birder should consider photographer Michael Forsberg's On Ancient Wings: The Sandhill Cranes Of North America to be essential reading. The photos alone - full-page color spreads which are gorgeous in their all-season crane portraits - are worth repeated looks, covering cranes in environments from Alaska to Cuba. Then, there's the discourse surveying the natural history and lives of cranes, revealing their interactions with people and their attempts to adapt to a changing natural world. A fine tribute marries natural history and visual display, inviting audiences from natural history students to casual readers to partake.

Michael Forsberg has put together an amazing collection of photos and is a good writer as well. On Ancient Wings shows that it doesn't matter if you've been a pro photographer for 35 years or ten, all that matters is the emotional impact of the photography. There's certain well-known wildlife photographers out there who talk talk talk about how good they think they are and then there's photographers who just are. Forsberg falls in the latter category.

This book is definitely worth buying. The stories are easy to read and very entertaining. I can't wait to read them to my nephews. You don't have to have any background knowledge on the folklore because it starts with Glous'gap coming into the world and each story progresses towards his farwell. Its a great read for anyone interested in mi'kmaq folklore.

On The Trail Of Elder Brother presents a collection of 16 stories retold by two Micmac authors. This is a magical universe peopled with witches and magicians, man-eating moose, whales, birds and more. Every tale has moral and aesthetic purpose as well as prophetic or holy meanings. These tales will be enjoyed by children to whom they will always be new. They also remain a treasured resource to adults.

The authors are direct descendants of the Micmac Indian nation and have assembled sixteen oral history tales which reflect the Micmac heritage and belief systems. On the Trail of Elder Brother is a rare glimpse of Micmac tribal values and a recommended pick for any avid student of Native American history and culture.

This is an excellent source of atukwaqn, or stories, from and for the Mi'kmaq. Contrary to a previous review, which stated no sources are given, the introduction states that these were stories Michael B. Runningwolf learned as a child in Maine and New Brunswick. They are wonderful versions of the Mi'kmaw stories that include the Kluskap. My only bone of contention is that the authors did not use the standardized Francis-Smith orthography for the Mi'kmaw words, but any one who has a familiarity with Mi'kmawi'simk (the Mi'kmaw language) should still be able to understand the words.
To the authors I say, "Wela'lioq," (Thank you).