Travel Books

Pennsylvania Wilds is a thick, hardcover coffee-table-sized book filled to the brim with beautiful photography of the Allegheny National Forest region in Pennsylvania. From bear prints, to snow scenes, to serene waterscapes, and colorful characters, this book is a pictorial vacation getaway.

But Pennsylvania Wilds is more than a vacation--it also contains script telling you about the region and its history, even delving into some scientific facts. For those who live in Pennsylvania, the book is a great state study book for homeschoolers. For those who live elsewhere, but are interested in other states or are just looking for a great place to travel to, then this is a book sure to whet your appetite for experiencing the panoramic landscape views in person.

I thoroughly enjoyed thumbing through Pennsylvania Wilds and in fact looked through it several days before writing the review. My only complaint is that some of the scientific fact included in the book is evolution-based and not creationism.

Included at the back of the book is a CD with more information about Pennsylvania and even more pictures, though some are the same as in the book. Although the price is a bit high, I recommend this book for those interested in Pennsylvania and photography.

Armchair Interviews says: If you are just an armchair traveler, this book is sure to fill some travel needs.

I loved this book because it shows some beautiful areas of the country that alot of people may never get to see. Me, I just have to go outside my cabin and I'm there!! The photography is great, showing me areas that I haven't even seen.
Time was taken in putting this book together and it shows!!!

A Southern California transpant, every time I pick up "Pennsylvania Wilds: Images from the Allegheny National Forest," I feel like I'm home again. What a wonderful tribute to the beauty of northwestern Pennsylvania. The photographs capture the heart and soul of the forest region, and the story gives the rich detail of area's history. This one is definitely a getter--and a keeper!

"Beauty," says the poet, "is a joy forever." That being said, beauty alone might be incentive for buying this book.

The photographs in "Pennsylvania Wilds" are, indeed, beautiful. And the accompanying text is equally attractive. You might purchase this book and return to it time and again and find much enjoyment in its contents--more than might be found in your ordinary coffee table book.

But there's much more to this book than just something nice to peruse.

It's a tribute to the Allegheny National Forest, the only one in the commonwealth and a genuine treasure. Established in 1923, the 513,000 acre forest is a monument to conservation and a source of pride for all Pennsylvanians. It's a boon to recreation, tourism and the economy.

For those who haven't visited, or are unable to, this book offers a wonderful introduction to the area's history and attractions. And, after viewing the images and text, there are undoubtedly going to be more people including it in their travel plans.

There are gems of history in this book--about the Seneca, the lumbering and oil booms; Thomas Kane, reputed to be the first Pennsylvanian to enlist and who organized the famous Bucktails regiment in the Civil War; the legacy of the nation's first tree plantation and environmental pioneers like Joseph Rothrock and Gifford Pinchot.

Ed Bernik, a veteran commercial photographer, has captured an outstanding collection of images of the forest and its inhabitants. Lisa Gensheimer, a documentary producer and writer whose work has appeared nationwide on public television stations, lucidly outlines the history and color of the region.

As an added bonus, purchasers of the book also receive a Forest Companion CD complete with map, travel guide and additional reasons to visit the region.

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (6/06)

This beautiful coffee table book, with narrative by Lisa Gensheimer and photographs by Ed Bernik, takes the reader/viewer on a spectacular journey through the Allegheny National Forest from its creation to the present. Both the author and the photographer capture the mystifying world of nature and people, not only the wonders of the landscape but the personalities of the inhabitants.

"Pennsylvania Wilds" gives a historical overview of the Allegheny National Forest beginning 375 million years ago when the area was a warm inland sea. Grensheimer explains the evolution from water to land that occurred over time as well as provides a map of glacial deposits. She also writes about the archaeological findings of pre-historic cultures as well as Native American inhabitants, the settling by Europeans, and the shift to modern times. Today's residents are "people who live in the shadows of the trees [and] are as strong and resilient as the forest itself. They are independent thinkers - creative entrepreneurs who find in the forest a source of sustenance, inspiration, and at the end of the day, quiet solitude." (p.37)

Greshneimer puts together the history and the present lives of people in a short, concise narrative interspersed with historical and recent photographs. However, this is just a prelude for what is to come in the rest of the book. The "Images from the Allegheny National Forest" are spectacular! Pages from 45 to 135 are filled with incredible photographs that the reader can get lost in for hours. From the weathered faces of the residents to the flora of the forest, from the debris left in the field to the places of worship, from paved roads to a heritage mural...it's all there. As a bonus, inside the back cover is a CD with a travel guide, map, screensaver, and more than 50 reasons to visit the area.

It's hard for me to put into words what I got out of this "Pennsylvania Wilds" because every aspect of it touched a different cord in me. First of all, I love the cover - I could almost smell the moss on the forest floor. Secondly, the feel of the pages were very inviting. The short history and transition into the present gave me a very broad overview of the area. And, then there were the photographs! Incredible!

The main feature of this book is its 150 photographs taken by photographer Evelyn Cameron in eastern Montana during the years of its earliest settlement, first by ranchers in the late 19th century and then by streams of homesteaders in the early decades of the 20th century. In the latter regard, it is an excellent companion to Jonathan Raban's "Bad Land." Most amazing is the vast range of photographs, including family portraits, group shots of cowboys, threshers, and sheep shearers, ranch buildings, open prairie, wild life, store fronts, wild horses, herds of sheep and cattle, badlands, social gatherings, and farm equipment.

We get glimpses into the lives of the wealthy and the dirt poor. None of the photographs were shot in a studio, and taken together they represent a broad sweep of frontier life across a handful of decades. The text provides a detailed life of the photographer herself, a remarkably spirited and self-sufficient English woman who has left us this marvelous and revealing record of a time long passed.

This work is a treasure. Evelyn Cameron and her husband, born into English society, established a ranch in eastern Montana early in the development of that part of the west. A need for additional income and a love of photography lead Evelyn to produce a large number of high quality photographs. Those photographs represent a historical archive of enormous value. The photos show the people of the time, how they made a living, and the tools that they used. My personal favorite is a photo Evelyn took of herself in her kitchen; she sent it to relatives in England to show them her life on the Montana frontier. It was a life of hardship, but also of achievement. The quality of Cameron's work is the equal of other great western photographers of the era, such as Jackson or Huffman, and it records a side of life not represented by anyone else. There is a balance in this book between text and reproduced photographs. It is a biography of Evelyn Cameron, including excerpts from her journals, as well as an exhibition of her photographs. A museum and gallery in Terry, Montana, is a repository of Evelyn Cameron's work and the total number of photographs is several times what this book is able to present. One hopes that other volumes of Cameron's photos will be published in the near future.

I live in the area of the photographer's subjects, and totally enjoyed the book and its' subject. The photographs, along with Evelyn Cameron's diary accounts of daily happenings, gave a captivating decription of what many of our homesteading ancestors endured. This is very enjoyable reading for anyone.

Evelyn Cameron left her English home to become a rancher in Montana in the late 1800s: she used her photography skills to help support her family, and captured Montana life in the process. Photographing Montana gathers photos which portray early Montana life and deserves a spot in any Montana history collection as well as in art libraries seeking examples of regional photographic talent. Excerpts from her diaries and letters include plenty of autobiographical insights.

This book, by Time-Life books editor Donna Lucey, has some very interesting photographs of Montana, taken about halfway between the Lewis and Clark expedition of two hundred years ago and today. Yes, the early 1900s were right in the middle of Evelyn Cameron's career.

Cameron, nee Flower, was one tough and talented lady. She moved to Montana with her husband Ewen, going there initially in 1889, on a hunting trip for their honeymoon. I found the stories and pictures of life in Montana fascinating. Much of the book deals with the growth of Terry, a town in the eastern part of the state, on the Yellowstone river.

At the time, the Kodak camera was the instrument of choice for most American photographers, however Cameron did much of her work with a 5x7 Graflex. There are dozens of her photos in this book.

Although Cameron died in 1928, Lucey was lucky enough to obtain many of Cameron's photos from one of Cameron's friends, Janet Williams, who was 95 years old by the time Lucey met her in August of 1979.

In 2002, PBS began shooting a documentary about Cameron, and it was released last year. It includes over 200 of Cameron's photos (over 100 of which are not in this book), and it won four regional Emmy awards. It was the first high-definition documentary for Montana PBS.

I recommend this book.

Yes, this book is very witty and very easy to read. I am en route to France for a year next year as an American exchange student, and I found this book to be very helpful for every aspect of the process--except I wish she added more information like "Why did she switch host families?" and about school. She barely mentioned anything about homework, the lycée, or anything like that. But I loved everything else about the book. It was intriguing and exciting. And also, it's a very nice quick read. If you are, going to be, or was an exchange student, this book is a must-have. Anther book I recommend is The Exchange Student Survival Kit. Au revoir!

I am planning on studying abroad to France in 2003 and this book has helped me out in many ways. It told me exactly what I need to know before I go, how the French people are, the school system, and it gave me encouragement. Just reading about how she doesn't regret going makes me want to go even more. I just wished she would have added more about how to handle so much school! Anyway, this book is great to read, even if you aren't planning on going to France. It has a lot of interesting facts that I could never imagine possible. Great book.

The moment I saw this book in the bookstore, I knew I had to get it because Megan did what I have always wanted to do: be an exchange student in another country. This book is just so charming, delightful, and cute. I finally was able to be an exchange student this summer in a Spanish speaking country, and while I was not gone a whole academic year but only for a couple of weeks, I always had this book by my side because so many things were the same. So if you have ever been an exchange student before/hosted one in America, or are going too I recomend this book right away, and if you are just looking for a good book to read you'll have a ball.

On the cover of this book, the publisher exudes, "A delightfully irresistible, charming account of a young American girl's year abroad." For once, this kind of description is actually an understatement. Yes, the book is in fact "delightfully irresistible" and truly charming. But the writing is also exceptionally limpid and evocative and betrays an exceptional maturity and talent. Megan McNeill Libby gives us beautifully impressionistic portraits of France, the French, and her very personal struggles, disasters, and triumphs. Her depiction of the French is extraordinarily perceptive and from my own experience living in France totally accurate. At times, I laughed until I cried; more frequently, I caught myself involuntarily smiling and nodding in agreement. But the deeper reward of reading this book is simply seeing the way that Ms. Libby writes and thinks. She is one of those rare authors with whom one falls in love after (no, during) a single reading. I am normally sparing with my praise, but I readily admit to being a gourmand for this book. Merci bien, Megan, and please give us more!

The author of Postcards from France, Megan Libby, was just 16 when she went to France in 1994 as your typical AFS student. But she wasn't typical: she had her eyes wide open and was able to record, in a series of letters and postcards sent back home, what a humbling experience it is to be a newcomer in another culture. By turns comedic, touching, insightful, and revealing, Postcards from France is always refreshing - and it's highly likely this talented young author will go on to write more books that will be a pleasure to read.

This book is more than worth its money in culinary gold. I recently graduated from culinary school and have started a catering business with my husband. I've read a number of books on how to start a catering business and have found this to be the best one yet. Lots of information and very good detail. Every caterer needs to have this copy in their reference library.

A must have book for a new Caterer starting their own business.

"THE PROFESSIONAL CATERER'S HANDBOOK: HOW TO OPEN AND OPERATE A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL CATERING BUSINESS" by Lora Arduser and Douglas Robert Brown.

This book is an indispensable addition to any would be caterer's library. If you have thought about turning your catering skills into a full time business this book will open your eyes to all that is involved in starting and operating your own catering business.

Any and every aspect of operating your own successful catering business is included in this fabulous book. The authors start by talking about the skills needed to open and operate your own catering business, the give you a step by step planning guide to developing your business goals and plan.

Each chapter of this text skillfully builds on the last one to provide you with a comprehensive handbook to answer all your questions. Should you own or lease, what laws should you be aware of, how to market your company, how to set up the event, staffing, which equipment to purchase, and should you start as a home based catering company? These are only a few of the thousands of answers you will get from reading this handbook.

From the very first page of the book the author's are getting you excited about opening your own catering business. The tone of the book is uplifting and positive and will make you feel like you could do this!

The book also comes with a companion CD-ROM that will provide additional resource material including tons of business forms to get you started. This book is great for anyone in the catering business, weather a seasoned business owner or just in the contemplation stages of owning their own business; this book will be an invaluable source of information.

If you want to enter the catering business, there are plenty of lighter guides on the topic on the market - but if you're really serious about professionally entering the business, you can't be without THE PROFESSIONAL CATERER'S HANDBOOK: HOW TO OPEN AND OPERATE A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL CATERING BUSINESS. A cd-rom supplements the weighty exploration which is actually a detailed manual of step-by-step instruction on all the basics. From bookkeeping and handling profits and loss to considering the pros and cons of professional equipment, there's no better guide on the market. College-level culinary schools in particular must have this reference.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The Professional Caterer's Handbook: How To Open And Operate A Financially Successful Catering Business (With CD-Rom), expertly co-authored by Lora Arduser and Douglas Robert Brown, is an informative introduction and comprehensive guide to properly establishing and managing a catering business. Comprehensively mapping out an easy-to-follow, "user-friendly" compendium of strategies and tactics for establishing a company name and reputation, The Professional Caterer's Handbook presents logical and effective advise vitally important for all aspiring catering entrepreneurs. The Professional Caterer's Handbook is very strongly recommended as instructional reading for all small catering business developers, those hoping to create a professional catering business, and for those seeking to expand their catering business.

It was March 6, 2008, 11:30 PM and about 15 degrees. Scott Weidensaul and I and two others were peering into the dark at a nearby white spruce tree. The flashlight had died a while ago. There was a Boreal Owl - a life bird for Scott - singing in that tree, and we purely could not see it. Scott had to be exhausted. It was 3:30 in the morning by his internal clock, he had given an outstanding, impassioned presentation to the Alaska Bird Conference that night. And he was scheduled to be in Denali National Park the following morning.

So when I tell you that Scott Weidensaul is passionate about birds and nature, I'm not speculating or exaggerating. And that same passion is reflected in his writing. This book retraces the steps of Roger Tory Peterson and British naturalist James Fisher 50 years after their epic trip. It's part biography, part geography, and completely compelling.

And while Weidensaul finds much that has changed for the worse in those 50 years, some things are definitely, even dramatically better. Species believed to be extinct have recovered to some extent. The system of parks and refuges, even if badly neglected by the Bush administration, is more extensive now. There's demonstrable reason for optimism. That's no small thing. Coming from a man deeply committed to environmentalism, it's a cheering bit of news.

Weidensaul writes somewhat like John McPhee, finding and writing about interesting people to help to tell his story. He can be lyrical and still factual. He can write a profound environmental book and still find a few things to be cheerful, even optimistic about. He is also a great nature photographer and a terrific public speaker.

There are very, very few writers who have captured the joy and despair of North American ecological changes as well as Scott Weidensaul. Very highly recommended.

The book does imbue one with a sense of moral responsibility towards the wild spirit of Earth. There are still some wildplaces left on the North American continent, but not for long if everyone goes there. Read about the areas, and help them stay wild.

In 1953 birder Roger Tory Peterson and British naturalist James Fisher journeyed for a hundred days covering some thirty thousand miles around North America, noting their discoveries in WILD AMERICA: here on the 50th anniversary of their trip naturalist Scott Weidensaul retraces their steps and tells of his findings in RETURN TO WILD AMERICA: A YEARLONG SEARCH FOR THE CONTINENT'S NATURAL SOUL. Many changes have taken place in the areas covered in WILD AMERICA: this documents both sad changes and hopeful changes from Newfoundland through the Northeast, where wildlife is returning to urban environments; from Florida where the Everglades continues to erode to Mexico, where rich ecosystems are being saved. It's refreshing to read about successes as well as struggles - and RETURN TO WILD AMERICA, for maximum impact, should be followed or preceded by a re-reading of WILD AMERICA for maximum effect.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Scott Weidensaul has written another spectacular book. In his tour across wild America, he shares how much of our natural heritage we've lost and gained in the past 50 years. The book is beautifully written and it keeps you interested all the way through. Most importantly, it leaves the reader with a message of hope. Although we've lost a lot and we have a long way to go, there have been many environmental success stories in the past 50 years.

This book has been a walk in the park. Almost literally. Needing nothing more technological than sunlight and, for some of us, a pair of spectacles, reading "Return to Wild America" is the closest thing to "being there." Mr. Weidensaul's prose carries us over the rivers and through the woods. His descriptions allow us to see, hear, feel and occasionally smell the magnificence of nature. It is a wonderful and elating trip. For birders, I am sure that there is the added bonus of familiarity with the beautiful birds that I have just met.

Beyond sharing with us the sheer natural delight of his adventure, Mr. Weidensaul also tells the history of this country's efforts towards both the protection and pillage of our natural bounty. This book is a "walk in the park" because much of our remaining truly wild life is precariously protected in our National Wildlife Refuges and parks. Thus, much of Mr. Weidensaul's expedition takes place in refuges and parks.

"A walk in the park" usually brings to mind something easy: a frolic or a romp. Although Mr. Weidensaul's adventure seems like something any sturdy camper might be able to do, responding to his message will be difficult. This well-documented conversation about the places he visits reveals that we face a growing crisis with the destruction of our environment. Sadly, protecting wild America will be anything but easy.

Many of us feel the need to be a part of the on-going conversation about environmental and species protection. To do so, we need to be informed. Reading "Return to Wild America" is an important first step to addressing the environmental crises of the new millennium.

Certainly the warmest and friendliest guidebook out there, this one also happens to be the best. Although he may or may not have written the entire book, it sure feels like Rick Steves is there page after page talking to you one on one, telling you all about the places to go in and around London. Leaving little out, covering things you'd never think of on your own, this is a book to buy and pack and take with you. Well worth the price!

Went to London. I wasn't able to see everything, but this helps get you on your way. Going back soon.

Had the opportunity to visit london for a short stay. Book was an imense help on finding a hotel ways to move around.

This book was excellent. I found it very helpful in finding places and in getting background information about the places I wanted to see. I would recommend this book as one that you should purchase when Planning a trip.

I am a big fan of Rick Steve's guidebooks so understand my bias. We used this 2006 version in Dec 2006 to find lodging, a few restaurants and many of the walking tours. All information was still up to date and excellent. However, please note that the 2007 version should come out in Jan 2007 or close to that time and will be even more current. Great tips and easy to read information on days and times that sights are open or open late is essential and very helpful in planning the trip.

Polidori's work is not just about the places he photographs. This book is something to recommend to people with no understanding of Havana or it's history as well as those that do know the city. He has captured an eerie world, ghostly and abandoned, yet clinging to life. It's a dark tropical dream. If you find peeling paint and dark hallways strangely inspiring, you will treasure this collection of work from a masterful photographer with a great appreciation for decay and its warmth as well as sadness. Look at these photographs and enjoy their mysteries.

Being Cuban American and having visited Havana numerous times as well as having the opportunity to actually see firsthand, many of these grand interiors Polidori so eloquently displays for all to page through and imagine the events that have transpired in these interiors. The joys, the struggles, the rise and fall of a culture with all it's social graces. This book captures what I captured with my own eyes passing through those marvelous mansions of Cuba's golden age. Havana is truly a Paris of the Caribbean, although decayed and damaged, she is still beautiful, graceful and inspirational to all who visit her. Thus the term "Havana-itis", a disease thought to befall visitors who fall instantly in love with the grand ole dame. I believe there is still hope for her to be restored to her rightful brilliance one day, If only the current government would allow it.

There are two principal cities in the world where time seems to stand still. One is Pripyat' Ukraine which was abandoned following the Chernobyl disaster in April, 198. In that unfortunate time literally all the people left within 24 hours. The other is Havana whose middle and upper classes departed over several decades following the Cuban Revolution mainly to live in the United States.

Unlike Pripyat' where vegetation and wildlife replaced human inhabitants, the City of Havana lives on despite its painful decay.

Robert Polidori's Havana depicts several days in the life of the city in the early years of the new century. Probably by chance, the period he photographed represented simultaneously the zenith and nadir of the Revolution. His camera details the architectural heritage of the colonial era set among the blockish facades of Socialist reality. Even as neglect defaces these urban jewels, a certain spirit shines through recalling a city whose exiles in Florida still yearn to return.

As we enter the last days of the Cuban experiment in our hemisphere, the Havana so lovingly pictured here will not endure. Buildings and homes will be restored naturally enough. But the spirit of the urban caretakers of this legacy might have been lost forever if not for Polidori's lens. This is an amazing and dreamy work that belongs to a city and people whose heritage stayed behind.

These photos are breathtakingly spectacular. As soon as I saw this book, I had to buy it. It was the first time I'd ever seen anything that captures exactly what being in Cuba feels like: as if you were witnessing the beautiful ruins of a decaying Roman empire. It's the most spectacular, cinematic misery you could ever experience. And I'm glad that someone like Robert Polidori has captured it so faithfully before it all crumbles to the ground (or gets built over with hideous concrete Spanish hotels).

Visceral images of a unique city, in which splendor and squalor are juxtaposed, and the past is suspended within the present, decaying yet enduring. Robert Polidori has captured the beauty and melancholy of Havana, gazing unflinchingly at the ruins and the people who inhabit them. When the boycott is finally lifted, all this will be swept away by a tide of new development, so try to see it now and use this wonderful book as an introduction and a lasting memento. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

Roller Coaster is colorful and informative history of roller coasters by Robert Coker covers early models in an introductory chapter than focuses on the heart of the topic: innovations in roller coaster models and modern coaster innovations. The colorful coverage provides a solid, appealing leisure read which should attract a wide audience of those young at heart.

This book is basically another in a long line of coaster thrill books designed to prolong the excitement of riding these amusement park behemoths. This latest book is tastefully done and includes the requisite history with lots of familiar and some rediscovered photos and prints of old timers. A few of the newer beasts are included with enticing views of riders being turned in spine tingling directions. Coker's text is well written. This book has enough new stuff to warrant it's inclusion in your coaster book library.

This book is great.It tells really well about the rollercoaster itself and great pictures.(TWO THUMBS UP)

When was the last time you had so much fun screaming? Probably last time you were on a roller coaster, your hair tingling, your eyeballs popping, and your stomach churning. Robert Coker, a talented journalist, has been everywhere you've been and more, and he describes the different rides he's been on, whether wooden or steel, coaster or twister, with a different appropriate writing style that will make you feel you're in the same box, hurtling hundreds of feet downwards after a longslow climb.

Maybe the best part is Coker's sneak preview of coming attractions, rides they're building out there that we may not get to stand on line for just yet. But, a boy can dream, can't he?

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in roller coasters. It includes history of roller coasters, wooden roller coasters, steel roller coasters, and extreme machienes. It also has great pictures. Take my advice, this book is great!

Thank you for this book. It was exactly what I was looking for. My husband and I will travel to Senegal and Ghana early 2008 and we will be touring those places associated with the slave trade. I am also researching our family trees and am looking forward to returning to the Motherland.
The part of the book that gives a snapshot of each country on the west coast of Africa, things to take with you and proper behavior in each country was helpful. We would not want to do anything to offend our African brothers and sisters.
Continue doing what you are doing.

Sincerely yours,
Hazhin

This book opened my eyes. I was brainwashed about Africa and did not know it. It was if the book was speaking directly to me. This is a great book easy to read but alot of information

Roots Recovered is not only a practical travel guide, but also a valuable guide for tracing African-American ancestry! The resources and references in this book are extensive and the writers have traveled to these places--making it a treasure trove of information. The traveler can trace one's roots to specific African tribes. The book contains bits of history and is informative, as well as educational and helps Blacks with the misrepresentations about Africa. As a bonus, the reader learns how to travel for free or on a budget. I especially enjoyed these sections: useful phrases, watch you back, women travelers, photography etiquette and places of interest (not your ordinary ones). This book is a must read for anyone planning to travel to Africa.

I really like this book. The resources and references are fantastic and the author proves that he knows what he is talking about. His experiences were exciting, genuwine and informative. In addition there are individual chapters on various West African countries and what you might expect during your visits, plus great information on embassy offices, cheap air seats and safety. A must have for the traveler.

This book is very different. It is a travel book yet it touches upon history and brainwashing of African Americans and how travel to Africa can change the brainwashing. I love Africa so this book did not directly concern me but people who have a bad image of Africa should buy this book. This book is not what I expected but it was a pleasant surprise. This book will make a Black person not be afraid to go to Africa to see it because it informs you of all the misrepresentions.

A classic. As we rush into brave new environmental worlds where angels fear to tread, and as our kids grow up plugged in rather than playing in the dirt, this should be required reading in all schools (and required for the parents, too). Besides presenting a compelling and important argument, it's also a very good book.

I knew I would enjoy this book right from the start, when I found the following passages in the Foreward: "There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot..." and "For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television..."

If you can relate to those statements, you will love this book. Guaranteed. Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, but he was so much more. He was a visionary. Read those statements again, and when you realize that he wrote them back in 1948, you might be amazed. But as you read the book, you will come to understand how special he was. Facts or knowledge that we take for granted today (e.g., predators play an important role in a healthy ecosystem), Leopold was talking about them over 50 years ago. Time and again I found myself checking the copyright because I could not believe someone was actually thinking this way so long ago.

However, it's not just the ideas of Leopold that made him special. The way he wrote was special, too. His talent drew you in, even though he was writing about something that, by the sound of it, might be kind of dry. For example, in a section called "Good Oak," he connects the passage of years to the rings of a fallen tree that he is cutting for firewood. Starting with the 1940s he relates one environmental tidbit after another for decades or years: "Now our saw bites into the 1890s...when the last passenger pigeon collided with a charge of shot near Babcock." By the time Leopold is done cutting the fallen tree, the reader has received a fascinating and sobering account of what had transpired to the environment in the area of this oak tree for the previous 80 years. The way he used the backdrop of cutting the tree rings as "markers" of environmental mishaps was masterful. It is Leopold at his best, but fortunately, the book is full of writing like this.

It is divided into three sections. The first one follows a calendar year on his farm in Wisconsin, with Leopold relating little vignettes about chickadees, skunks, flowers, or whatever else he comes across. It is probably the most charming part of the book. Part two ("Sketches Here and There") contains short remembrances of Leopold's travels to different parts of North America. Unfortunately, the story usually has a "bad" ending - at least, for the environment or for a species (like the now-extinct passenger pigeon). But Leopold had a reason for that. He moves to part three, "The Upshot," where he spells out his ideas for saving the land and the wild things that live there. It is too much to discuss here, but Leopold again hits the mark. His goal was to try and change how Americans think about the use (and abuse) of our environment. Pehaps his biggest lament then, and mine now, is that not enough people care about what we are doing to the land.

That's why this book was published. The hope of this book was to change the hearts of the average American. It still is. Over fifty years later, it's still in print, and it's still relevant.

Five stars. Absolutely the best nature/environment book I've ever read.

"Thus always does history, whether of marsh or market place, end in paradox. The ultimate value in these marshes is wildness, and the crane is wildness incarnate. But all conservation of wildness is self-defeating, for to cherish we must see and fondle, and when enough have seen and fondled, there is no wilderness left to cherish." (from "Marshland Elegy")

"It must be poor life that achieves freedom from fear." This, from reflections on being caught on horseback during a lightning storm, is a comment on the "civilized" mindset that wanted all to be safe, and so feared and destroyed wildness.

These essays were written mostly in the 1940's, although some of them are about earlier times in the author's life. In a way, reading Aldo Leopold is like watching Humphrey Bogart in those old movies, with his smoking and tough-guy sexism. We understand these as disreputable today, but can put them in context. Likewise, Aldo Leopold was in many ways a typical countryman of his time and place. He loved to hunt and fish, and even reflexively shot wolves, like everyone else. He came to regret that, and in fact to realize that in the new era, where hunting and fishing have become mass recreations, that the old ways just don't work anymore. But they did in his day, and he does not retrospectively apologize for having been, in a sense, just another predator.

But he was also a college professor, and an expert naturalist and ecologist. In this book he is a poetic writer about nature and a loving reporter of all things wild. No matter where I lived I would love this book, but having lived not too far from his sand counties and walked his restored prairies makes it the sweeter.

I keep this book on my nightstand and read an essay or two after my pj's are on and before going to bed. My bookmark is a pencil for making notes in the margin when particularly wonderful passages are encountered. The margins are very full.

Aldo opens our eyes to worlds in our own backyards which have always existed but which have remained undiscovered due to our own dull-sightedness. I considered myself an avid nature-watcher, but the extent to which Mr. Leopold carries this hobby is humbling. He inspires any true fan to learn the names and habits of every tree, shrub, weed, thistle, bird, insect, and critter native to one's home county, and to hone one's journaling skills and master the talent of imagery and metaphor.

But, this book is not for everyone. I've read favorite passages to friends only to watch their eyes glaze with disinterest. If you're the outgoing, life-of-the-party, must-always-be the-center-of-attention type, then perhaps The DaVinci Code would be of interest. But if you enjoy solitary walks in the woods, canoe paddles on distant foggy lakes, or reading prose with your pj's on, then this is required reading.

Life got you down? Live in a big city? Take a refreshing break and escape to the Wisconsin countryside in this beautifully written little book about the land and the plants and animals that live and grow there. Aldo Leopold's writing is more compelling than John Muir's,and more knowledgeable than Thoreau's. In a series of short sketches you follow the cycle of the land from January to December. Along the way you learn about history, meet amazing plants and animals, and experience the drama of both the destruction and the rebirth of our land.