Big Books

Weaving the history of the Black Mtns with the author's personal diary made this book exceptional. I particularly enjoyed the theory on how mountain balds were formed and how native americans survived and made most of the land. I recommend this book to anyone who hikes or camps and appreciates the mountains.

What an excellent book! Timothy Silver has given us a two fold view of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains of North Carolina. A combination of the natural history of the area, and man's exploration/exploitation of these lofty peaks. I think what I enjoyed most about the book, were the short "interludes" where the writer inserts his many experiences of car camping, hiking/backpacking, trout fishing, or just marveling at nature while sitting at some well known spot, or some "hidey-hole" known only to people who frequent the area. These personal thoughts heightened my reading pleasure, because like the writer, I have spent a great deal of time in the Blacks and know of what he speaks.

The battle between the Mountain's namesake, the Rev. Elisha Mitchell and his former student, future Confederate general Thomas Clingman about who measured the mountain first, is fleshed out completely, and is probably the definitive account of this famous row.

The end chapters deal with mankind's interventions on the mountain, and the consequences of these acts. This is followed up with concise information about the acid rain/woolly adelgid issues affecting the Fir and Red Spruce trees on the mountain tops, along with some discussion about the growth cycles about the above mentioned trees, which in my opinion, clears up some of the misinformation out there. For years, the problem was blamed on woolly adelgids, then on acid rain. I personally feel like these two scourges work together hand in hand to decimate the once proud Fraser Firs.

This is truly a groundbreaking book. I'd like to see more works that follow this vein. Nicely illustrated.

Timothy Silver has given us an excellent history of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains.
The work is titled as an environmental history, and it is supported by a wealth of factual information, but the whole presentation is a wonderful flowing story of these peaks in western North Carolina, and their history as they were shaped by nature and by man.
Of special interest is the account of the feud between Elisha Mitchell and Thomas Clingman. The story encompasses misunderstandings, fragile egos, and desperate politics. When Mitchell fell to his death in 1857, the public mind established Mitchell as a hero and martyr who died to establish these peaks as the state's best known landmark. His body was later moved to the higest peak, which is forever known as Mount Mitchell.
We are also able to see the history of man's interaction with nature. In the case of the Blacks, it is often with tragic results, and even when the intentions are good, the outcome is often marginal.
Dr. Silver leaves us with a compelling book that provides much information and asks many questions that we should consider not only for this mountain range, but for our environment as well.
I highly recommend this book. The author has done us a great favor.

What a terrific book Timothy Silver has crafted! Anyone interested in mountains, hiking, fishing, environmental issues, natural history, or the local history of North Carolina's mountains will enjoy this wonderful account. Professor Silver, a historian in western North Carolina, has written a book in which Mount Mitchell stars at the center of his narrative--and both general readers and professional historians can find meaning and pleasure in his tale.

Like many environmental historians, Silver sees in the reciprocal interaction between nature and culture a larger story of a region. And he brings us this compelling story from a variety of intriguing angles. He offers his own assessments, ones generated on his extensive hiking and fishing trips in the Black Mountains of western North Carolina. He provides insight into the steamy 19th century historical controversy between rivals each seeking to determine which was the highest peak in the region--and to see who could do it first and most authoritatively. (And as a New Englander, I found the tale inviting even if our White Mountains fall short in elevation to North Carolina's peaks!) Professor Silver also examines logging practices and regional boosterism, the antecedent of eco-tourism.

The book has something that will be compelling for a wide audience of readers interested in the natural world and local history--and the style is accessible and enjoyable. Whether you've hiked a lot, love North Carolina, want to investigate stormy political and personal feuds, or wish to know more about regional environmental history, "Mount Mitchell" is a fine read. I commend it to you!

This book has a great message. All Mrs. Hens friends think she is crazy, but she falls in love with this egg and when it hatches looking different then what everyone expected... it doesn't matter. Mrs. Hen loves the baby. You can apply it to many different real life experiences. Very Cute! My daughter's favorite book.

Mrs. Hen yearns for a baby chick to love. To her delight, one day she discovers an egg in her garden and realizes now she can have a chick of her very own. She takes the egg home and sits on it as any good hen would and dreams of her little chick-to-be. Mrs. Hen's friends think she's crazy -- the egg is enormous and polka-dotted and they don't think it will ever hatch. For a long time, it doesn't. After a year or so of sitting on the egg, Mrs. Hen gets frustrated and jostles it, rolls it around, and hits it with a broom in an effort to get it to hatch, but with no luck. She decides to roll it back down the hill, where it cracks at the bottom and out comes her chick -- which turns out to be a dinosaur. She doesn't care that it looks funny for a chick -- she loves it anyway. The illustrations of Mrs. Hen, particularly of her excitement on finding the egg, are charming and full of life.

I'm adopting internationally and was looking for picture books for a young child that would help me begin addressing the issue with a little one. This is a wonderful, charming, heartwarming book -the point being that Mrs. Hen wants a chick to love, and is still thrilled when her "chick" is a little creature that doesn't happen to look like her - she still adores him. The story is short, the illustrations are adorable, and it's not a "heavy", intense book at all - just a feel-good one perfect to read to small children.

Wonderful way to help explain international and cross-cultural adoption to the toddler and pre-schooler. As an adoptive single Mom-to-Be awaiting international adoption, I also like that it portrays a single parent. My only complaint is that in the 21st Century, Mother Hen should have been called Ms. Hen instead of Mrs. Hen. (I'll take the liberty to change the name when I read it to my future daughter)

Multiple Streams of Inspiration is a great compilation of life experiences.

The Amazon listing of authors is not complete. The TWENTY authors have each overcome tremendous odds to reach their status in life today.

Every reader will find food to fuel their own dreams. Dreams that lie dormant will be revived as you read about people who overcame their own personal "great odds" to achieve success.

Our contribution is a most powerful chapter on marriage that will change your life forever. To see our two complete books, click on The Man of Her Dreams The Woman of His! and The Man of Her Dreams The Woman of His 2 - Livin' It and Lovin' It! (Volume 2)

Order this book today, you will NOT be disappointed! We offer brand new copies from seller name, godkindoflife

Blessings,

Joel and Kathy

I read the book and loved it! I especially liked chapter 10 with the kid who made a million before he turned 20 years old! Wow!

Life at best is a series of change, as we bravely encounter these changes we learn how to use our intrinsic power to evolve into more dynamic, creative beings. That's the premise of this book! It's about life's challenges and the incredible, inspiring ways in which we can successfully overcome them. A must read if you desire to be encouraged, inspired and empowered to live a bigger, more fulfilling life. The many talented writers, each provide an insightful approach to living a life of unlimited success.

Quite possibly one of the greatest Compilations of Inspiration of our time!

This is truly an oustanding book of true sories and inspiration! I highly recommend it for anyone interested in what is possible in their lives!!

My Big Lie is a great book for character development. I chose this book when I taught the rules to my 2nd graders. They liked to read it by themselves too.

I was searching for a way to explain to my child why lying was "a big no-no." I hoped that a Little Bill book would be sure to hold my child's interest. This book was able to do both quite well. The story is interesting without being overly complicated. Both my children enjoyed it and the elder did seem to finally grasp what I'd been unsuccessful in explaining before.

My only complaint would be that I wished Cosby had had Little Bill's parents explain the danger in what he had supposedly been doing that caused him to be late for dinner (his lie), before having Bill come clean. But, it did allow for another important safety topic to be discussed.

Altogether, I'd give the book 4.5 stars.

I teach first grade. My students love this book because the children in this book are just like them! I like the book because it is easy for them to read, has great pictures, and is in the form of a short chapter book so they feel they are smart readers. I also like the morals and lessons in the book. This book and other Little Bill books are great!

Every year my students have a choice of choosing a book from the stack of 'Little Bill' books, and this one is always the first one they pick. The moral of this story is one that not only teachers wish to inflict, but parents, as well. It has a great way of introducing THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF story into the classroom. I also enjoyed how it introduced a way to discuss the definition of a "fib". This book was great for my students because we were able to explore in more detail the meaning of true "trust". I recommend this book to every teacher and every parent of elementary aged children.

My 2year old granddaughter knows all the nursery rhymes, so she was elated to find the stickers for these pages. Best sticker book I ever bought her!

Many products offer "hours of fun and entertainment"; this one truly delivers. My grandson, almost two, adores this book, and picks it time after time, sending everyone looking for it when it's misplaced. A wonderful collection of nursery rhymes and fun for little ones to find the very manageable stickers to complete the illustrations.

This book is GREAT, and my 3-year-old loves it. Since there are so many stickers, we just did a little at a time, so the "sticking" lasts a long time. The quality of the illustrations is wonderful, and unlike other sticker books, when you're done "sticking," the book is still something to enjoy. It becomes a nice picture book of nursery rhymes to read again and again. Only problem is some of the stickers are quite small for little fingers.

My 4 year old daughter just couldn't put this down. And, what made this book better than most was the content-- it's an absolutely excellent collection of nursery rhymes (which I've been looking for). Additionally, the stickers do not have a white strip surrounding each picture which most sticker books have. These stickers have full bleeds, which means that once you put the stickers where they are supposed to go, the pictures are actually very nice! The illustrations are great and the selection of nursery rhymes is extensive.

All in all, this is the best sticker book we've found anywhere. I wish Hinkler Books would make more of these. I noticed they have some on their website which aren't sold here at Amazon (U.S). The only improvement I could suggest with this particular book would be that they sell this in a hardcover version (yes, it's that nice) with the sticker pages perforated for easy removal. This book is worth keeping even after you're done with it-- unlike similar sticker books.

My visit to the Dinosaurs is a book I would reccommend to any kid. This book is a very good book that has lots of pictures and teaches you a lot about dinosaurs. This book takes you through a dinosaur museum as you follow a young boy and his Father and sister. They give you cool facts that you might not have known about Dinosaurs. they show you all kinds of dinosaurs, small, tall, short and long. They tell you how you find Dinasours and other exciting facts. this book in my mind is deffenently one of my favorite children books.

Both of my sons enjoy this book...over and over and over. Anything about dinosaurs is popular, but this book even provides good educational information.

My 5 year old son really enjoyed this book. It has good content at a reasonable length that held his attention. The art work is also good. It is simply a good book!

Aliki's 'My Visit to the Dinosaurs' is an exciting and scientifically accurate adventure through the dinosaur hall of a museum of natural history. Children from pre-school up will enjoy their tour through this fascinating world through the eyes of a child. The supplemental audo cassettte is well recorded and easy to follow, an excellent way for your little one to learn how to read and increase their vocabulary. Occasional comments by Prof. Franklin Branley, former Director of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City are an added treat.

This book was fabulous and Naomi has such great talent! She will go very far, especially in her writing. You Rock!!!!!!

I think that this book is a great way for kids to get awnsers to their questions and without their parents help! I personally loved it to the last drop and I know alot of kids who also loved it. I would recomend it to anyone who likes asking questions.

This book is a great tool for kids and parents alike to write with their children. Both parents and kids will like the humor and frankness Naomi uses to write her letters. She is a very talented author for such a little girl!

I heard Naomi and her father on NPR discussing the book, and I bought it out of curiousity. It is delightful. You see the original letter that Naomi wrote, as well as the response. Definitely a great way for parent and child to bond, as well as a great lesson in how to do research and how to find the answers to your questions.

Lots of the best bits from the magazine, plus plenty of stuff I'd never seen. A great gift.

I came to buy a second book for a friend (I've had my copy for a month), and saw the review by Publisher's Weekly. Just because the Onion claims to be the new National Lampoon doesn't make it so. They are great at paroding the news but the lampoon has done sooooo much more. As far as un-PC goes it doesn't get any better than this. Very funny!

Super funny!!! Love all the great stuff, old and new! But whose idea was that cover??? Jheesh!

200+ pages of the very best of National Lampoon, the magazine teenage boys had to use to see naked chicks before the internet was invented.
Quality stuff by P.J. O'Rourke, John Hughes, Doug Kenney, and the other NL alumni. Holds up well, and there's a smattering of new material that ranks right up there. The biggest surprise is a piece by William S. Burroughs (!)
Can't wait for the next "Big Book"

I liked this book from the start-the Introduction asks: "Where is Big Sur?". Big Sur is an area in California but also a state of mind." The book's only fault are the maps.Figures 1 and 2 of the California coastline
are incomplete. They show no local towns for an out of state visitor to reference as you drive the Coast highway #1. Luckily I have driven that area but I still needed my Rand McNally road Atlas to guess where the Towns of Cambria(near San Simeon) and Carmel would be on the maps. This is a fault of the authors since they describe Big Sur as "the stretch of rugged coastline between Carmel and San Simeon" in the text page 1, yet don't correlate their maps with their text.

With both sensitivity and scientific acumen, the authors systematically describe every animal and plant within Big Sur, and the geological and metereological environments in which they live. The book also gives a temporal and human history of Big Sur. It is also notable for a wonderful review of the various hikes within the area; any person choosing or planning a hike in the Ventana Wilderness or any of the state parks along the Big Sur coast will find this guide a tremendous help. The book also includes over 200 exquisite black-and-white illustrations. I always love to read natural history guides before visiting an area; I must say that I found this one singularly comprehensive and informative. Highly recommended!

A completely thorough guide to the the floral and fauna of Big Sur. The author captures much of the majesty and diversity of the Big Sur region. I use it as a constant reference when hiking the region. A minor suggested improvement would be slightly better organization of the topics.

I've been up and down the PCH several times, but as a midwesterner, most of the flora and lots of the fauna were unfamiliar to me. On my next motorcycle ride through Big Sur, I'll see the place with new eyes thanks to this wonderful guide. Now I know those yellow flowers that splash color over the cliffs in mid-July are lizard tail. What were formerly just "rocks" and "birds" and "trees" now have names and personalities. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the amazing place that is Big Sur.

Explains ths story of the cosmos with sophisticated gorgeous illustrations. Clearly and concisely explains both fundamental concepts & great phenomena.
Double-page spreads that explore a topic and richly illuminate it w/ color photos and drawings.
Three parts: I. Creation of the Universe--explains relativity,
space and time, quantum theory
II. The Grand Design--galaxies and stars, black
holes,pulsars and quasars
III. The Living Universe--Future life, life on
other planets
A high schooler or college student would love the layout.

Ok, say its time to curl up on the couch with your favorite book on the cosmos. You go over to the fridge grab a 40 oz, stop by the tomb of knowledge and browse your selections. This book is the bomb on all that is UNI. You pick this little baby up and jump on the couch with a your drink and get ready to go on a tour of everything observable. This book is just cool. I have checked it out of the library many times. And now I am making it my own. Charts, numbers, stuff. It's all in there.

My son spotted this in the library. He read their copy, and then got one of his own. His copy was ruined when the house flooded and he got another. Well organized--just the right level of challenge. Great illustrations. Well organized. No particular level of scientific knowledge required. A good book

The book is divided into three easy to follow parts,each with many color photographs and color drawings.This book is an exciting tour of; yesterday, today, and the possible tomorrow of our universe.