Burke Books

This book is really sweet! I'm sure my husband and baby girl will enjoy reading it together for many years.

I bought this for my husband as we are expecting and he liked it very much

I really loved this book, especially considering as a very young child my mother sang this to me over and over while my father was stationed overseas during the Korean conflict. The words are so dear and the pictures are beautiful.

I bought this book for my husband for Father's Day. It is a very cute story and has a song at the end. So, if you play an instrument, the song goes with it too. I also bought "Daddy's Little Boy" (since I have a son and a daughter). Both books are very good.

I purchased this book for my 2 year old daughter to give her Daddy on Father's Day along with 2 other "Daddy" themed books. This one was very sweet and the song is cute too! I am sure it will be one of their favorites in the years to come!

What can I say, another great book in the Irene Kelly series! Jan Burke once again wrote a unique and page-turning novel that I couldn't put down. Throwing in a bit of mythology made this book even more entertaining and thought-provoking. And once again, the romance between Irene and Frank is a wonderful addition to the storyline. I'm ready to read the next book.

Another riveting and intelligent mystery by Jan Burke. All of her books maintain the same quality level (excellent)! Reading her is always a pleasure. I highly recommend her to anyone who likes a really well written modern mystery.

Fiesty newspaper reporter Irene Kelly (recovering from her last adventure) starts getting cryptic letters from a serial killer whose creepy fascination with her increases with each murder. Sound familiar? Well, yes, but that doesn't make it a bad plot.

In this case the variation is classical. The letters are from Thanatos, Greek for death, and address Irene as Cassandra, the seer who's fated never to be believed until too late. Thanatos describes his victims and methods in terms of Greek and Roman mythology and taunts Irene with the possibility that if she's quick enough she might save a victim and catch the killer. And if she's not, she may be his final victim.

Burke keeps the pace moving. With ingenuity, police work and investigative skills that ring true, Irene and her fiance, police detective Frank Harriman, find a link between the victims that reaches back 40 years. Still the mystery is far from solved and people keep dying while Irene finds strange tokens from Thanatos in her locked car.

A good, suspenseful story with plenty of meat in the plot, a bang-up finish and just a little too much wise-cracking banter from Irene.

If y'all haven't read the first two books featuring Irene Kelly, fearless reporter ... well, I recommend getting & reading them soon!

In this 3rd installment, Irene is recovering from the physical and psychological injuries she incurred in "Sweet Dreams, Irene" (definitely an ironic title, I'd say!) and is trying to recover her natural (feisty) courage to deal with a new threat: someone sending her mail, calling her his "Cassandra" and giving her "hints" about future horrific murders defined/described by mythology ... implying that SHE must solve the murders to stop them.

Besides dealing with the frustrations of her physical limitations from previous injuries (leg cast, sore hand, painful shoulder), Irene must conquer the unwelcome fears her previous experiences had inflicted upon her ... and recapture the fearless curiosity that made her such a great reporter ... so she can keep more people from getting killed and bring the killer to justice.

I enjoyed "watching" Irene follow the clues (and her instincts)to investigate & solve the mystery, even while dealing with the "conflicts" of reporter vs. police (confidential questions/informers) and conflict of interest (being engaged to a detective!)*AND* trying to deal with overly sympathetic friends, family and "suspects" who want to help.

Did I say I had to read the whole book in one sitting?

Pat, looking forward to the next Irene adventure!

Irene Kelly, reporter for the Las Piernas Express and newly engaged to boyfriend, Frank Harriman, has received her share of crank mail and calls. But nothing like this. The first letter from "Thanatos" (Greek God of death) details the death of Clio (Greek Muse of history) using the hammer of Hephaestus, saying the eyes of Argus (Hera took the 100 eyes of Argus and put them in a peacocks tail) will be upon her remains. And that night, history professor Edna Blaylock, was bludgeoned to death and her body was thrown into the peacock exhibit at the zoo. Unfortunately, this is only the first letter from Thanatos. It looks like Las Piernas has a serial killer on its hands who will only communicate with Irene. No matter how fast Irene and the police solve the riddles in these mythological letters, they're always a step behind the killer. As the body count rises, Irene digs into the background of Thanatos' victims trying to find a link and a motive to these senseless murders, hoping next time, she won't be too late..... Jan Burke has done it again. Another great Irene Kelly mystery that will put you on the edge of your seat and keep you turning pages to the end. This story has it all...smart, crisp writing and witty dialogue, a terrific plot line full of twists, turns and surprises, great characters and suspenseful scenes. Ms Burke has a real talent for scaring you one moment and making you laugh out loud, the next. Dear Irene is pure entertainment and a joy to read. If you're new to the series, go back and start at the beginning with Goodnight Irene. If you're already a fan, this mystery won't disappoint.

A very heartwarming story about a hardworking and talented Irish-Catholic family. The travels and travails of the Burkes as they rehearse and perform across the country during the turbulant decade of the sixties against a background of racism and Vietnam, is a nonstop adventure for the reader also. The book brought back many memories for me personally as my family also traveled in the sixties in a 64 Chevy Belair wagon-but we only needed one! The story just goes to show how much has changed since that era. Or has it? An outstanding story-Highly recommended.

The Burke family brought many childhood memories of my own past. This family represented everything good in America at a time when our country was experiencing issues of racial hatred, turmoil and unrest. I was fortunate to attend the same Catholic school and parish as this wonderful family and remember the Christmas shows on local televison. I recommend this book be read by all families to show the love, devotion and moral values instilled in this family as an inspiration to all!!!

The Burke singers lived my fantasy. I too am from a large Catholic family who grew up in the fifties and sixties and the relationships of the siblings in the book and the antics of the little brothers brought back so many childhood memories for me. My elderly mother has been mute for several years due to a stroke, but she was able to communicate her pleasure in reading the book and seemed to like it better than any others she has read. This book could be read and shared by children, parents and grandparents in a family. The story is told with humor and affection and it was just too bad the trip had to end. Don't think it hasn't been fun... Because it HAS!

This book shows that truth is easily as fascinating as fiction. The Burke family's exploits would be beyond belief if there weren't so much proof they actually happened. This book made us laugh and cry while we returned to a decade when America's innocence was unpeeled in the face of racial oppression, assassinations, and the agony of going to war on foreign soil. Seen through the eyes of a child innocently traveling the country singing with her family, and laced with the family dynamics of ten children on the road, Burke's book left us stunned, warmed, and thinking deeply about our country today. If you're looking for a book that leaves you filled up, read this.

When my grandmother was alive she made fudge. It was so rich, you couldn't eat it. You had to sort of scrape little bits off with your teeth - if you took a full bite you'd probably die, it was so rich and sweet and wonderful.

I've been reading this book rather like eating Nana's fudge. I don't want it to end, so I'm doing little bits at a time. When I first started I read something like the first five chapters without taking a breath. Now I'm rationing.

Wonderful. Just wonderful. I'm 57 years old, so this is my time, the shows they appeared on, I watched. When I get back to NY I am going to go the Museum of Broadcasting and watch tapes.

The only thing that could make reading this book better would be playing the tape of the Burke Family SIngers doing Christmas carols in the background.

Now if I only had some fudge....

To read about this amazing woman makes me realize that everyone can do more to make life in America better. When someone, who worked for years in a shoe factory, can spend 45 years of her life changing the things that are wrong. Here's a description from the Granny D website:
"In 2003 and 2004, she embarked on a 23,000 mile tour of the "swing states," encouraging women and the residents of poor neighborhoods to register to vote. She walked through housing projects considered too dangerous to visit by many, and registering voters all along her way.

In the spring of 1994, at the age of 94, when no Democrat would run against popular U.S Senator Judd Gregg in her home state of New Hampshire, she announced for the seat, with the idea that she would use the campaign to speak out against the Bush policies. Even through she was the official Democratic Party nominee for the seat, she refused all special interest PAC contributions, walking the neighborhoods of the state to talk to people directly. When the red state of New Hampshire turned blue in 2004 presidential vote by a mere 9,000 votes, her campaign was given a share of the credit."
This lady is 96 years old and still making a difference!!!

I say bravo to Ms. Haddock and to her book! I believe this country needs more passionate input and action from its citizens with regards to our government and the political nightmare we have all help to create and Granny D - Delivers.

Ms. Haddock, as a Californian, may I suggest a sequel to your what I hope will become most successful book: Granny D2 - Raising a little more hell! This one could add "Recall Campaign Financing Reform" to the agenda!

Regarding the lone star reviewer: A Texan against campaign spending limits...what a surprise!

Granny D is a patriot. Since her amazing walk across the country promoting campaign finance reform at the ripe young age of 90, she has resisted retiring on memories of her amazing feat. She continues her work to reform our government, and is still actively working to return the rule of our government back into the hands of "We the People", from the moneyed hands of "we the corporations.

But read this book even if you disagree with the goals or politics of this woman. Read this book because the spirit of an authentic American citizen shines through and because she is a terrific writer.

And please, take with a rather large grain of salt, the comments of the previous writer; one can only wonder for which corporation he/she is a paid shill for.

I confess I too was prepared to find that Granny D was, shall we say, "eccentric"... but reading Doris's book I came to know and love her. She put her very life on the line for a cause she believed in, and through her tenacity, wit and courage brought it to the national consciousness. This book is basically her travel diary and memoir. She vividly describes the incredible diversity of people she met across the country, mostly ordinary working folks who shared her sense of disenfranchisement. She relates how devoting herself passionately to a worthy cause saved her life. Her amazing speeches, transcribed in the book, are real stem-winders -- hard to believe a retired shoe-factory worker wrote them. A great and inspiring read. See also the many reviews of the hardcover edition. "Fort Worth": you slung a lot of invective but didn't mention anything about the book; have you read it?

Even if you believe that money has no corrupting effects on politics (much less that it does so to the point that it may subordinate national health and security to the almighty corporate interest) then you should be able to appreciate the fact that an 89 year old woman decided to walk from coast to coast in protest of what she saw as a deterioration of the American system. When Margaret Mitchell was asked what Gone with the Wind was about, she replied that it was about Gumption. I've always thought that was a great adjective for the great American novel. While the rest of us may wring our hands (and write online reviews) when faced with adversity, some people decide they have to do something and do it. That is what makes this country the best in the world and Granny D represents that most American trait-- gumption.

This is a good book, easy to read, some books are deep and it takes long to understand but this book isn't so.

This book is absolutely awesome. It's the crown jewel of all the books I've ever read!

I have recently read thi book, Knowing God Intimately. It is a wonderfully anointed book. Thank you so much to the authors for being obedient and writing it. Its a book everyone needs to have and read and meditate on. The copy I read wasn't mine, and I found that as I went back through to take notes I wanted to copy the whole thing!! So I had to buy one of my own, and more of them to hand out at a meditation group my sister has!

Burke writes "the deeper you know God, the stronger your faith." With that in mind, this book shows readers how to cultivate a closer intimacy with God. He describes the fact that time spent with God will develop into a saturation of His influence. In seeking God's ways, Burke notes there are two kinds of Christians: ones of the fallow-life and those of the plowed life. The former has lost the spirit of adventure, while the latter experience the miracle of growth that is only found in cultivated soil. He extends the analogy of growth by pointing out that fruitfulness comes only from cultivated ground. Since God is working within an individual, one's thoughts and inner life represent the soil to be cultivated. Burke builds upon this theme of the adventurous pioneering spirit, noting that such people are not satisfied with life as it is, but press on to deeper spiritual achievement. He notes the sheep that follow the Sheperd most closely are the ones who experience the best results.

In this book Dennis Burke reminds us that God created us to fellowship with Him. I've read the book three times in the last couple of months and I will read it again and again. Knowing God intimately truly is the key to our fellowship with God. Without this type of foundation in our lives, we wander about as "busy" Christians. Dennis emphasizes how to focus on our relationship with God everyday which fills our lives with joy!

We live everyday based on memories ; and it is Rod's way to survive in the middle of nowhere. He makes Kerouac his escape, and I make his lines mine... I will be reading over and over... to find and feel the Beat, that He has found.
This is a great book. I hope He's got more coming. I can't get enough.

I think this book is an awesome read. I loved the way Rod Burke had me discovering about him, while he discovered about himself. I highly recommend reading it.

This author brought me from this materialistic, egotistic world I live in, to a place I am not so familiar with.This book makes me think of the true important things in life and the decisions I must make for my own "Beat" and "It".This book has truly inspired me and I highly reccomend it.

This is a well written book and I truly enjoyed it. I enjoy Hunter S. Thompson's work and I like the way the author wrote this book. He has peeked my interest in reading Kerouac's work. I can't wait for this author's next adventure to be published.

Jack Kerouac has inspired many of his readers to adapt a different way of life. "Konversations with Kerouac: The Search for Beat and It from Kazakhstan" is not literally an interview with the famed author, but Burke's own reflections on following his inspiration thousands of miles from home to find his own meaning of life. He spends his time in the oil fields of Kazakhstan pondering the meaning of life, and in "Konversations with Kerouac" he brings readers some fresh wisdom that is sure to open their eyes to the world around them.

I like what I read. I've shared this book with others, and they
have enjoyed the information tremendously, just like I have.

I read it!
I must say, that it informed me.
It educated me!
Now I have a lot of valuable information to share.
I highly recommend this book.

An amazing attempt at an inadvertant accolade. A writer who's destined to grow among the great one. Will contend for the highest honors in literature. Press on!

I've read many books! I must say that, in all my years on this earth, this is one of the most scholarly texts that I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. I am impressed!. Keep up the good work Tracy W. Burke.

This book addresses basic yet extremely informative material regarding nutritional fact. It is well presented, well understood, and very educational. The subject material is ideal for anyone who reads. Furthermore, the author reminds us that "we are what we eat". Get a hold of this book, and share it with friends and family.

I thought this was a fascinating, even if fictionalized account, of a 50-year old mother's escape from slavery with her 7 children. The story and the characters pull you into their minds and experiences and make you read voraciously through the book. I found the later letters between the younger sons during the Civil War to be an excellent means for the family to reflect back on their experiences. The manner in which the children began to understand and appreciate their mother and her uncommon bravery through this experience was also a great part of the story. Great for high schoolers and adults of all ages.

Henry Burke & Dick Croy's historical novel, The River Jordan, is an important book. It's not the best written, it's not the best plotted, the dialect is distracting, and the dialogue somewhat predictable, but it doesn't matter. This is an important book because for the first time in a long time, in my recent memory anyway (and I'm no expert), readers have the opportunity to learn about some of the people who traveled and conducted the Underground Railroad.

Mixing fact with fiction, Burke & Croy use the escape of a slave named Jane and her seven children in August 1843. The reproduction of an Ohio newspaper article about the escape and a copy of the reward poster give the story an authenticity that otherwise may be lacking.

When Jane discovers that her two oldest sons, Alfred and Augustus, are about to be sold down the river, she takes action. She's already lost her husband to the slavers and is not about to let her sons leave her. With the help of the Underground Railroad, Jane and her family cross the Ohio River and head for Canada where they will be free, as long as they don't commit any crimes, however. An escape attempt by this many people at one time is not the usual escape. But Jane is determined, and she and her family set out on a dark, foggy night.

What follows the family's escape route, how they avoided the posse led by their owner, Solomon Harness, a glimpse of those who conducted the line, and a topograhy of Ohio. As I mentioned earlier, the book isn't well written, too much is trying to be covered in too little space and the sentence fragments drove me nuts, letters from the Civil War between two of Jane's youngest sons are ill-placed and jarring. However, I enjoyed Jane's story and could feel the desperation she must have felt. I think that The River Jordan is a must for every public and school library across the country. By putting names and faces together with a story, children (and adults) learn more easily; The River Jordan gives reader pause to think about the people who put themselves in harm's way so they could be free or they could help some enjoy the freedoms they already knew.

There is a need for this story to be told. Slavery was an evil institution. And yet there were brave people who violated the Fugitive Slave Law in order to obey the dictates of conscience.
Black and white Americans once worked together to help black men, women and children escape from slavery. Obviously the black people who helped escaping slaves risked their own lives in the process. So did some of the white people, particularly those who operated the Underground Railroad inside the borders of slave states.
I have done some Underground Railroad research myself on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River, and I can say with some authority that the events in this story are true. Co-author Henry Burke is an African-American whose roots in Southeastern Ohio pre-date the Civil War. He has spent his life learning about the Underground Railroad as it operated in his part of the country.
The River Jordan is a fictionalized account, in very readable form, of a true story. This book has a wonderful book review printed on the back cover.
The Underground Railroad scholar who wrote the book review for The River Jordan is none other than Dr. Ancella Bickley, one of the most distinguished African-American women of West Virginia.
Dr. Bickley was part of the U.S. government effort, through the National Park Service, to document the Underground Railroad. Obviously, her word on anything connected with the Underground Railroad carries great weight. Here's what Dr. Ancella Bickley wrote about The River Jordan:
"The River Jordan is an important addition to the regional literature of slavery. Blending fiction and fact, it brings to the public a daring tale of an enslaved family's Underground Railroad-assisted escape from western Virginia, an area seldom considered in tales featuring "the peculiar institution." Enriched by memorable characters and incidents and masterfully rendered, the novel connects the authenticity of history with storytelling. Juxtaposing slavery against family love, which powers the compelling and dangerous quest for freedom, the story illustrates the motivating influence of a mother's concern. Combined with the bravery, artful maneuvering, and humanitarian commitment of Underground Railroad workers, this concern facilitates the family's audacious escape. The River Jordan is a must read for all those who are interested in a truthful and enlightened look at a dark period in our country's history."

The River Jordan: A True Story Of The Underground Railroad is the fictionalized account of a true story - the escape of the slave Jane and her seven children from a western Virginia tobacco plantation, on land once owned by George Washington. All major characters and events are not only real, but also closely researched from newspapers and documentation of the time. Careful attention to detail and powerful imagery bring this near impossible journey of hope and freedom to vivid life. Highly recommended.

Reading history made into fiction can be quite disappointing, especially when the authors aren't "established" (mainstream) fiction writers. We read this book to see if we wanted to stock it in our bookstore; we prepared for a long and difficult experience.

Turns out the only difficulty was in having to put it down to tend to daily chores. The story of Jane and her 7 children, escaping from slavery when she finds out her two oldest sons are about to be sold, was fascinating.

It is the story and details that will capture your interest, though the writing is fine. Told from multiple views -- most from Jane's thoughts and concerns, her oldest daughter's journal, one of her son's letters two decades later, the slavehunters actions and the beliefs of the abolitionists -- you will never be bored.

In fact, there were times when we slowed our reading because we didn't want the story to end, but more often, there were times we just couldn't stop reading.

More than just a runaway story, Jane's story is that of a middle aged woman, leaving the only life she's ever known. To attempt to escape means to be aware of the consequences if captured -- especially difficult when you are making the choice not just for yourself, but for your children.

Jane's children -- ages 25 to 9 -- are brought into a new awareness of their mother's courage and that of her first husband, sold away from the family long ago.

For those of us who don't know a lot about slavery, this book offers an educational experience that is only painful as we realize what slavery must have been like, and wonder what we would have done had we lived back then.

There were slaves who risked their lives to rescue other slaves (without finding their own freedom); there were people who thought slavery was wrong, but did nothing to protest it since it was a way of life; there were folks who turned others in for money or just because they thought slavery was right; there were those who gave their lives because they knew slavery was wrong. Readers can't help but wonder - "how courageous would I have been?"

This might be good reading for older children -- high school level -- but be aware there are some very graphic descriptions of slave treatment that will be disturbing to any reader.

Also includes photocopies of the ads slavehunters placed with the bounty on Jane and her children, plus maps of the route they followed.

Be sure to read Henry Burke's introduction, a too short tale of his childhood and life -- it is as fascinating as the fiction story.

There is often a schism between our everyday life and our dreams of someday. Someday often stays out reach of us like an carrot on a stick until circumstances that would have allowed the dream no longer exist. Michael Burke gently opens the someday window and steps through. He takes you with him. He gives a balanced and real look at what is on the other side. He speaks with a fine voice that puts you in the raft, in his head, till you smell the wet stuff and feel the angst. He makes a case for making someday happen while you can. He tells a tale that made me look forward to the quiet part of the evening, after the kids were in bed, so I could be back on the river again. The Same River Twice is fertile ground to plant you own someday seeds in. I found it an inspriation.

I guess I am lucky to be attending Univeristy of Maine at Farmington, where a lot of non fiction writing has come from recently (Gretchen Legler AND Michael Burke).
I went to Professor Burkes reading last night and it was so fun. His book is full of humor, at least, the passages he read were. I haven't read the whole book (yet).
But from what I heard, I am buying it and I would recommend it!

I read this book almost in one sitting. Micheal Burke tells a good story and gives the reader the feeling of being on the river and experiencing the beauty of situation while taking us along on his own personal journey. Very good read!

What happens to white-water guides when they leave the rivers? Michael Burke gives us one answer: they never leave the rivers, and the rivers never leave them. Burke's story is part memoir, part "road trip," and part love story about the wild places that "can't be improved by changes." His tale of a 1991 trip down the wildest of British Columbia's rivers is one hundred percent enjoyment.

Having guided seasonally since he was a college student, Burke at thirty-eight was married, a professor at a college in Maine, with a baby on the way. This ambitiously planned trip was a three-week-long pilgrimage to the places where a distant relative, Sid Barrington, had lived a life of legend on the wild rivers of long ago. Burke, along with a stranger named Max whose only qualification was availability, set out with an ancient rubber raft, a heavy load of gear, a rifle in case of bears, and jury-rigged arrangements with bush pilots. From this unpromising start, Mike and Max had a soul-stirring experience in this "humbling land."

Putting in by plane to breathtaking Chutine Lake, they worked their way down glacier-fed rivers with wild names: the Chutine, the Stikine, the Sheslay, the Taku. Along the way they encountered black bears, grizzlies, moose, and on one memorable evening a wolf with two pups. Burke's deep love of the challenging terrain is evident throughout the book.

Stories of the old river runner, Sid, are woven in, along with some hair-raising stories of Burke's younger days as a guide; a wild, adrenaline-saturated life that he remembers with affection at this settling-down time of life. Thoughts of his pregnant wife are with him always but he was unable to resist the pull of the river.

Why do this crazy, dangerous thing? Burke writes about the meaning of memory as a defining concept; about freedom and control. But mostly it's because he loves the rivers. "Rivers," he writes, "are an experience of time. The river is more human than the ocean, limited like humans are, yet sweeping forward in its implacable way, like time itself sweeping past. We are proportioned to rivers..."

Have you ever stood on the slope of a mountain and felt its age and power? Looked up into the weird blue ice of a glacier and heard its deep voice? Or even felt the edge of a river on your ankles and known that it flowed according to forces older than time? Then you should read this book. The geography is bewildering but just put in at the beginning and let the current take you to the end, rapids and all. You're sure to feel the awe and beauty of the planet's wild places. Go there, even if it's just in a book.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This work is a delightful memoir that is a pleasure reading, starting from the first page, right along to the last word of the last page. This is the story of a man; a middle aged man at the time the story takes place, and at the same time is a history lesson, a journey of enlightenment, and a tour into one of the truly wild areas left in North America. It is also, and most importantly, a very insightful look at human nature.

The author, Michael Burke, dropped out of the University of California-Berkeley, and became, through faking his lack of experience, a white water river guide. Burke has apparently been guiding now for over thirty five years. The author obviously continued his education, as he now teaches at a University, and beyond a doubt, the guy can certainly write. In 1991, when the author was 38, he found himself with a pregnant wife, two step-children, an academic career, living in Maine and driving a station wagon. Now, although the author does not admit to the fact, it is pretty obvious he is probably losing some of his hair, getting less muscle tone than he had when he was twenty, and, most importantly,(again, not really stated)is feeling rather trapped. Gosh, it does not take much of a creative leap to figure out that a gigantic mid-life crises is about to descend on this poor guy. This is okay though, at least Burke faced his crises with class, like a man, and did not go the route of gold chains around his neck, a little sports car, a poor comb-over and chase twenty year old undergrads around campus; something we see all too frequently. Rather, he returned to the roots of his youth, the river!

The Same River Twice is the story of Michael Burke's journey down three rivers in the Canadian Wilderness of British Columbia. Using his old river raft, a left over from his youth, and in the company of a relative stranger, a fellow adventurer, who was chasing his own demons, the author starts on a very poorly planned adventure. The premise of the trip is to find and trace the territory traveled by distant relative of the author's, who himself was a famous river man during the Klondike glory days at the turn of the century. The author feels a connection with this long dead river man and wants to strengthen this connection with information. The story Michael tells of his trip is interwoven with stories of this old river man mixed with tales of the author's own glory days as a professional guide on some of the most famous white water rivers in North America. This three section story is wonderfully intertwined and the author has the ability to make you feel you are in all three eras with him, as he physically and mentally journeys through them.

Burke's ability as a descriptive writer is truly wonderful. His true love for the wilderness, for the wild places in our planet, for wildlife, solitude and yes, danger, comes shinning through on every page. You can actually squint in your mind's eye, as you read his prose and picture what he is seeing as he writes. The author makes a point that this sort of thing, once experienced, never quite leaves your blood. Great bodies of water have been apart of our souls throughout time...once you are hooked, you are hooked for life.

This work is truly a satisfying read, one of the better reads I have had in sometime now. I will quite likely give this one a second going over down the road. I must admit that I would love for this author to give us another book, telling of his adventures on the other rivers that he ran while learning his trade. The author can be quite humorous at times and I suspect was and is quite good at camp fire stories. It would be a delight to read some of them. NOTE: There seems to be a great deal of nonfiction writing coming out of Maine right now, and has been over the past few years. To be quite frank, the only thing I really knew about Maine was that they had Moose, potatoes, had a good store to order clothes from, and made good canoes...now I find the place is full of good writers...go figure.

This series fills a vital niche in the ESL world where too many teachers and professors continue to act as if English were a static language stuck in the past. I've had several young college students, often in IEP programs, approach me for advice on how to learn "real" slang and modern idioms. The Slangman Guide works - although it will not help students on TOEFL exams or academic essays.
Yet we, and I speak as an ESL instructor at a private university, need to recognize the diverse desires and needs of our students. While I would never use this book as a textbook for a wide variety of reasons, the casual and hip tone encourages, even cajoles, many young students into studying more and living better inside the English language. Better for the 15-25 year old crowd than the older adult population, David Burke deserves far more respect than he has been given in the ESL world.
Good job!

I purchased this book so that I could help one of my high-intermediate students understand American slang. I have been nothing but pleased with this book and have used it with several of my students. THE GOOD: Each chapter has about 10 new slang words (or phrases) to really concentrate on. The pictures are hilarious and help the students to relax and have fun as they get started on each chapter. After introducing the words, the book then incorporates them into a delightful dialogue. Each chapter also has a section entitled "A closer look at 'real speak'." This is my favorite feature and helps students to understand how American slang is really produced. For example, it explains when a "T" is really pronounced like a "D" (or flapped). The rest of the chapter then has TONS of practice for the students in all four skills - reading, writing, listening and speaking. THE BAD: There really isn't too much to say here. If anything I would say that the book doesn't cover a lot of slang words. There are only 10 chapters, so students really only learn somewhere around 100 new words and phrases, but they really learn those 100! The only other bad thing that I have noticed is that my more advanced students seem to pick up the slang more quickly and then find the remaining practice to be redundant. But hey, it could be worse! OVERALL: A wonderful book of current and useful American slang that I would recommend to anyone - teacher, tutor or student! I would suggest that you buy the cassette tapes if you are going to use this book as a self-study guide.

It's a very good book.It teach you not only the words but it teach you how to use words. You can learn the correct grammar, the accent and most important the context.
Advice: Buy also the CDs( not included with the book) or you have to order again !!!!!!

I would like thank Slangman David Burke for his wonderful books. Actually, this series helped me a lot to understand American culture and daily conversations , especially with its comical pictures.May be the main attracting feature of this book which also has differentiated it from other similar idiom books is its nice division of slangs into some daily topics with pictorial format.
Now when I listen to radio or watch TV, I feel like hearing something new I couldn't have heard before.

Ali
Montreal,Canada

I recommend this book "BIG TIME"!! It's the most useful book I have found on American slang and idioms. I have spent a lot of money of other books to learn how Americans REALLY speak (what they teach us in school is not the real language). They are more like dictionaries, and use old terms that Americans don't use any more. David Burke, who calls himself "Slangman," has created a series of books that are really great for ESL students who are
trying to learn American English. I showed Street Speak 1 to an American friend and he said that the words in the books are very popular. In the book, Slangman gives many examples of the everyday slang words and expressions using dialogues in context. One of the BEST things about it is that he also shows you the dialogue on the next page rewritten as it would actually be spoken by a native!! This is so important because American pronunciation is very strange to non-native speakers. For example, instead of "We are going to have a blast at the party," the rewritten dialogue shows "W'r gonna have a blast 'it the pardy!" The audio CD follows the books exactly which I thought was really important. It's the only way to speak like a native. The exercises in the book were also very useful. It only takes about an hour to finish a chapter and after doing the exercises in the book, you really remember everything. The exercises were really fun too and the illustrations are very funny. They help you to remember the words. It's just a really fun book. I'm "HAVING A BLAST!"