Campbell Books

I jumped at the chance to write about medical fitness for divers and instructors when approached to do so by Peter Bennett. I've always admired Dr. Bennett's work and felt to be in great company with him and Frans Cronje.

Instructors are in the line of fire, so to speak, when deciding if a medical problem is germaine to the decision whether or not to dive. They should not be medically responsible, but certainly should know when and when not to ask for medical backup if a problem should arise with a diver. It is with this in mind that this book should be read and kept on the desktop for reference.

The book is easy to navigate, does not insult your intelligence by talking down but does speak in easily understood terms. I'm proud to have been a part of producing this needed addition to the scuba diver's library.

Ernest S Campbell, MD

Assessment of Diving Medical Fitness For Scuba Divers and Instructors is an excellent book which should be read by all divers, scuba instructors, and diving physicians! It is filled with up to date information presented in a user friendly style but comprehensive enough to educate divers of all levels, both recreational and professional. I particularly like the emphasis that Dr. Bennett places on the need to evaluate each diver's individual medical, physical and psychological components of fitness and the fact that these components should be reassessed as the diver ages and/or progresses to more challenging levels of diving. As a thirty year veteran of diving, teaching SCUBA, EMS, and Dive Accident Management programs, I wish this book had been written a long time ago!"

Dr. Hillary Viders

My [...] started reciting this book after reading it a few times. The book has excitement both when you turn the pages "I can hear a digging noise. What can it be?" . After turning the page and identifying the animal "It's a WOMBAT!", there is then the fun of looking behind the flap to see a baby animal. Great fun, and good for learning about animals. Good, too, for additional interactive play - time to look in the garden behind piles of dirt for stray wombats!

My baby received this as a present when she was only a few months old and as soon as she could pick a book, she would pick this one. I admit that I did not see the magic of it -- but the simple drawings and silly text delighted her. She is a year old now and the book is all in shreds. The flaps have been re-glued too many times and some will never return. But because it is her favorite, we'll be making some flaps to add to it and looking for another edition for her. Wombats are her very favorite critter. Who knew? Apparently her Aussie cousins did.

I've purchased several copies of "Authors By Request: An Inside Look At Your Favorite Writers," as gifts for my children's teachers and student teachers. It's a wonderful gift for educators because it profiles the popular authors our kids are reading, plus offers writing tips and activities. I also bought a copy for my sister, a teacher, and for our family bookshelf. We love books at my house and this paperback really highlights some terrific writers. It's a good book at a good price.

I've purchased several copies of "Authors By Request: An Inside Look At Your Favorite Writers," as gifts for my children's teachers and student teachers. It's a wonderful gift for educators because it profiles the popular authors our kids are reading, plus offers writing tips and activities. I also bought a copy for my sister, friends that are moms, teachers, and for our family bookshelf. We love books at my house and this paperback really highlights some terrific writers. It's a good book at a good price.

Hale vividly describes her immediate family, their families and her childhood in this deeply moving book. My heart ached for her as a child and young woman trying to make sense of a hostile world. The book is a testament to human resiliency. -- I am not Native American, but I too grew up with a strong tradition of family and connection to the land. My family was also dysfunctional. Like the author, I too have turned to writing to try and make sense and order and draw meaning from my life and pain. Relating to her as I did, this was not an easy book to read. Yet it had remained on my shelf of favorite books for several years.-- Another reviewer criticized her use of Native American stereotypes of drunk, violent, lazy Indians. I don't recall any lazy Indians in the book. The drunkeness and violence had deeply affected Hale's mother, perhaps in part explaining her cruelty to her youngest daughter. The story would have been a lie had that part not been told. Instead of reinforcing a stereotype, Hale made the human pain which results from such behavior very real and personal. She tells the story passionately enough that I felt sympathy for her parents, even as she did. This book inspired me as a writer and it impressed upon me the need to understand and the will to live and thrive which seem to be part and parcel of the human condition.

I had this book in my collection for sometime before getting to it. I'm glad I finally did. There are many acclaimed and favorite PNW so-called "native" son writers such as Doig, Holbrook, Morgan, Kittredge, etc that combine well storytelling and folklore with personal or others' memoirs with description of the PNW with historical events. Unfortunately, there are only a few true "native" (PNW Native Americans) son & daughter writers. Janet Campbell Hale clearly belongs in this company. The contrast of her work with Sherman Alexie's is quite stark. (She's Couer D'Alene, he's Spokane Indian). Personally, I find Alexie's work too dark and does some significant injustice to Native Americans by perpetuating stereotypes of drunken, violent, lazy, etc Indians. I believe such talent should be put to more edifying uses - a force for good and change. However, Janet Hale doesnt ignore or gloss over the conditions on the Rez, but brings you in to the story rather than disturb you like some of Alexie's stories. Her connection "bloodline" with a very important figure in PNW history, John McLoughlin, is well done as well as the short bit with Chief Joseph's flight. The story throughout the book is a fluid connection with her family's past, her childhood, and her current "role" in life - a woman, an Indian, a writer. I believe this type of work is invaluable in contributing to our society, especially as pertains to Native Americans. I havent ever read her Pulitzer nominated "Jailing of Cecelia Capture", but plan to do so quickly, as well as her other works.

I loved this book - it's thoughtful, warm, and wise -- and it says so much about both the natural world and the human heart. I hightly recommend it!

Bringing the Mountain Home by SueEllen Campbell is a book to treat both your emotions and your senses. The book of essays is largely about the Colorado Rocky Mountains but also has some gems about an Africa sojourn. The essays are visceral, intelligent, personal, and universal. As she eloquently says in the book: "In fact, I realized I was taking two walks at once. One was intensely personal and immediate, my body, sense, memories moving through a specific and extraordinary place and moment. The other was shared, my own experience formed by my culture, by other, earlier visitors to wild places, by circumstances, attitudes, assumptions, words, even emotions I had no part in creating but had somehow absorbed into myself" (x).

I love the gentle humor (such as the time she finds her friends all enjoying a backpacking trip while she somehow ends up as cook and camp-person) and the keen observations. I grew up in this area, but Campbell has looked at it with such wonder and detail, I can hardly wait to open my eyes and look around me more carefully. She knows every wildflower, every animal, every path and the reader is inspired to hike with eyes and ears wide open. With chapters titled with elements such as desire, pristine, trudging, grandeur, and misery, she captures so much of the wilderness experience in its many facets. I feel the misery of paddling a canoe when those muscles ache as well as the glory of seeing wildflowers in full profusion in a mountain valley. Campbell perfectly describes the sudden urges to get out in the wilderness, and then fearlessly describes both the glories and glooms of those trips.

Campbell's writing is lyrical, enthusiastic, honest, sensory. She is a master of words and of wilderness. I relish reading and rereading this book of essays and will never go on an Alaskan backpacking trip without it.

This book is the perfect gift for a hiking friend or a city-bound person who is far from the wilds. I recommend it to Amazon readers without hesitation. You're in for a treat, and so are your friends.

This was like watching an old Columbo mystery--you get to know whodunit, but the fun is watching these two brothers figure it out and prove it. The bad guys are deliciously [bad] and the good guys are just too [handsome] for this story. But there's lots of adventure, thrills, and action. It's a great book and I, literally, couldn't stop reading it. All of the characters are multi-dimensional and intriguing. The plots and subplots kept me going into the late hours. Well done, J. W.!! Bring on the next book!

From the prologue to epilogue, The Brothers Campbell is an exciting ride through 16th century England. William and Stephan Campbell, sons of Sir Douglas, have very different views of life among the gentry. William is idealistic, and somewhat naive about the treacheries that exist within the ruling class of Edin-on-Norwich, believing there is always a peaceful solution to disagreements. Stephan is older, and more 'street smart', having experienced first-hand the injustice of the local baron. When their father is murdered, it is up to the brothers to work together to find the culprit and win justice. That is where the story really starts to fly as we watch these too very different personalities come together, and grow from each other's experience.


Ms. Coffey has drawn the characters vividly and three dimensionally. The settings are authentic, and painted so clearly that it is almost like watching a movie. The plot is quick and plausible, with a lot of action, intrigue, and romance. I find it was like an good old fashioned Errol Flynn movie, where you can't help but cheer the good guys and hiss at the villains.


This is the first book in a planned series of four, and I am definitely looking forward to the next installment.

I can't say enough good things about this series of board books ("Busy Park," "Busy Garden," etc.) by Rebecca Finn. My daughter has loved them since we started reading them to her at about nine months old. She is now two and they still entertain her in the car when we bring them along. Each colorful two-page spread has something for little fingers to manipulate (for example, "Busy Park" has a tab that slides up to make animals appear in a tree, a dial that turns to make fish swim around in a pond, a tab with clouds on it that reveals a rainbow underneath when it is pulled out, etc.).

The opportunities for language input that these books provide for babies and toddlers is fabulous. As a parent and former speech therapist I am always on the lookout for stimulating books for the birth-to-three age group, and these are perfect. They are rich in age-appropriate vocabulary without being too visually complex. The simple, rhyming text refers to one of the main aspects of a scene (e.g., the animals that appear in a big tree), but it is easy to expand the language input by talking about other features (such as a boy and girl looking at the animals, their mom pushing a stroller down a path, a bird in another little tree, etc.). The everyday relevance of the pictures/vocab, the melodic text, and the fun of trying to work the tabs, dials, etc. make these books truly engaging for a small child.

These books are also much more sturdy than any other board books I have seen that contain flaps/tabs (in our case this has been a very good thing since they have been read and played with over and over again!). The moveable parts are made out of the same sturdy board book material as the rest of the book, so they stand up to the abuse doled out from even the youngest hands. I can't ask for more from a board book -- fun, entertaining, durable, and a great teaching tool too! I plan to buy books from this series as gifts for all the babies and toddlers I know.

We bought this book for our two year old daughter on a whim in the bookstore. Since we brought it home two weeks ago, she insists on having it at the table with her when she eats, clutching it when she sleeps, and taking it with her EVERYWHERE she goes!

The thing she likes most about the book is the fact that she can move the pieces (very easily) by herself. The concept is simple and the illustrations show pictures of things she can identify herself. In essence, as a two year old, she can read the book herself.

It's also not so annoying as other books, so you don't mind reading it over and over (and over!). Highly recommended. The moving pieces, combined with the cute and colorful illustrations make this well worth the money!

As an introduction to making sense of Wittgenstein's work (and his contribution to 20th C. Philosophy), or as a scholarly apparatus, this is a superb collection of articles. It places the reader square in the middle of current discussion in Wittgenstein studies, and this anthology is a good entry into the threshold of that research. With this, you enter into a world of pain [I just had to say that. Somehow it is appropriate to juxtapose W. with quotes from the The Big Lebowski (a film)].

Wittgenstein is a difficult and at times obscure philosopher. However, this anthology and Crary's New W. (Routledge) makes the best case for W's relevance to the philosophy of math and the philosophy of mind.

Some of the more important articles included here are: Stern, "Availability of W's Philosophy," Cavell, "Notes and Afterthoughts," Stroud, "Mind, Meaning and Practice" (excellent), Sluga (on W's subjectivism), Fogelin, Ricketts on W's Tractatus, and the following figures on math and math necessity: Diamond, Gerrard, and Glock.

I highly recommend this anthology. I also recommend: Crary's New W; W. in America; McDowell's articles on rule-following; Stroud, Mind Meaning and Practice (Oxford UP); Dummett, Putnam, and Diamond's Realistic Spirit. Also see David Stern's book on W, as well as Diamond's Realistic Spirit.

Wittgenstein is considered among the most important philosophers of the 20th century, he is certainly among the most difficult. But he is also among the most worthwhile. He was concerned, among other matter, with the relationship of language to the world, of the ontological status of mind and consciousness, and of showing how language itself helped create false philosophical problems. "When language takes a holiday," as Wittgenstein puts it, we can create all sorts of philosophical problems - the mind-body problem may be one of these if Wittgenstein is correct.

There are a number of good essays in this collection, but Hans Sulga's "Whose House is That?: Wittgenstein on the Self" may be the best. Sulga explores how Wittgenstein's analysis of language led him to a rejection of Cartesian substantialism - or the idea that consciousness, the soul, or the mind, was an immaterial substance - a "soul atamon" as Nietzsche would put it - tethered to a physical body and capable of existing independently of that body. But Wittgenstein also rejected opposing views such as materialism, behaviorism, and reductionism as well. Indeed, he shows how such opposing camps actually share some of the same underlying assumptions. All this leads Wittgenstein to a radical and important new way of understanding subjectivity. For those interested in an accessible introduction to Wittgenstein's thinking on these matters this volume is a good place to start - particularly Sulga's essay.

You absolutely have to buy this and make the 'Skillet Potatoes'. It was probably the first recipe I tried from this book, back in 1986 or so. I was such a novice at cooking that, when I read the first sentence that says "In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat,...", I went and got a ruler to measure my pans.
'Skillet Potatoes' ended up being my good ol' standby recipe. Cheap, and filling: Every college student's dream.

This is one of my all time favorite cookbooks. My copy is 20 years old! I have both the softcover original and the hardback expanded version.

The recipes are set up with a list of ingredients, including mix and match for several items (i.e. you pick what type of soup, pasta, meat, cheese, seasoning, etc. from a list of suggestions). Any of their combinations are supposed to work well together. It's especially nice for novice cooks who are nervous of experimentation, as it really helps you gain confidence or have an idea of what to do if you are out of an ingredient.

I have tried SEVERAL recipes out of this booklet and almost every one of them has been very good. So far I have tried Mexican Style Appetizer, Chili, Pasta and Bean Soup, Easy Pot Roast, Stir Fried Beef and Vegetables, Souper Enchiladas, Meatball Stew, Chicken Paprika, Chicken Stuffing Bake (one of hubby's all time favorite casseroles), Pasta with White Seafood Sauce (one of the few recipes we didn't care for), Vegetables Oriental, and Broccoli & Noodles Parmesgan.

Even with that long list, there are still a lot of recipes that I want to try including, Cheese Stuffed Vegetables, Teriyaki Beef Kabobs, Baked Chicken Florida, Vegetable Lasagna, Skillet Potatoes, Savory Pilaf, and others.

I have five shelves of cooking books and this is by far one of my favorites. Overall the recipes are very easy and quick and mostly use common ingredients that I already have in my pantry and freezer. As I am sure you can tell by the list, there are plenty of "comfort" foods and what I think of as real home cooking. I would have to add the caveat though that for the most part I can't call them healthy recipes (although I make substitutions where I can like fat free mayo, Healthy Request cream soups, etc.)

My most recent recipe attempt was Best Ever Meatloaf and it was quite yummy.

I absolutely encourage you to try this book, especially if you are nervous about making substitutions. It will make you much more comfortable!!!

My family really enjoys the recipes in this cookbook. They're generally quick and easy and taste good.

This is such a great book!!! It has so many easy and quick recipes and the best part is they are all low fat. I love it, my husband loves the food and guess what so do the kids.