J Books

The MAGGIE B, by Irene Haas, I love, love this book. It is one of my favorite little books, I love it to pieces!

You ought to see my copy! It isn't a hardback it is just a simple little well worn booklet. I still adore it, maybe even more 'because' of its worn pages.

The illustrations are so so wonderful. You feel like you are on a journey with little Margaret Barnstable and her little brother as they sail across the sea. Beautiful and charming little book.

I ordered this for my 37 year old sister, because I had this book as a child and she has always loved it, but could never find a copy. The version I bought is hard back and Sooo much better than my old copy. Fantastic, thank you so much. And, I live in Australia and didn't have to wait long to get it. Even better!!
Bianca

My mother read this book to me as a child. In the years since, as I have reached maturity, there has been no other book that as remained poignant and heartfelt in my mind as the Maggie B. The book wraps itself around the reader as snugly and securely as a cotton blanket on a cool autumn evening. I have received many gifts in my life, and I consider the pleasure of reading this book one of the finest.

So much is done for kids these days. The toys talk to them, even some books do. They lead very passive lives. This book is about a child and her imagination and the sea voyage she dreams of one evening. It is a great story complimented well by great illustrations and is sure to enccourage your child to dream "in color." Also, with the songs, it makes an excellent read aloud book.

I have wanted to buy this book as a keepsake for both of my children, since I read it to them when they were very small. I worked for the State Library of Florida, and had the most special opportunity to read this when I was asked by the Children's Consultant, to give my opinion, by taking it home to read to my son and daughter. The imagination of Irene Haas, along with her beautiful illustrations, captured all of our hearts and minds. We believed we were on the boat with Margarent Barnstable, and her brother James. The little songs, gave me further enjoyment with my chidren. Now that both of them are married, and in the future, hopefully having children, I wanted them to be able to share this truly "enchanting" book with them.

This is a must-read for anyone launching a job search. Follow the instructions and you'll find greater clarity on what constitutes your "dream job" and how to land it. It's all good advice. Don't shirk the seemingly difficult tasks. You'll see their value once you've completed them. Best wishes!

This book is an outstanding resource if you're having any kind of career angst. Don't know what you want to do or what your core competencies (as opposed to regular competencies) are? This book will help you figure it out, prepare a kick-[...] resume and set you on the path to success. Loaded with helpful worksheets, resources, and a step-by-step approach to getting the job of your dreams, you can't miss with Make the Right Career Move!

This is a great book for job-seekers making a career move in all sectors. While I have a non-profit background, this book proved to be a great resource to re-vamp my resume and strengthen my job search techniques.

The book was much more helpful than guides I have used that were geared specifically to those who work in private non-profits.

The author has distilled into this very accessible text a trove of practical advice about how to find and land a good job. "Make the Right Career Move" is like having a career counselor on your bookshelf. It serves both as a handbook about developing a job search strategy and as a reference guide about how to implement the plan. All job applicants would be well-advised to read the chapters on interviews (they are short) before every job interview. It will help them avoid making mistakes that would otherwise take them out of the running.

This book is a superb guide for making a career change. There are worksheets, guide lists for what to do (and what not to do), and the advice is solid and understandable.
Written in clear language, this book helped me enormously in a recent change. I found it especially helpful, as I am at the executive level, not at the bottom level. It provides web search assistance (where to look; what to look for), specific guidance on resume building, and even a glossary of words that are more direct and action-oriented than what I might have used otherwise.
No book is going to get a job for you; but this one helps you understand that a search well thought out is a search well done.

The Market Guys have followed their own mantra in keeping this read simple. The book is very approachable and easily explains the process of trading. I have a background that emphasized company fundamentals and held little appreciation for technical analysis. The Market Guys have helped me to consider the opportunity of simple technical measures to include in my portfolio management. I find there philosophy on 'money' to be refreshing and enjoyable. Thanks Market Guys!

I listen to The Market Guys podcast and now with the reading of their book I enjoy the podcast all the more. Thank you

This book provides a good introduction to short-term stock trading. It doesn't go into great detail, but it provides what seems like solid, no-nonsense advice. The book isn't perfect (for example, some typos and a couple odd pages on good nutrition and exercise), but overall it's a good read.

I am new to investing and this book is a fantastic start to showing (with charts) of what to look for and how to start. I look forward to their new book as i would like to see real world examples such as. Here's a trend, we invested because of these signs, and here's how it played out. We lost money or made money.
Great book. A+, thanks guys.

This is a great book for new investors and for those that need to re-think their strategies. AJ and Rick take you back to the basics. They teach you about risk management as the fundamental requirement to be a successful trader. Their 1% rule and technique for deciding the appropriate order size was very enlightening and simple to understand. I have read other good books that cover technical analysis but this one gives a better overall view of the skills and mindset required to be a succesfull trader. Their key is read the charts react to the charts and trade with discipline.

Ringer does it again, this and looking out for #1 are tied for my favorite Ringer books. Here is page after page of wisdom coming from the the experiences of an action oriented and open minded man.

Ringer bravely takes off the glasses of illusion and stares at reality for what it is, often it is painful/horrible, but it is the only way to truly "live".

I love all of Ringer's books, but this is his best. Much of his previous books were an offshoot of Ayn Rand's objectivist ethics, an attractive, but not always viable worldview. Ringer seemed to have written this book as an addendum to his previous works, when he was a hard-core Ayn Rand disciple. In Million Dollar Habits, he admits that Ayn Rand is great stuff- for people who live on a planet of Howard Roarks and Dagney Taggerts. Million Dollar Habits isn't for people who live on that planet- it's for the people of planet earth! In this book, he takes a more flexible, positive world view. The advice here is much more practical a real-world. Those who found Ringer's previous works good but impracticle should read this.

Robert Ringer discusses 10 habits (in order of importance) that contribute to success:

1. Accurate perception of reality

2. Developing an attitude to objectively evaluate alternatives and creative out-of-the-box thinking in the face of difficult situations.

3. Keeping problems in relative perspective, e.g., comparing day-to-day problems with true catastrophes such as death of near-ones, life-long disability / disease enables one to not panic unduly from more "normal" problems

4. Live in the present - identify what you enjoy doing and are naturally good at. Then, continuously seek opportunities that enable you to spend more time on these activities.

5. Morality - Every action has a consequence although the final result may be delayed. Taking short-cuts eventually come back to bite you and damage you in a variety of ways.

6. Numerous ways to improve human relations including brevity, compassion, assertiveness, discretion, closure, genuineness, refined behavior, responsibility & commitment, tolerance, and win-win.

7. Simplicity - evaluate your time / frustration costs and let more grievances slide,

8. Discontinue reltionships with folks that drain you

9. Self-discipline

10. Action / persistence

The habits are easy to understand and are intuitive. Reading the book will help you identify and act on several improvements.

This is an insightful and enlightening guidance on how to achieve success through adopting some winning habits. Drawing from his experiences, Ringer presents the following ten basic habits which are crucial for succeed in life: simplicity, positive attitude, perspective, high moral principles, human relations, drain people habits, present living, self-discipline, and the action habit.

The book was very informative and helpful. It is simple, clear, and gives ideas that are sensible and workable. The book contains a lot of practical and useful ideas that can help you. The habits make sense but very often, they are not practiced, in view of the fact that, although they are simple, they are not easy. The author has a profound understanding of human behaviour as he has had some serious setbacks in life from which he recovered and went own to achieve remarkable success.

The book is recommended to anyone with a sincere desire in the development of their potential.

I have a friend who is a self made millionaire. This is his favorite "success" book. Please notice that I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The following comments are primarily critical, but I hope to add more value to the discussion by questioning the book. If you just want to read praise of the book, read all the other reviews.

Quote: "Life is nothing more than the sum total of many successful years; a successful year is nothing more than the sum total of many successful months . . . and a successful week is nothing more than the sum total of many successful days."
Reply: Life is not simple addition. The reality is one mistake can devalue 100 successful actions, or 100 successful days. Life is not always linear & progressive. I agree with the spirit of the author's statement, that success can be promoted by repeatedly doing profitable daily habits, but positive & negative actions are often not equally weighted. The cost of a negative action is often larger than the benefit of a similarly positive action.

Quote: "Success is not a grand slam home run. It's a matter of consistently hitting those singles and doubles every day."
Reply: Success can be a grand slam home run. It has been for me several times. But the author is right, most of the time it is not. But when life gives you a grand slam, it is important to know how to recognize it & perserve it. A person should appreciate their good fortune, and realize extraordinary acheivements & luck are not necessarily normal or sustainable.

Quote: "Reality is precisely the same for everyone. There is only one reality. What differs is each person's perception of reality."
Reply: While I agree in large part, it must equally be emphasized how different perceptions of reality and truth vary. There are at least 2 dangers. 1st: A person can get in trouble being too certain they have THE correct perception of reality. It's important to always have the ability to concede a perception of reality if data suggests the perception might be wrong. 2nd: Even if your perception of reality is correct, if you don't understand another person's perception of reality, you will still often err in dealing with them.

Quote: "Life is a never-ending stream of hardships . . . None of these are fatal; they're just life."
Reply: I like the author's intent here, but the principle is overstated. It is important to remember that some mistakes are fatal & final.

A final thought: The book regularly suggests that success is more simple than it is. The book hypocritically uses the "Something for Nothing" temptation it warns against. Success is not simple.

Better Than The First!!!!!!!!! You Thought Secrets Was Exposed In The First Book You Aint Seen Nothing Yet. If You Havnt Read Had Secrets Of A Housewife You Need To Buy The First Book In Order To Really Understand whats Going On. I Give It 5 Stars

A little un-realistic in some of the events but all in all a good read.

From the first chapter you will be hooked. The book starts off with drama, sex and eye gripping words. Its a good piece of work. I never read any of his books but I will start to read from this author. Zane has NOTHING on him!

This book was ALL THAT! I couldn't stop reading it. I recommend this book to all of the ZANE, EJD, Carl Webber fans out there. The sequel is even better!!!

I LOVED THIS BOOK. HATS OFF TO THE AUTHOR IT WAS DIFFERENT FRESH SEXY ALL IN ONE I WAS HAPPY THAT SECRET GOT HER MAN BACK AND THEY CAN WORK ON THERE FAMILY IT WAS ALSO A LOT OF ISSUES SOLVED. WHAT CAN I SAY I LOVED THIS BOOK........

Being a fan of Walter Lord's impeccably researched book "A Night to Remember," I was instantly intrigued upon learning of "The Night Lives On." I had had several lingering questions for years: why was an order given to turn the ship starboard when the iceberg eventually hit starboard? How, specifically, was the matter of the Californian's involvement dealt with? Which theories about "the gash" don't pan out? All of my questions and more were painstakingly answered as if I had asked Mr. Lord for an explanation myself. His ingenius weaving of history, statistics, personal testimonies, and logic, blended into an easily understandable format, made my love of the Titanic's story grow even more. Anyone can buy one book and know the generalities of the ship. But this book goes above and beyond to educate those already acquainted with the story and wanting a much more in-depth look.

WALTER LORD DOES IT AGAIN. HE BRINGS IT ALL TO LIFE. A MUST HAVE FOR ALL "TITANIC" FANS!

I picked up this audiocasette due to curiosity. The information packed tape was interesting, and even made me angry because this tragedy did not have to happen. Like people say, most tragedies are a string of unfortunate events coming together at the same time. I don't think the sinking of this liner is anything different. It gives a glimpse into the technological limitations of the day, the caste system of the gilded age, and the prevailing seaman's attitude of the time. After listening to this (and reading The Perfect Storm), my interest was certainly piqued. I ordered some books on the Titanic and the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, and can't wait until they get here.

Walter Lord follows up his best seller of the fifties-A Night to Remember--with this eighties version on some mysteries about the sunken liner. One learns about the musicians (two groups actually) and what they played that night while the life boats were being loaded. Another story details the negligence of the freighter Californian for not answering the eight rockets of distress from the Titanic. Another story details the shootings and suicide near the end of the launch of the last life boats. Still another story details why there were not enough life boats on the Titanic and most other ocean liners of the day. Walter Lord clears the air about these mysteries with his well informed writing.
If you want to know more about the Titanic, read both Lord's books on the subject (A Night to Remember, The Night Lives On). They will help the reader understand this tragedy. I have seen the movie and I know the producers consulted these books when they made the movie.

Calling this 'the sequel to _A Night to Remember_' is slightly misleading. Rather than the storytelling style employed to relate the story of the sinking of the Titanic, this is almost a collection of 17 1-chapter essays about various points of the disaster. Excellent stuff, but if you were expecting, say, the story of the Congressional and Parliamentary investigations of the disaster, you need to look elsewhere, e.g. Wyn Craig Wade's _The Titanic: End of a Dream_.

"Unsinkable Subject" - Overview of the popular fascination with Titanic.

"What's in a Name?" - The actual launching of Titanic from Harland & Wolff's shipyards.

"Legendary from the Start" - Titanic was indeed popularly supposed to be unsinkable, but the trend of sacrificing safety features for competitiveness had actually taken hold during her design.

"Had Ships Gotten Too Big for Captain Smith?" - Explores Smith's record, including a near-collision in harbor with Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic.

"Our Coterie" - The group of first class passengers, including Col. Gracie, mentioned in _A Night to Remember_.

"Everything Was Against Us" - Contrasts the ice warnings, lack of coordination between radio room & bridge, and lookouts, with the notion that the accident was a one-in-a-million chance.

"The Gash" - The collision itself.

"I Was Very Soft the Day I Signed That" - How and why ships the size of Titanic could legally sail while carrying so few lifeboats.

"What Happened to the Goodwins?" - Facts and figures about 1st class vs. 3rd, contrasting White Star's implication that those people down there couldn't understand English, with the Goodwin family (an electrical engineer and his family, emigrating from London to New York, all of whom were lost, including the 6-year-old).

"Shots in the Dark" - Explores the stories about Murdoch, one of the officers loading the lifeboats, and whether shots were fired.

"The Sound of Music" - An in-depth look at the "Nearer My God to Thee" myth, and the 2 bands on the Titanic. (I was aggravated to learn that that entire, touching sequence with the cornet in _Raise the Titanic!_, which I loved as a kid, was made up from whole cloth - the musicians were just as courageous as the movie made them out to be, but no cornet players.) And if you're a professional musician who thinks *your* agent is heartless, wait till you read this.

"She's Gone" - Compares the eyewitness accounts of Titanic's last moments with what we now know.

"The Electric Spark" Captain Rostron of the Carpathia, who picked up the survivors at great personal risk.

"A Certain Amount of Slackness" Discussion of Captain Lord (no relation to the author) of the Californian, in sharp contrast to the preceding chapter.

"Second-guessing" - The inquiries and subsequent litigation (Lord's treatment of Senator Smith should be contrasted with Wade's more detailed treatment, but then Wade has a whole book to play with).

"Why Was Craganour Disqualified?" What happened to some of the survivors. (Craganour, owned by a member of the Ismay family, was disqualified from winning a major British horse race.)

"Unlocking the Ocean's Secret" - The search for the Titanic, leading up to Robert Ballard's successful attempt in 1985 (written before others began plundering the ship for relics).

Brian Copeland shares his life story with us in Not a Genuine Black Man. It is insightful, touching and important. Although the subject matter of racial prejudice is serious, he tells the story with much humor to help us, and him, be able to get through it.

If you've ever seen Brian do stand up comedy, listened to him discussing topical news issues on his highly rated talk radio show or met him in person he comes across as being "not like other blacks".

Every white person knows someone like Brian. The co-worker at the office who doesn't have the "accent". Who talks about and does "normal" things. The one who is "just like us". The one who "doesn't play the race card". You've heard at least one person say "why can't they all be like him?"

There are white people who believe racism and discrimination are a thing of the past, saying that no one alive today was ever a slave and everyone now has the right to vote. They feel that African Americans just have a chip on their shoulder based only on injustices that happened a long time ago to someone else. For "proof", they point to African Americans like Tiger Woods, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Dick Parsons, Stanley O'Neal, John W. Thompson and Oprah Winfrey. Surely they are "just like us", the theory goes, because they choose not to feel victimized by the ancient injustices others suffered.

Copeland lets us see behind the curtain. We learn of the pain that prejudice causes first hand through the eyes of Brian as a child and the toll that experience takes on him as an adult. We learn that with everything he has accomplished, there are white people to this day who say "Yeah, but he's still just a n____". We learn the pain doesn't stop with the discrimination -- when he refuses to make an issue of it and not let it get him down, there are those in the African American community that accuse him of not being a "genuine black man".

Brian let's us know that he is successful and "like us" not because he never experienced the pain of prejudice, but rather he is successful and "like us" despite it.

"Not a Genuine Black Man" is a must read with lessons for everyone. African American readers will surely relate to his experiences and the pain he feels. White readers may begin to understand it.

An ideal assigned reading for ANY and ALL high school/college level students. So poignant, humorous, self-reflective and blatantly truthful --Mr. Copeland's personal retrospective, analyzing just exactly what he knows (his life), comes entertainingly packaged in a wrenching yet totally engaging exhalation.

I'd say that this book IS GUARANTEED (yes, this is a superlative) to activate "the thinking mechanism" and elevate your class to that of an educational milestone. If there is one common element which student readers most respect, it's an author's iron-clad commitment to
"keeping it real". Well, Mr. Copeland's clever and stylish prose delivers a tasty dose of head-on reality which will move readers to a new and better place.

Reviewer's "poetic license" observation:

Inexplicably often, peoples' names accurately and ironically depict a significant measure of their calling. Mr. COPELAND, I'm personally thankful for you and your families' inspirational determination; I'm humbled by my ability to include you in this often recognized, yet little understood club.

NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN: OR, HOW I CLAIMED MY PIECE OF GROUND IN THE LILY-WHITE SUBURBS

I enjoyed the book, but not for $14. I thought the author could have had more depth instead of simply recalling the past. I did enjoy learning about the Bay Area and the history of San Leandro, though. He is a funny man, but the book could have had a little more "meat".

Brian Copeland's "Not a Genuine Black Man" is a provocative and moving autobiography that begins the Copeland family's 1972 move into "lily white" San Leandro, California. Brian was then eight years old. And San Leandro (99.9% white) was using any method it could to maintain an all-white status.

Copeland, a San Francisco Bay Area TV/Radio celebrity, comedian, and author, is an excellent story teller and tells his story alternating between his arrival in San Leandro and an awakening at age 35 which led to an attempted suicide. "Not a Genuine Black Man" is more than the story of Copeland's struggles with overt bigotry and eventual depression, it is also the story of his mother's and grandmother's resilience that brought San Leandro into the post-civil rights era as a diverse, inclusive community.

The book's title "Not a Genuine Black Man" comes from a letter Copeland received from talk-radio listener which said, "As an African-American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because you are not a genuine black man. The letter becomes a catalyst for Copeland to explore his past and find out who he is. "Not a genuine black man...What does that mean?"

Upon reflection, Copeland sees that his mother really wanted white childre and did not want to associate with the black community. "I'm not one of these blacks." As a result, a young black child was faced with the challenge of growing up in one of the most racist suburbs in America with a mother who was trying to escape her black roots. Unknowingly, he had to develop a mask to protect himself from these truths...a mask that would lead to depression.

"Behind most of our masks is a truth that is hidden for a specific reason. Often we don't know what that truth is. I wasn't ready to deal with my truths, but ready or not, they started to bubble to the surface. Once that began to happen, try as I might, I couldn't get the toothpaste to go back into the tube. I knew I had to face the truth about my mother."

Today, San Leandro has changed and Copeland now feels proud of being part of the change. Members of all races worship side by side in the pews of churches of all denominations. His grandmother and, posthumously, his mother were presented with a commendation from the City of San Leandro for "their bravery" to make San Leandro a better place for all.

And as the City has changed, Copeland has also changed. He knows now what it really means to be a genuine black man - he is a "unique man" who has the resilience of his forefathers and the fortitude of his mother and grandmother. His experience is unique and it is a "true" black experience because this is his experience.

A human life is the most complex narrative of all: it has many layers of events which embrace outside behavior and actions, the inner stream of the mind, the underworld of the unconscious, the soul, fantasy, dream and imagination. There is no account of life which can ever mirror or tell all of this. Copeland has offered us a sample of this complexity and reminds us that black people are not a monolith with one lifestyle, one viewpoint, and one agenda. They are a varied lot like any ethnic group, each with their own complex narrative to tell. Narratives that we all must hear.

This book is truly a manifesto for us blacks who grew up post-Jim Crow but still had to deal with the remnants of it afterwards, and who had to fight the double battle of not fittting in with "ghettocentric" mindsets in Black America. For those of us who've had this experience, it's all there. The rejection and humiliation from both sides (white racists and black dogmatists), feeling alone and unaccepted, and the eventual realization that you are who you are and to live life accordingly. Although few of us go to the extremes that Brain Copeland did in his despair over his experiences, it's still quite inspiring. His "you are nornal" soliloquy at the end speaks so eloquently to this situation that I have given this to students of mine who experience the same things and they have cried tears of joy from knowning that someone understands and has articulated their experiences.

You are not alone. You are normal. Thank you Brian.

I purchased this book for my husband after the loss of his/our dog that he had adopted 15 years ago. The book is a beautiful look at why older dogs are the best and hardest to lose. I designed a page identical to those in the book with a picture of our dog and a list of a few of the items that made her life so great. It is a great book for dog lovers.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves dogs, especially people who understand the true beauty of older dogs. Asher's photographs are emotion provoking as they seem to capture the essence of the dogs' personalities. I bought this book as a present for someone and one for myself. I am going to buy at least 2 more as gifts. :)

good pictures of the dogs; I liked the captions for the pictures. another good book for dog lovers as our doggies get older.

If you are a dog person, you'll love this book. The pictures and short "sayings" from the dogs match perfectly. I've given this as a gift to friends who love dogs, and they have all loved it.

Mark Asher has captured, in a series of haunting photographs, the rare beauty and vast wisdom that old dogs give to those of us fortunate enough to love them unconditionally. If you have ever loved an old dog, this book is for you. Nothing here but fabulous pictures of old dogs and the secrets of their longevity expressed in brief but memorable phrases. This book makes a beautiful gift for the dog lover in your life.

This volume is a treasury of info on the classic 60's show. Some of the background info is abit boring. More details on the newer series could have been included. The book is a great deal and is a great companion to the DVD sets.

I remember buying this paperback years ago and was enthralled with the background of this heavy sci-fi playhouse drama from the early 60s. Time has only made things better as this book has now been expanded with more interviews and photographs and heavier, glossier paper! If you're a fan of the show, it's a must-have.. if you're interested in the day to day grind of television production, this book has wonderful insights and stories from what was truly a 'Golden Age'.

I highly recommend!

I can remember very few things from 1963-64. Watching Jack Ruby take one in the gut - on live tv - and of course the Outer Limits! I was only 7 or so, but it seems these two things were somehow highlights of a mundane existence (don't cry for me, all is much better...). This show was the work of some very creative minds. I also recommend the book "The Outer Limits Companion". A very detailed work that even gives plot outlines for several unfilmed episodes. Great stuff, indeed.

This is an excellent book. Highly recommended for any fan of the original Outer Limits TV series of the 1960's. This book actully chronicles the
entire history of the show, from its inception up to its end. It also
includes interviews with the show's creators, script writers and several of the actors who appeared in the show during its run.

I had the original version of this book and enjoyed it immensely. This one has been updated to include information that became available after the original publication. The new book is printed on better paper and has sections on available models, more interviews with participants, and some information about the new series. The focus, however, is on the original series.

If you are a fan of the original series, this book is for you.

I have read many of John McPhee's works. They are all excellent and captivating. He writes on so many subjects, it is amazing that they are all great. No wonder he teaches at Princeton, or did as I remember.

This time John McPhee turns his hand to one of those
anomalous natural treasures that has survived in
spite of intense urbanization. The Pine Barrens are
two-thirds of a million acres-an area the size of
Yosemite that sit beside a major artery of the most
developed region in the country. With the New Jersey
Turnpike to the west and bustling, chintzy Atlantic
City to the East, it's hard to imagine that this great,
weird wilderness could be so little known.

McPhee is the perfect guide to the Pines. He is as
sensitive to the natural history as he is to the
culture. He has a sympathetic ear for both the natives
and the outsiders who wander in from time to time. He's
a writer who can focus on a detail-a threatened fern or
the quality of water and then pull back to the big picture.

A thoroughly entertaining book.


--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005

Those of us from the Northeast know that wilderness can be found if you're willing to hit the road and search for it, and also that it's precious and worth protecting from the onslaught of industry and sprawl. But even those familiar with the region's wilderness offerings will be surprised by the natural bounty and remoteness of New Jersey's Pine Barrens area. The masterful essayist John McPhee published this travelogue and study of the area back in 1967, when the depths of the Pine Barrens still offered genuine seclusion form the outside world, with hardy folks still living off the land by picking berries or making charcoal. And this beautiful area was surrounded on all sides by the most urbanized and industrialized blight on Earth. Things aren't quite so rustic there anymore, but reading McPhee's engaging treatise on the area should make modern folks wish to both visit the Pine Barrens area as a valuable slice of nature, and to protect it as a precious and dwindling resource. That's what makes this short but lovable book from the great McPhee a timeless classic for nature lovers. [~doomsdayer520~]

My wife gave me this book in 1978, and I devoured it in one evening. I have since been all over the world, and no matter where I go, the pines are always the reference point for me. My teen years were spent in the pines, with my good friend Tom, where we would travel its dirt roads, canoe its streams and fish its lakes, and hike its trails and roads. Mr. McPhee weaves a story that is so true, so historically rich, and for me, so reminiscent of the years of my youth. Please read this book, and then go and make your own memories.

I'll keep this short and sweet: McPhee's The Pine Barrens is an entirely outstanding, fascinating look at the unique area that is the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. McPhee covers Piney culture, the unique ecological nature of the region, its history, and its hidden treasures. The writing is poetic and rich, the people interesting, and the information detailed, thorough and never dull. A really great read that anyone living in NJ should get.