Park Books

This book has beautiful pictures and really interesting insights on what the best trails are. We loved the ones we chose based on the guide. It worked perfectly for us during our two-day trip to Joshua Tree National Park.

I loved this book. Superbly written and full of interesting facts and history. I have been to Joshua about 4-5 times and absolutely love it, and now armed with this book I am looking forward to going back. Great pictures, narrative and real life experiences make this book a must have!

An excellent book with great photographs. It is organized very well. The author's love of the park comes through and is very inspiring.

The book provides great ideas for trips within the park for any user. I spent 5 days climbing in JTree but enjoyed finding out from the book what the Joshua tree actually is and going on a hike to see some petroglyphs. The photographs are very vivid and the campground maps are very useful (although an overall map with the campground locations would be useful too).

This book is it. As an avid hiker, camper, and all around outdoorsman, I've used a lot of different guides, but this one takes it. Between the photos, the extra chapters on local history, ecology etc., not to mention one of the easiest to use trail guides I've seen, I'm set on Destination Press as my guide of choice. Mr. Kaiser has made my outdoor adventures that much more enjoyable.

The author as well as the publisher did a wonderful job. The parts I like best are the thematic catalog and the annotated bibliography, however, also the rest of the book is excellent (my father could not stop reading the biography with more than hundred beautiful photographs).

The author and his publisher are to be commended for the many wonderful and evocative photographs included in Juventino Rosas. The author was tireless in his search for illustrative matter, and sought out visual materials in archives and collections throughout Mexico and the United States. These help to vividly illuminate both Rosas' life and Mexican society during the Porfiriato (the government of General Porfirio Díaz). Few other publications on Mexican (or North American) music rival Brenner's book in the quality (the photographs are very well reproduced), quantity (almost every page is illustrated), or significance of the illustrations (many have never been published before). This aspect of the book is one of its greatest strengths. It is obvious that publisher, Harmonie Park Press, and Brenner spared no expense or effort in this area. Would that other publishers followed the same practice!

A great book and a great edition. Above all I like the systematic catalog. This has been done before for Mozart, Bach, Haydn or Schubert but - as far as I know - never in such a way for a Mexican composer. Thanks to the author for that and for the other great work (my mother was fascinated of the biography with all those wonderful photographs). In fact, it is a shame that not we Mexicans are doing that type of research for our great composers but musicologists for the U.S. or Europe.

being that this is the ONLY book ever written of ROSAS, it's well informative, the pictures were well done for the period and in all helpful. excellent cond. for being "used" my compliments to the seller. my mother has not stop admiring it.

In 19th century, Juventino Rosas was very popular, was well in Mexico as in the U.S. His best known composition was the waltz "Over the Waves" ("Sobre las olas"). However, today he is nearly unkown. One of the reasons for this lost in obscurity might be that there were no biographical works done until now in another language than Spanish. Therefore, this first non-Spanish biography might bring the life and work of Juventino Rosas to a wider range of readers.

The book is divided into three major sections, the first of which deals with the chronological sequence of different periods in Juventino's life. The first chapter describes his childhood and adolescent years in Santa Cruz de Galeana, known today as Juventino Rosas City in the state of Guanajuato. The second chapter shows his migration to Mexico City and his first years in the capital city, the third chapter depicts his wandering years in Mexico and the United States. The fourth chapter describes his last tour to Cuba and concludes with his death on this Caribbean island in 1894. The fifth chapter presents the posthumous evaluation of Rosas's life: publications; sound recordings, films, statues, and homages are the theme of this part. The thematic catalog, which is the main part of this research, is covered in the second section. Its objective is to list all known information about each composition written by Rosas, in a concentrated, tabular form. The catalog includes all known works, even when music or further details are fragmentary. It also gives information on autographs and existing editions, the location of the first editions, a brief description of the harmonic structure, and the structural form and incipits of all themes. The third section embodies the research apparatus, with an anotated bibliography, discography, index of names, places, and subjects.

VERSION ESPAÑOL

En 1950 Ismael Rodríguez filmó la película "Sobre las olas", con Pedro Infante en el papel de Juventino Rosas. Aunque la película no estaba basada en absoluto en hechos históricos sino en pura fantasía e imaginación, nada ha influido más en la imagen que tiene la opinión pública de Juventino Rosas. También en los Estados Unidos hubo una película que hizo famosa una de las composiciones de Juventino Rosas. Se trata de la película El Gran Caruso en que Ann Blyth y Mario Lanza cantaron la canción "The Loveliest Night of the Year", basada en la melodía de "Sobre las olas".

A pesar de que esta melodía traspasó las fronteras de México, logrando una fama mundial, en nuestros días se sabe muy poco acerca del autor y músico que sólo pudo consagrar seis o siete años de su vida a la composición. Esta pérdida en la oscuridad parece algo poco usual, pues no sólo fue el primer mexicano cuya música alcanzó reconocimiento internacional sino que su música fue muy popular a finales del siglo XIX, especialmente en los Estados Unidos. Es asombroso que el primer mexicano que tuvo éxito en el extranjero no fuera uno de los compositores con amplia formación de esa época sino un casi autodidacta, Juventino Rosas. Que él fuera capaz de componer "Sobre las olas", un éxito a nivel mundial, no sólo parece sorprendente sino también una ironía de la historia. Al morir en Cuba cuando contaba sólo 26 años y cinco meses, Juventino Rosas ya había compuesto unas 90 obras. Las primeras grabaciones de una de sus obras se hicieron en 1898 en cilindros Edison. La mayoría de las ediciones y arreglos de sus obras fueron publicados por editoriales estadounidenses.

En esta biografía y catalogación sistemática de la obra de este compositor mexicano, se enumeran y se describen por primera vez todos los arreglos (con datos sobre la instrumentación, los arreglistas, las editoriales, los años y lugares de publicación) así como las primeras grabaciones de sus composiciones, editadas entre 1898 y 1938 (muchas de ellas interpretadas por bandas de instrumentos de viento).

El libro está dividido en tres secciones principales, la primera de las cuales comprende una secuencia cronológica de los diferentes períodos de la vida de Juventino Rosas. En el primer capítulo se describen los años de su infancia y adolescencia en Santa Cruz de Galeana, conocida hoy en día como Santa Cruz de Juventino Rosas, en Guanajuato. En el segundo capítulo se detallan su emigración a la Ciudad de México y sus primeros años en la capital, y en el tercero, sus años de periplo por México y los Estados Unidos. El cuarto capítulo describe su última gira por Cuba y termina con su muerte en esta Isla del Caribe en 1894. En el capítulo quinto se presenta una evaluación póstuma de las publicaciones de Rosas y se mencionan las grabaciones (sonoras); las películas, las estatuas, libros, artículos y los homenajes. El catálogo temático, que es la parte principal de este estudio, figura en la segunda sección. En él se intenta presentar toda la información conocida acerca de cada obra compuesta por Rosas de forma concentrada y en un cuadro sinóptico. El catálogo incluye todas sus obras conocidas aun cuando no se disponga de la música u completa o de otros detalles. Ofrece información sobre autógrafos y ediciones existentes, los lugares de publicación de sus primeras ediciones, una breve descripción de la estructura armónica y la forma estructural e incipits (primeros compases de cada melodía para su identificación). En la tercera sección se consigna todo el material de investigación, con bibliografía, discografía e índice de nombres, lugares y materias.

Like Linda Sue Park (as she says in her afterword), I don't remember learning to score a baseball game, but I know it was one of the many things my parents taught me to do as I was growing up. And like Maggie in this wonderful story, keeping score only added to my love of the game.

Park combines a story of a girl growing up with her love of the Brooklyn Dodgers (although the story ends before she would experience the ultimate disappointment of their move to Los Angeles) with a story about her concern about a friend who is sent to Korea and her growing awareness of the conflict there.

I couldn't give this book 5 stars because it gets a bit sappy near the end. But the rest of the book is well worth it, especially for Dodgers fans!

In Keeping Score, Linda Sue Park again gives us an opportunity to really feel what it was like to be a particular kid in a particular place and time quite different from our own. In Maggie-O's mid-twentieth century New York, the technology was different, but the kids still had problems that today's kids can relate to. Baseball without TV or the Internet -- just imagine! Maggie tunes in to the game by listening to radios through open windows while walking through the neighborhood. She shares the ups and downs of her favorite team with the whole community. Her baseball experience includes no visuals at all except the black-and-white photos in the morning paper. When Maggie-O first lays eyes on that field we are right there with her, seeing what she sees (GREEN!) and feeling what she feels. Her obsession with score keeping, her magical thinking and superstitions are quirky but quite age appropriate, and her growth through disillusionment seems quite genuine. Maggie's experience of the effect of the Korean War on her friend Jim will give today's kids a peak at some of the difficulties facing our own soldiers today. Here's a book that is serious and intelligent, but tremendously engaging. It's a great choice for preteens who like to see how the world looks through someone else's eyes, even if they couldn't care less about baseball. I think this wonderful story also has cross-generational appeal--giving parents a glimpse into the universal experience of tweener angst and giving sixty-somethings a chance to rekindle memories from their younger days. Another home run for Ms. Park!
Janet Gingold
author of Danger, Long Division

Here is a baseball book that appeals to both boys and girls and to kids who may not know a walk from a balk or what team Willie Mays played on.

Willie Mays plays a central role in this novel set in Brooklyn in the early 1950s. He was a New York Giant then and, amazingly, the favorite player of young Maggie Fortini.

Amazing, because Maggie lives, breathes and suffers with her hometown Dodgers, and the Giants are their archrivals (still are, in fact). Maggie's brother Joey-Mick tells her she has to have a Dodger as her favorite. "Besides, it's double-stupid to pick a player from your worst-enemy team."

But her buddy at the firehouse, Jim, is a Giants fan. Jim teaches Maggie to keep score while listening to Giants games during Willie Mays' breakout rookie season. Keeping score makes Maggie feel as if she has some control over the progress and outcome of a baseball game.

She also uses that skill to "keep score" of the Korean war after Jim is drafted and then stops sending letters home to Maggie.

Linda Sue Park does an excellent job implying that Jim is suffering from PTSD, a disorder not recognized in the '50s but familiar to kids who know about veterans from our current wars.

Resourceful as ever, Maggie cooks up a scheme and saves all her money to pull Jim out of his funk and get her family and friends to a Dodgers-Giants game. She isn't entirely successful, but she doesn't strike out either.

Maggie-O is a believable, eminently likable character with a good heart and who knows her game.

[Review originally appeared in the Palo Alto Weekly, 7/9/08]

Of me and my sis -- growing up in the Bronx in the 1950's. I was personality-wise, something like Maggie (but I could not work a scorecard) and Sis was a little like Joey-Mick

Sis was a Brooklyn Dodger Fan-atic. Like Maggie, Sis kept METICULOUS score sheets of their games. For the life of me, I (a YANKEE FAN) tried but could not master that system of keeping score -- but then again I was having WAAAY more fun, going outside and playing baseball like a maniac (I am a GOIL) -- AND one of the big guys who lived across my stoop usta be a New York Yankees Pitcher!!! What a wonderful life for a skinny little kid (me) growing up in the Bronx!!

Sis threw a fit, just like Joey-Mick-- when I named my tiny little kitten (whom I'd gently carry thru the apartment in the palm of my hand) "Pee Wee" -- ("I KNOW You named her after Pee Wee Reese!!!" screamed Sis, indignantly. Well, no I didn't)

Anyway -- these personal memories kept cropping up as I read through Linda Sue Park's excellent book -- And, when I read of Maggie's scrupulous conscience (LOL!)) oh how that reminded me of myself, as I was "fine-tuning" my way thru the world, as a child becoming a teen-ager.

Seems like Maggie was a very thoughtful introspective and tough little kid -- but hey Maggie if you had just picked up a bat and hit a few fungoes to the outfield- I think you woulda gotten hooked.

Linda Sue Parks takes the stuff legends are made of and weaves them into the life of a little girl, Maggie (named after Joe Dimaggio by her dad), an ardent Brookly nDodgers fan.

Women's baseball teams of the 1940's, The Brooklyn Dodger ("Da Bums" as they wuz affectionaly called), the Yankees, the great neighborhoods of Brooklyn (each one a world unto itself) and their equally memorable denizens come to life through Maggie's eyes and experiences.

Sal Maglie, Duke Snider, Raplph Branca, Jackie Robinson -- Say Hey Wille Mays -- those legendary players come back to life in this book, and once again thrill us with their love of the game, and I saw them thru the eyes of a 13 yr old -- me -- in the same way as Maggie would view their heroic exploits.

Linda Sue Parks enthralls the reader with the true stories of the agony and ecstasy of those magic years of the early to mid 50's when the Brooklyn Dodgers came so close to grabbing that GOlden Fleece (winning the World Series), and how this impacted Maggie and her friends at the firehouse who listen spellbound to each Dodger game on the radio (and Mel Barber's mellifluous voice -- how can I ever forget that voice?!!).

The part about the radios tuned into the game thoughout the neighborhood, so Maggie could hear the games, even though she was running errands for her mom and Dad -- is So very true!!! Yes that DID happen -- the play by play from those radios (being played in every mom and pop store) and those cheers echoing down the street was the next best thing to Actually Being There!!! And I (sadly!!!) remember walking past my Bronx neighborhood candy store when Mazeroski hit that home run in 1960.......

Maggie has some tough decisions to make -- she grows up a little more each day as she tries to reach out to a friend who has vanished, even though he is still there in the flesh.

Treecie, her best friend, is a good foil for Maggie - a little more practical and a good stabilizer for Maggie's emotions, I think. The guys at the firehouse are good friends of the family-- her Dad, a former firefighter is Maggie's rock. Maggies Mom has a few surprises up her sleeve, and Maggie's faith in her friend Jim's ability to heal, and her Childlike Novena is very touching.

And the games play on, and the Dodgers win em and lose em. But they don't win the ones they should.....and all of Brooklyn was still waiting.....

The Korean War (which is what we called it back then -- I remember Mom saying in 1953 -- "It's finally over!!!") is brought to life in the Maggie's thoughful tracings of those maps over the years, sobering images of what was, then.

And the finale of this great book is heartwarming -- a one-two punch -- Giants and Dodgers -- and I can still hear those Cheers from those stadiums, and from those little radios in every Mom and Pop shop, from more than 50 years ago.

And BTW - if MAggie had only grabbed one of her brother's bats and hit a few fungoes into the outfield, she WOULD have been hooked on playing baseball-- even my very own Score-card keeping Sister played a few games with me!!

This heartfelt, endearing, nostalgic and educational tale is set in Brooklyn, New York in July 1951. The main character is Maggie Fortini who is nine going on ten years-old. She is known to everyone as Maggie-o and her older brother is known as Joey-Mick, both being named after their Father's favorite New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio. But here's the "rub": Maggie-o, Joey-Mick, and their Mom, absolutely love and "live-and die" with the Brooklyn Dodgers! "DEM BUMS" as all Brooklyn fans affectionately called their beloved Dodgers, were the center of their lives. Their entire neighborhood regardless of race, creed, color, or sex, shared their mutual love of the Dodgers in the same manner as "O-positive" blood was a universal donor in an emergency room. Whenever there was a Dodger game being played, the radio in Maggie-o's house was always turned on with Red Barber (and later on Vince Scully) providing the play by play with such favorite phrases as: "a can of corn" for an easy pop fly, and "sitting in the catbird's seat" when "DEM BUMS" had a good lead. It was an unspoken rule in the house that if Mr. Fortini wanted to listen to a big Yankee game he had to go somewhere else. If Maggie-o had to leave the house to go to school, or go to the store, or go to the firehouse, while a game was on, she never missed a pitch as long as she was in the neighborhood. Every house and every store she passed had the Dodger game on and it was like stereo coming from all the windows.

Maggie-o's Father had been a fireman until he suffered a bad leg injury fighting a fire. Now he worked in an administrative position at another location. His old firehouse was just down the block and Maggie-o spent countless hours there with the firemen and their dog Chalky. During baseball season the men would sit outside and listen to the Dodger games and Maggie-o would always join them when she wasn't in school. There was nothing but Dodger fans at the firehouse until one day there was a new recruit named Jim Maine who was a Giant fan. The other firemen wouldn't let Jim listen to the Giant games loud, so at times he would lay on the floor next to his radio. Maggie-o befriended Jim or it could just have easily been the other way around, and before you knew it, Jim was teaching Maggie-o the official way to keep play-by-play score of a baseball game. Maggie-o started keeping "official" scorecards of every inning of every game when she wasn't in school. Jim even taught her how to keep track of every ball and every strike, even differentiating between called strikes and swinging strikes.

This was the point in time of the Korean War/Conflict, and bad news hit the firehouse when Jim received his draft notice and had to report for active duty. Maggie-o immediately started writing letters, even before his ship crossed the ocean to Korea. Jim started writing back for awhile, and then all of a sudden he stopped. Maggie-o was distraught and couldn't find out why Jim had stopped writing. She then put as much effort into learning everything about the Korean Conflict (It hadn't been officially classified as a war yet) as she did into learning how to keep official score. I must admit I learned things about the Korean War that I didn't know based on Maggie-o's maps and footnotes. During this gloomy time in Maggie-o's life, she became extra diligent in her scorekeeping in honor of Jim. She even prayed harder, and without giving away a major part of the story, I'll suffice to say that she even convinced herself to commit the biggest sin in Brooklyn, by secretly rooting one year for the HATED Giants to win, because she hoped and prayed that would help Jim.

According to the promotional information regarding the release of this book, it is supposedly geared for children aged 9-12 years old. I am a Grandfather, who is originally from Brooklyn, and my entire family was born with the Dodger's as the very blood that pumped through our veins, and this story is so realistic in every way. The pedestal that Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Carl Furillo and Maggie-o's Mother's favorite pitcher that "fine young Mr. Labine", and the other bums were put on, was portrayed as true as life! I actually had tears come down my face a number of times. Some of the tears were because I got to go back and relive some of my fondest childhood memories by living through Maggie-o's beautiful Brooklyn Dodger loving eyes. My parents are long gone, but this story brought my families most cherished times to life again in my heart because of this author's beautiful (And for my family accurate) story telling. Other tears were because of the many sorrow's that are an awful by product of war. This is a wonderful, wonderful, book that would make a great "Hallmark Hall Of Fame" type movie that would be enjoyed by entire generations of a family.

As far as my tears; Maggie-o said it best on page 179: "MAGGIE BLINKED SEVERAL TIMES, HARD. THERE WASN'T ANY WAY TO STOP TEARS FROM FILLING YOUR EYES ONCE THEY HAD DECIDED TO DO IT. YOU COULD BLINK THEM AWAY, BUT ONLY AFTER THEY WERE ALREADY THERE."

A very fun and vibrant picture book with fast paced rhyme and a enjoyable story. The animals at the zoo are bored with the quiet of the night, so they come up with a plan to have a night on the town. The pictures will really grab young kids' attention and the rhymes aren't forced sounding, they roll really well. A great read aloud book for the younger crowd. I'm especiall fond of the illustration of the animals partying inside of the night club.

I got this book for my 2 year old for Christmas and he just loves it! He likes to point out all of the animals on each page. The rhyme is great and I don't mind reading it multiple times (which I do). The illustrations are very colorful and quite fun.

I love this book!! I read it to my first grandson (Connor) a year or so ago and now grandson number two (Hunter) is ready. Will be reading to him this week coming up. It is such a sweet, charming book...the rhyming is so darling and fun to read. Your children or grandchildren will love this book.

The plot and rhyming of this book as well as the vivid illustrations keep children tuned into the book. The book keeps childrens' imagination open which will enhance creative thinking! Excellent buy for your child's library.

"Last night at the zoo there was nothing to do..." What do all those bored animals do to entertain themselves after everyone's gone home? Well last night they hatched a plan and decided to escape from the zoo and see what life in the big city was like. A monkey steals the keys from the sleeping night watchman and lets everyone out of their cages. The seals and a walrus cover the money problem with all the coins that have been tossed into their pool. The chimp raids the lost and found for clothes so that all the animals can disguise themselves and blend in and off they go. They board a downtown bus and begin the adventure of a lifetime. First they splurge on dinner at a fancy french restaurant where their "animal" manners and loud noise gets them thrown out. Then on to a disco where they dance the night away. Finally hungry and tired, they stop at Joe's Diner for a late night snack before catching the bus and heading home..... Michael Garland has authored a wonderfully creative adventure that will send your youngsters imaginations soaring as they watch zoo animals, not all that well disguised in shirts, hats, ties and dresses, go out for a big night on the town. His charming rhyming text is only outdone by his bold, expressive, larger than life illustrations and kids will enjoy poring over the artwork and finding all the special humorous details. Perfect for children 3-7, Last Night At The Zoo is a delightful, entertaining romp that's sure to become a family favorite.

Out of the 3 Fear Park books, this one was definitly the best one. It was a very good book. It always kept you guessing. It was awesome!

" The Last Scream" will have anyone screaming! This book is the best R.L. Stine has ever created. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!

I recomend this book to anybody that wants some serious suspense. A very surprising ending.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I LOVED THE FIRST TO PARTS TO IT TOO! I WAS HOPING ROBIN WOULD KILL HER! HE WAS THE COOLEST CHARACTER! tHREW THE WHOLE BOOK I WAS CHANTING: KILL HER! I DIDN'T LIKE THAT GIRL. (I DON'T EVEN REMEMEBER HER NAME. THIS WAS THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ! I ONLY READ FEAR STREET AND LOUIS S.'S BOOKS. I HATE GOOSEBUMPS. BUT THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT. ANY FEAR STRRET BOOK CONNECTING WITH THE FEAR FAMILY AND THIER HISTORY IS AUTOMATICLY GOOD. Oops! Anyways, this is such a good book! I'd read it again if I could find were I put it! I still wish Robin killed that one girl!

Really good. I thought it wasn't going to be but I was wrong. I was right about one thing though it was pretty gros.

Picked this up for an extended Northern California hiking and riding trip. I purchased about four others as well and I used all of them as each has a little something different. Not a single one was useless and none warranted less than 4 stars. I would reccomend doing the same rather than just picking one for your trip.

Pros - 1. This book is a very easy read. 2. Lots of very good information that you wouldn't find any place else. 3. The book is always prominently at the different Mammoth sport goods stores so its clearly popular.

Comments - 1. I really disagreed with one of her recommendations. But that is completely understandable. 2. There seems to be a little problem in mammoth with food being completely cooked at their restaurants. My wife got food poisoned at one place and my kids weren't feeling real good. The next day I talked with a "local business manager" who said she doesn't recommend restaurants in mammoth for this reason. The bottom line is to make sure your food is completely cooked and if it isn't send it back ! There are just too many fun things to do in mammoth instead of being sick.

As an avid skier and hiker I have found Mammoth from the Inside to be a goldmine of information. I keep it in my Jeep so I can find those great, really special, out-of-the-way Mammoth places Dunn Bates has discovered.

Very well written and concise guidebook on Mammoth Lakes and the surrounding area and region. We enjoyed Ms. Dunn-Bates light sense of humor, which made for easy and understandable reading. My wife and I have been residents of Mammoth Lakes for over 20 years, making the trek to L.A. and back many times, and Ms. Dunn-Bates wrote about stops and sights along 395 that we now must make time for! Good job!

What a great book! Thanks to the author's casual style and comprehensive knowledge, reading MAMMOTH FROM THE INSIDE is like getting "insider" postcards from a good buddy. A must-have book for outdoor enthusiasts.

Being both a history buff and having grown up and lived in Miami for 20 years, I could certainly appreciate the spirit of this book. Miami is currently synonymous in popular media and culture with clubs and partying, sexy people and celebrities, and hip shops (even though this image is more descriptive of Miami Beach and South Beach rather than the city of Miami itself). Despite it being a relatively young city, though, it is still rich in its own history and thankfully this book goes beyond the present glossy, superficial party image of the city and transports the reader back to a simpler and more wholesome time. This is Miami how its founders and earliest residents knew it. Most of the "before" pictures date from the 20's and 30's, and it is really fascinating to see how things have changed. As I said, I grew up in Miami and there are places shown in the book that I never even knew existed, such as the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple and the Coral Gables Rock House. I am glad that the author explores not only downtown Miami and Miami Beach, but devotes pages of photos to other neighborhoods around Miami such as Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Little Havana, and even Opa Locka and Hialeah (being a Hialeah native myself, I would have liked to see more than just the one picture of the racetrack, but that is my own personal bias). While the book is certainly complete, I feel maybe too many pages were devoted to certain places, such as Coral Gables and Coconut Grove for example, and perhaps some of that coverage could have been reduced and made room for other places to be shown. I am glad that the author explores little known places familiar to residents and not just the touristy areas that visitors would know, but on the other hand, some of these are a little too obscure and I would have also liked to have seen what was in some of those touristy areas, such as Bayside, the zoo, major malls, etc. Just because of those little complaints I give the book four stars, but if you don't care about these, then this might as well be 5 stars and it is still a highly recommended book.

Having grown up in Miami, I found the book particularly interesting. The pictures were excellent. I thought the captions could have been a bit more informative.

Execellent book - highly recommended, but get down here and see for yourself - what's happening to the Miami is magical and really a golden opportunity for all. Over the next few years Miami's Skyline will be transformed as builders and investors seek billions in pre-construction investments to turn the city into a the epicenter of the region.


http://realestate.1stmiami.com

If you have lived in Miami or have an affinity toward Miami, this is a must-have book. Few people in Miami like Arva Moore Parks have taken the time to document the City's rich history as the fastest-growing metropolis in the United States over the last 100 years. The "then and now" photos offer splendid matches, with interesting and informative historical notes in the caption. Great coffee-table book too!

I was born and reared in Miami, the fourth generation of my Pioneer South Florida family. I was delighted with this book, it brought back so many memories.

The old photographs are gems, and the descriptions well written and informative. I enjoyed the "then" pictures with the "now", in some instances they are almost unbelievable, the Coconut Grove Womens Club little Club House which I went to frequently is a good example, long may it survive!

All of Crichton's books are good, but these are three of the absolute best. Sphere, an excellent science fiction thriller quite possibly IS his best (although I tend to lean toward Disclosure). And, of course, everyone knows Jurassic Park and how good it is. And if you haven't read it, I'll tell you that it's a lot better than the movie, and the movie wasn't that bad! A definite classic. Rising Sun is an excellent detective story set in modern times... complete with early 90's Japanese paranoia. It was his first book that I read and it got me hooked. Buy this if you haven't already read them separately.

I was recommended to read this book by a friend, was a little relunctant because it was so big. But, i began reading it, and couldn't put it down. It has a great maze of very unpredictable plot turns, and a great ending. I recommend this book.

It is amazing what can happen 2000 ft. or more under water, in a 'safe' habitat; in a 'safe' park full of clonded dinosaur DNA; and in a Japanese-filled city, ina newly opened building!! There is so much going on, and there is never a moment you just can't stop... and think what's going to happen next, and why the PREVIOUS happened... Caught me, that's all I can say!!

I think that Sphere is one of the best books that Michael Crichton has written.I've read several of his books and so far I think that Sphere is the best by far. I reccomend this book to everyone.

I really liked this book. I can't wait to see it in the movie theaters. I told all my friends they had to read it. Those that did agreed with me. If Micheal Chrichton sees this: Good Job!!! Write more books just as good as this was please!!!!!!!!

I live on the Mojave Desert, Antelope Valley to be precise, and this book portrays the beauty we are now experiencing this spring. We have a beautiful Poppy Preserve on the westside of our valley. Jane Pinheiro was a woman who not only painted pictures of many of our wildflowers , but she was one of the people instrumental in seeing that the Poppy Preserve came into being. A number of her paintings are on display at the Preserve. I have one of her paintings, and with this lovely wildflower book, I was able to ascertain which of the wildflowers is depicted in my painting. If anyone is interested in not only viewing the array of colors during our spring wildflower viewing, but is interested in learning some of the names of said wildflowers, and a bit of background for each of them, this is the book to buy.

Money well spent. We are ready for wildflower season! A lot of color pictures with good information. If you live in or near the Mojave Desert this is a valuable book.

I love these Falcon guides mainly because of the lavish color illustrations. Every flower in the book has its own color picture, along with helpful descriptions. The front matter in this book includes all sorts of background material about the Mojave, along with the usual educational stuff about plant types, leaf distribution, etc. And the book is made to last -- if you take any care of it at all, it will last you forever.

This is probably the easiest to use desert plant book I have (and I have eight that focus on desert plants in all). What it lacks in completeness, it more than makes up for in terms of ease of use. There is a picture for each plant and the plants are grouped according to flower color. So as long as the plant is in bloom, it's not too hard to find out what it is. This book does a great job of covering the plants you are most likely to come across which makes it a great book to thumb through in the field. If you are dealing with similar species within the same genus or rare plants, you'll probably want to get the Jepson guide.

Pam MacKay's 'Mojave Desert Wildflowers' is a wonderfully informative & beautifully photographed guide to the wildflowers of the Mojave. This sturdy plastic-coated field guide contains over 300 gorgeous photos, finely detailed plant descriptions, and is virtually an introductory textbook on Mojave Desert ecology. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the Mojave Desert. The author lives & teaches in the Mojave and her dedication, attention to detail, and love of the desert are revealed on every page.

Jim Otterstrom

I bought this book based on the opinions of the previous reviewers. They were absolutely right. I spent 2 days at Yosemite and due to the massive size of the park (1,200 square miles) it would have been impossible for me to get a good tour of Yosemite without this guidebook. I found this book quite useful, from reading about the geology/history of the area, lodging to descriptions of the intensity of the hikes. The book also provides some helpful traveling tips as well suggestions for additional reading. It's a very comprehensive guide.

I wish I had had this book when I first went to Yosemite a decade ago. It would have saved a lot of time and gotten me and my wife to more of the true highlights in the area. This book covers everything from the best trails to the best dining options in and near the park. It lists all the campgrounds in and around the park and notes which require reservations and which are available on a first come-first served basis. And of course it includes a lot of natural and human history in the park region. The book also features some nice full color maps.

What I particularly like about this guide is the organization. Each section (recreation, lodging, camping, etc) is subdivided into various park regions: Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy, Wawona, Tioga Pass and the Eastern Sierra. As a result, readers have a clearer picture of all that Yosemite National Park has to offer. After reading this book, I will be exploring more of Hetch Hetchy on my next visit in early April. This guide is simply the most comprehensive look at Yosemite and is a must for planning vacations around.

Moon Travel Books presents a spectacular and thoroughly updated, 256 page, second edition on Yosemite National Park. Beginning with 10 pages of color coded maps of Yosemite and a breathtaking color photo of Yosemite Falls, Yosemite packs a plethora of detailed information into an organized, easily accessible format. The first five chapters cover Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Glacier Point, Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy, and the Eastern Sierra, including Lee Vining, Mono Lake and North, and June Lake and Mammoth Lake. Each of these chapters is divided into sections on exploring and recreation. The final four chapters are about Lodging, Camping, Dining, and Knowing Yosemite. There is a vast list of suggested reading and several pages of internet resources, in addition to tips for travelers, notes on the history of Yosemite and its place names, and much useful and specific information on the flora and fauna of Yosemite National Park. Specific information bytes or special tips are highlighted and blocked to set them off for the eye of the reader. If your plans include a trip to Yosemite, Yosemite is a "must buy" travel guide. Even if you just want to learn more about Yosemite and indulge in some armchair dreaming of travels in Yosemite, this is a great resource, guidebook and dreamweaver.

This book was one of a few I used to plan and experience Yosemite. Time and time again I pulled this book out over the others as the writeups and descriptions were always correct. The little added extras on each place made the experience even fuller. I love knowing about the history and little fun facts about a hike or a place to eat or stay. I would recommend this to anyone going to Yosemite for the first time or 500 time. Her list of additional references also was handy and I continue to grow my library. I have used her reference guides in the past and was always happy with the information. The waterfalls guide is like a checklist for my weekend activities. The one thing that I did like better in other references was the color maps and highlights, it made it easier to reference things in the book.

Before I visit a national park I go to the library for a pile of books to help me plan my trip. With a visit to Yosemite in mind I did just that and came home with a very nice collection including "100 Hikes...", "The Rough Guide to Yosemite" and Ann Marie Brown's "Yosemite" guide. While all of these books have great content, Ann's was far and away the most approachable and the one I bought to dog ear and write copious notes in without guilt. I'm so glad I did.

The book is well-indexed making it super easy to find what you need, the maps are great and the descriptions of the surrounding area are a bonus. Ann provides readers with well-thought out itineraries geared toward meeting your needs based on how much time you have to visit the park (from a day to a week) and your primary interests (from hiking to bagging waterfall pix). She also supplies solid advice regarding what to do if your on your own or travelling with a family.

Clearly Ann knows what she's writing about. Her first hand experience will help you find the motivation you need to get out of the car (or off of the bus) and on to the trails to drink in the beautiful and wonderful place that is Yosemite.