Park Books

This book is full of very specific information about Smoky Mountain trout fishing. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to fish the area.

Ian did a great job of presenting the information on the park and identifying great placed to fish for trout. A highly recommended reading.

A tribute to concise writing, Ian's book imparts exactly the amount of information needed to plan and fish the Smokies. I'm a dedicated fly fisher from Northern California who travels to Tennessee each Spring, and while there are other guide books describing the park, Ian's is the best at capturing the flavor of each stream and river.

What shines through all the information is Rutter's obvious love for these streams, rivers, and typically smallish trout. Indeed, he's widely regarded as a leading expert on the Brook Trout of the park, and even helps the scientific teams gather data about the range and recovery of the native Brook trout.

Adding a love of fly fishing to that level of knowledge - and wrapping it up in a direct, friendly writing style - and you've got a winner. Thumbs up.

Up front I have to say that I have had the author guide me on three separate occasions. On one of those trips, he taught my wife how to fly fish in the Smokies and she caught some nice trout on dry flies. So he doesn't just write about fishing - he really fishes. If you are looking for a guide book that will tell you precisely where to fish and gives away all the prime spots; this isn't it. The author tells you where the streams are and how to get to them. He tells the equipment you need and some techniques. If you already know a little bit about trout fishing this is a perfect guide book. It has enough information but it isn't a kiss-and-tell book. Having read the other available books on the GSMNP, I can say this is the best of it's kind. If you want to really get the inside scoop hire Ian as a guide for a few days. He is a great guy and this is a great book!

Someone suggested I purchase this book when I started hiking Shenandoah National Park (SNP) over 20 years ago. I've since purchased and been given other hiking guides to the region but none come close to the practicality and readability of this consummate guide. Most importantly, the balance of detail is perfect -- everything of interest from botanical to historical observations are here without getting lost in the woods. The author loves what he is writing about and it comes through. If summitting "Old Rag" is the best hike in the SNP (and I think it is, although the author opts for the trail up Hogcamp Branch), consider this the "Old Rag" of hiking books. You'll need to buy it used but it will be a long time before it goes out of date.

One of my (many) peculiarities is that I love to read hiking guides, even for places I've never visited and probably never will. They may appear to be dry tabulations of mileages and directions and features, but in all cases the authors' love of the landscape comes out in some small way or another, and it's fun to catch the authors being personal when they're trying to be dry.

But Henry Heatwole's book is different. Whereas other authors try to hide their personalities, and you have to work hard to catch it as it sneaks out, Heatwole allows his personality to flow out easily yet unobtrusively. His love for the landscape of Shenandoah National Park is tangible and contagious. His love for a thoughtful, considered life is a bit harder to find, but it's there as well. Again it is unobtrusive, but this is in some sense a philosophical guide to living a good life as well as a touring guide to the Skyline Drive and a hiking guide to Shenandoah's many trails.

I recommend this book even to those who will never visit Shenandoah.

The late author not only knew and loved the trails of S.N. Park intimately; he had the rare gift of organizing his material for maximum usefulness to the reader. A vast amount of information is in the book, yet none of it superfluous, and it never overwhelms. The author wrote with an understated charm reminiscent of Frost's New England characters. Some of the book's facts are obsolete, but only a very few. The guide is not merely descriptive, but charitably evaluative, thus doubling its unsefulness. Any who love the Park and its trails will surely treasure this book; it has no equal or replacement.

This book is out of print because the author has passed away and there are (unfortunately)disagreements on updates. Today, one would have to buy at least three hiking books, a general park overview book, a park history book and a few maps just to remotely compare to the information included in *this* book!

Mr. Heatwole provides an enjoyable mile-by-mile overview on the park. Containing incredibly detailed information on trails (hikes by milepost, length, estimated hiking time, elevation changes, etc.), park animals, plants, weather, camping, waterfall heights, geology, mountain range names and more, this is THE book on Shenandoah National Park!!

Excellent reference-good guide for the dissertation process- covers all applicable topics in sufficient depth. A worthwhile reference for any student working on their thesis or dissertation

This book is designed for both students and faculty, so it spends a lot of time giving advice to both sides. That is the primary reason for the length.

Coverage is very thorough for the political and social aspects of dissertation writing, probably more so than in any other book. Choosing a topic is also well covered. The main weakness is in specifics of producing the document, e.g. how to write the literature review or present the methodology.

This book should definitely be on the shelf of any faculty, but a student may do better to look it over in the library. A good, concise treatment of the disseration process is Davis & Parker.

As someone who works privately with students, helping them with theses and dissertations, I highly recommend this book. When students call me in regard to assistance with their thesis or dissertation, I recommend that they buy this book and use it as a reference. As the title states, this book offers practical guidelines for success, enabling students to get through the thesis or dissertation process as smoothly as possible. It is one of the most practical guideline for writing a thesis or dissertation that I have come across.

James E. Mauch and Jack W. Burch have put together a guide that breaks down the process step by step. The questions they list, the time tables they suggest, and tips provide the reader with insight as to what can be expected and how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls. This book is a must for students who must complete either a Thesis or Dissertation. It will become a valuable part of your personal reference library. Expensive, but worth the investment!!!

What makes reading the book rewarding for me is the controlled, spare, concise prose that in its stark simplicity conveys the dynamics between two people -specifically, between two women - in a long-term relationship with depth and feeling. Unfortunately Ms. Forrest's calibre of writing is painfully absent from the majority of amateurish works flooding the market. Authors I would recommend as exceptional, especially if you're interested chiefly in reading work written about women by women include Laurie R. King (Martinelli series), Ellen Hart, Sandra Scoppettone, Nicola Griffith, and Jenifer Levin.

Katherine Forrest has been writing the Kate Delafield mysteries for a couple of decades. For a while, they had become formulaic, but with Hancock Park, she has become a mystery writer worthy of the name. She's no P.D. James or Laurie R. King, but she has written a fine mystery with a surprise ending. Unlike some other writers, she shared all the clues with the reader, and still came up with an unexpected ending.

In addition to a terrific mystery, it is also a very good character study. Detective Delafield has matured over the years, and in this outing her partner walks out and forces Delafield to face up to her own shortcomings.

This story marks a shift for Katherine V. Forrest's fine detective series featuring Kate Delafield. One thing I love about these books is that Kate actually grows older and goes through the emotional and psychological shifts people experience as they mature. In this story Kate is investigating the killing of Victoria Talbot whose ex-husband has GUILTY written all over him. But the case is not as simple as it appears. At the same time, Kate is going through a personal crisis that results in self-examination. Ms. Forrest does not depend on melodramatic language and over-stated character interactions to make her point. Readers who have gotten used to this from reading the works of less skillful writers might find her style fairly spare. I wasn't sure whether to give this 4 or 5 stars, because I like some of the earlier Dalafield novels better. But this one is every bit as good, it's just different. You might not like it if you want a lot of action and less thoughtfulness, but Hancock Park is well worth reading.

One year ago LAPD homicide Kate Delafield was sent to the affluent neighborhood of Hancock Park to investigate the death of Victoria Talbot who was shot in the head at close range. The victim was also shot in the back. Victoria's son Allan who found the body is shook and wary as he must inform his two fragile sisters that their mom is dead. Kate learns that Allan has no intention of informing his father that his former spouse was murdered.

A neighbor informs Kate that she heard the shots, but is also careful to avoid mentioning Douglass Talbot though she implies that he is an abusive person who made his family's lives hell. Kate next learns that Douglass had an incestuous relationship with his youngest daughter and was stalking Victoria. Finally a Mercedes that matches the vehicle Douglass owns was seen in the vicinity around the time of the murder. Douglass is arrested, but at the trial Kate begins to believe that the defense has a ploy that will free a murderer if she does not find additional proof that he killed his ex.

The long wait for the return of Kate is worth it as readers receive a fabulous police procedural. Kate is a dedicated tough cop, but is also very vulnerable especially when her lover of thirteen years leaves her forcing her to look at what she has become. As the audience hopes Aimee returns to Kate, the murder mystery is cleverly executed so that the evidence is laid out one step at a time enabling the reader to form an opinion, but keep in mind Katherine V. Forrest is brilliant at the sleight of the hand or two.

Harriet Klausner

I took my family on a driving trip through Montana, and this book proved to be an excellent resource for discovering the somewhat undiscovered, as well as guiding us through the more mainstream sights, attractions, restaurants, and accommodations throughout the state. A must have if you are traveling through the great state of Montana.

Braeking the state up into sections, the author does an excellent job of describing and presenting the various highlights of each. Equal treatment is given to popular and off-the-beaten-path areas, with sufficient detail for each. It made my recent visit more enjoyable!

Hidden Montana appears in its third edition to cover inns, tours, drives, and outdoors explorations throughout the state. From Glacier Park to Yellowstone, this is packed with lesser-known byways. Recommended.

This book was a wonderful guide to the areas of Montana we traveled through. There were several things we would not have seen if it hadn't been for the suggestions in the book and some excellent restaurants we wouldn't have stopped at if they had not been recommended by the book. We plan to get another "hidden" book for our next trip.

I reviewed several other hiking books on the Grand Canyon and read the trail guides for my selected and reserved trail. This book was the best written and most complete. I would generally say that this book might be the best bet for a good hiking volume for the GC.

While writing my book "The Tortoise Diet - Win The Race To Lose!", an account of my 120 pound weight loss, I bought this book an became interested in hiking in the canyon as a fitness goal. This very informative and well written book helped inspire me to hike in 2005 from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch, and back again the next day. This May (2006) my husband and I are hiking from the South Rim to the North Rim. We will be carrying along our copy of the book to help us appreciate the canyon more as we undertake this huge fitness challenge(my husband is 55 and I am 49.)

I have been hiking Grand Canyon since 1977 with over 9,000 miles below the rim and have hiked all the trails in this guide, in most cases multiple times. This guide has the most detailed descriptions of all canyon hiking guides; maps are more than adequate; nearly all information is up to date. Adkison's writing style is very clear. I especially appreciate his information about plant communities along the routes. This second edition is largely the same as the earlier edition. I am glad to see the addition of a section on cairns. How can this book be improved? Add an index. Looking through the guide I only found a few errors --- Western Union is no longer available inside the park and the Tanner Trail one way distance is not 7 miles but more like 10 miles!

I'm planning a backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon. I've looked at several guidebooks and I've bought bought this book as well as Hiking Grand Canyon National Park, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series) by John Annerino, and Hiking the Grand Canyon's Geology (Hiking Geology) (HTGCG) by Lon Abbott and Teri Cook.

I liked the straightforward and informative approach that Ron Adkinson takes in this book. The Grand Canyon is a big place with a lot of alternatives for trips. I was able figure out which trails I want to take using this book.

I especially like the capsule summary of each route that have clear ratings for the difficulty, water availability, average hiking times, suggested cache points, and distance.

Compared to this book, I found the HTGCG by Lon Abbott and Teri Cook nearly as good but the focus on the geology in HTGCG makes it harder to pull out the hiking information. Though, once your route is chosen, HTGCG, helps you understand what you see.

As a child, I first hiked trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway with my father more than 40 years ago, and over the decades I've continued to return with a sense of awe at the area's spectacular beauty and rich seasonal variety. But what has been lacking for all of that time is a trail guide that mixes knowledgeable commentary and accurate descriptions with good topographical maps and photos. "Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway," which I picked up just last week on the way to the mountains, now fills that void in exemplary fashion.

I've hiked a good many of the trails, but I was surprised and pleased to see that there are many that I've not yet tried-and now plan to experience. I can attest that my favorite hikes are described very accurately, with historical and geographical commentary that gives me a new appreciation for some of the places I thought I knew quite well. Details such as the topo maps, elevation gains, difficulty levels, and key-points lists really open up the trails for both beginners and experienced hikers. A 38-page Parkway mileage log at the back of the book is a handy reference for trails, facilities, and resources. I'm sure that this book will accompany thousands of hikers who want to get the most out of their Blue Ridge Parkway hiking experiences.

This guide leads hikers on some of the best trails along the Parkway. As a summer resident of the area I have been hiking the area for several years and I still learned from this guide. As a biologist, I particularly liked the coverage of plants and animals of the area.

As an avid hiker, I struggle to find detailed maps and descriptions of hikes. My time is limited, so I love to find out exactly what to expect on a hike before I begin. "Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway" has become my primary reference to discovering new hikes that are easy to find. It is very evident that Mr. Johnson has hiked all of the trails because of the great details such as "don't get sucked down the old trail... bear right to reach the junction with two signs."

I know how easy to take a wrong turn on hike, so such details are very helpful. However, my favorite part of the book are the detailed topo maps. When I set out on a hike from the book, I make a copy of the desription and map to take with me. I refer to the map a lot (to avoid those wrong turns!). The mileage log in the back of the book gives a great mile-by-mile account of the Parkway.

There are many amazing hikes along the Parkway. Don't miss them!

As someone who lives near and regularly hikes trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway, I commend Randy Johnson's excellent "Hiking The Blue Ridge Parkway." First, I love the author's dedication . . .

To past and present Appalachian families - the people who know how much you have to love the mountains to make a living there. And to the men and women of the Blue Ridge Parkway - who help the rest of us appreciate why it's worth the effort.

It shows the author's love, and indeed respect, for the region he so ably writes about.

As a guide, the book features 72 maps, the great majority of them, 68 by my count, being detailed topographic maps that will satisfy even the most serious hikers. The author has included a topo map for virtually every hike, something that is fairly unprecedented in this book genre. I've never understood how you can have a trail guide that expects people to read a trail description without a map to look at. The book also includes lots of good photos.

I appreciate the fact that the author provides broad cultural, geographic and historical overviews aimed not only at educating the reader about the region but also at explaining how to craft a hike to match the hiker's interests.

The mileage log in the rear of the book also provides travel information and observations that make this back-of-book section almost worthy of a separate guidebook itself.

Moreover, the author not only covers trails along the Parkway but also trails near the Parkway. The summit of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak in the Eastern United States, for example, is five miles off the Parkway, but thankfully the author covers the beautiful trails there. The book also includes the region's only truly urban hike, Asheville's Urban Trail.

Between the book's overall introduction, its maps and photos, and the travel-oriented introductions to the different sections of the Parkway, this book truly lives up to the claim in the book's subtitle, "The Ultimate Guide to America's Most Popular Scenic Roadway."

No wonder best-selling author Robert Morgan, who hails from this region, and Blue Ridge Parkway author Harley Jolley, both quoted on the cover, say this is the guide book to buy. If I had been able, I would have given this book six stars.

This book is all you will ever need for any existing hiking trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It details hundreds of trails and includes a trail map of the park. Each trail description is highlighted with an altitude profile that shows elevation changes over mileage. The profile also pinpoints junctions with trailheads, scenic areas, or other landmarks. The book is lightweight so it is easily carried in a pack and it is a bargain for the information it contains.

This book (sometimes called "The Little Brown Book" is by far the best guide to hiking trails in the Smokies. By some miracle of book design, they managed to get comprehensive descriptions of all the officially-maintained trails in the park into a book that you can fit into a jacket pocket. If you only get one book on trails in the Smokies, this is the one you need.

I have several books on the trails in the Smokies, but this is by far the most comprehensive in terms of the number of trails covered and the information covered on each trail. A "must have" for anyone planning a hiking trip in the Smokies. The trail profiles are great.

This is an excellent reference book for hiking trails in the Smokies. All maintained trails are listed and a description of the trail is given by qualified personnel. The length of the trail, highlights (i.e., interesting features), cautions (i.e., steam crossings, poisonous plants,hunting area), map key, use (horse or hiking), and directions on how to get to the trailhead. Very good book for beginners or experienced hikers. The book is compact and easily fits in a daypack for reference along the trail: also comes with a trail guide map of the Smokies. I like the book because maps are included of each trail showing elevation changes in the trail and a precise description of the trail outlining junctions with other trails, stream crossings, and historic features of the trail.

this is a fun guide to the wonderful city of Pasadena and the territory around it--excellent advice and comments about a city full of history, beauty and community

Hometown Pasadena: The Insider's Guide Writer Colleen Dunn Bates, a friendly Pasadena woman nearing 50, thought she had a good idea: to put together an upscale guidebook about her city -- a kind of travel book for people who live there. And given the intensely local focus of the project, rather than dealing with a big New York publisher, she decided to publish it herself, producing it out of her den and delivering it to stores from the back of her car.

Almost a year later, "Hometown Pasadena" has not only sold 10,000 copies, it has also turned into a small empire: Local bookstores, both chain and independent, Costco and even a hair salon now carry it, and Bates is branching out to other cities.

Bates' formula for the books is simple: "It's about how to really live in a place, and be in a place, and understand a place, even if you've lived there for 20 years," she said recently. "I've never seen anything like it. My model was to not have it look like a Fodor's guide."

Bates' book taps into the growing desire to conduct the business of one's life as locally as possible, in an era of crazy traffic, expensive gas and worries about the effect of a sprawling lifestyle on global warming. As Sara Nelson, editor of Publishers Weekly, noted, books about local topics and niche themes are thriving nationwide, helped in part by digital technology that makes it easier to self-publish books with a professional look.

"I think people are interested in themselves. As everything gets more global, the local stuff seems quaint and personal," she said.

"Hometown Pasadena" features well-illustrated sections on eating and drinking, cultural offerings, and where to take the kids, as well as less-typical features: several pages on the Metro Gold Line, a chapter on public and private gardens, and page-long interviews with key local players, such as architectural historian Robert Winter and Pasadena Playhouse artistic director Sheldon Epps. Bates and her four co-authors also know enough to treat the city as the bull's-eye of a cluster of communities that includes Sierra Madre, Eagle Rock and most of the San Gabriel Valley.

Bates' decision to publish on her own press comes from her experience with the New York publishing world, beginning in the early '80s when she edited a series of French-originated guidebooks for Simon & Schuster...
By handling "Hometown Pasadena" herself, she was able to use local talent not only in its creation but in its sales and promotion. One of her co-authors, Sandy Gillis, has kept the book supplied at her hairdresser.

Even more surprising, Bates has gotten the book into a Pasadena Barnes and Noble, despite the difficulty of small presses reaching the chains.

Bates also handles her press' non-bookstore distribution, which for months meant hauling boxes of books into her Subaru and driving them around town.

"I did it all," she said, "and have the chiropractic bills to prove it."

Some of the secret lies in Pasadena itself, the author believes.

"It's a very literary community, very educated," Bates said. "We have, outside of Powell's, the healthiest independent bookstore on the West Coast. There's educational institutions and culture and art and architecture. And food, and neighborhood identity. It has everything that makes for a complete community: There's a 'there' here."

Either way, it takes the right balance of size, cultural sophistication and local roots -- and possibly insularity -- for a city to be right for one of her books, Bates said. San Diego, for example, is too large and sprawling.
"Pasadena has a healthy self-image," she conceded. "It's in love with itself, and that helps."

Scott Timberg, Los Angeles Times

LA/So Calif travel books have always given this gem of a city only a cursory glance. It's about time Pasadena got its own book! This glossy new guidebook is chock full of everything Pasadena; it is beautifully detailed and highly entertaining. I am a Pasadena native who thoroughly enjoyed reading about my favorite haunts and discovering new spots to explore. Highly recommnend this for visitors or ex-Pasadenans who want to reminisce about their beloved hometown.

I was surprised by this complete guide. It was so well written and amusing that I found myself reading it for fun! I thought I knew this town, but I learned so much about it's history, places I've never been etc.. I'm giving it as Christmas presents to my partners at work. I think they'll love it and it's great o have on the shelf for guests. X Chris

titles can be deceiving but i quickly realized that this book is about the history of Hyde Park in chicago.well written and great for the causal reader and academic the book should be given as a xmas present. can be bought on amazon. com

Well written and full of information, Hyde Park, Illinois, is a perfect book for anyone interested in History, Chicago, Urban development, or our American society. Difficult to put down and highly readable, I've been recommending it to all of my history-loving friends.

Hyde Park is an incredibly interesting neighborhood due to its history as a covenant community to deny African Americans residence, as the intellectual haven of the University of Chicago, and as an example of urban planning and subsidized housing. The author makes an academic analysis of the dynamics of history and urban planning readable for a layman, making this book a must-buy for neighborhood activists, city planners and those interested in the history of Chicago.

Hyde Park is one of the unique neighborhoods of our nation--it's where nuclear fission first happened, and where Mel Torme went to high school. Max Grinnell brings the history of this neighborhood to life with hundreds of well-chosen pictures, captioned with verve, and a few short essays on the development of the neighborhood. It would make a great Christmas gift for Hyde Park oldtimers, newcomers, and anyone interested in urban development in America.