Park Books

Robert Frost graduated from Lawrence high school in Lawrence, Mass. I mention this fact in my Book about growing up in Lawrence "A Summer with Charlie". It was because of this common heritage that I was first lead to Mr. Frost. I must have read his poem about picking apples a thousand times. And since my wife and I also attempted to become "back-to-the-landers" in Mena, Arkansas, his poems about exploring the back forty and laying up a stone wall I also visit frequently. He is very rural. When he began writing poetry America was for the large part farmers - or recently off the farm. He writes a simple small farmer type poetry. This is a nice volume and Robert, like all poets, was a thoughtful man. Robert Frost was famous for a very short poem that is very hard to find. It is not in this volume either.
"Forgive me God for my little joke on thee,
And I will forgive you for your great big one on me."
He had another one, also hard to find, about his visiting heaven and finding God nice but rather inadequate and not very handy.
I don't consider Robert Frost a controversial poet. Any reactionary flavor is very subdued. His poetry is simple, honest and down to earth.

This selection of Frost's poetry contains his first three volumes, " A Boy's Will", "North of Boston" " Mountain Interval". It contains some of his most well-known poems, "Mending Wall"," Home Burial", "The Road not taken" "Birches" " The Hired Man" " After Apple Picking".It also contains a brief biographical sketch and survey of the works of this volume by Gail Harvey.
Frost in my own judgment does not quite make it to the top-of-the -top of American poetry, where Whitman, Dickinson and Wallace Stevens stand. But his insistent dialogue with Nature and Life do make for an often harshly beautiful poetry. He often seems to me somehow stronger in mind and will than in human sympathy. But the messages are clear and resound as part of the American heritage in poetry.

" Two roads diverged in a wood,and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

Julie-Anne Dentici "Jewels" said her favorite Frost poem was "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." She neglected to mention that this poem is not included in the book. "Often overlooked," indeed!

Robert Frost is my favorite American poet. My favorite poem written by him is "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening." This poem is generally overlooked, because people tend to associate "The Road Not Taken" with Frost. Both are great, but "Snowy Evening" is better, I think! For anyone who is a Robert Frost fan, this book is a nice addition to any library, and a nice edition to have.

If and when you go to Shiloh, they have a marked battlefield tour that includes 14 stops, but all they do is catch the highlights of the battle. They do not have chronology in mind. But this book does. It presents the action according to day, because it was a two day battle, as well as according to time. Then it divided the battle into its east and west campaigns, which successfully portrays the battle in its entirety. Without this book, I would not have known what I had missed out on. I am extremely happy I used this book and highly recommend it. Also, check out this series on Chickamauga (I bet it is good also).

I have walked much ground that was fought over by the men who fought the Civil War, but one field I have yet to reach rests in southwestern Tennessee, in the countryside near a little chapel called Shiloh Church. There one of the Confederacy's stars, Albert Sydney Johnston, fell like a hawk on the unsuspecting army of Ulysses S. Grant on the morning of April 6, 1862. What followed was the first massive struggle of the war. Dead and wounded were counted in the tens of thousands rather than in the hundreds. There Grant's quality of coolness under fire first showed itself, as on that first day it appeared that Johnston's men might push the Federals back into the Tennessee River. Instead, Johnston suffered a mortal wound, Don Carlos Buell landed with a huge reserve of additional Union soldiers, and on the next day Grant swept back across all the ground he had lost.
The University of Nebraska Press has undertaken the publication of a series of excellent battlefield guides, of which the two noted authors of this volume are editors. Each has contributed to at least one other book in what is now a five volume series.
When I get to Shiloh, I will have this guide at my side. It provides an excellent overview of the battle and a very logical plan to see and understand the events of both days. The maps, prepared by Christopher Brest, are numerous and clear. The illustrations, nearly all taken directly from the original four-volume printing of Battles and Leaders of the Civil War are both nostalgic and crisp. They use both battlefield sketches and portraits of many of the principal actors. Only William Tecumseh Sherman, whose Battles and Leaders image was one of him long after the war, festooned with medals and sash, seems a little out of place.
According to the authors, if I use this guide, and if I take all the time I need to take at all the stops they plan, I will spend most of a day on the field. I know it will be a day well spent for everyone who picks up this book before setting off on that tour.

I used the "Battlefield Guide" May 18-19 while touring Shiloh, and could not have been more pleased with it. I re-read Sword, Daniel, and McDonough first, and used the Guide in conjunction with the Trailhead Graphics map of the battlefield. The tour stops were aptly detailed and quick & easy to read. I strongly recommend the Guide for anyone planning a walking tour of the Shiloh park.

I've been a fan of _Gettysburg: A Battlefield Guide_ since its publication in 1999. When I saw that Mark Grimsley and Steven E. Woodworth had teamed to co-write a guide to Shiloh, I was excited. Grimsley and his co-author on the Gettysburg guide, Brooks Simpson, did a great job (see the several Amazon reviews, which give it 5 stars). Woodworth is one of the most knowledgeable historians of the western theater. His new book, _Nothing But Victory_, on the Union Army of the Tennessee, tells the story of an army that was more or less born at Shiloh.

I haven't yet had the chance to use the Shiloh guide on the battlefield, but it looks very promising. They had the Shiloh park historian vet the guide (the historian, Stacy D. Allen, is a well-regarded authority on the battle), and they created an ingenious two-axis tour, so that instead of constantly zig zagging back and forth to follow the action, you choose to follow the battle's progression first on the Confederate right or left flank, and then on the other. This keeps the action clear.

The narrative, analysis, and vignettes follow the pattern of earlier guides (Chickamauga as well as Gettysburg.) The discussion of the confused Confederate command arrangement is especially good. It is justifiably critical but never scornful and tries to be as understanding of the Confederate high command's predicment as possible.

I'm glad spring is here, because it's time for a road trip to Shiloh!

This book provides descriptions of all the parks in the area it covers, with maps that show nearly all hiking trails and advice on when is the best time of year for each. I wish the equivalent books for other parts of the bay area were this complete.

For over a year this book has been my bible for selecting hikes in the south bay area. The authors' trail descriptions are vivid, and their routes are planned well. I have two major grievances: first, their loquacious style can make it hard to determine exactly what turns you're supposed to take and when. Secondly, finding a hike is too cumbersome: you go to page 18 to search the map for the park you want, then back to the table of contents to find the page number for the park, then forward to the actual content. The map should be in the very front or back of the book and should include page numbers. Despite those annoyances, I still bring this book with me every weekend, and can recommend it as a good guide.

This is a wonderful book that goes into great deatil about the many trails in and around the South Bay. It breaks down the area by specific parks and then suggested hikes, including mileage, elevation loss or gain, and time. It even has a neat little appendix outlining hikes by category (ie., short hikes, hikes to see spring flowers, etc.) The text is detailed, explaining what you will find around every bend, and the historical information on the parks is very interesting. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get out and away from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley.

I just replaced my battered copy of the first edition with the latest, third one, and it's a real winner! These authors' books are always educational, interesting and complete. And best of all they lead one into many fine hiking adventures around the bay. I've spent many a fine summer day following their instructions. It's about time they put out a new edition, because of all the new parks and trails they had to cover. Recommended!

This it a really good book. The pictures are spectacular, the writing is good, and it includes newspaper articles written about the park. The information about the clubhouse, trainer's room etc. is great. I would recommend this to any baseball fan! (Non-Dodger fan anyway) :-)

Great pictures of what has to be one of the nicest sports facilities in the world. I've been to one game here - and as a resident of Seattle, I honestly think that Safeco is a better place to watch a game. However, no stadium can match the asthetic views and its situation in one of the most beautiful cities in the world makes Pac Bell #1.

Every fan of the the Giants should get this book and wallow in the beauty of Pacific Bell Park, if you can't get there yourself. The park really is probably the most beautiful ballpark in baseball, a tiny little gem that nevertheless plays like a huge pitcher's stadium thanks to the bizarre asymmetry of its outfield (and a San Francisco wind that the park's engineering turned into an ally, instead of the vicious Hawk it was at Candlestick Park.)

But it's also a great collection of essays from baseball writers including George Will and Peter Gammons, and local writers sharing memories of the team and the long years of waiting in the cold and fog for a world championship that still hasn't come. Those essays are some of the best parts of the book, moving and nostalgic in the best sense.

The body text, that tracks the long road from New York through Candlestick to the drama of building a new ballpark without the safety net of public money, then chronicles the great 2000 season, is little more than acceptable, but in a coffee table book what you want is gorgeous photographs and insightful vignettes, and "Splash Hit" has that in aces.

Finally, a coffee table book that was difficult to put down after looking at all the spectacular pictures.

After having "Splash Hit!" on order since first hearing about it's publication; I finally got my chance to actually own it. And read it and read it and read it, again. You cannot put this book down if you love ballparks, baseball, architecture and perhaps, the most intriguingly, beautiful city in America; San Francisco.

"Splash Hit" is the name adopted by San Francisco Giants fans that describes any home run hit just beyond the right field wall that land's in the San Francisco Bay waters aptly named McCovey Cove.

An amazing book by Joan Walsh and C.W.Nevius, "Splash Hit" explores the progression of Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco from it's initial conceptual brainchild of a downtown ballpark to it's wonderfully anticipated Opening Day Game and throughout 2000 season.

The tastefully cram-packed, 140-page book begins with incredible color photos of: an aeriel view of Pac Bell at night (with The City in the background), Giant and Dodger players standing for the National Anthem on Opening Day, another aeriel photo of The Park with the San Francisco Bay in the background, Ellis Burks sliding into home to score against the Cardinals, another night-time aeriel shot to a full cityscape at dusk of San Francisco and Pac Bell.

The forward is written by Giants President Peter Magowan and Vice President Larry Baer. They discuss everything from the Giants rumored 1992 move to Florida to the "VISION" coming to fruition.

The book is graced with at least 140 color pictures (many two-page spreads) and some 20-plus black and white photos of the Giants illustrious past from John McGraw/Christy Mathewson to Willie Mays/Willie McCovey. The Giants ten homes are discussed in this chapter in detail. Their move to San Francisco is also closely chronicled. The photos take you around, over, inside and under this magnificent structure from it's humble beginning to it's fan-friendly completion in The City That Knows How.

The text is well thoughout and chronicled from beginning to end as well. Each chapter draws yo in further as to the hows, whens, whys and how-comes of PBP. If you like the wriiten history of Major League Baseball and how it came West; then this book explains it all in great detail.

But the real beauty of this book is the complete photograph history of Pacific Bell Park, Giants fans and The City of San Francisco. Never before have I seen a "love story" between a team and its city been told as well. How the City Fathers' vision of a rejuvenated China Basin area of San Francisco came to pass. And how the real beauty of this old-styled stadium is incorporated into the natural landscape of the most breathtaking City in the world.

The book contains views of many fans, celebrities and athletes such as ESPN's Chris Berman and Peter Gammons; famed writers George F. Will and Ron Fimrite. Local longtime Bay Area columnists Leonard Koppett, Ann Killion, Joan Ryan, Rick Clogher, Darryl Brock, Dave Newhouse and Nick Peters, who has authored the definative San Francisco Giants history in four books about the Giants; give a unique slant on the local residents' feelings about the ballpark and the team. There is even an essay by Joe Spears of HOK Sport, the company that designed Pac Bell, on early concepts of a downtown San Francisco baseball stadium.

The book is liberally sprinkled with quotations and thoughts of Giant players, Giants' Manager Dusty Baker and other Major League Baseball players. These qoutes give you a great players' perspective of the different attitudes, climate and aspirations as opposed to frigid Candlestick Park.

I got a big kick out of the chapter that details "B.A.R.K."- Baseball Aquatic Rescue Korps. It is a group of dogs (Portugese Water Spaniels, evolving from an idea by local comedian/Saturday Night Live regular Don Novella aka Father Guido Sarducci); that patrol the Bay for homeruns that land in the splashdown area called McCovey Cove just beyond right field.

This book is THE BEST I've ever owned about a baseball park or any other athletic facility. It makes a great companion to other related books: "Above San Francisco by Robert Cameron, "The Ballpark Book" by Ron Smith and The Sporting News and "Take Me Out To The Ballpark" by Josh Leventhal.

Get this book NOW while it is still in print. It is one you won't want to miss.

A nice retelling of the classic Aesop's fable, "The Tortoise And The Hare," with two siblings in the race, instead of two critters. Cute! (ReadThatAgain)

I was very pleased with how quickly I recieved my book. I cannot begin to tell you how much the recipient enjoyed this book, she was my aunt who passed recently (cancer) and this was her favorite book in the whole world! Thank you!!!

The story of Stella's and Roy's fun in the park is entertaining, and the illustrations are outstanding. You and your child will enjoy following the kids around the circular path and examining the illustrations for their details.

Growing up in San Francisco produces a complex reality for most young readers. Although books convince the child that summers are a time for swimming, fire flies and warm weather activities, any native child knows that summertime is a time for fog. In the winter it doesn't snow, despite books portraying this event. Ashley Wolff has given kids a West Coast book in which Golden Gate Park shimmers in the sunlight on a winter day, kids roller skate, matrons walk their dogs...a delightful book, sure to charm both natives and our many visitors.

Visiting Civil War battlefields to try to gain a sense of what happened there can often be tricky. Reading the signage and monument inscriptions only gives you the most basic information. Or as in the case of Chattanooga only a small part (or parts) of the battlefield have been preserved and the rest is obfuscated by urban sprawl. A good guide book can make the difference when visiting a Civil War battlefield. Matt Spruill has written just such a book, "Storming the Heights: A Guide to the Battle of Chattanooga."

When people think of Civil War battles they tend to think in terms of one army attacking another army in one geographic place and the battle is usually over in one day. That indeed is true for some Civil War battles, but not all, especially not for Chattanooga. There isn't one engagement that I could pinpoint and say "That is the Battle of Chattanooga." In reality, however, there were several battles that took place around Chattanooga which culminated in the Union Army's ability to break the Confederate siege lines around the city and the to Confederate Army's retreat from those lines.

Beginning with the opening of a Federal supply line at Brown's Ferry & Wauhatchi, then to the Battle for Lookout Mountain and ending with the Battle for Missionary Ridge Mr. Spruill guides us through these engagements. He has also included side trips to the Lookout Valley, the site of Fort Wood, Orchard Knob, Rossville Gap and Chattanooga National Cemetery.

Mr. Spruil takes us to the site of these engagements with turn by turn directions. There are several tour stops for each engagement. At each stop Mr. Spruill has included topographical maps overlaid with the Union and Confederate troop positions. He lets the participants relay what happened there by relying heavily on official reports. Both Union and Confederate sides are covered for each engagement.

In my opinion Mr. Spruill has leaned too heavily on the official reports for the story telling. I would have liked to read quotes from letters, journals and diaries of the common soldier alongside the official reports of the Union and Confederate officers.

The maps included in the book, drawn by Lowell Forbes, are also a bit problematical. Certainly I wish there were more of them (one can never have too many maps when studying a Civil War battle). I also would have liked to have seen at least a few of them include modern roads, which would be especially helpful when trying to follow Mr. Spruill's turn by turn directions. Also the maps aren't generally oriented so that north is at the top of the page, and Mr. Forbes did not include a directional indicator on any of the maps in the book.

That being said, "Storming the Heights" is an indispensable book for one studying the engagements during the Battles for Chattanooga, and touring its battlefield sites.

This book is really great. The author has included some out of the way places that are part of the Chattanooga Battles. He uses mainly primary resource material centered around the Official Records of the Civil War following the US Army War College style. This guide allows the reader to draw some conclusions on his or her own which makes it really a fun way to tour the battlefields. The maps are clear and concise. Definitely a must have book for Battlefield Trampers!

As an avid battlefield tourist, I love nothing more than finding a great battlefield guidebook. In July 2004, I took a trip to Chickamauga and Chattanooga to tour the Civil War sites there. I bought this guidebook, as well as "Guide to the Battle of Chickamauga" written by the same author (also an excellent guidebook, by the way), and found them to be to be the best two I've ever used.

Mr. Spruill overlayed troop movements over topographic maps, making for an excellent set of maps. Mr. Spruill guides the tourist masterfully to the sites in and around Chattanooga, describing what happened at each stop very clearly. He provided plentiful first-person accounts throughout the book to give the tourist extra insight into what happened at each stop. Finally, he scattered through the text photos of commanders, old photos of the battlefield and city, and modern photos of several of the sites. Throughout, it makes for a great guidebook.

This guide really is only for those dedicated enough to travel to all the rather widely dispersed sites around Chattanooga and those who have the time. If you plan on spending several days at Chattanooga, buy this guidebook. It is well worth the money, and finding all those hidden sites associated with the Siege/Battle of Chattanooga is very rewarding.

This is what historical touring literature is all about. The format in this book is fantastic for touring Civil War battlefields. Following the miliary style of the Staff Ride, the author lets the battle unfold for the reader in a truly unique way that must be experienced. This books covers a complex subject which is not easy to tour without a guide book. The Chattanooga Battlefield is a victim of urban sprawl but this book brings it to life anyway. I highly recommend this book. It is the best tour book on Chattanooga period. One warning though. This book requires some knowledge of the battle if the reader wants to fully experience the tour. Still, the novice will find it easily understandable and well written. The author's experience as a tour guide shines through. In short, if you want to tour the battlefields of Chattanooga, this book will serve you well at a bargain of a price. I cannot give it a higher recommendation!

I've done the entire 180 miles of the trails described here, and this is an absolutely essential book if you're planning this backpack adventure. The scenery is as gorgeous as anything on the John Muir Trail and there are less crowds and more sublime solitude. Winnet takes you through the journey step by step and provides you with necessary info: where is the nearest water source? Is the source dependable even in drought years? Is the area known for active and intrusive bears into your campsites to raid your food supply? How are the mosquitoes on this lef of the trip, and so on.

I encourage all serious California hikers to undertake this magnificent journey and to read this book before attempting the trek. It's well written, informative, includes fine maps and many useful tips. Highly recommended.

I bought three different editions of this book. The first one fell apart from use "1974". I lost the second book around Lake Alpine. The latested edition got soaked this year, 2003, in the Mokulmne River. Very useful information, excellent writing. I highly recommend Thomas Winnett's Tahoe-Yosemite Trail.
PS-What ever happend to Don Dennison?

I've hiked the TYT twice and wouldn't hike it again without this book. Some areas of the TYT are much less travelled than the PCT and without the guidebook, route finding could be extremely difficult in some spots, especially during a heavy snow year.

Thomas Winnett is a good writer and extremely knowledgeable about this area of the country. My only criticism of the book is that its a bit outdated. I think that the last time the book was updated was in the 80's and the trail has changed in a few places due to storms, new regulations, corrosion, etc. If you are a novice in the back country, this could cause you some potential headache trying to figure out where the new trail is. If you are an experienced back country traveler, this shouldn't bother you too much.

The book contains copies of all the needed sections of the USGS maps, which is really helpful. Otherwise, you'd have to figure out which maps you'd need and splice them all together in order to see the whole trail. I am not aware of an entire map or collection of maps that encompasses the entire TYT, so this is pretty valuable. Winnett also includes a handy elevation profile so that you know when you are in for a steep downhill or uphill section, how steep it will be, and how long it will be. Again, a nice thing to have.

The book also has some basic information about flora and fauna, geology, and history, which make it entertaining and educational. If you are planning to hike the TYT, its the best $10 you'll spend on planning your hike.

If you'd like to see photos of my two TYT trips to see what you are in for, you can find them here:
http://www.dudedesign.com/photos/

Good Luck on your hike!

I've used this guide on every leg described in the book and it was dead on (1988 - 1996). The summit creek area description was helpful since that section wasn't well marked. Is much better than USGS maps. Definitely recommend. 259 Top of the line.

The Tomb Raider series has now been turned into a monthly comic book from Top Cow and this special edition combines the first thee part story that intros the series. You meet Lara Croft, world reknown explorer, her butler and an old ex boyfriend in the form of Chaser Carver who always manages to get to Lara and makes for some great banter between the two.

In this special edition you will learn a bit more about Lara Croft and some info on her mother.

The artwork is simply great and proves that Top Cow has once again managed to give us another strong well written female action hero. Lara is drawn just the way you imagine her to be.

I loved it. The art work was fantastic, and Lara isn't a helpless female victim in the movies. She's tough! The second book gets better, so try it, she's a lot better than the video game, in my opinion.

I used to love this comic series. For a while, it was the only comic I read. Looking back, it's hard to tell what was so enthralling about it. The plots were unimaginative and preidictable, and the books themselves were way too short. Seriously, each took about three minutes to read. This was all very irritating, but I still kept buying the books. Andy Park's spectacular art made it worthwhile. I lost interest in the series soon after Mr. Park stopped doing the pencil work for it.

"Saga of the Medusa Mask" collects the first story arc of the Tomb Raider series. If you're interested in the series, this is a good place to start. Although you shouldn't expect too much, this IS a damn good comic when you consider that it's based on a video game!

This book can help with what you need!!

Is love something only limited to one man and one woman? Or is it further loosely defined? "Touchable Love: An Untraditional Love Story" is about Christy and her unusual, polyamorous, relationship with two men. With this unique relationship, she manages to clear up her past and learn to develop self-esteem and belief in herself. A story teaching people to not hate ways of life because they are different, "Touchable Love" is recommended as an original and entertaining romance.

I cried! This is an unusual way to begin a review; however, I quickly discovered that Touchable Love by Becky Due is a book that causes all types of emotions to surface. As a person who has done considerable counseling, I found this fictional love story to be intriguing, mesmerizing, and also one that can make a positive change in lives. It is a book written by a talented author for women who want to confront the past and embrace the future. The storyline is depicted with total honesty, and I personally found it to be inspiring.

The author refers to this book as "an untraditional love story," and this is true in every sense of the word as Christy, whose past sexual life has been destructive and dangerous, suddenly stops having sex because she fears becoming involved in a real relationship. She is afraid of loving and of being loved in return. Threatened by a taste of what it might feel like to have such a relationship, she quits a modeling job at an art studio and moves from Minnesota to Miami, Florida. Since Christy's real goal has been to pursue a career in photography, she accepts a job working for a famous photographer named Paul. Her assignment is to record, through photography, the experiences of this man as he is dying from AIDS. In return he promises to give her the benefit of his vast experience in the field, introduce her to people who will be of help to her future career, and leave her his equipment upon his death. But, unknown to either Christy or Paul, there proves to be fringe benefits that ultimately change Christy's life forever.

The beautiful young photographer grows to love Paul, though at first she had been shocked by the condition of his dying body. As time passes, he becomes more than an employer; he is someone whom she genuinely cares about--her first real friend--someone she loves. Paul, who is gay, does not want to extend his life through medication; instead he wants to leave the world and be with his deceased lover. But first he is determined that others will see his death through Christy's work so that they will make better choices than he did. He believes he is responsible for his partner's death.

Though Paul and Christy become inseparable, their loving friendship is not strong enough for him to change his mind about taking medication. Paul also has a close friend in Brian, a nurse, who helps with his homecare. Christy grows to appreciate Brian and all he does for Paul; he becomes a good friend and the three of them share some memorable times.

Christy often gets into bed with Paul, holding his frail body as he clings to her and life. One night he snuggles to get closer than ever, and they fall asleep holding one another tightly. The next morning she awakes and realizes that he has gone on to be with the love of his life; his former partner whom he had loved so deeply. Christy does not accept his death easily, moving into a studio apartment, and shutting herself down emotionally. She had finally learned to give and accept love--not in the traditional sense--but, nevertheless, Paul had taught her how to surrender her feelings and truly care about another human being. But he had left her, and her life seemed so very empty.

Christy slowly comes out of the darkness and uses her photography skills to address other types of diseases. She also discovers that she is talented in writing the stories of hurting women to encourage those in similar situations to find their way back from a desolate past and feel good about their lives. In reality, though her books are about others, they have everything to do with her. Eventually Brian comes back into her life and tells her how much he loves her. Though she also loves him, she has many issues to work out. She is concerned that, because of her previous lifestyle, there is the possibility that she could have AIDS. Also, she realizes that she needs time to get to know herself before making a true commitment to another person. A therapist named Mary assists her with a formula that, in my opinion, will help all women readers face their pasts and fears.

Is Christy HIV positive? Does she allow herself to make a life with Brian? I have only given you a glimpse of an incredible and descriptive story. I highly recommend that women purchase this unforgettable book for themselves and a friend. It is definitely a "must read."

"Touchable Love" isn't your average romance love story. It's not about boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl get married. They have children and Live happily ever after. Nope. If that's what you want, then "Touchable Love" isn't the right book for you.

However, if you're searching for a new kind of romance novel and one that tugs not only at your heart strings, but your intellect, then I recommend "Touchable Love" highly. The plot begins with a former model accepting an intern position with a homosexual dying from AIDS. He just lost his partner, and was lost without him.

Before he dies, though, he helps heal the former model with his compassion, understanding, and a gift of photography. The former model learns more about love from this one man than through a lifetime of experiences. In the end, she cleans up her act: goes to a counselor, doesn't jump into bed with the guy who's in love with her, and learns to accept who she is.

"Touchable Love" is really about a girl who meets two boys. She falls in love with both of them, except one love dies and the other love waits for her to come to terms with herself first. I recommend this book be used in schools as young as junior high and as old as college. There's much here to discuss about the roles of men and women in our society and culture. "Touchable Love" isn't a book to be read all at once. It must be savor like a fine wine or chocolate.

I loved writing Touchable Love as much as I still love reading it! If you enjoy this novel, please pick up my first, The Gentlemen's Club, A Story for All Women and spread the word.
Author Becky Due
Host of Women Going Forward

Are you thinking about backpacking in grizzly country? Well, then you need to learn a bit about the biology and behavior of the bear. While on a trip to Alaska this year, I did some reading and learned that grizzlies are largely nocturnal, feeding mostly at night and denning up during the day. Craighead's book confirms this, and provides a lot of other useful information. He and his brother did research on the Yellowstone grizzly population for around a decade, but park management rejected their expert advice when grizzly management became a hot political issue after two tourists were killed by bears in 1967. This aspect of the book is of course dated, and there is no update on the current state of the Yellowstone grizzlies, but nevertheless this is an excellent book for anyone planning a wilderness trip. "Learning to Talk Bear" by Roland Cheek is a good companion book to this one.

A very readable, enjoyable book. It was published in 1979 so I'm sure there's more and newer information on the bears, but this is a great starting place. It's author (and his brother) are famous for their early grizzly studies.

A shortened and less scientific version of the Craighead's classic study of the Yellowstone grizzlies. For any one who wants to know more about grizzlies, this book is a must!!!!

A very well written and entertaining book about the Criaghead's multi year study of the Grizzly Bears of the Yellowstone Eco system. The book while written by a Biologist, is very entertaining and an easy (light) read....not a scientific paper.

If you want to understand what Grizzly Bears are REALLY like,and want to understand this interesting animal- this is your book.

It's a great book to read if you visit the Yellowstone area and are somewhat "Bear-a-phobic" as a result of the sensational bear attack books. I was reading this book in Yellowstone this summer when I had my 1st bear incident in the 15 years I have been coming to the park. Armed with good information the "incident" became an interesting encounter with another one of YNP's great animals.

This is a book worth buying and keeping in your library.