Smith Books

The book Art of the Carousel is the best I've read. It gives a full history and it is beautifully illustrated. I showed it to a co-worker and she had to have one to put on their coffee table for all to view. You won't be sorry!

This book is just a fun with the education about the carousels! This'll tell you much about the carousels ! Charlotte is a great author, and has a good sense of understanding people's psycology. You'll have fun with this book !

Charlotte Dinger's Art of the Carousel is a must have for any enthusiasts carousel book collection. This book features chapters about all the major carousel artists/carvers and great photographic examples of each carvers style.

There is also a chapter about restoring and collecting these magnificant animals. This book is very similar to "Painted Ponies" by William Manns/Marianne Stevens. Included is a census of operating carousels. Since the book was written in the mid 1980s, many of the carousels that are listed in the census have been long gone. For an updated censue check the National Carousel Association.

ART OF THE CAROUSEL, lavishly illustrated in full color with over 400 photographs, is a complete guide for collectors, museums and galleries, as well as a delightful book for those who simply enjoy the beauty and nostalgia of the carousel.

The author traces the development of carousel art by describing style variations and identifiable features of carousel animals produced by the major American carving companies. Important considerations in evaluating carousel figures are defined, as well as characteristics that distinguish European and Mexican animals from the more valued carvings.

In addition, the book includes descriptions and illustrations of restoration techniques, practical advice on buying, shipping, and insuring carousel animals, and a census of operating carousels in the United States and Canada.

There are two books that any carousel collector or would-be collector must have. Dinger's "Art of the Carousel" and Manns' "Painted Ponies". These are simply the most complete of the carousel reference books. Bruce W. Zubee - Webmaster - [URL]

This book is a great read for action officers and DoD staffers! I found it very helpful upon my recent assignment to the Pentagon. Must read for military and civilians working at operational and strategic levels of national defense! Many thanks to the author for their insights!

A great book, highly recommended for anyone working in the Pentagon! I'm in my first Pentagon tour, and found this book immensely useful. My initial impression of Pentagon life was professional bewilderment: totally new vocabulary, totally new set of concerns, different rules for doing business. Much more so than with most of my 'new' jobs along the way, this one totally threw me off with with respect to the norms and expectations.

There are many courses for navigating these strange waters (most of which I've attended), but there's so much to learn that these courses are primarily focused on the "What Is It, and How Does It Work?" level. The "What's normal?" level is usually left off the end (due to time constraints), for the student to work out on his/her own. I've been blessed with very patient bosses, and have been allowed to work out 'normal' for myself, but I frequently had so many questions that I'd hesistate asking them all at once. And then came Assignment Pentagon - a life saver.

I stumbled across Assignment Pentagon about three months into the job - 2-1/2 months too late! Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down - it spoke to my nagging questions and left me a MUCH better informed Action/Requirements Officer. The turn-around in professional understanding was so profound for me that I've been recommending it to anyone else that checks in here, and think it's absolutely critical to understand the place you work in the depth that Assignment Pentagon delivers it.

Many thanks to the authors for putting this much-needed work together, and for keeping it updated. I only hope that they're still updating it when I've got my next set of orders to the Pentagon.

This book was first published in the 1980s, and has been apparently revised as recently as March 2007. The edition I read comes from 2002. The book is interesting. It fulfills its billing as a straight guide to what is important inside the big five-sided building along the Potomac River.

Maj Gen Smith's most interesting piece of insight comes about half way through in his discussion of the media and the Pentagon leadership. In discussing the role of the daily "Early Bird" news roundup, Gen Smith asserts that senior Pentagon leaders read the volume diligently, seeing the press not as an antagonist, but rather as a source of new and interesting takes on what they may or may not already know.

Unfortunately, Gen Smith has a bad habit of occasionally interjecting his personal opinion into his otherwise objective analysis. Also, even though the book says it was revised for 2002, it appears that many sections of the book have not been updated since its original publication 15 years earlier.

All in all, this is a solid, brief overview, of some of what goes through Pentagon employees heads on a daily basis. It is worth the read for that reason if for no other.

I am the author of this book. When the new administration took office, it was time to update this book about how the Pentagon works, how to work with the Pentagon and how to work within the Pentagon. There is an enormous amount of misinformation about the Pentagon and what I have tried to do is stick to the realities and to destroy some of the myths. I have received many comments about this book. The most surprising ones have come from people who work in corporations who have told me that this book has given them lots of ideas about how improve their performance in their present jobs.

I am the author of this book. When the new administration took office, it was time to update this book about how the Pentagon works, how to work with the Pentagon and how to work within the Pentagon. There is an enormous amount of misinformation about the Pentagon and what I have tried to do is stick to the realities and to destroy some of the myths. I have received many comments about this book. The most surprising ones have come from people who work in corporations who have told me that this book has given them lots of ideas about how improve their performance in their present jobs.

I have been sifting through the reams of information books available on this amazing subject and have found many books leave points hazy or just untouched. Paul Fenton-Smith has done in a succinct and yet extremely informative book what many others have failed to do miserably. I can now step forward along my path of astrology apprenticeship with so much information and clarity, it has scared even me. WHether you are a newcomer or experienced interpreter, this book will have a profound effect on your current knowledge and your practice methods. A must read for anyone interested in this complex subject. Absolutely Fantastic!

I recommend this Astrology book wholeheartedly as it gives clear and easily understandable information and good examples that demystify this often misunderstood subject. I love his writing style and I use all of his instructional books, including this one, Astrology Revealed, and especially Tarot Revealed and Palmistry Revealed, as references whenever I am doing readings. Highly recommend all of his work...

I read Astrology Revealed in a weekend and loved it. It is filled with funny stories which helped me to remember all the information, some of which I'd forgotten even after being an astrologer for five years.

The part about finding your spiritual purpose through your moons node was particularly interesting, and the moons node chart for the 20th century helped me to examine my friends easily. My copy is starting to look forlorn as it goes everywhere with me these days. If you want a simple intro to astrology then this is the book.

This would have to be the best all-round introduction to astrology I have read! I wish I had access to it when I was studying - it is concise, relatively inexpensive and covers a lot more than I thought it would when I read the title.

The author, Paul Fenton-Smith founded the Academy of Psychic Sciences in 1985, and has studied and practiced around Australia, in Europe and the USA since 1978. He is also a regular guest on radio and television.

Paul also teaches palmistry and tarot reading and has a private practice as a clairvoyant and counsellor. A best-selling author of books on palmistry, tarot and astrology, Paul's aim in teaching and writing is to demystify the psychic sciences.

Astrology Revealed is not a large book, but as I mentioned previously, it is concise and practical. As well as covering the usual topics found in introductions to astrology - history, signs, houses and planets; it also goes into explaining many other important aspects of astrology.

The book is divided into four parts. Part One (Introduction) explains what astrology is and also goes into the history and purpose of astrology.

Part Two (The Basics) looks at the signs of the zodiac, the houses, the solar chart, plus the Moon and its phases. I particularly liked the way the signs of the zodiac were explained. Each sign was given its planetary symbol, glyph, element, type and ruler. The author then goes on to describe the themes associated with each sign and then under separate headings looks at relationships, health, negative traits, and 'lessons' for the relevant sign.

In Part Three (The Planets), Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are explained in terms of their symbolism and interpretation in each of the twelve zodiac signs.

The final section, Part Four (A Deeper Awareness), return charts, the Moon's Nodes, Ascendant, progressions, planetary aspects, chart reading procedure, relationships and astrology, health and sun signs, practice charts and advice on gaining practical experience are all explained.

Astrology Revealed has over 200 illustrations plus many real-life examples that are used to help you understand and apply the concepts presented.

Anybody who has looked into this complex subject will appreciate the amount of effort that would have gone into producing such an excellent book. I believe Astrology Revealed is an important addition to the student's library of reference books.

Astrology Revealed is a good starting place for astrological beginners, and I found the chapter on the Moon's Nodes relating to life's purpose very valuable. It helped me to see the life lessons of my friends and family and I began to understand them better.

All the basics are covered in this book, including sun signs, planetary meanings, aspects and a step by step guide to reading a chart.

Each sun sign is broken down into sections on relationships, health, the negative type and the spiritual lesson for each sign. This makes it easier to remember, especially when reading actual charts. Although I have about ten other astrology books, I constantly refer back to Astrology Revealed as it is packed with valuable information.

The editor, Jonathan Riley-Smith, emeritus Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Cambridge University, is without a doubt the world's leading expert on the crusades, and this atlas reflects his mastery of the field. He chose first-rate historians as contributors, and his choice of topics for some of his chapters (e.g. "The Home Front" and "Settlers, Traders and Missionaries," "and "Crusading in a Changing World") reflect both his "pluralist" perspective (the crusades involved much more than the military campaigns in the Levant from 1096 to 1291) and his conviction that crusade history is so much more than campaigns, military strategy, and battlefield tactics. What is more, the maps and illustrations are first-rate. Do not waste your money on third-rate competition; buy this atlas. You will not be disappointed.

Twenty-one historians under the guidance of Jonathan Riley-Smith have provided us with an invaluable resource for the crusades. This atlas offers 150+ pages of beautiful maps punctuated with painstaking detail -- geographical features, historical dates, battle sites, travel routes, castles & fortresses, monasteries & holy sites, cities & towns -- all set against the backdrop of splendid color plating. The expeditions to the holy lands (1095-1291 CE) are charted in great detail, as well as the campaigns in Spain and the Baltic region. This provides for a collective 500-year time period (1000's-1500's CE) of the crusades. One's knowledge of medieval Christendom and the Islamic world will be strengthened beyond measure by this handsome tome. It reflects highly specialized research and is a tool for students and professors alike. Definitely worth $40.00

Riley-Smith is today's top crusades historian whose works have rivaled even Runciman's three-volume classic. Four textual sections in the atlas briefly present Riley-Smith's newer theories which depict crusaders as zealous pilgrims (not colonial boors), motivated by ideology (more than land and booty). There were few rewards to be won in Palestine, people knew it, and the costs involved in embarking on a crusade were astronomical. We certainly don't accept the crusading world-view today, but we are obligated to understand it and describe it as accurately as we can. Riley-Smith has done so, and this atlas stands as a monument to his scholarship of the past three decades.

I 'borrowed' this book from my school library many years ago and have loved it ever since. It combines wonderful maps with insightful charts and symbols detailing every aspect of the crusades from weapons used to the political ranks of the Muslim rulers.

This book details every crusade, from the first in 1099 that captured Jerusalum, to the last ones that were foguth in places as distant as north Africa and even on crusade that only sucededed in capturing Byzantium.

There are other historical atlas's and even another atlas of the crusades but this is the superior volume. THis volume illimunate the crusades in a new way and help you understand the propoganda that claims they were wrong and for greed. In fact the crusades were a response to Islamic aggression whereby Christian chruchs were destroyed in the holy land and christians enslaved. The Crusades helped resuce the holy land and this book will help you understand the truth that during this time christians still lived in the middle east, like the Armenians.
This book will help you understand the claims christianity has to maintaining a presence in the holy land.

"The Atlas of the Crusades" is one of my all time favorite books. While it's enormously helpful to the specialist, the book is also a perfect introduction to the Crusades -- visually describing this interesting historical phenomenon from beginning to end. Beyond the route maps which can be found in every atlas of the Middle Ages, this book has everything from birds-eye views of Acre and Constantinople to the layout of Crusader castles, churches, and villages, to a schematic diagram of the Mamluk Chain of Command. You can't go wrong adding this to your library.

The maps are wonderful. They are well-researched and provide an overview of the Crusades, along with all the peripheral things going on in the world of the Middle Ages. The text gives a good objective summary of events, which is difficult to find elsewhere in sources on the Crusades. Riley-Smith has chosen his topics well, including aspects of specific cultures of the time. He achieves a vivid picture of the political, economic, and social life of the time in all of the world's hot spots. This perhaps does not give the most comprehensive picture possible, since it does not take into account conflicting primary sources on the Crusades, but Riley-Smith achieves his goal. Readers looking for more information can easily find other sources; the Atlas of the Crusades is an excellent supplement to these and does a good job pulling them together.

Nolan does a great job with his approach. I have lost 20 pounds by simply sticking to the game plan. I have virtually eliminated sugar from my diet, reduce flour products, and, have increased my workouts to about 45 minutes 5 times/week. I feel more vibrant and energetic with Nolan's plan. I highly recommend it!

I'm easily discouraged by the whole process of dieting, but this one seems to be working very well for me. Fast weight loss...which improves my attitude about whether this whole process is worthwhile.
Simple, easy to follow. Not real complex and a lot of common sense. Menus are easy enough for an old bachelor like me to follow.

Nolan has a great book on dieting here. I like the simple recipes and candid approach. There are lots of gimicks out there however, this book cuts to the chase. Great research.

Finally, an intelligent entry into the overcrowded pantheon of weight loss books. Mr. Smith's recipes are both easy to prepare and delicious. I have only one quibble with the book and that is the title. The word "healthy" should be substituted for "skinny". The goal for all of us after all, should not be "thinness" for its own sake; but rather weight loss as a natural end result of an improved diet and exercise regime. Follow Mr. Smith's advice and you'll end up "skinnier" but more importantly, healthier.

This book provides the reader with a very simple, effective way to lose weight. With the Be Skinny Fast (BSF) monikor, it is easy to remember...Skip the Bread, Skip the Sugar, and Skip the Fried Foods! It is that easy.

The author also provides a lot of recipes for the reader to use in place of eating bread, sugars and fried foods. He mixes in a good amount of humor to keep the pacing going.

The book is a quick read with applicable strategies for losing weight. No special foods or diet drinks. Just common sense strategies for losing weight.

Pick it up!

This book is wonderful- I have used it to entertain out of town guests and for myself and friends on a regular basis. It is a great reference for places you may have never been or to stir your memory of places you have enjoyed going to. Every place mentioned in the book has been exactly as they had written. There were no surprises, but in fact excellent suggestions of ways to truly experience the local life. I just moved to Seattle myself, so I have found the book to be quite helpful. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody new to the area or coming for a visit. Who knows... you may just run into me at one of the local hangouts...

Planning our vacation in and around Seattle was going to be interesting since I had never been there and had no tips and referances to go by. I searched on Amazon.com, and found some interesting books with lot's of tips. I chose the Best Places in Seattle book and once I had received it I fall in love with it. It is very detailed and informative and thanks to this book,I had hotel rooms booked and wonderful ideas of how we were going to spoil ourselfs with fantastic food in wonderful restaurants and of course all the highlights of Seattle were well explained in the book as well. Once we got there it was easy.. the book offeres a map,of the loctions of the hotel and palces to go and really it was a breeze for us to find our way around and let me tell you, the hotels were no dissapointment and the restaurants wonderful. I recommend this book to everyone. The author really wrote it as it is and the star rating of the hotels and more are really fantastic and a big help.She also makes a point to inform you of small details , for example, if the hotel has AC or not or if the service is nice and which floor offers the better view and such. That really is important for some people I am sure. This book helped us a lot to enjoy a wonderful vacation and we will be back. Enjoy Seattle and with this book you will.

Planning our vacation in and around Seattle was going to be interesting since I had never been there and had no tips and referances to go by. I searched on Amazon.com, and found some interesting books with lot's of tips. I chose the Best Places in Seattle book and once I had received it I fall in love with it. It is very detailed and informative and thanks to this book,I had hotel rooms booked and wonderful ideas of how we were going to spoil ourselfs with fantastic food in wonderful restaurants and of course all the highlights of Seattle were well explained in the book as well. Once we got there it was easy.. the book offeres a map,of the loctions of the hotel and palces to go and really it was a breeze for us to find our way around and let me tell you, the hotels were no dissapointment and the restaurants wonderful. I recommend this book to everyone. The author really wrote it as it is and the star rating of the hotels and more are really fantastic and a big help.She also makes a point to inform you of small details , for example, if the hotel has AC or not or if the service is nice and which floor offers the better view and such. That really is important for some people I am sure. This book helped us a lot to enjoy a wonderful vacation and we will be back. Enjoy Seattle and with this book you will.

When my job sent me to Seattle last summer, I searched for a unique guidebook for the city. Unwilling to settle for one of the national guides, I was pleased to discover Best Places Seattle. It is published in Seattle by locals. A particularly helpful section is Top 200 Restaurants and Lodgings which has star ratings (much like Amazon!) Another good feature is the Uniquely Seattle icon beside selected entries to signify places that are unique and special to the city. Other sections include: Lay of the City (getting around), Exploring (attractions), Shopping, Performing Arts, Nightlife, Day Trips, Recreation and others. Entries are referenced on a fold-out map in the front. This map has downtown Seattle on one side and Greater Seattle on the other. These entries also provide the reader with a paragraph description of each place. I practically had this book open the whole time I was in Seattle since it provided me valuable information, especially on restaurants. The book stands by its reviews of restaurants and lodgings and has a whole page devoted to instructions for receiving a book refund if you are misled by them. I must mention that there are no photos in this guidebook, but I don't think they are really needed since the book is so descriptive. I highly recommend this guidebook if you are planning a trip to Seattle.

I'm in debt to this book - I've been using its earlier edition for three years since I moved to Seattle, and it's still the first place I turn to when I want to find something new to do on a weekend. There are entries about the best lodgings, cafes, coffee places, theaters of all kinds including indie. And of course, this being a book about Pacific Northwest, it contains the most complete guide to all the places to visit around Seattle: islands, mountains, places to ski and hike and bike. Whether you live in Seattle or you're just visiting, you will not do better than choosing this book to help you explore this beautiful city. I know I wouldn't have enjoyed my time here nearly as much without it.

Highly recommended reading, Beyond The Lie: Finding Freedom From The Past by Alice Smith is an outstanding guide for Christians caught up in terrifying feelings of shame and distrust, and who are searching for an escape to a personal world less susceptible to the all consuming evils promoted by the broader culture of the world today. Providing an informed and informative mapping of the proper pathway to a spirituality healthier lifestyle, Beyond The Lie helps the reader to avoid being victimized or otherwise lapse into behaviors that would disgrace themselves and their families. Above all else, Beyond The Lie gratefully speaks to Christian readers of the glorious sacred love of Christ redeeming them from the bonds of their past, the temptations of the present, and the promise of the future.

All people, including Christians, have traumatic events that keep them in spiritual and emotional bondage. Alice Smith is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. She began her life journey as a victim, but through the healing power of Christ, she emerged a victor.

Smith's book, Beyond the Lie: Finding Freedom from the Past offers help to all who struggle with past abuse experiences. Through personal and victim stories, biblical stories, statistics, a bibliography of suggested reading and victim resources, Smith provides readers with the necessary information to rise up, gather hope in God and walk out of the darkness.

Smith's book is laid out in a manner that makes it easy for the reader to gather the information necessary to help themselves. She discusses forms of abuse and typical responses by victims, systems of thought that can impact how you view yourself and the world, warning signs that victims send out, positive self talk and healing through Jesus Christ.

Armchair Interviews says: If you, or someone you know has suffered abuse, Beyond the Lie: Finding Freedom from the Past is a valuable gift to give.

I really liked this book. It's easy to read and her stories are real clear. Alice shares in a way that hurting people of this world can be set free of their past. First Alice shares how as a child she was victimized and how she struggled with her abuse for years. But she doesn't stop there she goes on to skillfully explain how we can be free from the torment that has kept us bound all of our life. It really is a lie you know, we don't have to remain a victim! We can be set free. This book will help change your life.

I am thrilled to recommend "Beyond the Lie" to anyone who has suffered at the hands of others, experienced traumas or ever asked the question of how to turn suffering and difficulties into something better vs years of repeated pain. The transparent stories, biblical principles and step by step instructions are the result of over 35 years of counseling and ministry.

In almost 15 years of working alongside Alice's ministry, I have seen thousands of lives impacted and changed by the insights shared in "Beyond the Lie". Personally my life is completely different than where I was years ago when I first met Alice. "Beyond the Lie" can make a difference in your life as well!

Debbie Walker
Houston, TX.

No wasted words here! I found this book easy to read, succinct and to the point. It demonstrated how childhood rape or molestation can be overcome through prayer, with graphs and charts that were very helpful. The author made clear how to overcome a victim mindset. Especially helpful were definitions of spiritual warfare terms, how demons find ways to attach themselves, and how to get rid of these parasites. ("you've got worms?") Yes, this book helped me gain confidence and put away fear. Highly recommended!

If you loved Bertrand R. Brinley's two collections of stories: The Mad Scientists' Club and The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club or the final novel The Big Chunk of Ice: The Last Known Adventure of the Mad Scientists' Club, then you'll also love "The Big Kerplop" The boys return in the first novel-length adventure of the Mad Scientists of Mammoth Falls, which is in fact a prequel that explains how the club was formed and how founding member Harmon Muldoon got expelled, becoming their nemesis in the short stories.

Jeff Crocker, Charlie Finckledinck, and Harmon Muldoon are fishing in the fog on Strawberry Lake when an Air Force exercise goes wrong resulting in something rather large landing near the boys with a loud Kerplop! Thinking that the Air Force might like to have whatever it was back, the boys attempt to calculate their position using basic scientific principles. Their thinking turns out to be correct when the "something" is revealed to be a hydrogen bomb! However, when the Air Force fails to find the bomb where the boys calculated their position to be (or anywhere else for that matter), Jeff, Charlie, and Harmon take matters into their own hands, gathering together the future members of the Mad Scientists' Club both in order to prove that they were right and to find the missing hydrogen bomb. Hi-jinks ensue.

As a boy, I was terribly disappointed by "The Big Kerplop" that I had waited six long years for because I had assumed based on the brief published descriptions of the upcoming book, originally titled "The Sunken Village", that we would finally see the restored midget submarine in action. Instead it turned out to be a prequel, and the midget submarine was never used. Rereading it now, I can better appreciate what turned out to be a very fine novel, a worthy companion to the previous books, that revealed a lot more about the characters than the short stories had disclosed. However, I can also more clearly see the chronological problems introduced by this prequel, specifically, the logic problem arising from making the boys such huge heroes at their club's founding that their subsequent anonymity and treatment like a bunch of normal kids makes no sense. In addition Harmon Muldoon is portrayed as such a total jerk that the reader is left wondering how Jeff and Charlie could stand him long enough to be friends with him at the beginning of the novel.

Note: the Purple House reprint of The Big Kerplop!: The Original Adventure of the Mad Scientists' Club is worth picking up even if you own the extremely rare first edition of The Big Kerplop; A Mad Scientists' Club Adventure because the text is based on the original manuscript, restoring a number of passages that had been cut for space reasons. It also includes an introduction written by Bertrand's son Sheridan. First time readers would be well advised to read this novel after reading the short stories in chronological order; for subsequent rereadings this novel can be placed first where it belongs chronologically.

If you liked the previous Mad Scientists books as well as I did, you will like this one, too. It is like your favorite cartoon turned into a full-length movie (provided it is a good one, which this is). The discover and suspense are well worth it, especially for developing minds.

Purple House Press is reissuing The Big Kerplop! in 2003. At last the elusive third book in the Mad Scientists' Club series will be available to everyone who wants to read it!

This is a great book, just like all their other stories. I like the way when they have a problem they just think up a way to solve it, and then they think up a way to do that. And they're not afraid of the army or anybody, they just do what they have to do. I know this book was written a long time ago, but they sound just like guys I know. (only smarter) I wish there were more books like this out there because I would sure read them too! The mad scientists club is great!

In this book, Henry and the other young mad scientists help the military locate a nuclear missile that has landed in the local lake. It is the third book in the series. It has a much more complex storyline than any of the the other Mad Scientists stories and makes the guys question the purpose of their endeavours. In an earlier adventure, we are given to believe that the military would be the best place for the young scientists to grow up, but in this story we see that the military has serious flaws. This is radical for a story from this era, especially from an author who was part of the military-industrial complex himself.

When I decided to learn about black bear hunting I purchased several current books on the subject including this one. Smith's book proved to be my favorite by far. Not only is Smith an experienced hunter, he is also a great writer. He writes clearly and concisely making "Black Bear Hunting" an easy and pleasurable read. The book is also beautifully published on high gloss paper with amazingly clear photographs compared to many other books on the subject. I learned tons about black bear hunting and consider this book my bible on the subject. My advice to you. Buy the book, you won't be disappointed.

This is easily the best black bear hunting book available. Mr. Smith has over 40 years of experience, the book is new (2007) and contains all you need to know about every type of black bear hunting. It's fun to read and informative at the same time. I highly recommend this book!

great book, richard smith knowledge about black bears on hunting, taught me a lot. a must, for the avid bear hunter.

Black Bear Hunting is an exceptional book for the hunter. Unlike most hunting titles that quickly turn into a list of rifles, cartridges and retread ballistics table, Black Bear Hunting dedicates only 10 of its 370 pages to a the selection of appropriate weapon; smokeless and blackpowder rifles and handguns as well as archery equipment. The remainder of the book, in exceptional detail and clarity, covers animal behavior, habits and habitat, specific locations of dense population and high hunting success rates, and many very specific approaches to hunting. In the latter parts there is, again, very detailed information on everything from field dressing to preparing a trophy animal.

Excellent author; great writing style, easy to follow, clear and logical presentation of information. The production quality of the book is excellent, including the photography that appears throughout the book. I'm glad I bought the book.

This is a "GREAT" book it covers it all. You cant find a better book on Bear hunting. Whether you are a beginner or well seasoned bear hunter I gaurantee you will learn alot from this book. This is by far the best book on bear hunting I have ever found. This book will help you learn to judge the size & sex of bear's, (I think they are the hardest animal to judge) Also shot placement is SO important its a must have book if you are interested in bear hunting.

Mavis Jukes' Blackberries In The Dark tells of a family tradition of blackberry picking summers challenged by a grandfather's death. Grandma is alone and Austin feels his summer has lost its special magic - it's up to them both to make new traditions in this warm story of death and change, with black and white drawings by Thomas Allen.

After his grandfather dies, nine year old Austin isn't sure what he will do with himself during the ten days that he has at his grandmother's house. The previous summer Austin and his grandfather went fishing, and this year he was going to learn how to fly fish, but now all that has changed. At least that is what he thinks, but his grandmother has other ideas. Together they will start some new family traditions, and Austin will still be able to enjoy his time at Grandma's house.

Don't let the thinness of BLACKBERRIES IN THE DARK fool you into thinking that there is nothing worthwhile between the covers. This book has more meat in its 58 pages than can be found in any number of books that are two or three times longer. Mavis Jukes does a wonderful job of telling this story about grief and love. It is very easy to see what is going on, but at the same time, it is also easy to put yourself in the place of nine year-old Austin.

That's not to say that this book is flaw free. The entire story takes place over the course of about 12 hours. I kind of wish that Jukes had spread the events out a little more. However, that isn't a major thing, and it doesn't take away from the fact that BLACKBERRIES IN THE DARK is a really good book to sink your teeth into.

(...)

The Title of this story is Blackberry's in the Dark. The authors name is Mavis Jukes, and the pictures were done by Tomas B. Allen. There's a little boy named Austin. He goes to his grandparent's house every summer. He's not so happy this time, his grandfather past away not so long ago and so this time it's just his grandmother and him. He goes to pick some blakberries by the riuer. His grandmother comes up later with some fishing gear. His grandfather was going to teach him to fly fish that year, but now the grandmother is going to try to teach him even though she doesn't know how, she was thinking maybe her and her grandson could try to figure it out together. Here's a phrase to help you see how they talk in this book. "I didn't Know" began Austin. His grandmother drew him near to her. "Nobody knew, Austin." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Nobody knew that would be the last summer we'd all have together." She pressed Austin's cheek against her sweater and they stood there for a few minutes, roking back and forth. After a while she asked..." I would recommend this book to some people. I liked it because in a way it was touching but in a way it was fun. I woudn't recommend this book to someone that just really doesn't like calm books, they mostly like action books. I haven't read any other books like this one yet. It's good!

While reading this book, your heart is filled with sorrow. Sorrow for those who are already dead,and sorrow for those who remain. Through simple and clear images, this book leads you to reflect on life and its meaning...Pilar Barrera Wey.

Probably the best young children's book on the subject of a death in the family.

Very beautifully written, tears will almost definitely flow from the adult reading it. One might then ask, why bother with this book if it's about death, a heavy subject my kid hasn't been exposed to? Well, actually, it is a very uplifting story about life itself. No psychobabble or religious references, just a simple story of family, bonds, and tradition. Jukes' writing is beautifully crafted, making this simple story very meaningful. Death itself is dealt with matter-of-factly, and there is nothing scary in the book.

Though tinged with sadness, it is truly wonderful, and there are even a couple of good laughs. (Like life itself, no?)

Highly recommended.