Northwest Books

First recommendation of Alan Durning: read the book in a bus. Last recomendation: give the book to the person next to you in the same bus. He has reflexion not only about transportation but also for urban planning, and how to avoid policies that in a middle term affect your transportation.

By far the best indictment of cities built for cars, this pithy, straight-shooting, quick read is full of logical solutions to car addiction. Bristling with facts about the actual cost of cars and car infrastructure, moved along by the success story of Vancouver, B.C.'s West End, suggestions for improving cities livability run the gamut from city planning solutions, to innovative ideas for auto insurance. This book is an indisputable must for city planners, developers, politicians and citizens concerned about the livability of their cities. It's themes are applicable well outside of the Northwest.

This exceptional book makes it enjoyable and quick to understand what's wrong with how we currently design our towns and cities: making them easier to drive through, rather than making them better to actually be in! Durning provides clear examples and suggests concrete steps for making things better, all the while keeping it simple and human, not dry and technical. A must for citizens and local officials interested in addressing traffic problems and building more livable communities. (See also The Geography of Nowhere, by J. H. Kunstler.)

Cass Turnbull is to pruning and informed gardening today what Thalassa Cruso was to the 1970s and 80s - a botanical Julia Child whose depth of knowledge is matched only by her common sense and wit.

In this inexpensive, indispensable book subtitled "What, When, Where & How to Prune for a More Beautiful Garden" Turnbull takes the no nonsense approach to both the inexperienced and highly skilled gardener, and with her straight forward writing explains in easy to understand terms how to make plants, bushes and trees look and feel their best.

One could quibble with the paucity of illustrations, but that may just be part of Turnbulls' technique: if you are serious about learning this art of pruning, then invest the time in the reading. She has a profound respect for plants (she is the founder of PlantAmnesty based in Seattle) and encourages the fearful first-cutter to look, feel and tend to plants and their shaping needs like a caring surgeon.

There are few dos and don'ts that Turnbull doesn't cover in this helpful manual. And in the end she instructs us with such wry wit and goodwill that we feel we've communed with Mother Earth! Grady Harp, January 2005

End the senseless mutilation of trees and shrubs. Clear, concise, and with a sprinkle of good humor to boot. From PlantAmnesty (www.plantamnesty.org) founder Cass Turnbull, this pruning guide is a must for gardeners everywhere!

If you can get a hold of a copy, I also recommend the out-of-print book "The Complete Guide to Landscape Design, Renovation, and Maintenance: A Practical Handbook for the Home Landscape Gardener"

updated 3/21/2006: new editions of both books mentioned in this review are now available.

In my opinion, this is an excellent guide for beginners or experienced pruners, and represents quite a departure from the average pruning book format and formula. Pruning book authors should take heed of the fact that the information in this book is highly USABLE and approachable. Do not be deterred if you don't know who Cass Turnbull is or never heard of Sasquatch Books. This is a little gem that you will miss if you only buy your books at the local chain bookstore.

Cass Turnbull has been pruning and teaching about it for probably 20 years, and the book represents the voice of all that experience and skill. Translated, that means she not only knows how to prune, but she can also teach others to do it. She started Plant Amnesty, a Seattle-based nonprofit devoted to stopping the senseless mutilation through mal-pruning of shrubs and trees. People in the Northwest know her and love her; in my opinion, she deserves to become well known in the rest of the country.

Cass provides lots of details but they are very easy to understand. The book contains thorough instructions (several PAGES each) on pruning a commonly-used landscaping shrubs and vines. See the book's table of contents to find out if the plants you want to prune are included.

I think the book's subtitle should be "Pruning for the Real World." I find that the key impressive feature of this book is that it integrates the theoretical "selective heading cut" and "thinning cut" type info with the real-life experience of crawling around in shrubs and deciding what to cut. In the real world, shrubs that should never be sheared are cut into geometric forms regularly, or, people get busy and neglect their shrubs and then try to figure out what to do about them.. In the real world, owners of such shrubs often don't know how to deal with the result. In the real world people make pruning errors and don't know how to fix them. Or, even though you understand how to make the cuts, you don't understand WHAT to cut and why for aesthetic improvement. The book addresses those situations, and explains how to undo pruning messes or gradually rejuvenate overgrown shrubs. The concept of the pruning budget - how much you can prune without stimulating ugly and fast regrowth -- is explained and defined for many of the shrubs in the book.

By the way, Cass also has a sense of humor which is amply displayed in the text and the illustrations. This subject doesn't have to be dry and boring!

The biggest mystery for me of pruning an unknown shrub is "How will it respond?" It's like a dark tunnel with no light at the end when you don't know from firsthand experience what will happen when you cut a branch off. Quirks of individual shrubs are explained (squiggly regrowth on rhododendrons, the tendency of dogwood and Viburnum to sucker/water sprout very easily). Problems you will encounter and decisions you will have to make are covered, and improving the way a shrub looks without drastically cutting it back are explained.

I find myself reading and re-reading the information-packed sections to glean more information. I think the unique thing about this book is that you gain something of the many years of Cass's experience rather than a brief formula. Basic information plus more subtle points are included. So many war stories are included that I found it quickly boosted my judgment and confidence in pruning.

In future editions, I would like to see an even more detailed section on tools with even more about important features and maintenance of more saws, pruners, shears and loppers. Cass also gives burning bush (Euonymus alata) high marks, I disagree, since it is proving to be very invasive in the Northeast and is ruining some of our lovely forests, I would like to see it on the "Not recommended - one pruning cut at the base" list. On topics that have been covered extensively and that are said to have many subtleties, such as rose or Clematis pruning, Cass simplifies rather than complicates, and some may desire more details than are provided. Minor quibbles.

I don't think anyone who buys this book will be sorry. If you are also pruning many unusual shrubs, buy an additional "1001 shrubs" type of pruning book as an adjunct. This one will build your pruning prowess fast; the other will give you little tips on specific plants that will make much better sense once you've read and used Cass Turnbull's Guide to Pruning. See the online table of contents for the trees and shrubs that are covered. Although this book is published by a Northwest US regional publisher, most of the plants covered in the book are grown also in the Northeast (and the book is actually intended to be useful all over the US). In all, a very usable and readable book at a very reasonable price.

Bobbie Hasselbring's book is the ultimate guide to fine chocolate around the Pacific Northwest. For all of us who trek around the area, we have much to look forward to, chocolately speaking. I found listings for restaurants, bakeries, and candy stores which I hadn't known of. Now, thanks to the Chocolate Lover's Guide, business travel can become travel for pleasure!

In addition to these places I had not know of, I had enjoyed chocolate at several of the places listed, and find this book to be credible and reliable.

I was thrilled to find this book before Christmas. I gave this book, along with a box of Fran's Chocolates (in Seattle), to a friend who was ecstatic. I was, too, because I sampled several chocolates at Fran's while buying the gift.

Bobbie Hasselbring has brought something new and wonderful to the table in the world of travel guides. Not only does her book "The Chocolate Lover's Guide to the Pacific Northwest" feature terrific places to stay, but she also rates the best chocolate desserts, candy, baked goods, and frozen treats in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. My mouth started watering almost as soon as I picked it up. The author has listed "Chocolate Happenings" which are events that focus on chocolate, plus chocolate facts, stories profiles and tips. I love this book!

The Chocolate Lover's Guide is crammed with information the traveler and chocolate lover needs--where to stay, where to eat, where to find the best brownies and truffles. Plus it includes some great recipes. The author has a deft, lighthearted touch that makes you want to keep on reading. It's like nibbling on really good fudge, you can't stop with just a taste. And it's a perfect gift. >

The authors two volume work (The first volume is: 'Fields of Fire,' this is the second.) establishes two views of World War II that I think are absolutely correct, and long overdue.

The first view is that the Canadian Army in France and Northern Europe was a failure, or if not exactly a failure, then a minor matter. Neglecting Dieppe, where the Canadians left a lot of good men on the beach, the Canadians went into Juno Beach on D-Day. Everybody knows about 'Bloody Omaha.' The allies had to go into Omaha to have a continuous beach head. And the Americans were assigned the job. The Americans went in and suffered 7% casualties, making it the bloodiest of the beaches. The Canadians went into Juno and suffered more than 6% casualties. That's just about as bloody. Furthermore, the Canadians were the only invasion unit to reach their D-Day objectives. But this is the subject of the first volume.

The second 'myth' is how much better the German soldiers were than the Allied, especially the Canadians. In truth, the Canadians were assigned to the left flank of the Allied Army. They went up the coast of France to the approached to Antwerp. This meant that the German units left to guard the coast were on their flank. Then they were assigned to clear the approaches to Antwerp. Furthermore, Montgomery, perhaps in the quest for more personal glory neglected the approaches and refused to give the Canadians adequate support or supplies in favor of Market-Garden which of course failed.

Yes, the Germans had good soldiers, but so did the Canadians. And at the end of the battle, the Canadians were at least the equivalent of any of the forces in the field. This is a splendid and welcome pair of books on a neglected area.

Department of History professor emeritus Terry Copp presents Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe 1944-1945, the follow-up to "Fields of Fire" and an in-depth examination of the operations carried out by the First Canadian Army during the last nine months of World War II. Continuing the argument in "Fields of Fire" that the achievement of Allied and Canadian armies has been underrated while the effectiveness of the German army has been decidedly exaggerated, Cinderella Army supports its proposal with research garnered from trips to the battlefields of France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. With evidence of the battlefield terrain including maps and air photos, Cinderella Army reveals the challenging defensive positions that the Canadian soldiers had to overcome and illustrate just how impressive their achievements truly were. A welcome addition to Canadian military history shelves, along with the highly recommended "Fields of Fire".

"Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe, 1944-1945" by Terry Copp is a solid piece of historiography that covers does considerable justice to the Canadian men who fought with the Allied forces in the ETO. While certainly not a majority in numbers of men relative to other Allied nations, the Canadian's fought a disproportionate number of 'lousy' less 'appealing' engagements with little chance for popular press kudos between their entrance into the ETO and V-E Day. Given these facts it should maybe not be surprising that the combat and command actions of the Canadian Army have received little attention in the popular Second World War literature. The general lack of literature dedicated to the gallant Canadians has not been limited to historian/authors outside Canada; even with the great northern neighbor of the US only limited pieces have been produced that cover broadly the Canadians in the ETO outside the official histories (e.g., Stacey's "The Victory Campaign"). One historian/author who has keep the fire burning and brought proper attention to the heroism and sacrifices of his fellow countrymen in WWII - Terry Copp.

In collaboration with Robert Vogel, Copp generated a series of books, the Maple Leaf Route series, during the 1980's dedicated to various actions (based on temporal and spatial divisions) of the Canadian Army in the ETO. Each of these soundly researched and written entries provided considerable new material for students to ruminate on beyond that provided in the 'official histories'. However, one would have to read them all (5 volumes in total: 1-Caen; 2-Falaise; 3-Antwerp; 4-Scheldt; and 5-Victory), which given their relatively small printing numbers means first tracking each down, to get a thorough picture. Copp is able to pull together these previous works into effectively two volumes with the production of "Cinderella Army" and its previously published companion piece "Fields of Fire" (2004). However one should not therefore assume that Copp has merely rewritten his previous books, rather he has taken that previous work and woven in considerable new research material to produce a coherent single document (296 pp., plus 94 pp. of Appendices, notes and references) that covers the period from the Normandy breakout to V-E Day ("Fields of Fire covering actions of the Canadian Army up to the Normandy breakout). "Cinderella Army" should adorn the bookshelf of serious students who want a broader perspective of ETO actions.

Not only is "Cinderella Army" an outstanding piece of research but Copp is a talented and engaging writer. Readers, whether specifically interested in the Canadian Army or not, will not be bored with "Cinderella Army". Fortunately for readers Copp does not fall into a parochial category authors who present history with a national bias. All in all Copp's prose is extremely fair, presenting both positives and negatives, is fairly critical of the Canadian leaders and the interactions (not always positive) between these men and the 21 Army Group HQ (and SHAEF to a lesser extent). Readers will walk away from this read with a much deeper appreciation for how the bloody battles (often produced the highest sustained per unit casualty rates in the ETO) to capture the Channel Ports and clear the Scheldt Estuary, while protecting British Second Army units as they pursued more 'lofty' and headline garnering targets. If there was a black-sheep sibling in Montgomery's 21st Army Group who got all the crap details it was clearly the First Canadian Army!

Pick up "Cinderella Army"; it's a solid 5 star read, both from historical research and writing perspectives.

Latino Voices in the Pacific Northwest is a collection of immigrant stories written as loosely translated spoken monologues, each written from the perspective of recent Spanish-speaking immigrants to the Pacific Northwest, with stories based in the healthcare setting, as well as at work and at home. The book speaks to the experiences of many immigrants and travelers across cultural boundaries. After reading this book time and time again, I still find myself laughing aloud or holding back the tears as different stories move me, which is especially impressive and touching as I wrote the book myself.

Wonderful book, reading it has been "deja vu" page after page. In my opinion, this book should be mandatory for all of those who work with the hispanic community in the medical as well as the legal arena in the United States. Like the author said: it makes you laugh out loud on one page, and moves you to tears the next. I'm seriously thinking on buying at least ten books just to have my community clinic co-workers read it!

A wonderful book. Sensitive and though-provoking. I look forward to more by this talented author!

Robert Lowie first published this book in 1935, from his research living with the Crow Indians. This is a detailed account of a fading lifestyle, soon to be gone. It is worth reading to get an idea of how Amerindians thought and lived.

Something I like about the book is that you can tell Lowie respected the Crow. In too many recent anthropology texts you feel that the researcher could be studying just any old group, has little real concern for them as people, and is in it mainly for tenure. I got the feeling that Lowie enjoyed being with the Crow. Also I like the way he relates their beliefs and concepts at face value, rather than qualifying by saying, "The X tribe believes that this and that," or "According to Y tribe superstition, this and that." He simply tells it as the Crow would.

I learned a lot from this book. Frankly, I know little about the Crow beyond the scope of this book, so I carefully read Phenocia Bauerle's excellent Introduction before and after I read the book. She is a Crow, an insider, so she pointed out some of Lowie's mistakes. Some were obvious even to me, such as the way he was using his own religious frame to understand the Crow: an understandable error. I think that even if Lowie did make some mistakes, the book still stands as a valuable record. Maybe the Crow could issue an annotated version, with their comments and corrections!

Back in the early 1900's, Robert Lowie lived with the Crow, listening to the elders, men & women, speak of the old times. Even though forced to stay on a tiny portion of the original Crow territory and no longer having any buffalo to hunt, the people still practiced their language, religion, beliefs & customs as always.
This is an excellent, book sized "glimpse" at the Crow or Absalooka worldview; clan relationships, marriage customs, religious ceremonies, warrior societies, coyote stories and more.

First published in 1935, and written by one of the most respected American anthropologists of the twentieth century, The Crow Indians is a classic, brief, and highly accessible introduction to Crow Indian culture, challenges, everyday life, traditions, and much more during the early nineteenth-century. Memorable anecdotes of individual Crow such as Grayboll the great visionary and Yellow-brow the gifted storyteller embellish the more general information drawn from the author's thorough fieldwork and interviews from 1907 to 1931. This superbly presented edition of a classic resource is very highly recommended for inclusion on Native American Studies reading lists and acadmeic library reference shelves, now offers a thoughtful introduction by Phenocia Bauerle, a member of the Crow Nation and the editor of The Way Of The Warrior.

Logging in America's Northwest, an industry and occupation which arouses strong passions and polarizing viewpoints.

Jim LeMonds, though not neglecting the emotional and substantive areas of contention, focuses primarily on the human contribution and in some cases sacrifices of the loggers themselves.

This book should be read by anyone with even the vaguest interest in forest management and environmental issues. Although he is from a logging family, I feel that the author has been exceedingly fair in his description of todays industry and what the future holds for this industry and more importantly for logging communities.

To me the efforts and accomplishments of the people featured in this book, and the many thousands like them, are what has made our country great. It is ironic that their contibutions and in some cases sacrifices have not received the recognition that they are rightfully due.

Buy this book, regardless of your political viewpoint on the logging industry, and celebrate the spirit that has enabled all of us to enjoy the many privledges of being Americans.

They say write about what you know...LeMonds knows the soul of the past and modern logger and writes with as unpretentious style as I've seen in a long time. He uses the language (always loggers...never lumberjacks) and shares with the reader the language and techniques of everything from falling, bucking, setting chokers, to trucking the logs. Furthermore, he does it based upon the real-life experiences of his family. You learn how they used to rig a spar tree and what went through the climbers mind as he accomplished this task 150-200 feet in the air. LeMonds also shares the future of forestry (hand-seeding, herbicides, fertilizer & thinning) to move the life span of high-productive crops like Douglas Firs from hundreds of years to perhaps as little as 35 years as well as what the modern equipment does now and probably into the future.. Perhaps you might find the short chronology of the work history of each of his family members in the logging business too detailed but it's more than worth the wonderful stories and perspectives that go with them. LeMonds acknowledges the scars on the landscape of the past but also the enduring scars on these tremendous men who contributed so much to this Country's development of the 20th century. I don't think one could ask for a more balanced view of this industry and have it written with such class. This is the best book I ever expect to read about this subject, which is so dear to my heart having been raised in a nearly identical community in Southern Oregon. Today I ordered a second copy to send to a dear friend still working in the woods.

James Lemonds peels away the Bunyonesque macho image that has been falsely hung on the loggers of the Northwest and shown them as they are; broken down, disabled and discarded by the industry that exacted a terrible toll on both the workers and the forests.
Anyone wanting to research the human cost the industry extracted should start with this book. Death and disabilty rates beyond the range of nightmares were considered standard and acceptable, simply because the carnage took place outside the public view.
The hard work, honest efforts and caring that the workers brought to the job were repaid with lack of respect and now, lowering wages, no job security and disdain from the general public.
As bad as it is in Lemonds description, the list at the end of the book does not include all the co-workers of any current or former loggers that I have talked to who have read this book, nor co-workers of mine, who were killed on the job. The toll suffered by the workforce was at least equal to that suffered by the forests.
Lemonds tells the story in an even-handed, personal way through his extended family and community. This is a must-read book by any student of Northwest culture of the past century.

Awesome book containing moe than what we hope for. I would recommend it to everyone! It will make you want to go to Alaska and explore Denali and all it has to offer your sences.

The first things Denali travelers usually want to know are: where do I hike? How do I use the bus system? Do I need to worry about bears? What other animals will I see? Where and how can I camp? Sherwonit answers all those questions accurately and authoritatively. But what I love about this book is all the comprehensive info -- and engaging writing -- beyond the basics, which few editors require but which travelers and readers appreciate. I've scoured other Alaska guidebooks without finding the same level of info about: geology, first peoples, the history of the park's creation, early mountaineering, safe and responsible hiking, plants, photography, winter travel, and more. Then there are sidebars, checklists, maps and photos -- all well-arranged. On top of all this, the book is easy to read and enjoy, thanks to the author's pleasant voice. A few first-person sections (for example, a sidebar on the author's own ascent of Mount McKinley) add character and passion without being obtrusive. It's clear Sherwonit loves Denali National Park and put years of effort into making this a guidebook anyone can use with confidence.

This guide covers every aspect of visiting the Denali National Park area. It covers history, natural history, visitors information, hiking, wildlife, Denali State Park, climbing McKinley.... In fact if you want an complete introduction to the park for your first visit, this is the book to get.

The one trade off to having everything in one book is that the depth of information is not overwhelming in anyone area. Each section is sufficient, but if you are focusing your trip on any one area, you might want to get a more directed guide. Life for Hiking you might be better off getting Denali Guidebook by Ikes. But if you are taking your once in a life time trip to Denali and you want to read ahead to appreciate as much as you can in a day or two, get this book to get yourself up to speed with the park and it's history.

If you like literary background to your destinations, consider this author's literary anthology named Denali. It has a great selection of writings about the park.

This book was as much fun to read as is was helpful. Some of the games in it, I already play with my cats, but there were plenty of other original games that were a blast. The book is written casually, so it's funny to read. And the illustrations are good, too.

This is a great book with excellent and little or not cost games and toys for cats. I have tried 4 games already and I just recieved the book. Pita Puss had a great time! and I did too. He really enjoyed the shoe box ride and he already plays in water so the bobbing for vegi's was a big hit. If you have a cat this is a must for you. Know anyone with a cat they will really enjoy this book as a gift. The illustrations are great and the writing is witty and fun to read. Try it you will like it!

GREAT BOOK ESPECIALLY IF YOU'VE GOT CATS!

A tale of simple believing and self forgiveness. By letting go of the anger, including the ego and pride, Eagle Boy coupled the powerful believing in friendships and trusting in the inner spirit within all true hearts, a transformation of healing can take place in our inner mind and body, within our families, whithin our communities, within the nation and around the world. Imagine and conceive the resulting peace that cannot be robbed from us, no matter the events of the world. Great retelling of this legend, that combines the best in many cultures and beliefs. Perfect for these very times.

Sharing, kindness and friendship are the main themes in this wonderful Native American folktale. Readers will become aware of the true bonds that can develop between humans and animals. That is an invaluable lesson that will help deepen appreciation for nature.

"Eagle Boy: A Pacific Northwest Native Tale" is retold by Richard Lee Vaughan with illustrations by Lee Christiansen. Together they tell the story of a Native American boy called Eagle Boy by the people of his village. Eagle Boy is scolded by the villagers because he shares his food with the eagles. But when his village faces a food shortage, Eagle Boy's kinship with the winged predators becomes important for everybody.

"Eagle Boy" is a story of ostracism, love, magical transformation, and a mystical human-animal connection. Eagle Boy is a memorable hero. The illustrations are truly marvelous: they are rich with warm colors, and make dramatic use of light and shadow. The book opens with a stunning picture of eagles fishing by the seashore, and contains many other great images. Recommended.