Northwest Books

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.

"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.

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.

I thought the book would be a little beyond my son's abilities, but he loved the book from the cover. We have a different edition from the one pictured here - the one we have has two large birds on the cover. I read the stories aloud to him and they held his attention through most of the text - I skipped through some parts. I would definitely recommend this book for reading aloud and/or when the child is able to read himself or herself.

This is one of the most remarkable books of fables that I have read. The stories are told in a riveting style, the illustrations are tremendous, and the added bonus of the author himself reading the tales puts this over the top, and into the realm of "outstanding"!

This book was a complete joy for our whole family. It has good pictures, beautiful typography, and tells the traditional Northwestern indian lore in its best style: humourous, frightening, and full of character. A wonderful bonus is a CD with cheif Lelooska himself telling the stories in the book.

This beautifully illustrated book invites audiences to follow hungry Little Amik on a big quest for food in his native land (and sea). Much to a child's delight, the anticipation of the story grows as does the boy's appetite and the size of his prey / catches.

Grandmother is a warm and lovable character who teaches the universal lessons of love, trust, and sharing. Her influence and presence ties the clever hunting-gathering-eating story together into an enriching tall tale that teases and pleases.

The Eye of the Needle is a story that begs to be read out loud and discussed. It would compliment any study or learning unit about Alaska.

This book has delightful and accurate illustrations of thearea. It is an exceptional outline or guideline for a storyteller,and helps students see another culture. The ending can be changed, or explained to children that the author decided to give Amik another chance. The book is a very good introduction to arctic and sub-arctic culture and traditional ways. Every group of students I have read this story to has absolutely enjoyed the story and helped with the swallowing sound effects.

The Eye Of The Needle is a retelling of a Yupik tale from the Alaskan northwest, with Teri Sloat engagingly recounting and colorfully illustrating the story of Little Amik, a boy who lived with his grandmother in a tiny sod hut on the shores of the Northern Pacific. In this Native American fairytale, Amik swallows an enormous quantity of sea life (including a whale) along with the ocean waters until he is to large to enter his grandmother's house. Grandmother releases the magic in her sewing needle and all that Amik swallowed comes flowing and tumbling out as he finally learns the importance of sharing. A very highly recommended picturebook for young readers ages 4 and up.

I am a native of Panama City, Florida, and grew up on that wonderful stretch of sugar sand beaches between Port St. Joe and Pensacola. I enjoyed this book, filled with historical excerpts and beautiful photography so much that I immediately ordered it for both of my nephews. Thank you Michael and Robin for doing this gorgeous area of Nortwest Florida the justice it deserves.
Someday I will return to my birthplace to live. I just hope there is some of the natural scenery left when I finally get home. I am really sorry that the natural beauty of this area has been marred by "progress," and condos. I'm so sad to see it go.
Susan George Brown
Fort Worth, TX

This awesome book is creatively written with intersting historical facts and breath taking photography. Currently residing out of state, I am inspired to plan my next trip to Florida's Northwest. The book is educational in terms of the environmental concerns of the area, and will enlighten the reader to take notice and immediate action to the cause.
If you want a book that will take you on an exciting journey and reduce your stress level, this is the one. I also have a copy at work on my office credenza.

Photographer Michael O'Donovan has produced a wonderful end-table book of photos that capture the essence of a unique and very special part of Florida... a place worth saving. Northwest Florida has suddenly become popular and is at a crossroad where it could perhaps retain its special character... or become part of generic coastal Florida. For some parts of Northwest Florida it is already too late.

My only criticism is that the book does not adequately depict the history and perhaps should have included more about downtown Pensacola.

Overall excellent!!

Although well-researched and scholarly, this history of the predominantly black Seattle Central District is enjoyable and accessible for the non-historian due to Dr. Taylor's engaging writing style. The book touches on broader topics than the title might indicate, for example, inter-minority relationships between the Asian- and African-American communities. I found his treatment of the opposing views on school busing, w/in the black community, to be an example of how one can approach respectfully discussing differing--even sharply differing-- points of view. There are extensive footnotes for those who would like to go on to read his sources. This book is a "good read."

Though Seattle's experience may be somewhat different from other parts of the country, the issues were still (and are still) complex. This book not only puts it all in context, but leaves you hungry for more. It's an opportunity to discover unsung heroes, mourn blaring injustices, and refresh the belief that we can still learn from the past in order to forge a better future. As a native of Seattle who spent 8 years living in Georgia, I especially appreciated the breadth of information. Reading Taylor's book inspired me to read Horace Cayton's autobiography and follow up on some of the other sources Taylor drew on. Well written, dynamic, and comprehensive.

The review that follows says it all, but I want to add that this is THE book for African American history in the Seattle area. I found it moving and thought-provoking. Anyone serious about understanding issues of diversity in the Pacific Northwest should begin with this book.

I bought this beautifully illustrated book for my grandson, who is growing up in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by the art of the region's native people. I've colleced a lot of Haida and Tlingit art over the years and was so pleased to find the book's illustrations were both historically and aesthetically accurate. Between this book and the author's Storm Boy, kids can see Haida button blankets, Chilkat blankets, coppers, wooden chief's masks, the carved and painted interiors of long houses, the woven reed clothing worn in past eras, and of course totem poles. I loved the scale of the illustations in scents in the Frog longhouse, with the little girl so dwarfed by all the big carvings and sculptures. I have to say that these two books are among the best-illustrated kids' books I've seen in years. If I were on the prize committee, I'd award the author/illustrator a Caldecott Medal for sure.

This is a title that will entertain both the adult reader and the child. An adventure regarding stewardship of the earth. The dream-like images and intriguing story draw one right in. Would make a nice gift.

The story is easy to read aloud and the illustrations are rivetting. I bought this for my three-year-old son, but find myself using it as a teaching tool in my second grade classroom, as well. It is very similar to a story my grandparents (Quinault-Cowlitz/Coast Salish) used to tell me when I was growing up. The message about taking care of all our relations is an important one. The story ignited a new interest in volcanoes and pond-life in my son's imagination. His interest in volcanoes and caves became so keen because of this book that we spent hours in the volcano exhibits at the Natural History Museum and made a special trip to Carlsbad Caverns! Bravo Paul Owen Lewis.

For anyone interested in the vegetation of Sonora, Mexico this book is a must! Back in the early 1980s I was very fortunate to be able to buy a copy of the original Smithsonian book published in 1942 and this current version is a wonderful update of that earlier work. The new book includes additional plant accounts from years of plant collecting in southeast Sonora by botanists at the University of Arizona in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The authors are careful to keep Gentry's original accounts in parentheses.

Gentry spent a considerable amount of time traveling in the Alamos region of southeast Sonora during the late 1930s and during these travels he collected interesting information concerning the local names and medicinal uses of the plants of southern Sonora. In reading the plant descriptions and associated plant habitats you can almost envision the plant growing and flowering in its native habitat. This book is nicely complimented by "Sonoran Desert Plants" and "The Trees of Sonora, Mexico" which look with greater depth into the larger plants and trees of Sonora.

I was given the opportunity to catalog Dr. Gentry's herbarium collection at the Desert Botanical Garden in 1987-88. I haven't seen the new edition mentioned here, but read the original work at the time I was cataloging his herbarium specimens. Through it, I was able to share his experience as an explorer in the spirit of John Wesley Powell, someone who knew that the American southwest is best delineated by watersheds, not along false lat/long lines. I met Dr. Gentry a couple of times, and remember the occasions well. Last time I saw him, when I was cataloging his collection, I overheard a conversation between him and a consultant for the Fort McDowell Indian Community. The consultant was asking about desert-adapted crop plants. Dr. Gentry went into great detail describing many desert plants suited to agriculture - tepary beans, jojoba, Lippia (Mexican oregano), agave, chiltepines, gum arabic, etc. I learned a lot just by eavesdropping. The consultant listened, but did not hear the words. He recommended that the Fort McDowell people plant cotton. Not because it was best suited to desert agriculture - far from that. They planted cotton because it needs vast quantities of water. They did not want the best desert-adapted crops. What they wanted, instead, was the best crop for wasting water, so that they could establish valid rights to the water. Worse, I watched them clear off vast acreages of mesquite forests to make room for the water-wasting cotton crop. The Hopi call this koyaanisqatsi. This book should help folks in southwestern north America realize that we have a bounteous resource, if we can only learn to use it.

Located in a transition zone between the Sonoran Desert and the tropics,this region is well known for its biodiversity, thanks to a 1942 study by botanist Howard Scott Gentry. Revision of his classic work began before his death in 1993. For researchers, this is a must-read book. It provides a clear overview of botanical studies of the Rio Mayo, a contemporary view of the vegatation, excerpts from the original text and an annotated list of plants.

Written in a "natural" fashion, this book is part of American history from a most objective point of view. It's amazing how Perlot was able to record his adventures in vivid detail.

First-hand accounts of this time and place are very scarce...beside being rich in detail and easy to read, I have another reason for recommending this book. This summer I presented to Yosemite visitors (as a naturalist volunteer) a program on the Miwok of the Wawona (Yosemite National Park) and how nature shaped their culture. Perlot's journal on how he cam e to understand the Indians and appreciate their skills was so suited to what I was tring to convey, that for my visitors appreciation, I read a paragraph or two to them. A "thank you" to the Indians of this park who guided me.

Excellent review of my Great Great Grandfather's 20 years in America after leaving first Belgium and then Paris to seek his fortune with a company that upon arrival in Monterey, California was bankrupt. Being a self starter and not one to give up easily; he headed off to the gold fields on his own gathering other people as he went along. He gives an excellent account of the hardships and heartache suffered by not only himself but others who found themselves so far from home. It was either charge forward or give up and go to wherever it was you could afford to travel. It shows his compassion for his fellow man and also his ability to get along with the Indians and adapt to whatever the world threw at him You have to be proud of a guy like that. Eventually he married a cousin and brought her to the U.S. to live in Portland, Oregon but eventually they returned to Belgium where he whiled away his last years enjoying life and most probably thinking about the wonderful and exiting years of taking each day as it came; solving lifes problems and standing up for what he believed in; occasionally backing that up with his pistol and rifle. This is not a shoot em up story or anything of the sort; however, it does reflect what it was like to be on your own in a very difficult environment and time when only the strongest survived. Naturally, I am biased since the old fellow blazed a trail for the rest of us Perlot's----of which there are but a few.