Northwest Books

The photography in this book is excellent. The book is keyed to the Pacific Northwest, so those who live in or visit the area will find it very easy to use. The descriptors are clear especially concerning edibility. The book fits nicely into a day pack for all you hikers out there. I would highly recomend this book, it is probably one of the best books out there!

The 5 Star rating is due to the fact I live in the geographical area that this book is focused toward. (Pacific NW) It gives very clear descriptions and key indicators that help in determining which mushrooms are edible, as well as information regarding those that are not. It explains toxicity, advises about being careful with certain fungi, and informs greatly!
I do wish Margaret was still with us, but am pleased that the book was updated by her colleague.

As exemplified in song by Woodie Guthrie when he extolled the virtues of the great dams on the Columbia River and the subsequent development of irrigated agriculture, man's focus on the Columbia Plateau has been on how it can serve him. Now a new book has emerged that explores the geology, soils, flora and fauna of the region and its shrub-steppe ecosystems. This book serves as primer for all who would seek to understand these natural systems...a starting point for further exploration, both on the ground and in the regional libraries. The book is a gentle reminder of the natural richness of this region and the need to preserve the remaining habitat for future generations so that the land can continue to serve man, but in a different way, enriching our lives through the knowledge that soils derived from the harsh reality of volcanic eruption in conjunction with simple associations of grasses and shrubs can form the basis for a complex and enduring living system.

As exemplified in song by Woodie Guthrie when he extolled the virtues of the great dams on the Columbia River and the subsequent development of irrigated agriculture, man's focus on the Columbia Plateau has been on how it can serve him. Now a new book has emerged that explores the geology, soils, flora and fauna of the region and its shrub-steppe ecosystems. This book serves as primer for all who would seek to understand these natural systems...a starting point for further exploration, both on the ground and in the regional libraries. The book is a gentle reminder of the natural richness of this region and the need to preserve the remaining habitat for future generations so that the land can continue to serve man, but in a different way, enriching our lives through the knowledge that soils derived from the harsh reality of volcanic eruption in conjunction with simple associations of grasses and shrubs can form the basis for a complex and enduring living system.

I have read and looked at many books about Northwest native art and culture but this book quickly overshadowed all the others I had read. It is a book filled with incredible photographs and a thorough explanation of this ancient culture. This book is history, beauty, a visit to the past, a visit to the future... a visit to now....it is a visit to extraordinary talent, it is a visit to a people whose imagination and reverence for nature and life could be an example to all of us in today's fragile world.

This not just another coffee table book..this is a must have for every person who loves art, who loves nature and who loves beauty. It is a walk with Northwest Native artists who talk to us through the words and photographs of Ralph and Karen Norris.

Beautiful documentation of the pacific northwest style. The book gives a thorough history of the people, their lifestyle, inspirations for the work, and breakdown of the style and symbolism found in the carvings. The photos are clear and detail is sharp. There is a wide variety of subject and style shown throught the illustrations. Highly recommended

First, it is a mystery to me why this title doesn't appear from search words "Tlingit, Haida or Salish" since its content goes far beyond Indian Painting/art. While Indian painting, specifically house fronts and interior screens (dying arts enjoying a resurgence) are extremely well covered and illustrated in this book Malin adeptly intertwines culture, geography and history which makes these art forms come alive and take on meaning beyond 'art for art's sake.' This book could have been complete with just the 120 pages of fantastic color and black and white picture and illustrations -- that combined with 160 pages detailing and clearly explaining geography, culture and cultural influences and historical information relating to the Northwest Coast tribes of Alaska and Canada (Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Tsimshian, Bella Coola, Kwakiutl, Salish and Nuu chaa nulth) make this a "must" for anyone interested in these tribes -- either in their art or culture and history! Art was integral to the daily life of these natives...tools made and used for daily subsistence and living were artistically fashioned using the crests "owned" by each clan. Social rank and wealth were at the heart of exterior house painting and interior screens. The author's 55 year fascination with the tribes of the northwest coast is clearly evident in this book.

This is one of my top-5 books about Northwest Coast artwork. It is really two books in one.

The first half of the book goes into all sorts of information about the Northwest Coast tribes, including where and how they lived, and on and on. The tone occasionally is a bit more academic than I'd prefer, but for the most part is well-written, easy to read, and very interesting.

The second half of the book is page after page after page of Northwest Coast artwork examples. To be honest, I'd have thought the book was worth the price even without the first half. The artwork section is wonderful, with a really nice variety of examples, And the layout of the book (semi-landscape) allows the author to show us much larger versions than we normally see of this type of art.

This is especially true for the things this books features (house fronts and interior screens), which naturally are much wider than they are high. I definitely recommend this book for someone building a collection of books about Northwest Coast INdians and Art.

Dale Bever's Northwest Conifers: A Photographic Key is designed provide a visual botanical identification guide to the northwest conifers. Avoiding the use of flower parts for species differential, and substituting full-color photography for technical verbal descriptions, Bever accurately portrays specific characteristics so clearly that anyone totally untrained in botany can easily key out any conifer from the northwest region of the country. Northwest Conifers is ideal for horticulturalists, gardeners, campers, outdoors enthusiasts, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in identifying the various members of this category of tree.

The ULTIMATE key to trees in the Northwest. The book takes the local trees and catagorizes them. I worked at a Boy Scout Camp over the summer as a Nature Counselor. One of the boys Dads showed this book to me. Being a a teenager I thought "I'll show him I'm smarter than the book." Well I beat the book most of the way, until the final question. Pointing to what I thought was A Ponderosa Pine tree, was actually a Jefferies Pine tree. They look exactly alike, the only two major differences were the Pine cones, and the way the needles smell when you break them. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in nature, and is a Teenager planning to work at a summer camp in the Nature department.

This book is every bit as astounding as TWO GIRLS REVIEW, published by the same lovely, sharp people! What a read! Every syllable sizzles. Every orifice in my body burns!

Look, I'm biased -- I'll admit that. That doesn't change the fact that you should buy this book and let it clean your skull. Just think: your skull! Clean! What more could you ask for? Artistry? You'll get it. Emotional depth and candor that will bleach your socks? You'll get that too. *And* a clean skull.

Jim takes a bunch of different experiences in flyfishing for the "other" fish besides trout & salmon and makes them all sound like a blast! Gives some good tips, and has a great writing style!

What a great book. I couldn't put it down. It's not only full of fishing details, but the style is fun. If you like fly fishing and live in the northwest, this is a must read.

Unlike any other food and wine book, NORTHWEST Food and Wine, is the most current book on the foods and wines of Washington State and Oregon. It is an easy-to-read interesting compilation of the latest in food and wine trends from the great Pacific Northwest.

I've been looking for a cookbook that has wine pairings with food that won't break my budget and yet complement my choice of wines. The recipes are simple and tasty. Many cookbooks in the market today tend to be needlessly complicated or just plain out of reach to the average consumer. The Taggerts did a wonderful job of making this subject accessible but not condescending. It is just right for the budding wine enthusiast who love to cook. I've liked it so much that I'm giving a copy to a friend.

This tape is so great. Indians from the Northwest Coast (Washington State/British Colombia area) have wonderful and healing ways of teaching that have been handed down through memorizers for thousands of years. These medicine stories are one delightful way the people taught and shared. I remember hearing a story Johnny Moses told about how the Northwest Coast area; the story was totally at odds with what I'd always read & so I thought to myself ~ yeah, right, very interesting.....couldn't be true but it sure makes a nice story. It was pretty surprising to read several years later in the newspaper that scientists had just made new discoveries that showed the northwest coast area had been formed in a different way than was believed. Goes to show you that if one is very careful to memorize each word exactly that correct information can be carried for thousands of years.
Johnny Moses is one of the last medicine men in the Northwest Coast trained by the elders in all facets of their "Open Heart" healing medicine and he shares the medicine stories in this wonderfully warm & delightful tape that can save a family during long vacations rides. People start gettin' grumpy ~ just pop the tape in!! Be prepared for loud laughter from your kids & yourself. This tape is so great I gave it to my friend to share & alas, now I find it is out-of-print. If you can get a hold of one grab it & play it over & over; each time you'll find something different to enjoy!

my three-year-old will not ride in the car without this one. She loves the funny sounds that the story-teller uses to portray the animals. However, some of the content is definitely for older children (8+). We enjoy the musical interludes and the use of the native american language in the tape.

Olivia's Mine is a great story as well as a detailed look at early 20th century life in the North West. The reader is quickly drawn into a cast of engaging characters and copes along with them through disasters and personal struggles. The author's love of the local area is obvious. I definitely recommend it.

A delicious old-fashioned adventure, with suspense and romance, set in a historically accurate time and place, where a woman who doesn't always tipify her times, has to transcend numerous catastrophes. Delightful ...