Northwest Books

A very intense story of a family's history. The author told everything, she did not hide any of the family problems. It was very hard to put this book down once I started to read it. What it was like in Alaska before any real public services were available. The depth of drinking and diseases that came with the white man. And the other social problems that existed because of no government or social structure to help the people deal with these problems.

All I can say is that it was hard to put down. I enjoyed learning about her life's experiences and her "coming of age" as a Native in the "modern" culture. Highly recommended read.

This is Velma Wallis' third book. Her previous works, "Two Old Women" and "Bird Girl & the Man Who Followed the Sun," deal with traditional stories told by the Gwich'in people of Fort Yukon. Her latest, "Raising Ourselves: A Gwich'in Coming of Age Story from the Yukon River" is an autobiographical account of her growing up in Fort Yukon, Alaska. The book offers a very open and candid look inside not only the community of Fort Yukon, but also into the intimacies of her immediate and extended families.

For thousands of years, the Gwich'in people lived semi-nomadically along the Yukon, Porcupine and Black rivers until, within the course of two generations, they found themselves settled into a static community surrounded by evidence of modern day life. Wallis represents this "lost generation" caught between wanting to move forward into the modern world and yet yearning to retain the traditional ways of hunting, trapping and other forms of traditional knowledge. Through her, an outsider can see the struggle within the village and it's people as they are forced to adapt and evolve to the new ways.

The major issue that strikes the reader squarely between the eyes is the epidemic of alcoholism in Fort Yukon. It is not something that only affects the adult community, but as Wallis points out, teenagers and even children in some cases. One paragraph in particular brings the issue home:

"After days of drinking and fighting came the slow, painful task of sobering up. My mother's swollen face would gradually heal. My father's face would go blank as if nothing had happened. That was an emptiness about our cabin as in the aftermath of war - a war no one had won." (p. 107)

As a result of her parents' almost continual drunkenness, Wallis and her siblings were forced to quite literally raise themselves as best they could. Relying on their ingenuity, and each other, she and her fourteen siblings managed to make it to adulthood (a fifteenth child had been killed in a tragic accident).

"Raising Ourselves: A Gwich'in coming of Age Story from the Yukon River" paints a fantastic story about growing up in bush Alaska. Descriptions of children cutting firewood, hauling water by the bucket from the river to the cabin, and even the family outhouse hold the reader's attention and keep the pages turning.

Wallis herself paints a picture of being a self-reliant, rebellious individual who, right from the start knew that she would have to take on the world on it's own terms. Somehow she managed to avoid many of the pitfalls through her own tenacity, and win. In the end, the book is obviously an attempt to deal with not only her past but that of her people as well, to begin the process of breaking away from the demons and healing the wounds of alcoholism.

I can't really say anything else. Just Thank You. My mother grew up during the "Great Depression" here in the USA. She raised several children alone. Your story is very much like hers. My oldest sister doesn't "read books" (????!) but I made her read the book jacket on this book, and she cried.

Oh the trials and tribulations we go through as human beings. And all the feelings we share. I look forward to more stories from you, and THANK YOU AGAIN, lovey. Thank you.

This story reminded me of my own growing-up years, not in Alaska, but on a reservation, nevertheless. It is a powerful book and reminds me of the strength our people have to survive, despite the odds, and interference of another culture. Velma, thanks for sharing in an honest and sensitive way, and letting us know we were not alone.

This book is for anyone interested in the Vietnam War and particularly the US Army Rangers. The story concerns two New Englanders who wind up in the same company but become involved in their own private feud while battling the NVA enemy. The battle scenes are realistic and very graphic and it gives the reader an insight into how this brutal war was fought from the perspective of the average infantryman. The second part of the book is about what happened to the two main characters as they live and relive these experiences many years later. I recommend this book for anyone who seeks to find out the motivation of our soldiers when in battle and how they are able to cope with all of it in later life. This book was certainly an eye-opener for me and I'm sure for others who have read it.

I've just reread this book for the second time. It's a favorite on my shelf. Each time I have found in it a new insight on the humanity that struggles within all of us, buried under our hopes, insecurities and fears. Reilly has truly written of the incredible experiences of two men intertwined by one of the greatest tragedies of human life of our times -- a cathartic literary experience one hopes for him and a delightful, riveting read for us. There were times when I laughed out loud and others when I felt moved with a great compassion. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next. Bring it on Reilly!

Charles Reilly's characters,Gavinand O'Connor,are so real it seems like someone you grew up with.

a fascinating, visceral novella on the treachery of Vietnam and the mental torment that returned stateside in the minds of fragile young g.i. warriors. this compelling journey is a somber wake up call, coupling the haunts of war with present day realities. it's a wonder these men could continue to care enough to move on back in the ole USA. no one captures the horror completely, that would be an insult to those who witnessed undescrible wartime acts, but Charles Reilly brings brave insight to momumental events. a gutsy read, Reilly deserves the Medal of Honor for his heroic,literary, revelations

Reilly weaves a tale about soldiers in Vietnam and their inner motivations about willingly risking their lives and sanity in an experience outside the norm. He confronts the many motivations of the soldier, some serve God and country and others want the adventure and stress that is part of war. This is not a typical war novel. Vietnam is part of the story but not the whole story. Reilly shows us the many personalities of the soldiers and then for many their turbulent lives after the war. This thought provoking book ponders the questions of god, karma and what does it all mean. He exposes the many sides of his characters so that the reader sees them as noble, cruel, confused, loving, vain and caring. His characters slowly transform so that no character is one sided. All have a human face, most are proud former soldiers, many seek redemption and acceptance from their friends, their career, their music and their god. Old scores do not always need to be settled. This book made me laugh and brough tears to my eyes. I gasped at the actions of many of his characters. He tells this tale with the skill of an old Irish storyteller, who makes the people and places come alive. I finished the book, thought back on the story and wanted more. Well done Reilly.

This book is great for those interested in Chinese medicine. It gives a great overview of the different aspects of Chinese medicine without over doing it. It is easy to read, has photos to illustrate ideas, and is not too dry. A great place to start exploring the world of Chinese medicine!

This is a good book for general and basic information about TCM. It lacks details about treatments and diseases, though.

I've had the fortune to study under Master Holland. I'd simply like to assure everyone out there that this is a man who knows what he's talking about! Insightful, well-spoken, and brilliant, you'll definitely want to pick up all of his books! Pick up this little wonder if you're someone worried about your first acupuncture experience, or are a practicioner wanting to offer a bit reassurance to your clients. Worth the buy!!
Check out his school at [...]

This book pulled me in the moment I opened it. It is incredibly easy to read and is a very good introductory guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine. I would recommend it to anyone who is curious about TCM but does not want to read large books on the topic. This book is written without lots jargon or unnecessary details. It is easy to follow and understand.
Read it, you won't regret it, especially if you are a beginner such as myself.

This book is a little gem. It sets out the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the theoretical framework and types of treatment (acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, cupping, herbal medicine and Qi gong) in an amazingly easy to understand way. It also includes additional information on the history of TCM, accreditation in the US, and safety aspects. If you want to get to grips with what TCM is all about, but don't want to be bogged down with a tome, this is the book for you.

Capt. James Cook was sailing north to seek a Northwest Passage between Europe and Asia when he ran across Niihau and Kauai in January 1778. He then pushed into the Chukchi Sea and became the first explorer to enter the western end of the passage, though he did not know it.
Retreating from the following winter, he ended up getting killed in Hawaii.
Considering the activity of Europeans in the Pacific in the late 18th century, somebody was bound to reach Hawaii. But that it should have happened just then, and with just those people, must have affected the development of Hawaiian relations with the outside world.
It may be that the reconnection of Hawaii to the rest of the world was the most portentous result of the three centuries of deadly, cruel searching for the Northwest Passage.
As far back as 1632, Capt. Thomas James, hired by Bristol merchants to seek a passage, announced, "There are certainly no commercial benefits to be obtained in any of the places I visited during this voyage." He had proved that a passage, if any existed, would lie above 80 degrees N., choked with ice and unusable.
Stubborn adventurers, mostly English, kept trying anyway, and James Delgado tells their stories in "Across the Top of the World" with up-to-date archaeological discoveries and a fairly recent respect for Inuit testimony.
Delgado is head of the Vancouver Maritime Museum, where St. Roch, the first ship to make the passage in both directions, resides.
That happened during World War II, when Canada was concerned to establish its claims to the islands of the Arctic Archipelago, through which there are several "Northwest Passages," all difficult.
Arctic archaeology has boomed in the past two decades, and although explorers started carefully recording Inuit accounts as far back as the 1860s, only in the past few years have these received independent corroboration from the archaeology.
Inuit oral accounts go back, with considerable but not perfect accuracy, at least to Martin Frobisher's attempt in the 1570s.
Almost all the attempts except Cook's started in eastern Canada.
The biggest, most disastrous was Sir John Franklin's. Like many another, it ended in starvation and cannibalism. Every one of his 129 men died.
Franklin, who died in 1847, led the biggest, best supplied and most modern exploration up to that time. While scurvy and starvation were the main killers of premodern explorers (with battles with natives a distant second), Franklin had ships full of canned provisions.
Archaeologists, testing frozen bones and hair, suspect that the lead in the solder on the cans slowly deranged the Franklin group, making them incapable of making sensible decisions. Nevertheless, some of them made heroic efforts to carry large boats across miles and miles of tundra to reach open water.
Searching for Franklin became an international mania, and the last links of the passage were discovered by these adventurers.
Roald Amundsen eventually sailed through the passage, but the first commercial attempt came only in 1969, when the tanker Manhattan was sent through to see if Alaskan North Slope crude oil could be shipped out. Even though the alternative (the Alyeska pipeline) cost $10 billion, that was a better deal than using the fabled Northwest Passage.
The irony is that today cruise ships carry tourists far into the Northwest Passage, in comfort and safety.
Delgado tells these stirring tales in matter-of-fact fashion.
Most accounts of Arctic explorations tell of the mysterious fascination that keeps drawing men back even though they nearly died the first, second or third time. Nothing of this grandeur and mysticism finds its way into "Across the Top of the World."
What it does have is hundreds of excellent illustrations, both engravings from old accounts and color photographs of old maps and all sorts of archaeological discoveries.

Wondrously illustrated with photographs, artwork, and maps, James Delgado's Across the Top Of The World: The Quest For The Northwest Passage tells of the courageous yet ultimately doomed search for a Northwest Passage across the North American continent. From the Frobisher party in 1547 to the first successful navigation in 1903-6, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police schooner that set the stage for modern exploration using icebreakers, this historical volume portrays the pain, the toll, the struggle, and the quest of man vs. nature in absolute detail. The narrative text is exhaustively researched and so detailed as to metaphorically transport the reader along with the famous journeys. Across The Top Of The World is enthusiastically recommended public library American history collections and for anyone with a keen interest in this fascinating part of American history.

I found this book a very interesting read. The photos were wonderful. It covers the varied expeditions on the quest for the Northwest Passage. Lots of people lost their lives and ultimately it was not, of course, a really usable shipping route.

The Franklin expedition and the various search parties is well covered. The one existing daguerotype of Franklin, which I had not seen, is included, as are the recent discoveries and theories about what happened.

At a bargain price, this is a nice gift book. Mine came without the tell tale black "bargain stripe" on the spine.

The Norsemen may have been the first to attempt this passage but they were certainly not the last. Over 300 years of trials and bitter, freezing failures were to come and go before Norwegian Roald Amundsen finally conquered the passage in the early 20th century. It is not a coincidence that the only other undiscovered lands and the last of the remaining great adventures was also in a snowy, bitter climate - Shackleton's voyage to the Antarctic on the 'Endurance' was taking place at about the same time.

Disimilar to other 'popular history' books, this one does not have the same easy, flowing, narrative style but what it does differently and better than other pop histories is give details. Here you learn all that you could possibly want to know about every unfortunate mission that unsuccessfully sought the Nortwest passage. Crammed with maps, photos and illustrations it's all here. The little sidebar descriptions - mini biographies- of many of the explorers is a nice feature.

This book has the capacity to touch you intellectually and emotionally. It is a well written book on explorers and exploration. This book brings to life those searching for the Northwest Passage. Their struggles and hardships are well documented.

I loaned this book to a friend, who is somewhat of a stoic, and inquired how he liked it. He responded the book brought tears to his eyes. He was able to clearly envision the hardships these people endured. Amazingly, they willingly faced those hardships again to assist others.

This book takes you to a time when extrodinary hardships were dealt with as a fact of life.

John Straley just keeps getting better. This one will grab you right away and keep you reading
until the final scene, just couldn't put it down.

Mr. Straley entertained my socks off with Cecil Younger's adventures. Here he has done first rate research on times, locations, tides, geography and sea conditions. He also brought along his talent for a great story and read. The gruesome end to many left me with startled emptiness (a gotcha kind of feeling), but the defined times (1930s)and the passion of Ellie Hobbs and Slip, along with the charming girl and her bird, take the reader along for hours of pleasure. Mr Straley is right on task for yet another Alaskan mystery. Now if Cecil were only the son of George....ah, oh well. I can't wait for his next book.

Straley writes with incredible genius! He brilliantly weaves researched history of the Wooblies, fascincating characters and brilliant descriptions of stellar natural beauty of British Columbia into "read through the night" mystery!!

This should be required reading for AK Panhandle residents!

Can we have more Slip, Ellie and Annabelle??

I have always loved John Straley's books. Wonderful characters; great plots; gritty without being too violent; beautiful descriptions of a strange land (yes, I am from the lower 48). I have checked bookstores over the last few years for his new books - and, happily the drought is over. The Big Both Ways is a wonderful continuation of a great writer - and I look forward to many more with the great aspects of this book - riveting plot and great quirky characters. For the next book, perhaps he will bring back one of my favorite characters - Blossom, who would be all grown up.

This is a tall tale adapted for a full length book. Full of highs and unbelieavable lows but fun to read. I have always loved John Straley and this is a good addition to his work.

"Brittle Stars..." was the first of Lichen's "Uncommon Field Guide" series I discovered. They are all uncommonly delightful to poke into. One can read them chapter-by-chapter or just open the book anywhere and delve in. I picked up this one to add to my school's marine biology collection. After scanning it, I bought a second copy for myself. After reading part of it, I ordered the other two books in the series. Recently I showed one of the guides to a friend who is a lifelong outdoorsman. He immediately purchased a set for himself. She gives the reader the sort of understanding about nature one usually only finds in going on a field tour with a great guide. My only complaint is that there is not one of Feltner's lovely detailed illustrations with every single chapter.

What could have been a very dry, factual book about marine life turned out to be a book filled with interesting info about northwest marine life and a writing style that isn't just data. I bought the book to use with teenagers and, because of their great interest in anything sexual, I told them, tongue in cheek, the first chapter they should read is the one about dragonflies and damsels. LOL It was hilarious. This is the number one book of interest about local marine life as far as I'm concerned.

Patricia Lichen's Brittle Stars & Mudbugs truly is an uncommon field guide. Newly relocated to the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound area I have half-filled a bookshelf with the more traditional field guide. Those, with their high quality photos or detailed drawings, I use to key out the fine distinctions between hard to discern animals and plants.

When I want pure enjoyment exploring Puget Sound's natural environs I bring out Lichen's book. Her conversational writing style and twinkle-in-the-eye wit along with her obvious love for her subject matter breath life into whatever she describes. Linda Feltner's illustrations are ideally suited for this book and enhance the pleasurable reading. As soon as I finish writing this review I am ordering her two other books on the Northwest.

This delightful little book is an absolute pleasure to read. It fits nicely in the hand, the pages are easy to read, and the illustrations are gentle and lovingly drawn. The author tells you stories about these animals, plants and algae the way she would if you were walking with her along the beach and came across each specimin. It's not ordered by phylum or habitat, but apparently randomly, which ensures that you won't tire of reading all about fish, but instead will move quickly to birds and seaweed and echinoderms and back.

I live on the beach, and volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium, and these stories help me tell compelling stories to audiences and friends of all ages. They bring the funny objects you see on the beach to life, and make each animal or plant that you see seem a friend, a neighbor, someone whose life you care about. This should slow your steps on the beach, so that you will see the life around you more clearly, and should increase your commitment to conservation and cleanup. It's tough to abuse a neighborhood that you care about, and Patricia and Linda bring these organisms close to you so that you will care about them.

As an earlier reviewer pointed out, this is not a field guide that will help you identify what you see -- it is one that will help you understand what you see, and that's what makes it uncommon and (in my opinion) so very special.

Thanks to the author and illustrator for such a magnificent addition to my library of field guides and books on biology. This one is a treasure.

I bought two of the books in the 3 book series. The writing is excellent, however, what good is a "field guide" if illustrations are not included for all of the featured plants and animals? If the publisher is ever going to consider a new edition, perhaps this could be taken into consideration. I will keep these books, however still look for a "Field Guide" that offers more reference material.

Growing up in Lima, Ohio during the Depression Era was a time of great adventures for Duke Murray! In these affectionate memoirs, Duke (aka. Dr. Emmett Murray, a retired family physician), tells 35 favorite stories from his boyhood years in the Midwest.
After some early mishaps, Duke's entry into grade school opens new worlds of enjoyment. Horace Mann Grade School and its vast playgrounds get long and affectionate descriptions. Adventures on his own find Duke up at dawn to watch the Big Top circuses set up, hauling huge ice blocks while working at Lima Ice and Coal, training the family beagle to hunt and to win show prizes, and taking X-rays of steel castings at a tank plant. Duke helps an eccentric neighbor go after night crawlers, and he faces death and family alcoholism in a school friend's life.
The book conveys the atmosphere of daily life in the 1930s, and Murray's contemporaries will find many a brand name and Age of Radio show to identify with. But Duke Murray goes beyond these to describe also the sounds, the tastes and the smells of the time. "Saturday Night in Lima, 1930s Style" is a golden example of his talent for evoking atmosphere.
Murray communicates a special fascination with life on the farm and the industry and humor of farming people. He describes the big meals, the homemade ice cream and grapes from the arbor. But his fondest memories are of making hay, raising chickens, cattle and hogs, and watching his aunts put up canned food stores for company in the days before modern refrigeration.
The book goes on to describe the dawning realization by America of the inevitability of World War II, and the rather frightening experiences of enlistment and service by all the three Murray sons in the U.S. Army. The book's chronology ends with Duke Murray in medical school, entertaining himself by winning a tall tale radio contest in Columbus, and singing barbershop quartets with his dissecting partners over their cadaver.
These tales will be especially enjoyed by fans of Lima and Allen County, who will respond with glee to references such as the Lima Rescue Mission and the Kewpie Hamburger Restaurant. However, the stories are more than local memoirs in that they evoke the 1930s overall, and depict the universal struggles of a young person learning to fill his shoes in America.
The book includes a map of Duke's old neighborhood, his immediate family tree, an appreciation of his storytelling history, and contact information. Come Reminisce with Me sounds a note of optimism with its attitude that life presents experiences from which lessons may often be derived. Dr. Murray shows that happiness and laughter can happen anywhere, and that life may not be perfect, but that it still offers a lot to enjoy, appreciate and be grateful for at every turn.
Reviewed by Robb Murray, July 1, 2003

Dr. Murray sews together his stories seamlessly. The stories are both quaint and hysterical. His eye for detail gets down to the last inch of the scene. He has a way of drawing you into the story so that you won't want to miss a beat. This book is great for the summer beach bag.

This is a book of many Special Stories. So well written you feel you were there. It is one of those books you cannot stop reading till you finish that last Story.

This book transforms you back to a simpler time in life and one where neighbors really cared about each other.Life at the time might not have seemed so easy but loyalty, manners, patriotic spirit and faith were essential ingredients to a wonderful childhood in the Midwest. You can almost picture yourself in the middle of the neighborhood the author describes and can visualize the characters he describes. It is so pleasant to read.

I must confess that my initial interest in "Come Reminisce with Me" was one of local history. But what I discovered was something deeper than descriptions of Lima, Ohio in the 1930s. Murray's simple style and delicious imagery of youthful experiences took me back to a time in my own life when each day was a new adventure. These memories are intricately woven with humor and humility, joy and compassion, leading the reader through youthful rites of passage on the road to evolving maturity.

Share this book with your friends, kids and grandkids and watch what happens. It's sure to spark dialogue about some of life's most endearing and enduring experiences and values.

Patricia Smith
Allen County Museum

If you are from the Pacific NW, you will love this book. Even if you are not, it is an excellent adventure along the coast of Vancouver.

This book is beautifully written, full of vivid imagery of the stark and wild beauty of the northwest, and equally full of one woman's spirit and love for her family. It is a book I will turn to again and again.

This story was expecially fun for me to read because this woman lived in a time and near a place of my own grandmother. She took hold of her life after the death of her husband and shared wonderful adventures with her children each summer in the waters and byways of the Canadian BC inland waterways. She did this in an era where her family said she should sell everything and "move home where it was safer" A real joy to read. Carol Hage Wall, Oak Harbor, WashingtonThe Curve of Time: The Classic Memoir of a Woman and Her Children Who Explored the Coastal Waters of the Pacific Northwest (Adventura Books)

I got out all the maps of the Inland Passage along the British Columbia coast to follow each adventure this articulate widow with five imaginative and curious children and one dog discovered. Her tales of their explorations in a small boat and descriptions of wonderful scenery climaxes in the longest selection near the end of the book: "A Whale...Named Henry [18 pages], the just pleads to be translated into a Newberry Award children's book!

This book was highly recommended to me by a friend who has cruised the Inside Passage and explored the islets of British Columbia and Alaska for the past 15 years. Many beautiful places are vividly described by Ms.'Capi' Blanchet. The lasting impression is the feeling of having spent time as a companion to the author and her children as they experience the adventure of travel and exploration as they cruise far from home in their small boat, in the 1930's. I enjoyed meeting unique people like 'Mike' - the knowledgeable recluse who expresses much of what must be the authors own philosopy of life. Altogether this little book is a bit of history, a bit of philosophy, and a bit of adventure. I didn't want it to end.

There is something endlessly fascinating about seeing the early growth of an artist one knows and follows. It's like having a peek at the childhood sketchbook of an old master, or the early Play-doh work of a great sculptor. Wouldn't it be great to sit in on some of Led Zeppelin's practices in 1968? Or follow Jimi Hendrix around London as he played obscure clubs before creating the Experience? Roger Trott's new novel Getting in Tune offers readers this sort of fascination as they follow Daniel Travers and the Killjoys to their first big gig and an opportunity at rock band stardom. More than just a fascinating peek at the growth of a band at a seminal point in the history of rock and roll, this is a good story.

Every good story is one part comedy, one part drama, one part love story, one part adventure - nearly every genre should make an appearance. If we could add something like 'Introspective' to the genre list, it would also apply here along with the others. The dynamics of the Killjoys brings out a few laughs, though a couple band mates appear wooden beside the depth of Mick, Rob, and Daniel. The tension created by the various relationships in the novel, especially that of Daniel, Nita and Kitten and Rob and Candi kept me interested, but the adventure of the band on the road and Daniel's inner journey seem the highlight of the book.

Daniel's psychological growth is central to the novel, representing in his transition not only the artistic transition of rock music to punk music, but the personal transition of many people in his generation who felt frustrated and alone. Luckily, Daniel has the company and the advice of an internalized personal guide, a bit like Don Juan to his Carlos Castaneda, who has taken the form of Peter Townshend from The Who. The difference is that Daniel's prefers uppers to peyote, and Peter Townshend is only in his head, ironically helping Daniel to find the "Real Me", the essence of who he is among an amalgamation of discordant elements, here in the form of band squabbles, misdirected affection, substance abuse, and dishonesty that when arranged in the right way creates the "Perfect Chord", if only for a moment.

Much like Daniel's transcendent realization about the "Perfect Chord", Roger Trott's Getting in Tune brings together comedic, dramatic, romantic (not the cheesy sort), and adventurous elements into an arrangement that harmonizes well with my literary tastes. Listen closely, and you'll hear it, too.

--
David M Glines
Literary Lounge Book Reviewer

I knew nothing of rock n' roll life in the 70's before picking up this novel so not only was the book entertaining, it was educational. The book gave a raw, honest perspective of life in a band - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I would never have expected to be able to relate to characters that are so completely different from myself but I found myself understanding, sympathizing, and caring for the guys in the band. It was a sad moment when I turned the last page; leaving Daniel, Rob, Mick, Yogi, and Sam behind. I would snag the sequel in a second. Great read.
(Favorite quote: "It's turned black! And it's all your fault!" page 166)

I'm honored to be able to review "Getting in Tune." Roger and I spent many a night with our writing group editing each other's work. I never doubted he would be right here selling his book. Anyone that loves rock'n roll will enjoy making the journey from Creedly, California to Puente Harbor on the Olympic Penninsula with Daniel, Rob, Mick, Sam and Yogi--the Killjoys--in search of Pete Townsend's Universal Chord and the big break that will rocket them to fame. A great summer read, winter read, spring and fall. Congrates on a great accomplishment!

Getting In Tune is the kind of hands on, authentic rock'n'roll story that can only be written by someone who's lived the experience. You're taken not just to the front and center of the stage, but inside the head of a talented musician who seeks the transcendence that only music can provide. Trott gets all the details right as he chronicles the highs and lows of a 70s band on the verge of realistic success, and I was pleased that I found it was 4:00 one morning when I set it down; I was reading it all night. It's that kind of book. I look forward to his next outing.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable summer read for me as a fan of rock music of then and now, and it brought back so much about the 1970s scene. On the surface it's an easy, fun read but it also has some introspection about the author and the other characters. What a great first book from Trott--I'll be looking for more from him.

There are a number of books out there for patients and families, and this is one of the best--required reading. Attitude is everything in this disorder, and Hope gives people the keys to a healthy one.

Phil Ballard MD

This book came out four or five years ago. It's gone through one revision, and I continue to give it out to friends.

Originally I read this as a person related to someone with Parkinsons - it had helped my mother deal with the challenge. But I heard from others that it was simply inspirational for anyone dealing with a long term health challenge.

I've bought this book 11 times now to give to people who need some light. And I hear time and again that that's happened - and that they get it for others.

Newsom is a real inspiration.

When I was put into the position of having to learn about Parkinson's disease, the first book I read was Hal Newsom's "HOPE". It is a fast read and easily understood. I learned a lot about PD and how attitude, exercise, drugs and nutrition are so important. A few months later I re-read "HOPE". What struck me the second time around was that the book improved with the second reading. Anyone who has PD should read this book. And, anyone who cares about or cares for someone with PD should also read it. It's one way to learn what goes on emotionally and spiritually with a PD patient, in addition to physically.

Absolutely the finest tool yet to give one the incentive to get up, get out and get busy. First rate.

This is a book that offers very PRACTICAL suggestions (because they are tried and true) ways to approach life at a time and in a circumstance when you might want to give up. It is POSITIVE without overlooking the problems and hurdles to overcome. It is PERSONAL as it depicts the adventures of a very talented and vital personality coping with a life of change and uncertainty.

Whether you have Parkinson's or not, whether you are a caregiver or not - this book will inspire you to approach life with a positive attitude and a practical application.