McDonald's Books

This is an excellent book, full of information and inspiring photographs. No wasted words here, but facts and directions for planning and implementing a small space garden. The author has a brisk, and often humorous style that is easy to read.

Morris talks about city front yards, side yards, courtyards, and small sections of larger gardens. He describes the garden process from planning to planting to enjoying. Pruning, problem plants, and watering: all here.

This book is not overly technical but enough detail is here to get your garden growing.

Filled cover to cover with gorgeous color photography, Small Gardens Of Savannah And Thereabouts by gardening enthusiast and expert Elvin McDonald offers a visually breathtaking and highly informative tour of more than thirty gardens created and maintained by the residents of Savannah. Useful secrets for garden upkeep pepper the text commentary in this horticulturally impressive and "reader friendly" exploration recommended especially to all dedicated gardeners and landscaping professionals.

I visited Savannah many years ago and it was so hot and humid that I vowed I wouldn't go back. This book might make me change my mind though. Savannah is indeed a beautiful historical city, filled with charming little gardens and Georgian Colonial and Greek Revival architecture. Behind some of the walls and iron gates are these tiny paradises filled with semi-tropical foliage and old fashioned southern flowers. This tour showcases these gardens, both public and private ones. Chapters are arranged by garden type - walled gardens, side gardens, historical gardens, pocket gardens, rooftop gardens, container gardens, treelawns, work spaces, etc. Descriptions are included but the highlight of the book is easily the outstanding photographs. The author also includes a "must-have" plant list for the southern gardener and a month-by-month planting guide. This is a beautiful book sure to inspire the gardener even if we can't grow some of the tender varities featured here.

When I saw sudoku turned into a mystery novel, I had to read about it. And I must say, this book was very good. I really liked the characters and plot. I definitely look forward to reading her next novel which I see in coming soon. Can't wait!

This is a good book for that rainy day when, on vacation, you have nothing to do. A little contrived, but what mysteries aren't. I enjoyed the book.

This well-written mystery grabbed my attention from page one. Katie is reluctantly drawn into a small New England town murder mystery full of intrigue that rings true, believable quirky characters and all. What with the popularity of sudoku, as well as all puzzles, The Puzzle Museum, almost istelf a character in this plot, will make you yearn to visit. The surprising plot twists will keep mystery lovers, as well as sudoku fans reading way into the night. I look forward to the next Katie McDonald mystery.

This product helps me every time I have to do report cards or progress reports. It is Great!!!

This book was VERY helpful when filling out my report cards. It saved me a lot of time, and I really appreciate that!

I purchased this book because I'm a first year kindergarten teacher. I used this book to help me get started with my comments. I found it very helpful and it gave me a starting point. The comments are very general but the wording is great. I'm very satisfied with the purchase.

If you're at all interested in the state of Washington, and its history, people and roads, buy this book. i've learned so much about how towns were named and formed and interesting geography about our beautiful Evergreen State. this is a fun, down-to-earth book!!

We keep (or try to) this book in the car as we roam about Washington. We've found out some nifty facts about otherwise seemingly remote places and often are able to answer questions "we're curious" about. It's not a complete travel guide, but it does contain a lot of information I've not seen anywhere else and it is extremely easy to use.

My husband & I travelled around Washington in our car, following this interesting road guide and we were pleased to be able to hear the stories behind the places we saw. A very well-written book!!

The twelve voices of dissent in WHERE WE STAND demand, in heartfelt prose, for an end to the domination of America by ideologically right-wing Republicans, a majority of whom are southerners, all of whom are in bed with the military-industrial-complex. WHERE WE STAND traces the rise of the modern Republican South from the entry into national politics of racist southern politician George C. Wallace, to the subtly racist "Southern Strategy" of Richard Nixon, through Ronald Reagan, who sanitized Wallace's bigotry by creating race-loaded "buzz words" that enabled Americans to be "comfortable with their prejudices." As in the antebellum period, as during Reconstruction, as in the era of segregation, the South by the 1980s was again united on the dominant theme of the South's existence-race-this time within the Republican Party.
In their historic fight to preserve the "southern way of life," southerners had always maintained that the struggle was NOT about money. But in the 1980s, when southern ideas were becoming dominant nationally, southerners changed; money became half to goal. Thus, in the last three decades of the twentieth century, southern right-wing Republican politicians and their northern Republican allies have arrogantly united with George W. Bush upon economic policies that benefit only the wealthy, and an unjustified imperialist war which will benefit the military-industrial-complex at the expense of people at the bottom of society.
Every patriotic American who is worried about the current policies our nation at home and abroad should read this enlightening book!

It is important to distinguish between Democrats and liberals when describing the slant of this work, as the latter retain their dignity, even amidst the crushing economic conservatism and hypocritical religious fundamentalism of the Bush regime. In this respect, then, as liberals, the authors of Where We Stand are to be applauded, admired, and rejoiced for having the courage to cry out against the Republican Bull in the world's fragile china-shop. But just as the old philosophical dilemma asks if a falling tree in an empty wood is heard, one wonders if the (mostly) reasonable objections to current American policy raised by these twelve essayists are capable of reaching the ears of those who should hear them.

Cynicism is apparent in each of the twelve works contained within Where We Stand, albeit in different degrees. But this should not be considered a criticism of the work, only an acknowledgment of how far things have swung to the Right. Like a cornered animal, liberals have become desperate; and sometimes, the first sacrifice made to desperation is rationality (just as Conservatives behaved during the Clinton years). Some of the arguments made in Where We Stand are self-defeating, as they are guilty of the same divisive mud-slinging that liberals so often accuse of Republicans. The best example of this is the very first selection by Dan Carter. I am on the fence concerning the current American policy of preemptive war, leaning precariously toward a position against it. That being said, Carter's essay antagonized my fair-minded sensibilities. I was amazed when I came to the end of this lengthy essay, replete with numerous statistics dubiously connected to cynical conclusions, and found that not one single attribution existed as to where Carter got his information - no foot-notes, no endnotes, nothing. This, for me, destroys Carter's credibility completely and thoroughly. He becomes, then, just a Left-wing version of Rush Limbaugh, a butcher of context and meaning that wraps every issue in a web of intermingled facts, lies, and false conclusions.

There is much to remark upon after one reads Where We Stand, many ideas and connections that (besides Carter) offer much to one's opinion concerning current American policy. I would like to touch on a few of these, briefly. Susan Wiltshire's essay concerning the difficulty in reconciling religion with modern issues was very insightful, and light on the cynicism. Gene Nichol makes an impassioned plea for us to fight for justice for all, not just the powerful and privileged. I was turned-off by Leslie Dunbar's assumption that support for our troops equals support for our President. This is very simplistic and cynical. I was inspired by Janisse Ray's refusal to shop at Wal-mart, and her alternative life-style that puts rebellion in the realm that it should be: in action and not words. Daniel Pollitt opened my eyes to the constitutional pitfalls inherent in the debate of individual freedom versus security. I had no idea that the Administration had gone so far. I particularly liked the quote attributed to Ben Franklin: "`They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.'" Charles Bussey's thoughtful use of Senator Fulbright's book The Arrogance of Power has so affected me that I have added the work to my reading-list. John Egerton's chronology of the Civil Rights Movement is valuable in itself, and his claim that most Americans have had it with both Democrats and Republicans jives with my own opinion concerning these self-serving and out-of-touch institutions.

All in all, Where We Stand is a desperate counter to the ideas that are currently shaping this country. And in the spirit of free debate and the need most of have of hearing both sides of important issues, it becomes very valuable.

All of the essays in "Where We Stand" were informative and thought provoking. Each essay explores a different topic but all explore Southerners' cultural and religious belief systems in an historical account of how these affect the political system and outcome of political elections as well as public policy in general. All Americans should read this as a wake-up call. I literally could not put the book down for each essay had something very important to convey. The book provides various insights on the need and urgency to look critically at ourselves politically. At the end of the book I was very proud to be a southerner and to know such powerful voices were speaking out.

Stephen Ash takes you into four entirely different lives in the South during early reconstruction. You will not leave this book without actually feeling the despair, sadness,panic and even rebellion that many southern folks felt immediately after their defeat.
Read about the devastation that ultimately comes out of war. A must for any Civil War library.

A worm's-eye view of 1865 in the South as the Civil War grinds to a halt and social instability (verging on chaos) sets in. This is an excellent counterbalance to the big picture studies of Reconstruction which are too much policy and too little impact on daily life. Four well-written biographies woven together; a book you will enjoy reading even if you start with no interest in the Civil War or the South.

Try this one, it has four!!

Steve Ash brings four lives so alive that one feels one can reach back 135 years and touch them. So too with the details of their daily lives. The author does a great job capturing what life was really like back in 1865.

His style of writing makes it even more fun to read as the characters' stories "leapfrog" with the seasons, which spurs the reader on and on!

A great, must read!

Ellen Cumming

Just exactly what I need to continue (only have stash) a project for grandchild's quilt. Can't wait to get going.

Circles means curved piecing----not one of my favorite things to do. But if you want to tackle curved piecing, this book provides you with 23 pages of how-to's on the subject. Tools, fabric, techniques for cutting, appliqué methods and embellishments are all covered in this section.

The patterns, of which there are eight, each have a skill level, a finished quilt and block size plus the photo of the finished item. Materials and cutting lists re clearly written and there are graphics to help explain the written words.

Making, assembling, adding borders and finishing the quilt are written in an easy to follow manner. Tips are provide throughout the book in a green block so they are easy to find. An 11 page gallery will help give you ideas for your own quilts. The section on quilting ideas provides a dozen quilting designs so you can always find the one that will fit just perfectly with your quilt.

As with most quilt books, there is a 5 page basic quilting section in case you need to review a certain technique. The final pages are a resource page and a 3 paragraph bio of the author.

This is a pretty cool book. It has many great photographs, and of course lots of good information on many different animals. Also, it shows many good and bad things that have happened in the history of Africa from the 1960s on. I think anyone who likes lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, hyenas, cheetahs, hippos, or any other cool and beautiful animals that nature offers should buy this book. It is so worth the money you'll spend on it. Plus, it's not all that pricy.

Joe and Mary Ann McDonald seem to have some kind of personal relationship with the wildlife of Africa. I swear they are all part of the same family. The incredible images they bring back from Africa tell a story of the incredible strength and diversity of the wildlife of Africa. I felt like I was sitting right in the herds and laying down with the lions.

If you are debating a visit to Africa, or need inspiration for your own photography from two of the wildlife photographers on the planet, get this book right now.

The McDonalds take photo tours to Africa several times a year, usually sold out. If these are the images people come home with from their trips, it's no wonder they are sold out. It is obvious though that their repeated trips there, spending lots of time with the animals, has paid off. They have truly captured a rarely seen intimacy in the wildlife. Top of my list!

I feel that i would like to read and find some information on cerebal palsey and i find this.

I read this book many, many years ago and have always tried to obtain another copy. It was a revelation and made me think very differently about disability and disease.

It is the story of Annie, a young girl with cerebal palsy. It follows her life as she is placed in an institute and the people she meets there. It gives inside information into how a mind can be trapped inside a body that is physically challenged and how a young mind can thrive and excel, even when left untended by the ignorance and apathy of outsiders.

This book gave me the desire to work in the health industry. The story shines a light on the prejudice and narrow-minded thinking, which has continued well into the 20th Century.

If you ever have the chance, read this story, because IT will inspire you, it will make you sad and angry and it will make you WANT to change the health system.

In the 1980's, John Williams wrote Into the Badlands where he interviewed his favourite crime authors and produced an excellent book. He rejigged the book a few years ago by updating some of the interviews and including some new authors which I think was an error as he should have stuck to big name writers rather than possible up and comers.

Craig McDonald has stuck to the principles of the first Williams book but interviews the big guns of crime fiction - Pelecanos, Lehane, Ellroy, Mosley, Rankin and Connelly etc - and produced a first-class book. I bought it as it featured most of my favourite writers (the ones named above) and I am glad I did get it, the interviews are indepth and different to the run of the mill fare.

Recommended.

Craig McDonald has provided candid interviews of several of our most respected writers of crime fiction. Among the interviewed writers are authors Ken Bruen, Michael Connelly, Walter Mosley, and Steve Hamilton, all highly respected purveyors of the genre.

While McDonald is well-prepared in his analysis of the author's works, he allows the authors room to elaborate on their craft, and what inspires them to write.

These interviews are exclusive to this collection; which will continue to elevate its value to readers and writers of crime fiction.

McDonald's own crime novel, Head Case, (Bleak House, 2007) has just been released.

Deron Bissett, Ph.D.