Canada Books

This Canadian woman fell in love with the north and its people. She took her kayak on a long perilous trip where many would fear to go. What courage. She tells about her trip and the many places she visited and the people she met. She continued her trip alone after the man along on the trip proved hard to get along with. But she continued. She was planning more trips to her favorite part of the world but it was not to be. Though she did not live to continue kayaking she did what she wanted. She enjoyed life to the fullest and was not afraid to go where others would be afraid. What a terrific lady. Her health was not good but that would not deter her from living life.

This book was an inspiration for me to buy a kayak and as an humble beginner to get out on the water at the age of 61. The author has the spiritual soul necessary to write such a magical accounting of her travels thru a land of kind people with smiling children. I know that writing is a time consuming task Ms. Jason...but could we have another episode please? I feel sure you will go back to this beautiful region again. Dan Chesser (Chess to my friends) Winston, OR ... In the 1000 valleys of the Umpqua River drainage.

A friend lended me Victoria's book a few years ago, and I am grateful for that. I found her to be such an inspiration. This book has had a profound influence on my life. Her experiences are fascinating, her inner strength is amazing, and her love for the beauty of man and nature is uplifting.

Victoria was a terrifically generous woman. In spite of the fact that she was battling a very aggressive brain tumor over the last year, she gave me the pleasure of her company for an afternoon during a recent trip through Winnipeg. She spoke of a second book she was working on about her return to the North. Unfortunately this second book remains unfinished, as Victoria passed away on May 20, 2000. She was a great lady!

I read "Kabloona" several years ago and have reread it again twice. Jason not only could write well and make me experience her trip vicariously, she also had the ability to spur me into new and different experiences of my own. Although I have not braved the Arctic as she did, I have conquered my own little fears and challenges. My mother used to wonder why cancer only got the most wonderful, caring, creative people. My mother was right. Jason may not have lived to write book number two, but her energy and her passion have been a road map to women in at least two countries. Thanks for the trip, Victoria!

Victoria Jason makes you feel like you are paddling the kayak. You experience the wind on your cheeks, the cold spray on your face, the pull of the current and strength of the waves on your boat. But even more powerful are the emotions which you share as you glide through the pages like gliding through the water. You sense her anxiety and vulnerability, her regrets and her doubts. She is independent and totally in control of her own destiny in a land where danger lurks in the water, on the land, and in the weather. She misses her family, thinking of her grandkids often. But she also experiences a sense of accomplishment since she is singularly in control. She is one with nature and gains inner peace and tranquility. In the few times she interacts with others, she is met with caring and sincerity, developing friendships and getting to know them better and deeper than one would in a "normal" setting. Unlike her short-time paddling companion, Don Starkell, who seemed to approach the trip as a task--as he against the elements--she embraces the elements and forms a synergy. She doesn't oppose the land, water, weather, or situations, she lets them work for her with finesse. And even when face to face with a grizzly and having a shotgun which could have been a more certain outcome, she chose a flare gun at the grizzly's feet. Maybe she's a paddling grandmother, but she's also an inspiration to all.

The LIBRARY AT NIGHT is an ideal blend of contemplation and observation, of thought and history. With chapters that read like short stories it is accessible to the 'not enough time" as to the "google stupidized" reader. A great gift for any librarian, or reader of books. Books in history . . . back to the shelves. Leaves the reading feeling like he's just left a scene from The Ninth Gate.

The Library At Night is the first book I have read by Alberto Manguel. I can say now, after completing it earlier today, that I am looking forward to reading other selections that this author has written.

I was not quite sure what to expect from this book, from simply reading the title. I could only hope that it would not disappoint and it did not. The book is broken down into 15 chapters. Each of them begins with "The Library As...." You can fill in the blank with such words as "Power," "Myth," "Shadow," and "Chance" (among 11 others). The chapters begin with personal anecdotes from Manguel. We learn a lot about who he is as well as the extent of his personal library. Following the brief reflection, he delves into well-researched historical data that revolve around his chapter topics. The stories he tells flow nicely together and endnotes are provided in the back of the book for further reading. The chapters are quite strong, though I really was expecting more from the last two chapters.

The only negative aspects, and really they aren't negative to all, of this book are Manguel's erudite use of language. He excels at linguistics and I found myself needing a dictionary nearby to help me through the text. Manguel makes many comparisons throughout the text between books, many of which, I had not heard of before. While I was excited about these newly discovered books,at least to me, they are not commonplace. So, yes, this book is written on a somewhat high intellectual level and a portion of its charm is lost by the author speaking over the reader's head.

For those who enjoy reading and perhaps a bibliophile or two, I found this book to be a very pleasant accounting of Manguel's love of books. It caused me to think about the reasons I appreciate books and enjoy those that are well written. Highly recommended.

Alberto Manguel's The Library At Night is a curious confection: ostensibly a love letter to bookishness, it rejoices in collections of books and their owners through many prisms; how they're collected, how they can be arranged (as many different ways as you like), how they represent knowledge, time or space - even how the space they occupy can express the personality or idiosyncrasy of their collector.

It will instantly appeal to those, like me, who aspire to have their own "real" library one day (I am hoping mine evolves from its current status as a mere collection of books on a few dusty shelves, though I don't know - and this is one aspect Manguel doesn't delve into - what it takes for a merely juvenile collection of books to matriculate to a mature library).

Manguel also describes libraries through the content of the books they hold, and his range is eclectic, from Greek poets, Arab philosophers and Jewish philanthropists to Anglo-Saxon fantasists like Shelley and, memorably, Stoker. Each new vista builds a new perspective, but curiously after these multiple shafts of light, while one is well illuminated, the general impression is no more specific than that libraries - physical libraries - are pretty neat and we'd be worse off without them.

Which, for a while, made me ponder what the point of the book really was. After all, who could disagree with that?

But then it occurred to me, as surely it did to Manguel, that *we* could, in the same way we've, collectively, disagreed that it's strictly necessary to have a record collection or a even a television any more. Books may not have succumbed quite so easily to the digital ether as did music or film - yet - but there's no reason to suppose that state of affairs is irreversible, and if dear old Amazon would kindly (!) sort out its Kindle supply chain, we might yet shortly see a precipitous decline.

Manguel's subtext is that this would be a frightful outcome. He is certainly more equivocal about digital libraries than he is about physical ones, and sees the advent of the electronic book as a threat to the legitimacy and, possibly, longevity of his bibliophilia. For what good are batty old books, occupying acres of floor-space, however splendid the architecture, when you can have millions of volumes on a portable hard drive?

This issue Manguel only really addresses obliquely, and many of his arguments to counter this position are fatuous (especially as regards the durability of electronic information). The gating issue will be whether les gens can be persuaded to curl up with a Kindle rather than a book. I haven't seen one yet, so I'm yet to be persuaded, and that question alone might save the library's bacon. But otherwise the digital realm solves many of the drawbacks (like an optimistic computer programmer, I suppose he would call them "features") of physical libraries that Manguel documents, such as their physical space and susceptibility to combustion. Such as their inherent need to be ordered one way, no matter how cleverly, to the exclusion of all others. Such as the extreme limitations they impose on the actual retrieval of information (imagine how powerful it would be to be able to Google search the text of an entire library. With a digital library, you can).

All told, Manguel adopts a narrow concept of the value of a library, suitable for dinner parties and night time expeditions, but which won't be familiar to the younger generation who have grown up with Google. Though I am sure he would hotly dispute it, I suspect Manguel would emphasise the space, spirit and idiosyncrasy of a library over its actual, textual content; he would accentuate the intellectual statement a library makes over the intellectual statements contained within it; he would value a book's spine as much as he would the pages bound by it. There is a place for that view - to a certain degree, I share it: I like visitors to my house to see my collection of books, which one day may be a library, and I don't expect them to open any of them.

But when using it in anger, when studying or writing; when I need to quickly find what I am looking for, my physical collection can irritate me intensely. At those points - real ones for genuine scholars, you would think - Manguel's cosy view seems Luddite and hopelessly outdated. For professional library users - as opposed to literate bon vivants - the Google revolution will bring only positive change to what used to be a rather painful and time-consuming endeavour.

Whilst this remains a heartfelt and warmly written elegy, it remains likely that, before long, its subject will be a bygone age. We will have to find new ways to represent our learning. The web is already generating them: perhaps Alberto Manguel should set aside his scepticism and sign up to LibraryThing, and catalogue his books there. Wonders never cease.

Olly Buxton

Alberto Manguel has produced a romantic history of libraries which incorporates their best feature: the ability to wander down hitherto unsuspected byways and make new discoveries, often winding up far from your original objective but still satisfied by what you have found instead. This is a discursive history of libraries through various categories: Myth, Order, etc. with fascinating essays for each. Those who love reading and libraries will learn much history and philosophy and will recognize in Manguel a kindred spirit and friend.

This book was the right message at the right time in my life. If you've ever experienced the "mess and mystery of life" and asked "Where is God in this?!" or if you're like me, "Okay, God, what in the world was I supposed to learn from that?!"... you'll find a kindred spirit in these pages.

The tone of the book is so far from 10 ways to fix your life, or why aren't you more spiritual... More like - here's some of the mess and mystery I've encountered, and these are the questions I'm asking. Let me share what I'm learning through all of this - surprise! There's beauty to be found amidst the chaos! She expresses herself so beautifully, I agree with the other reviewer, I wanted to read more.

Carolyn definitely has a gift. She is able to share her life with us and its relation to God. It doesn't provide all the answers, but great insite from someone who has lived her life. Life is a mystery. Just asking the questions, leave us with a feeling that there are answers and faith in God can reveal them. I recommend it to anyone to help them understand their life and relationship with God.

Carolyn's music has always asked the questions and done so eloquently. Oh me, of little faith...I still figured she must've had a collaborator on this project.

A few days ago, my wife and I saw Carolyn perform some of her music and read portions from this new book. She was poignant and humble, funny and quick-witted, and she answered questions from the audience with the same honesty and vocabulary of the book.

This book's for real. And that's the point...

Carolyn lets her questions and struggles rise to the surface, lets us see her fears and failures and the way she's dealt with God in regards to such things. Through humorous and heart-touching chapters, she peels back the facade so many feel pressured to live behind, and shows us that God can handle our doubts. No, the answers may not always come easily, but the lines of communication are not disconnected by our struggles.

I've read Anne Lamott--who, due to her harsher upbringing, may be more than a little shockingly honest for most Christians--and have enjoyed Phillip Yancey's writing, too. Carolyn Arends finds a happy medium by delivering road-tested wisdom in an always reverent manner.

"Living the Questions" is a rare gem in a world of syrupy feel-goods and fakey Pharisee smiles. Here, the real Answer shines through.

Singer/songwriter Carolyn Arends shows her versatility by authoring this book, and a fine first effort it is. Similar ground has been covered before by others (Philip Yancey, John Fischer, etc.) but Carolyn writes from the perspective of her own life experiences. Questions and doubts are part of any honest Christian's life, and Arends shares honestly about the uncertainties and fears in her own life, as an artist, wife, and mother. She shows much promise as an author, and it will be interesting to see her growth in this area over the years (although I'm afraid I'll have to pass on her next book, since it is geared toward pregnant women!!)

There are times when you finish reading a book not because you want to, but more out of a feeling that you "have to." Then there are those books that you don't want to end. Each page keeps getting better and better, leaving you wanting more.

"Living the Questions: Making Sense of the Mess and Mystery of Life," is such a book. Carolyn Arends' writing is poignant, tender and funny. She is an incredible story teller and has a way of making her story, her journey, seem very much like your own. Each story will leave you saying, "Wow," or "Incredible," under your breath. I don't think "gifted writer" is a fitting description of Carolyn's talents. Somehow even those words don't live up to the depth and breadth of Carolyn's abilities.

I finished this book in two days and promptly got copies for several friends and relatives. This is a book that you immediately want to buy for someone else. Once you read it, you'll understand what I mean. And when you finish it you'll be telling others...

"It's an awesome read!"

I was so engrossed by this book. Not only is it a fabulous story of a relationship between a child and young man and a story of survival under extreme conditions, but also an indictment of the Myanmar regime, as the author interviewed some who had been imprisoned by the generals and incorporated that information in the book. While hard to read at times, because of the imprisonment descriptions, the book is beautifully written and totally captivating.

Karen Connelly is a superb author, she brings both skilled craftsmanship of story-telling, and a penetrating evaluation of the human soul that soars beyond the confines of the cage. We live in a world where we are all connected, and, it is critical in a time where we cannot save Teza, or other cruel victims of repression - that we remember. The story of Teza is replayed in Burma every day, but as well, in far too many places in our world. We cannot save all victims of terror - but - thanks to Karen Connelly, we can at least not forget - we can keep them in mind, we can share the feelings of their terror, and rejoice in her story that reminds us that the human spirit can overcome both terror and the cage. Until Burma is free, until there are no more victims of repression, at least let us remember Teza's soul and spirit and song, as taught to us by Karen Connelly. You will as well be rewarded by discovering as incredible new author.

If you're interested in getting both a historical and emotional understanding of what's happening in Burma (Myamar, as the generals have named it), then THE LIZARD CAGE is a must read. It will not only help you understand why it is so difficult to get aid into the country after the tragic hurricane, but it will also inspire you the way THREE CUPS OF TEA has done.
However, even if you don't care about the effects of the hurricane on the long-suffering Burmese people, you will want to read this book for its fine imagery, meticulous characterization, and exploration of humanity and compassion. It's a classic, great novel along the lines of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. (Yes, it really is that well-written).
The Laguna Book-Worm

This book is amazing. I think we owe a great debt to Karen Connelly for writing this novel which eloquently exposes the brutality of the military regime in Burma while celebrating the beauty of Burmese culture, food and buddhism. This book is a great contribution and has the potential to entertain through its strong writing and story line while educating readers about the reality of life in Burma. On a grand scale, Connelly has found a way to write beautifully and inspiringly about humanity with all its darkness, flaws, hope and gentleness. Well Done!

This is one of the most compelling and haunting stories I've ever read, and I've read a LOT! I would say that this is in my top 20 all time favorites. If you have ever read Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, then you will understand what this book is about. No matter how desperate, how demeaning, how hopeless the situation, you are always free to choose your attitude. The author, Karen Connelly, can magnify even the most insignificant detail into an entire day's focus for the main character. Very Zen. You will not soon forget this book once you've read it.

I have used this book since 1992, both as a student and as a provider. My past editions have been well thumbed through and open imediately to the charts I used most. It is invaluable in the decision making process of changing pills or starting OCPs. The ability to safely manage side effects and fine tune women's health is found in this book. I highly recommend this to the student and experienced practitioner. Well worth the money, many times over. Not sure I would want it in a PDA format.

I daily use this handbook in my practice and have bought every edition since the 7th. Every question is answered. Allows sense to be made of oral contraceptive choice and adjustment without relying on big pharma's propaganda.

This book has clear guidelines for prescribing oral contraceptive agents. It provides a section on bothersome side effects, causal factors and options. The section on contraceptive activity is good as is the composition and identification section. Very helpful, easy to use and it takes the guesswork out of oral contraception.

Consistent in it's format, easy to use,concise and up to date. Recommended to all medical personnel managing patients on oral contraceptives. I have purchased the last three editions over the last 7 years and have not been disappointed.

An excellent reference guide and teaching text for every clinician who has a personal relationship with patients of reproductive age. The book fits in a lab coat pocket and has a unique design, which enables the user to find critical information quickly and easily. It is strongly recommended to physicians, residents, nurse practitioners and all other medical professionals in an OB/GYN clinic or teaching hospital. The 11th edition includes the new patch, ring and all new pills available 9/02.

An excellent book. From Brazil, I am able to confirm the magnificent dancers. I owned a northern dancer's grandson.
Congratulations to the author.

Fernando A. T. Távora
Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

Northern Dancer by Muriel Lennox is a vibrant narrative which portrays a fascinating era with emphasis on a mesmerizing focus of the horses as well as the peripheral people! If you enjoy equine sagas or simply appreciate fine writing, this superlative volume will capture your interest and imagination!

As a horse trainer and owner I have found this book very interesting and entertaining.

This book is very well written and informative. As well as the life-story of this remarkable animal it provides an insight into the history and workings of the racing industry. At times it brought a tear to my eye! I have a Northern Dancer horse and I look at him with a new dimension of knowledge.

Although I was not old enough to remember Northern Dancer, he was won of the greatest thoroughbreds of this century. Not only in racing its self, but as one of the most influencial stallions of our time. This book allows everyone who knew of The Dancer to remember him. To either help the people to remanise of his great life as they saw him in '64, or for some, to learn of his great accomplishments, and not so golden moments that they never got a glimpse of. But the one thing this book gives everyone, is to learn of the real Northern Dancer. His 'misfit' life as a yearling, his great character and temperment, and his relationship with the people most close to him. He touched alot of people and still does. He is the greastest Canadian horse to step on any track and probibly ever will. Muriel Lenox did I great job in revieling Northern Dancer to us. Her words made me chill when he won the Derby, feel dispair when he lost the Belmont and cry when he died in 1990. But I would like to thank Muriel for what she gave me, a real look at the life of my favorite horse of all time. Northern Dancer will always be a great horse, not only as a horse himself;but as well as his legacy. Such stallions like Storm Cat, Danzig,Nureyev, Nijinsky II and so many more are leaving the Dancer mafk on racing today. This is a great book and at is a must read for any horse lover or fan of racing.

I feel that this book is a very well written book. It has pictures that follow the plot of the book and this helps younger children. I know that many children would relate well to this book because they do not like to see their toys locked up in a box. When I read this book it reminded me of when I was younger and I had a bear that got put in a box and I went and got it! So I feel that this is a good book to read to younger children from toddlers to third graders.

One day, Bramwell Brown remembers his friend Old Bear who was put away in the attic. Bramwell and the other stuffed animals decide to get him back.

What follows is a series of failed attempts to reach the attic until finally one succeeds and the toys are united.

I like this story because it does show the process of thinking through a problem as well as perseverance (even when Duck thinks there is no hope). As with many children's books there are a few logic problems, but overall it reads very well.

Look for the other Little Bear stories as well.

"I knew it was going to be a special day." said Bramwell Bear to himself. -Duck, Rabbit, Little Bear, and Bramwell Bear struggle to capture their long lost, and forgotten friend, Old Bear. Old Bear has been stored in the attic for a while because the children played roughly with him.

Old Bear's friends are really caring friends, especially Little Bear, my favorite character. Little Bear climbs from the airplane into the attic and recovers Old Bear. -True friendship.

I remember reading this book plenty of times 11 years ago, and always treasuring it. If you like cute books with good illustrations and a group of brave, loving stuffed animals, you should read this book!

From the first day I brought this book home, my daughter has loved it. "Old Bear" was one of the first phrases she said. This book teaches that by trying new ideas and working together, you can accomplish anything. It's a wonderful life lesson for toddlers, with captivating drawings and warm, loveable characters. I would highly recommend this book, along with any others by Jane Hissey, to all parents.

Every morning our eighteen month old daughter starts the day by exclaiming 'Old Bear!' - the cue that one of us must read it with her without further ado. If it's not left in her cot at night, she often says, 'Oh dear, Old Bear?'. In short this book really wins the toddler vote. Our toddler learnt how to wobble by reading this. She also learnt the meaning of 'sad'. Old bear is a story of lasting friendship, teamwork among stuffed toys, and a daring airborne rescue bid. Contrary to one review, the pictures are not 'sugary-sweet', Our very discerning daughter loves them, and actually, so do I. We have found that we've read the book so often that the words are imprinted in our memories - but amazingly we don't mind. All together now: 'One day the toys were sitting by the window when they remembered their friend Old Bear...'

Victoria Cope's family gets a home child, Marianna Wilson, to help around the house, with Vic's mother carrying a baby and all that. Marianna and Victoria find out where Marianna's brother Jasper is and about him being treated very unfairly by a mean villain, Carl Stone. Before you know it, the whole Cope family is trying their very hardest to save Jasper, to be able to have him in the friendly Cope household. Read this book to find out if they save him and their great adventure hiding him illegally from family outsider.

Orphan at my Door is one of the greatest books of all time.

This was an amazing book! Definately one of the best Dear Canada books. I read it in one day, but the only reason was because I started it in the morning and read it until 1 o'clock in the morning! It was a totally amazing book! Just WOW

My daughter and I were caught up in the suspense, the hopes, the tears. What a beautiful book, again, from Jean Little. My daughter (almost 8) says it is the book ever, and she wants to start back at the beginning and hear it again.

This book is one of the Dear Canada series, which are historical novels, written in diary format, about fictional girls during different periods of Canadian history.

Victoria Cope, who lives in the town of Guelph, Ontario, begins her diary on her eleventh birthday. Because her mother is unwell, her father decides the family will take in a Home Child, an orphan from England, to help with the housework. The girl who joins their household is a small, quiet twelve-year-old named Mary Anna Wilson. Through Victoria's diary, we learn of Mary Anna's plight -- her mother died, and she has been separated from her younger brother and sister. Victoria also tells of the daily life for a young girl in Canada in 1897 and her decision to try and help Mary Anna find her family.

This was the first book I read in the Dear Canada series and I loved it. It was very well written and keep me interested the entire time. The characters of Victoria and Mary Anna were very realistic and likable, and their stories showed how very different life was for rich children and poor children in the late 1800s. This book is still one of my favorites from the series and I'd highly recommend it to young readers who enjoy historical fiction in diary format.

I cannot say enough about Dorothy Dunnett's Series, THEY LYMOND CHRONICLES AND this one from the series THE HOUSE OF NOCCLO. All the books are great reads and I truly loved this one. I am on THE UNICORN HUNT, now and am enjoying it just as much. I will keep reading until I have finished all her books and then find some other good authors. These are filled with terrific characters that just grab you as well as lots of information from history that I am drinking in.

niccolo continues to learn how to use his power, and how to mittigate its impact, as he searches for meaning and love and fun

On this, the third chapter in the Niccolo series, we fin Nicholas has been "kidnapped" by the 'presumptuous' King of Cyprus who is actually trying to recover his kingdom from his sister.

Nicholas is able to help the king and at the same time obtain franchises in his dye works and sugar fields. He meets with Katelina, the mother of his only child, only to lose her once more after they reconcile. Finally, once the island is secure to King Zacco, Nicholas is allowed to return to Venice, where he faces once more his rival family, the de St Pol and Riberac.

In this chapter of the story the author makes great use of description in her scenes and they are so vivid! the characters, the settings everything is so masterfully blended with reality and fiction.

I loved this book and I have already started the fourth chapter. Good!

Ah, the frustrating pleasure of reading a Dorothy Dunnett novel :-) Her writing is dense, her plots are complex, and her characters (especially the male ones, which IMO are infinitely easier to like than the female ones) are nothing short of psychological studies. Often, while reading this book, I felt like I was way in over my head. And yet, I kept going, and the reward of Dunnett's writing, and her story, are well worth the effort, in my view.

In this third part of the eight-part Niccolo series, Nicholas is kidnapped and taken to Cyprus to fight with King James for control of the island, against his legitimate half-sister Carlotta. We meet the engaging courtesan Primaflora, who becomes Nicholas's mistress. We also see some old friends, such as Tobias the physician and Captain Astorre and the faithful Loppe. We meet Nicholas's cousin Diniz, and are reacquainted with the vengeful Katelina van Borselen.

But the vortex, as always, is the dynamic, ingenius, amazing Nicholas vander Poele. In this chapter of the story, we see how Nicholas deals with the stress of so many demands. We see how he deals with the love of two women whom he does not love in return, and the guilt associated with that. We follow him as he tries to play two sides (and sometimes more) of a dangerous game, all so that he can come out the winner. Nicholas is difficult to understand, but fascinating to read about. And in Race of Scorpions, Dunnett ensures that readers will not fail to follow him into his next adventure.

This is the third book in the House of Niccolo series. We join Nicholas as he is trying to move to a new stage of his life after the tumultuous events of Trebizond. Alas, Nicholas and his skills are too well known and he is being courted by many while still being hunted by his enemies.

During this particular journey, Nicholas becomes involved in the battle for Cyprus between the Lusignan 'Scorpions' Carlotta and James. At the same time, Nicholas becomes involved in all manner of affairs and events and also discovers some truths along the way.

Highly recommended. Lady Dunnett brings the history of this period alive while at the same time continuing to develop an enigmatic hero whose skills and abilities (and possibly an occasional flaw) are magnificently showcased.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is a great primer for researchers. Basic research techniques are explained and detailed. Lots of tips and tricks. Some of the techniques are a little too detailed like how to compose a letter and create a manual filing system but all in all a very worthwhile book. Also some of the information is a bit dated but most of it is timeless. I'm certain that I'll be referring to it for many years to come.

This book was purchased as a textbook for a research class. Had I known this valuable and helpful information, much of my past research time would have been shortened and to the point. Especially great is the rational behind the suggestions and the reviews of important points.

Everyone seems to agree that this book is the standard text in genealogical research. The reason for this is the inclusion of sufficient detail to be useful without sacrificing scope and breadth of coverage. Prior editions gave short shrift to the computer revolution in genealogy. The third edition remedies this. Why not five stars? The writing fails to inspire. Granted this is a textbook on a sometimes dry and technical topic. The author also provides the right approach to the topic by focusing on story telling, basic research and avoiding beginners pitfalls. But I am still looking for the genealogy book that takes the topic to a high level. Genealogy is not just about correct principles, accurate research or even the stories that Val Greenwood encourgages us to write. Genealogy is about identity, individual, familial and national. If we are satisfied merely to explore our curiosity and to get the facts straight, then this is a dead science. No one seems more qualified than Val Greenwood to lead us into this deeper meaning. Perhaps a next edition or thinner separte volume will take us there.

Since its first edition in 1972, and especially with the completely revised and greatly expanded 2nd edition in 1990, this comprehensive work has become the standard guide and textbook in the pursuit of U.S. genealogical research. Beginning with the background to research -- what "research" actually means, specialized terminology, basic principles, library fundamentals, and all the rest -- Greenwood teaches you, with great clarity and many examples, how to identify what information you need, how to go about locating it, and how to organize it once you've found it. The second, much larger part of the book, leads the reader through the use, analysis, and interpretation of all the major sorts of documents and records out there: Compiled sources (including a discussion of the nature of compilations), vital records, census returns, wills and probate records (and how to become comfortable with legal terminology), local and federal land records, civil and criminal court records, church records, records relating to immigration, military records, and cemetery and burial records. He discusses the nature of abstracting, clears up common misconceptions about court records, points out the limitations of the census, and presents a largely rewritten discussion of the standards of evidence. When the 2nd edition came out a decade ago, the author thought his book would probably never need another major revision, just minor updates. But that was before the personal computer and Internet revolutions forced him to rethink his position, and this edition includes an entirely new and rather lengthy chapter on the appropriate use of the computer in genealogical research and also on its built-in limitations. He also took the opportunity to add a chapter on the legal issues relating to women's property rights, and (of course) made all those minor corrections and updates he had expected. Bluntly, if you can afford only one how-to book for your home genealogy shelf, get this one.

An excellent reference recommended for libraries building basic collections on genealogy. Val Greenwood's Researcher's Guide To American Genealogy, 3rd Edition provides important updated links between computers and genealogical research, including chapters on property rights of women, new insights on the evaluation of genealogical evidence, and updated information on the 1020 census.