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It's easier than you think!Review Date: 2008-02-29
Great guideReview Date: 2003-02-07
The feeding guide is garden and plant focused (rather than the typical hanging birdfeeder type focus) with the idea of using native plantings to attract and feed birds. Purchased seed options are rarely mentioned.
As organized and helpful as the individual page layouts are, the overall organization of the book is lacking. The reader is forced to browse through all 64 birds in the directory section to find what is being sought since the birds are not listed in any particular order. The book's lack of regional focus is also limiting and reduces the number of relevant entries to about 30 if you live in New Jersey, for example.
The final section of the book is a plant directory which is organized alphabetically by scientific name. The section includes photos and general cultural guidelines for plants that will shelter and feed the birds previously discussed. A list of "Birds Attracted" within the individual plant descriptions is a nice cross-reference with the bird directory section.
The dichotomy of the book should not put you off - it is clearly written and useful despite its overall lack of organization. There is no doubt it is valuable for creating a native, bird-friendly garden.
A Wealth of Good InformationReview Date: 1998-12-03
Fantastic book!Review Date: 2002-08-10

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A charming and delightful novel by the author of FRANGIPANIReview Date: 2006-10-28
BREADFRUIT, which was originally published first, features nearly everyone from FRANGIPANI, but the plot focuses on Materena's desire to marry. Most Tahitians don't have a need to marry, but there are a few weddings here and there, and Materena is deep down envious when she sees those newlyweds speeding off in Mama Teta's wedding car. When Pito (in a drunken state) asks Materena to be his wife, she cannot contain herself. It's too good to be true (and it is). She begins planning and researching what she needs to get ready for her big wedding day. In between her planning, life goes on.
As in FRANGIPANI, BREADFRUIT is a series of chapters that takes snippets of Materena's life with anecdotes and stories about various people in her family. The stories, told in a very casual, chatty manner --- as is Materena's way --- are funny, often hilarious and sometimes sentimental. There's the incident with the carpet that her cousin Lily was to give away to Materena, and Materena uses it to give her house a new look. (Unfortunately the carpet is a vibrant green.) There's the time when she is asked to appear in court because she and her children were caught trespassing on private property. (The reader finds out later that she was actually taking her kids swimming next to the airport, running across the runway because she felt it was safer to do that than cross a busy street). Then there is Materena's attempt to buy a new bed, and her visit with her mother to her grandmother's grave. They argue over where Materena will be buried --- next to her own mami or next to her husband (in another town).
This is yet another charming novel by Celestine Vaite. She's the first native Tahitian to win the "Prix litteraire des etudiants" (for BREADFRUIT). Readers will get the feel of what it's like to live in a rural Tahitian village, where hardly anyone has a washing machine, many are unemployed, and it's the women who seem to rule with a heavy stick. Materena herself is a professional house cleaner, but she's proud of her children and what she does. Most of all, despite the problems they have, she loves her man Pito and would marry him in a heartbeat. Of course, she has her work cut out for her, trying to get Pito to own up to his original marriage proposal.
--- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton [...]
Put this news out on the coconut radioReview Date: 2006-09-14
"Breadfruit" is the tale of Tahitian woman, mother, and professional cleaner Materena Mahi. It is the middle book in a trilogy about this heroine. The first book is "Frangipani" and the expected third will be "Tiare". In this book, Materena is proposed to by her man Pito after thirteen years and three children together. She does not take this drunken proposal too seriously, but it gets her thinking about marriage and how she would like to have a ring on her finger and a marriage certificate on the wall.
Author Celestine Vaite writes knowingly about Tahitian people and their ways as only someone who has had personal experience could. She was born and grew up in Tahiti. She fell in love with an Australian surfer at age sixteen, whom she married and followed to Australia where they now live with their four children.
The story follows Materena as she broods over the thought of a wedding in silence. This is not something she wants to put out on the "coconut radio", the local term for the gossip chain. In this small Tahitian village, Materena is constantly running into streams of cousins, aunts, and other friends and relatives. The book links all of the stories they remember and share as they pass each other on the street or visit in each other's homes.
Vaite's writing style is simple and perfectly portrays the lifestyle of these Tahitian villagers. My favorite part is the cultural lesson you get in a fun way. She throws in native words and phrases among the English in a way that makes it possible to understand their meaning instantly. The names of the characters and Tahitian words are so different and sing-songy, I was tempted to read the book aloud to really get into the flow.
"Breadfruit" was great as a stand alone book, but now that I know there are more I am eager to read the first and third starring Materena and her family. This funny and fast-paced love story was a wonderful summer read. As Materena would say, "Ah oui girlfriend, pick up a copy today!"
A laugh-out-loud, feel-good novel!Review Date: 2006-08-30
Materena and the father of her three children, Pito, have lived together on the island of Tahiti for fourteen years, but marriage has been nowhere on the horizon. One night, in a drunken stupor, Pito finally proposes to Materena. Materena is thrilled and wastes no time imagining her perfect wedding: pricing a chocolate cake and a wedding chauffeur and eyeing a luxurious new bed for a wedding gift.
But after fourteen years is Pito what she really wants? And was he even truly proposing? Materena fantasizes about her perfect wedding, all the while wondering if she's just letting her heart overwhelm reality.
Meanwhile, life on the island stops for no woman and daily dramas keep Materena busy. Cousin Giselle gives birth in a Mercedes, Materena's mother insists on talking to her dead grandmother for hours, and there are the free tiles Cousin Lily is giving away--not to mention the kids. Romance runs rampant throughout Vaite's novel, reinforcing what all women know--that love conquers all and family is the toughest job in the world.
Vaite's novel is populated with quirky characters and tales--like the pink peg Materena's daughter wears to give her a more perfectly pointed nose. The short-short chapters that read like flash fiction emphasize the eccentric, free-flowing attitude of the narrative, and the novel's unusual structure, all allow Vaite to work in more fully developed characters and to play with the sense of time, following back stories where appropriate and the side characters' own romantic dilemmas (did I mention that romance runs rampant?).
While Breadfruit's plot is familiar, its Tahitian setting is exotic and full of colorful language, legends and cultural idiosyncrasies that make the novel glow with a South Pacific charm and pragmatism.
Armchair Interviews says: As the follow-up to her novel Frangipani, Vaite's Breadfruit is a laugh-out-loud, feel-good novel that combines heart, wisdom, and an approachable style that will leave readers anxious for the final installment of Materena's trilogy.
Loved it!Review Date: 2006-10-09
October 8, 2006
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 stars
This is the second book by Celestine Vaite that I've read, and I loved them both. Both books take us into the world of Materena Mahi, a hard working professional cleaner who is raising her two children in Tahiti, with the help (somewhat) of her man, Pito. BREADFRUIT is the story of Materena and her mission to get Pito to fulfill his marriage proposal (of course it doesn't' help that he was drunk when he made the proposition).
Readers will love the antics of Materena and her friends and family, as they get along each day, living in poverty. But their lives don't seem to be that of poor underprivileged people. They are rich in family, and their children, at least Materena's are fulfilling the dreams that the older generation could not. You will laugh and cry along with Materena as she experiences life in Tahiti, surviving as best she can, and making sure the man in her life goes through with that marriage proposal.


Very Enjoyable!Review Date: 2006-08-05
The Biography of Brett HullReview Date: 2006-03-14
GAME WINNING BOOK BY BRETT HULLReview Date: 2004-10-17
This is a great book...Review Date: 1999-10-20

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By Honor BoundReview Date: 2003-06-16
Honor BoundReview Date: 2002-03-11
A wonderful BookReview Date: 2000-03-23
EnjoyableReview Date: 1999-10-14

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Great addition to Civil War scholarship!Review Date: 2005-08-07
Discover Canada's unknown civil war historyReview Date: 2002-03-27
Great addition to Civil War scholarship!Review Date: 2001-08-19
Great addition to Civil War scholarship!Review Date: 2001-08-19

Ariel and her sick grandma make a quilt for a baby.Review Date: 1999-04-16
--Well done and charming story--Review Date: 2006-02-12
THE CANADA GEESE QUILT takes place after World War II in Vermont. The main character is Ariel, a 10-year-old girl who loves being outside and has a natural talent for drawing. She lives on a farm along with her parents and her grandmother. Grandma is a lively lady and a gifted quilter. People around the country and even the world have purchased her wonderful quilts. Ariel shares a lot with her Grandma except for one thing. Ariel hates to sew.
The story begins with Ariel watching the sky as the geese return from colder areas up north. It's one of her delights to see the large flocks of geese in flight. This is also a time of change for the family because they will have a new baby in the fall. Ariel has mixed feelings about the baby and her Grandma decides that the two of them should make a quilt to welcome the little one. Ariel draws the design and her Grandma does all of the sewing.
All is going well until the old lady has a stroke and after weeks in the hospital, she returns home. Grandma can barely speak and when she does, it's hard to understand her. She must now use a cane to support herself when she walks. Ariel doesn't know what to say and even how to act with this lady who is like a shell of her real Grandma. Over time, Grandma and Ariel reach an understanding and decide that they must get back to the quilt, but since her grandmother can't even hold a needle, Ariel must now finish sewing the quilt.
Growing up can be frightening for children when they are faced with all of the changes that come with life. This gentle story handles two situations in a warm and loving way.
This is an excellent book about how families change.Review Date: 1999-10-04
Excellent book dealing with changes in family relationshipsReview Date: 1998-07-29

A solid overviewReview Date: 2007-11-07
Make no mistake, this is a vast topic covering 15.000 years in history and pre-history that had to be shrunk to 560 pages only. Of course there are a few omissions, of course there needed to be some sort of selection of incidents and sources. Most of the author's choice regarding her focus can be understood easily and makes the book a good read.
The only grave criticism of which the author cannot be spared is that at some places Dickason does not sufficiently question her ancient written sources, but rather takes for granted what has been said about amerindian behavioural patterns in the 16th and 17th century.
While this can be attributed to the vast undertaking itsself, it nonetheless may be one wrong approach to sources leading to a perhaps distorted picture of amerindian ancient culture.
One example: "All Iroquoians practised torture and cannibalism"...[56].
While the first can be regarded as proven, sources related to the alledged latter behaviour are definetely not to be taken at face value, as Heidi Peter-Röcher (Kannibalismus in der Prähistorischen Forschung, Studien zu einer paradigmatischen Deutung und ihren Grundlagen.) in her doctoral thesis of 1994 (University FU Berlin) quite convincingly points out.
In fact, as Peter-Röcher succeeded to show, remarks related to cannibalism have to be taken with utmost care. Peter-Röcher goes as far as questioning the existence of such a practise in history at all and relates that there is not one single case in history when such a practise has been positively witnessed, that is neurotic missionaries - themselves living under a constant threat of getting slain - made up these stories of "Gog and Magog" in order to illustrate their braveness among the barbarians, to put it short.
Despite these flaws Canada's First Nations is a solid piece of work well worth the time it takes to read it.
An Encyclopedia of Canadian NativesReview Date: 2006-02-03
Northern people's historyReview Date: 2003-04-14
She deals with four periods: the pre-colonial era, the colonial, the 19th & mid-20th century, and the end of 20th century.
Her pre-colonial history is often speculative, since there are no written records, but much can be determined from oral tradition and archeological finds. For instance, the Iroquois confederacy was established shortly before the French landed in the mid-16th century; North America housed a diversity of distinct nations; many Amerindians cultures lived in permanent settlements; west coast nations had developed explicit property rights and had a system of land entitlement.
The colonial era was one of co-operation and alliances between the Ameridians and the Europeans settlers and soldiers. The Europeans brought their wars and diseases with them, while the First Nations brought their wars too. The partnership was equal and the First Nations on the winning side benefitted, at least until the 19th century.
From the 19th century onwards however, White rule has much to answer for. The diseases of the colonial era were brought inadvertently, but not so the 19th century land grab, or the disastrous assimilation attempts of the 20th century.
The end of the 20th century has seen a revival of Amerindian self-government. The First Nations have begun using Western institutions to their advantage. In the 1980's Elijah Harper, then member of Manitoba's provincial parliament, single-handedly, and rather heroically, derailed a Canadian constitutional accord (Lake Meech) which failed to address First Nations concerns. Earlier in the 1970s, the First Nations successfully negotiated with Hydro Quebec and created the precedent that their agreement was needed for development on their lands.
Overall, an excellent reference.
A Great Contribution to Canadian Popular HistoryReview Date: 2000-06-15

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Great SourceReview Date: 2005-07-27
(...)
Timely, valuable information sourceReview Date: 2003-03-13
Canadian Pharmacies-U.S. PrescriptionsReview Date: 2003-03-10
Savings on Prescription Drugs for Those Most in Need!Review Date: 2003-03-10

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Canuck Chicks & Maple Leaf MamasReview Date: 2002-11-03
If you are (or know) a Canadian woman, this book is for youReview Date: 2002-11-04
The cover got... the content kept me!Review Date: 2002-11-15
I LOVE this book!!! I AM CANADIAN!Review Date: 2004-06-15

Carnivorous PlantsReview Date: 2008-02-05
ExcellentReview Date: 2002-07-23
Excellent field guide to North American carnivorous plantsReview Date: 2003-05-19
The pictures included are mostly excellent, showing the plants in habitat when possible, instead of just using cultivated plants. And although the distribution maps may be a bit dated, they are helpful to understand the general areas where the plants might be found. Also, included with each section is some basic cultivation advice that I've found very helpful.
This isn't a book for a novice grower of carnivorous plants, but rather for someone who's been growing them for a while and wants more information on their native habitats and environments, as well as more technical information on each plant. An excellent book.
Lends to easy use by lay gardeners as well as researchersReview Date: 2002-08-08
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One pleasant surprise was how easy it change my boring backyard in an older suburb into a haven for many species of birds. A lot of the plants mentioned in the book were already there, including some I had planned to remove until I read this book. I gradually added many more bird-friendly plants, including a prairie garden which finches seem to love. The result was almost magical-the more things I planted, the more birds showed up! Another bonus was that if you have enough plants that birds like, you can get rid of conventional bird feeders-just give them a natural supply of food, and a birdbath or other water source, and you will be amazed at how many bird species you will see-all in your own back (or front) yard!