Idaho Books

DEADLY CONFIDANTE was a mesmerizing read, as the characters involved in this tragic tale were depicted so well. We could appreciate the emotional aspects of the individuals through in-depth research by the author into each of the individual's pasts, day-to-day lives, and relationships with one another. This factual crime was riveting due to the research and writing of the author.

Badly written, loose on facts to the point of approaching fiction and completely unsupported by evidence to a degree that would be hilarious if it were not so tragic--what more can one say? Some may be looking for Robin Row's story, which has received little public space. But they won't find it here. The author was so careless in her research that some biographical details discussed in this book are not even attached to the right person!

This book appears to be the product of some sort of subsidy or vanity press. Certainly it does not merit the attention of anything better. Or the time of a reader seeking anything than to be confused.

I could not put this book down. Nancy Poore is a superb writer who kept me glued. I had the pleasure to meet with Nancy at a book signing and learned about the huge amount of research and interviews she conducted in order to put this work together. And then she added her unique writing gifts to construct a book that I have recommended to others and have gifted several times.

Whether you're a true-crime or crime-fiction fan you'll enjoy this from beginning to end.

This book grabbed me from the moment I picked it up. Nancy Whitmore Poore definitely did her homework in depicting the chilling facts surrounding this tragic story, helping the reader get inside the mind of a sociopath and showing us the wreckage left behind for the trusting individuals that opened their hearts and homes to Robin Lee Row. An excellent read.

I found this book to be a compelling read, most difficult to put down. I had thought it would be bogged down in mundane details, but rather found it to be fascinating, albeit horrifying, as it built a most convincing case of brutal, cold-blooded, multiple murders.

The author ends with a chilling revelation indicating who might well have been destined to be the next victims if there had been no conviction.

Idaho's Price by E. Harris opens with a couple of young men, Malone and Gabe, baling hay. This intro scene did the trick in setting up a sense of tedium and boredom for the lead character, Malone.

Right around the time I was thinking "is this going anywhere?" a humorous bit of dialog was infused, with Jazz as the instigator. Then back to the ho-hum sense of the hay-baling world, according to Malone.

I took from this piece the author's attempt to reflect Malone's feelings, rather present direct insight through Malone's thoughts. Even with that, I would have expected more of the descriptive language to reflect whatever sense of oppression or boredom or ambition Malone felt. The setting descriptions, though authentic feeling, lacked emotion; they almost read like coffee table book captions. Maybe Malone is a super simple man and that's the aim of this book, to present the story in a flat and even tone.

The writing itself was clean and fluid, and there parts of good humor, but otherwise I wasn't feeling the tension/frustration that may have been plaguing Malone and prompting him to seek work at MoMart.

I can hear the men talking out on the hot hayfield, stomping those 'barking spiders' and joking about the grossest thing to buy at the store. It's hotter than hot and water isn't going to quench it, but salt of the earth crews like these get the hay crops in so cattle can have feed--and this beef-loving nation can get fed.

I've never been haying, but I have friends who did it for a living every summer and this excerpt rings true with their language and what I know of haying country. This is the real stuff and the hard stuff and the work's to be admired.

There are portions of this excerpt that are funny--probably more so to folks who have been there or know folks who have. They're also a glimpse for the cityfolks into how others' live.

Earl Harris can definitely write and he's got a heartland voice and humor to go with. I think the one thing I'd suggest is for him to condense the best part of the first two chapters, have something happen at the end of that first portion, and get Malone to the MoMart.

I actually cannot wait to read about this farm-boy turned retailer. It's going to be interesting to see how he handles the hustle and the air conditioning and while there's no cow manure in a megastore, there's plenty of stench nonetheless.

This promises to be a very good story and I think it could have some salable potential if Mr. Harris could keep the humor and write a grabber that would get the city-raised editors and agents interested. I definitely enjoyed the laughter and the good humor and thank Mr. Harris for a trip to the hayfield.

The language and tone to the story is great. The reader really gets a sense of who these guys are and what working on this farm is like. The writing and details are authentic and that goes a long way for setting up a story and keeping it going. I also really like the synopsis and think this story will be a fun read all the way through. The author sets up an original and interesting character in Ed Malone. There are some grammar and spelling mistakes throughout, though, and this story could use a finetuning by an editor.

This is a well written story with a feel for the elements. You can sense the hay, hear the tractor and feel the dust. The characters are believable, too, and could be from farms anywhere in the US. The story, about a young man getting off the farm and into retail is also a story of relevance and interest. It is happening every day in this country as young men try to "work up" to something better. I enjoyed the excerpt, and wanted to see where it would head from here.

I liked the introduction to the farming world, and the character development of those working the farm. Earl is a good writer and his novel idea is very apropos to society today, especially in the Pacific Northwest. My only regret is that in this excerpt we didn't get to the meat of the tale, Ed's time at "Mo-Mart". I'm sure his experiences in this large chain store are sure to make for a funny story, and Earl seems very capable of writing it.

This book was given to me by a dear freind almost 30 years ago. I loved it then and still refer to it now. Anytime I needed to know anything about "how to" I'd look here first. Carla tells you how to do almost anything, and if she doesn't know a lot about something, she seeks out others with more experience. I appreciate her honest approch in writing the book. She never claims to be an expert, but tells you what has worked for her. Her intent seems to be to pass along the knowledge that has taken years for her and her freinds to accumulate.
This was my bible while raising 5 boys. It even helped with their homework occasionally. I learned skills and saved money by doing things myself. I would highly recomend this book to anyone who wants to be more self sufficient and wants to know more about country living.

There are many glaring omissions and erroneous facts in this book, the most appalling is her example of how to plow. If you were to plow in the manner she describes, you will end up with a dyke around your field. As a farmer in the Red River Valley of Minnesota, we do not use chisel plows in the spring as she mentions. In my opinion, one error discredits the entire book. The authors even admits periodically that she has published mistakes.
Try "Storey's Basic Country Skills" or the "Modern Homestead Manual" instead.

I have no intention of ever living in the country, or following in Ms. Emery's footsteps. I write historical fiction. Anytime that I need to know ANYTHING about the crafts and ways of rural life, I turn to "Encyclopedia of Country Living." The explanations are clear and to the point and the book and index are well organized, so that it is simple to find the information you need. This is an invaluable aid to anyone undertaking a rural life style and is equally useful to researchers like me.

This is one of my most useful books. I LOVE it! I remember when my son shot his first deer, I grabbed this book and my umbrella, as it was misting rain, and joined him in our field. I read to him step by step how to field dress the deer from my Encyclopedia of Country Living. It was a total success. Being a city girl and moving to the country after getting married, it was most helpful. I learned to garden, can vegetables, and raise goats and chickens with the help Carla's book. In the winter I enjoy just curling up under a warm blanket and reading this book. I recommend it to everyone, city or country!!!

I owned this book years ago, I remember seeing ms. Emery on a talk show promoting her book in an old car with kids and all. Over the years, and moving around I lost the book and now am planning to buy it again. I hope the new edition is as good or better. Living in the country again and on a very limited income,Im sure I will benefit again from the book, it was fun trying to find things of the land to try out and experiment ( to eat) It,s not a book for all, but if u know someone who is tired of the rat race and is going to survive as much as possible off the land and small scale farming and gardening this is the book for them.

An interesting style, detailed and absorbing for a short story. But too short for a story. Some of the short stories are very different, with a new perspective of social issues, but mostly recording sad incidents in a deep way.

Amongst the many authors in the Inland Northwest, Urusla Hegi seems to stand out more than the rest and this early collection of short stories clearly shows us how. By using love as her main theme Hegi indulges the minds of her readers in touching stories like the one about a girl disobeying all the rules at a nuns'academy just so she could go back and live with her mother.The story about a woman trying to escape the fact that her father is dying and the story about a woman, who finally plucks up the courage to see her daughter's room after she has been dead for some time. This is all encompassed by Ursula Hegi in varying extents and degrees ranging from comic to utterly tragic. This collection of short stories is truly one that a Hegi fan should keep in his or her own collection for years to come.

Ursula Hegi known for Stones from the River, in this book writes bits of other lives.

WHAT POSSIBILITIES: In each of these smidgens of a life, you can see the past, present and future. There is a whole life in all of these short stories.

POWER OF THE WRITER: These stories step you into lives either vastly different that your own, or incredibly familiar, and show how alike we really all are. What these stories do show you, is how powerfully elegant Ursula Hegi is as a writer, to be able to do this.

EACH STORY IS CAPTIVATING IN ITS OWN WAY: Each of these stories could be a novel in its own right. In fact that is the only complaint I have, is that I wanted more. It was evident each story was complete in its own right, but on the same token, you wanted to follow the writer's thoughts so you could see how things ended up. Many stories were very introscpective, as much of Ms. Hegi's work is. All related a feeling of belonging, betrayal, concern, happiness, etc. These weren't so much spelled out, but you experienced them as you read the stories.

INTERESTING WAYS OF TELLING A STORY: I found several of the stories very compelling. One was by a person that was struggling with the wandering mind of a high fever. Another was of a jilted bride that attended stranger's wedding in her wedding finery, to insure their good fortune. In both of these stories, initially you don't know what's going on. The fog of the central character is over your eyes as well. Marvelous writing.

This is a short book that makes you wish for more.

Fantastic job.

This was a worthwhile and enjoyable enough collection of short stories; most of them revolve around what seems to be the female equivalent of midlife crisis. Ideally, I would have rated this book 3.5, but I can't justify giving it a 4. The stories are interestingly told and emotionally sharp. They tend to leave something wanting, however.

A collection of essays written straight forward and in the abstract years before Floating in My Mother's Palm and Stones From the River, Ursula Hegi's Unearned Pleasures gives the reader a smorgasbord of tasty treats for the mind. Tina's room, a story of a young mother's coming to grips with the loss of her infant daughter left my scalp tingling when I finished reading it. Some stories are better than others but most have the vivid imagery that Hegi has become noted for.

I just want to say it was an honor and privilege to work on such a wonderful project with my mentor David Stoecklein. Thank you to all those who helped during production and post production of this book (and those who have purchased a copy or two:). I am very proud of the book and had a wonderful time discovering what Idaho and the environment are all about. I hope this book inspires you to go outside and explore the wonderful state of Idaho. Idaho is a very special state! Enjoy the book and please don't forget to protect the environment. Enjoy the outdoors - Tight Lines. - rra

I first purchased a copy of this book directly from the photographer in our local town! After paging through and getting caught up in the beautiful images, I ended up ordering 6 more on amazon as gifts for friends and coworkers! Some recipients were avid fly fisherman, some were just learning the skill, and others simply appreciated the beautiful pictures and artistic eye of Randolph Ashton. Admittedly I am not the fisherman of the family, but after chatting with the author (a sweet guy with a sincere passion for his work) and enjoying the book with many, I can highly reccomend this product- you won't be dissappointed!

This is the only book that I have ever returned to Amazon for a credit. I was hoping for something that my husband, who is an avid fly fisherman, and had fished most of the places that were filmed, would find familiar pools, and terrain. The colors were so vibrant, absolutely nothing looked natural. Perhaps if it were considered an art book, it would please some.

As a fly fishing author and photographer myself, I keep pretty close track of the competition. Randolph Ashton has shot to the top of the pack with his stunning shots of his home waters in Idaho.
Will Rice

This book was impossible to put down. It is an absorbing novel set in (apparently) early 1900s Oregon. It is well researched as to the history and conditions prevailing in a country always hard to live in. And it is a rollicking good story.

I have enjoyed extremely some other works by H. L. Davis, most notably the novel Winds of Morning and the beautifully executed short story, "The Homestead Orchard." It was with pleasurable anticipation that I obtained Davis's prizewinning magnum opus.

But this monstrosity totally surprised me. The rendering of Oregon's history and geography is too far removed from the truth for a novel that is supposed to be a fanciful tapestry of Oregon's history and geography--it's so fanciful as to merely annoy. The characters are not well-developed and are cartoonish. I can stand fantasy sequences (loved Dickens's Little Dorrit), but this endless ramble exhausted my patience. I kept waiting to reach the good part. I should have given up after the first 100 pages.

H. L. Davis is a little-known and under-appreciated author whose works are not of even quality. Following is my list of his works that I've read, in order of my esteem from highest to lowest.

1. The Homestead Orchard--Humorous, sad, joyous, beautifully crafted short story about a father and son--a true masterpiece
2. Winds Of Morning--novel about a young, naive lawman
3. Old Man Isbell's Wife--Humorous short story with two great characters
4. Open Winter--short story about herding sheep, sweet edging toward profound
5. The Distant Music--sweeping historical-family epic
6. All of Davis's essays
7. The Kettle of Fire--a fictional legend
8. Beulah Land--a rambling Southeast-Midwest version of Honey in the Horn
9. Honey in the Horn--spare yourself! Overlong, random, Pulitzer-prize winning, historically inaccurate, pointless

To access the short stories, get a copy of his Collected Essays and Short Stories, published by the University of Idaho Press.

The book tells and interesting story of a young man in southern and eastern Oregon in about 1910 after the big pioneer rush. Very well written with good characters. It won the Pulitzer prize in 1935.

A well-told tale of settling of Oregon in the first decade of the 20th Century. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel captures the spirit of the times as those hardy pioneers struggle to settle a difficult land. Mr. Davis' wry humor makes this a reader's delight. Having lived in the general area as a youth I found many of the incidents sounding like the seemingly endless tales that my father and his collegues would spend hours swapping.

Idaho Place Names is an interesting, informative, well organized, easy to carry book. It provides a predictable set of informtion regarding every town, county, creek, river, peak, lake, post office,spring, pass, landing, mountain, canyon, park, basin, or bay in Idaho. Information includes origin of place name, coordinates, county, elevation & a brief history. A map of Idaho's counties is on the inside front cover.

More maps, such as a map of each county, would have been fun.

JGR

I have not yet received the product.....do you have an idea when it will be sent?

OK, a book about how places in Idaho got their names is not likely to appeal to everyone, except perhaps those who live in, once lived in, were born in, or come from stock derived from that amazing and beautiful place called Idaho. This is not a book that the average American will buy, unless he/she is one of the folks aforementioned. But every state should be so blessed as to have at its disposal a book like this one. It's delightful. It's fun to look through, even if you've never been of Mackey Bar or the Owyhee Mountains. It's full of history, cultural and political. It's full of characters. It's fun. It should live a long and prosperous life.

Only now the University of Idaho Press, publisher of this exceptional little jewel of a book, is gone. Killed by its "parent" institution in the name of budget-balancing; which is to say, killed by craven politicians. Get the book now, from Amazon, or any other way you can. Because when it's gone, no publisher will ever bring it back. That is a shame. And it is shameful. Idaho's millionaires, like all the others, have gotten themselves numerous fat tax breaks these last few years. Meanwhile, its universities, and its one real university press, are gone. Alas, so will be this extraordinary book.

RIP, UI Press. You did great work that mattered. On those who let it die, a pox on your sad, well-heeled houses.

"How did my town get it's name?"...Idaho Place Names gives you the answer. It will give you the history about the founding of your town and the succession of names to the present. It also includes the origin of names for mountains, rivers, hills and hollows. It takes you from "Abandon Creek" to "Zumwalt Lake" with 400 pages of intriguing history in-between. If you are interested in the history of the west you will enjoy this book.

Interesting stories about historical events in Idaho's history. I would recommend it to anyone interested in getting aquainted with the state and its past.

I think this is a great book. It's a good little read, I read it one day all the way through. A good account of some interesting things that happened in Idaho. I think it's more of a title for young adults, I think I need a more comprehensive and encompassing title of events that happened to make Idaho significant.

It's a good peek into history for the state if you're just getting smart about Idaho. In fact, I think I'd pick another state to read about. I think I'll do just that for other states.

I'd recommened the book. :)

Annette

This book is very interesting to read for anyone living in Idaho. The state has been my home for ten years. I am not sure I would have appreciated the book, had I read it much earlier. One has to live in Idaho and become minimally aware of some history and have visited some places in the state. Then reading the book brings a sense of rewarding surprise as the reader realizes there is more to what he has known and seen. Many of the descriptions of events in the book begin in a very ordinary way and then build to connect to something important. The author uses this device to tell about the Frank Church wilderness area. It all begins with the Forest Service rangers trying to solve the problem of washing their clothing without using electricity or gasoline to power a washing machine. If there is one thing I would have wanted in the book, it would be small maps with the outline of the state and a black dot placed to indicate where exactly each event happened. It is said Idaho is a state separated by geography and distance. It is easy to live in one part of the state without becoming familiar with other parts of the state. This book would make a good gift for a number of occasions. Even people living outside of Idaho could enjoy it.

Stapilus collects the highlights of Idaho stories and presents them in readable vignettes. Some of the stories were familiar to me, after living here 27 years, but many were new, and delightful. How Idaho potatoes became famous, the first city electrified with nuclear power, the compact synopsis of "Big Trouble" in 3 pages, murderin' mountain man Claude Dallas' moment of infamy and more.

Once it's done, you'll wish there were another layer of chocolates underneath the first one, or maybe that the book idea had been for 5 and 6-page versions of the stories rather than 2 and 3.

I recently started reading more true crime books and this one is the best by far. The details are excellent and it gives the reader a very detailed look inside the life of the killer as well as the lives of all those involved. It is outstanding and will continue to by books by this author. I recommend this to anyone who likes true crime reading.

A++++++ Book

This is the first book that I have read by Gary C. King. I can only hope that this wasn't one of what is considered to be his better works as I found the writing to be only mediocre and barely able to keep my attention.

I disappointed that the background of the victims was only brushed over, and the background information on the convicted, Joseph Duncan III, was little more.

While reading this book, I reached the epilogue thinking that the writer had completed his work and rushed to publishing before we knew the resolution of this particular case. Instead I found that King placed the resolution, along with "editoral" about sex offenders, in the epilogue. This practice is quite unusual for true crime and, quite frankly, was confusing.

Overall, I would choose to read the book when there seemed to be nothing else to read. There are plenty better, but there are just as many worse.

my only problem is that mr.king wrote word for word from already released info on all the news channel websites. i yahoo'ed the last name of victims in story and was disgusted to find that everything i read in this book was already word for word on many websites. thats very upsetting considering in reading this book I expected to read something different than i had already read about this tragic story on the websites,, Mr.King may I suggest what a disappointment it was to find that you copied websites into a book and rushed for publishing with nothing new to add.. anyone could have written a book just by copying from websites. thats sad..story is excellent with no new info on this crime..
also there is no BACKGROUNDS AT ALL ON THE FAMILY INVOLVED OR THE KILLER....AGAIN, RUSH TO PUBLISH.. I WONT BUY ANYMORE GARY KING BOOKS KNOWING THAT HE COPIES FROM WEBSITES..I'LL JUST GOOGLE A STORY FROM NOW ON... sorry about mispellings.. have multiple sclerosis and its now effecting my sight and frontal lobe so ...

The author of this book clearly didn't do his homework. The book seems to be hastily written and it's doubtful that he even left the comfort of his chair. Copy/paste from crime detailed websites, glaring errors and lack of history make this book an easy candidate for the trash can.

Googling some of the phrases used in the book, the reader will find that the author copied a majority of the book.

Apparently the author was too busy copy/pasting to bother to research much in depth. For had he done his homework, he would have known without a doubt that Duncan was born in Fort Bragg, NC. Instead, the author of this book cites three locations where Duncan "might" have been born. Any person with even the slightest knowledge of the Groene/MacKenzie murders knows that Duncan was in fact born at Fort Bragg.

The author could have added several interesting chapters to this book,had he done at least some small fraction of his homework. History on Duncan's involvement with Wacksman over the years as well as Crary, past girlfriends and his childhood would have added a great deal to the interest of the book.

If you're looking for a book that details the life and crimes of Duncan, don't bother with this book... save a tree, save your money and read about it on the internet.

Book confuses real meaning of health vs raw food and paints the writings with not easy to understand religion

Thank you Scott. The book inspired me to go down the path of righteousness for His name sake. You are right, we have forgotten the health message that the bible gives. Christians as well as Adventist today come down with the same ailments as the SAD world. Why, we refuse the diet given to our parents in Gen 1:29. The book has motivated me on the right path of eating and drinking to the glory of God. My health has improved and the need for doctors and drugs has become a thing of the past. We are wonderfully made if we give our bodies that which is made for it. Thank you. By the way, I ordered 4 more books to pass out to friends.

I read this book in a day and my entire life was changed immediately. It tells you why, how and provides sample daily menus. I've never been more satisfied with a book in my life. I ordered five for friends and family when they saw the change it made in my attitude, weight and health. I have no more arthritis, I'm off my meds and feel young again. Best of all - I think more clearly than I can ever remember.