Canada Books

I originally obtained this book through interlibrary loan several years ago. Now it has been reprinted so I bought my own copy and read it again. I've gone on canoeing trips in this beautiful area of Saskatchewan.

When the author and his older brother were in their late teens they went north to become trappers for seven years rather than try to find work during the Depression. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of life in the bush such as trapping, the meals they ate, the indians, bears, etc.

A.L. Karras also wrote "Face the North Wind", also about trapping in northern Saskatchewan. This is also a fine book that has been reprinted.

I LOVED THIS BOOK,it was one of the few that I got upset over because it ended. I could of kept reading and found myself wanting more. Luckily he has another book that I will get my hands on. Being a Saskatchewan resident, I was familiar with alot of the lakes and towns that he lived and traveled. (Camping at several of the lakes he mentioned)

I enjoyed his writing style, decriptions and stories, which take place in the far north during the 1930's. I loved the fact that he went off memory and when he remembered no more about a paticular experiance, he moved on to the next memory. He just told it like it was. I felt like I could see everything through his eyes, feel the cold they endured, and the "pin drop" quiet of the north. I would highly recommend this book!

Art Karras' book, about he and his brothers trapping career in northern Saskatchewan is quite factual and certainly illustrates the trials and tribulations faced by the old-time trappers and adventurers in the 1920s and 1930s....

Will be enjoyed by anyone who likes to read about life in the wilderness as it was about 60 years ago. A very matter of fact book that I found very interesting .

I read this book while working on a mineral exploration survey in Northern Saskatchewan in 1974. The author and his brother preceded me by some 50-80 years. However many things about this wonderful part of Canada had not changed and it was easy to identify and imagine being with these fellows as they learned how to live and trap in the bush.... The writing is quite plain; but as the events are real they carry the book... (imagine your bro going lala while you are 500 miles away from the nearest civilizatioin...) Highly reconmended for anyone who loves the wilderness and adventure.... I believe I still have a copy kicking around here somewhere... Does anyone know how many copies where printed?

I was given this book to read from a friend that purchased it in Canada prior to a flight to England. He said I should read it for a selection to our airport book club. I picked it up and lost many nights sleep over this fine book. It is capitavating. Difficult to put it down from page one. This is one read that is worth every penny spent to purchase it. Get to know the group of brave young men that gave their all to defend the freedom that we now enjoy. For the goodness of your sole, get this book and hold the actions of these brave airmen close to your heart. excelant reading.A book you will remember for years. Leo Doiron Airport Manager Flabob Airport, Riverside Ca.

Quite simple the best book I have ever read on any subject. Reccomended to all!

Quite simply, the finest book I have read covering WW2. Plenty of laughter, plenty of tears, and the burning desire to vividly relive the drama of those days, (and I'm relatively young). Anyone who lived through it will find old memories rekindled by the score

Ranks with Miles Tripp's "The Eighth Passenger" as one of the 2 best Bomber Command reminiscences I have read. Perhaps that is due to Peden, like Tripp, becoming a laywer after the war. Peden's sense of humour, honesty, and writing skill combine to make it a winner. Perhaps the humour is the best part, but it is also heart-wrenching and thriling. An absolute winner.

A one-of-a-kind story of a Canadian Pilot in Bomber Command in WW2. Peden takes us through his early enlistment process, the trying time of duty in the BCATP, operational training and finally, mission by mission, through his entire tour as a pilot in first, Stirlings, and later, B-17s. His tale is honest and frank, sharing the fears, triumphs and tragedies of his time with that turbulent and costly service. He documents with chilling clarity the loss of each of his friends throughout the war. Murray Peden has written an evocative personal history of this oft-ignored war, one which should rightly stand as a definitive text on this subject for generations to come.

Most of us dream of adventures when we are young ... but the responsibilities of the world often derail them. David Scott's story is a tale of the dream of adventure fulfilled.

I read this book several years ago from the library. I rarely buy a book but this one I have. Great adventure story about the challenges two young men face living in a cabin for a year in Manitoba. The description of the first six days trying to find the cabin after getting dropped off is a page turner.

Makes me wish I did something similar at that stage im my life as opposed to sitting at a cubicle. This books gives me the inspiration to maybe strike out and seek my own adventure someday.

Although I found the book simple and intellectually unchallenging, its sincerity, freshness and admiration for the wilderness and being a part of it were emotionally stirring. It reminded me of the importance of being able to step away from comitments to work, banks and acquaintances to experience something larger than all of us. We need this to remind us of the essence of being alive and human.

The opening sequence of their expedition rivals that of any true life-and-death experience, including "Touching The Void." A must-read for any winter-camper who ventures off the beaten path more than a few days away from luxuries like mechanical heat from an automobile. This is one of the most profound stories of northern wilderness experience that I have ever read. Their story is similar to going to the moon on an Apollo mission, with no backup and no radio contact, and making it on their own. Truly the best story ever told of a modern Arctic expedition with a happy ending. This is a book that I read and immediately gave to a friend to read, and it has passed around to no less than 12 people as a "must read" already, and is still in motion.

I love outdoor adventure books and this book is a great one. This is a story of living and thriving in the Canadian wilderness. I was fascinated with the authors adventures of building a cabin, hunting moose, and exploring. If you like outdoor books I recommend this as a must read.

A really complete,exact and interesting guide to the observation of the North American Mammals.Very nice.

A thorough guide to North American animals. Lot's of color plates and informative. It even covers animals in their stages like a fox in winter and midsummer and how their coats change color.

To put it simply you won't be disappointed.

Fiona Reid has created a tour-de-force in The new Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North America, the first update of the Peterson series on mammals in thirty years. This is the best Peterson Field guide ever, the ideal gift or stocking stuffer and a must have for anyone who loves environment, natural history, the outdoors and wildlife, from your budding naturalist eight-year old to your birder grandmother in Wisconsin.

The new guide combines all the best features of recent ground-breaking field guides in a completely new book. It is both encyclopeadic and accessible, beautiful to hold in the hand and, as has always been the case with the Peterson series, the perfect size to take to the field. It will also look very good on your window sill and be handy next time that bear or ermine comes to the feeder.

A revision was of Peterson's Mammal Guide was long overdue and Fiona Reid has gone about it masterfully. In comparing the new and the old guide, one need only look at the new paintings to realize how much we needed this brand new treatment of North American mammals and to see how beautiful a book this is. Our knowledge has advanced tremendously, even for better known groups such as the carnivores; but it is when you spend some time with groups such as the bats and the chipmunks that you begin to realize just how far we have come since the last edition in our understanding of the mammalian diversity we see around us. Brilliant author-biologist-artist Fiona Reid has captured the traditional basics of a field guide with astounding plates and just the right amount of detail on ranges, biology, morphology, and even environmental threats.

This is the new gold-standard of field guides.

As someone majoring in Wildlife Science, I needed to have a field guide for my studies. I bought the previous edition about 3 yrs ago, but found it lacking. For example, it showed the historic range of raccoons, but not the current (expanded) range. It also used older genera (plural for genus) names & had very few bat species depicted. These & other factors made it impractical for me to use the book in my studies.

However, this new edition appears to be much more applicable for someone like me. It has color maps (the 3rd edition's maps were black & white) which are included in the species accounts (rather than at the end). Introduced species & their populations are shown in blue; historic ranges are shown using dashed lines; & sea mammals' ranges are included (no ranges were given for them in the 3rd ed.). Select maps are even shown with county lines drawn in in large states like CA & TX so residents can easily determine whether a species is in their county or not.

The color plates are better too. Animals are depicted in more natural body positions & appear more lifelike. There are many many more bat species depicted than in the 3rd ed. Sea mammals are included in the color plates; in the third edition, they were only depicted in black & white drawings. Introduced species (like the Blackbuck) are also depicted in this section. Select black & white animal tracks are included in the color plate section, rather than on the inside cover.

Skull identification is very important to biologists, since skulls are often all you'll find of an animal. This book has color photos of various skulls. The 3rd ed. had only black & white photos, which wasn't so bad, but I like the color photos better. Also, the dental formulae are given in this section for the respective genera. I will say, however, that I did like the dental formulae chart in the 3rd ed. because it summarized them all in 1 place, rather than spreading them out over several pages.

Immediately following these plates is a section of illustrated shrew teeth & molars of sm mammals. On the page just before the Species Accounts section is a depiction of pocket gophers with grooves on their incisors, a feature often used to distinguish between them.

Although most color photos are found in the skull section, there are more throughout the species accounts.

Species' names have been updated too. In the 3rd ed, the author chose to stick w/ some of the older names. In this edition, the accepted names (like Spermophilus) are used & even Bison bison was updated to Bos bison.

In the species accounts, common names other than the one Reid used are written in sm uppercase letters below the line w/ the common & scientific names. For example:
COYPU Myocastor coypus (introduced)
NUTRIA

The species accounts describe the animal, sounds it makes, similar species, habits, habitat, range, & even its status (whether it's common or endangered, & which organization lists them as such, such as the USFWS & the CITES appendix #). The previous edition included eyeshine colors (which are included in some entries in this new edition), number of mammae, & economic impacts, but for the most part these features were left out of this edition. However, I doubt many people will miss them.

I think this edition is excellent. I only had my book for a day & yet I found all the improvements mentioned above. I recommend putting a self-adhesive plastic book cover on your book because the plasticized coating wears a bit quickly. (Note: I've had my book just over a year now and am slightly editing my comments to fix minor typos & improve the flow a bit :})

This new guide is hands down the best mammal guide for North America currently available. An impressive volume and effort by the author. The artwork is superb, the photography crisp, and the phylogeny and other science accurate and up to date.

I found this to be a well written, high quality book that should prove to be a great read for anyone. The language is easy to understand which makes it a good leisure read but at the same time it provides a wealth of information about wildlife, habitats, environments, and interactions that, as a grad student, I still found very interesting and informative.

The Great Plains of the North America extend from Alberta to Texas and from the Rockies to the Mississippi river. It's the heartland of America.

This book, profusely illustrated and reverantly written is the story of the heartland. While it is the story of people, it's more the story of the land itself. It's the story of ancient seas, of Tyannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, and grass. Grass, seemingly engless miles of grass. Tall grass, short grass, drought resistent grass, food for the buffalo that wandered here in vast herds.

Of course the book talks about man's impact on the land. Farming plants a handful of crop species, where 5,000 wild plants grow in the Great Plains.

The future has to be discussed in a book like this, and for once the news is not all bad. To be sure, there are species at risk, but the overall picture is certainly one of hope.

A fascinating book on an area that is rarely thought about, let along the subject of books.

An excellent book. Well written and scientifically accurate. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is enchanted with the beauty and grandeur of the North American prairie.

I love the prairie, no doubt about that, and I'm proud to have been born and raised in the vast expanse of the middle of the great continent. The prairie brings a unique feeling of solitude, quietude, and openness that can be found not many places else in the world. I fully recommend this book to those that love the prairie, but also to those who are not interested at all in the vast expanse, who, as the book asserts, would rather get across it as quickly as possible. Scientifically and emotionally written, it is a beautiful book, with many illustrations, one that is worthy to be read.

The book is very well written, and the many artful photos in the book really make me wish I could spend a whole summer in the prairies. The author knows what she's talking about for certain. I could just keep on reading such educating books.

This is an absolutely wonderful book. It is historically acurate, interesting and very well written. Reading the trials and hardships Rosetta must go through to find her adopted sister that she loves so much makes you never want to put this book down. I loved this book, for more reasons than one! It's twists in the plot give it definition and color. Go out and get this book, it is definately worth it!

first of all i want to thank my friend Amy for lending me this book.I think we should all follow her good advice on reading this book.It was absolutely brilliant.I would reccemond this book to ages over 10.

This book was the best I have read and I could not put it down. I would advise it for over 10.So GO OUT ANDGET IT!!!!!

Linda Holeman has done it again with this young adult book. With the story of Rosetta she brings you back in time to an era when children were used and not enjoyed. You feel for Rosetta and urge her on in the hope of finding her sister who was unceremoniously delivered to a new family leaving Rosetta crying in the street. A book well written and savoured.

Rosetta and her younger sister, Flora, were sent to Canada from an English orphanage. They dreamed of a loving family, but when this does not happen Rosetta endures cruelty, love, hatred, and happiness to get back what is left of her family. This book makes me appreciate my family, even when I am mad at them. It also shows me that being an orphan does not let you do whatever you want and that others will try to stop you from reaching your goal.

My husband drives a big rig this atlas give all the scales and most up to
date changes in roads.

We just Drove for Orange Co Ca to Baltimore, Maryland and this was a very helpful guide and help us to do find many place along the way

We are extremely satisfied with our Rand McNally Motor Carriers' Road Atlas.

Our son drives over the road, and this is what he uses also.

Again, we are extremely satisfied with our purchase from Amazon.com.

Sincerely.
Henley H Bennett

We are retired full time RVrs traveling across the USA. This Road Atlas is great because it reveals (normally for truckers usage) all the routes and locations that will accomodate large vehicles and with warnings for those that won't.

this atlas is great it just needs minor tweaks and itll be even better like detail to the exits you have to take and where they lead but i guess you can purchase the next exit book

This book is delightful! Well written, with marvelous characters and a colorful background, it's like literary chocolate. Anyone who has had the priviledge of visiting Newfoundland, and meeting its friendly--but different--people will especially find this a treat. If you're tired of the daily grind, curl up with this one and prepare to enjoy your read.

A couple of years ago, my sister, who lives in Newfoundland, Canada, sent me this book. I put it aside but several months later I was sick, and picked up the book. I read it straight through in 3 or 4 hours...I couldn't put it down! The story is absolutely hilarious, and just recently has been made into a movie starring William Hurt. I have not been able to find this book in the US until now. I have loaned it to countless friends and they have all loved it. It is truly a good read. Get it!

Excellent book, even better than the movie, though the movie is excellent too. If you want to read a laugh out loud book this summer, this is the one!

I was born and raised in Newfoundland, but moved away a few years ago. This book brought back the punch of Newfoundland humor in such a way that it left me laughing out loud like a lunatic til tears were running down my cheeks. I always thought that the Newfoundland sense of humor was something that couldn't be put into words...something you had to experience first hand, and even then sometimes people don't get it. Somehow this author has pulled it off. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm greatly looking forward to it. Bravo Edward Riche!!!

I have given this book as a gift to many fellow restuarant/foodies and everyone has loved it. It's a short read...FIND THE TIME, you will LAUGH! If you enjoy Tim Sandlin, Tom Robbins, John Irving, then give Edward Riche a read.

Revelation is set in 1543. A serial killer is on the loose in London using quotes from the Book of Revelations, as the inspiration for his murder spree. The books main protagonist, Matthew Shardlake, and his assistant Jack Barak, are called in to hunt the killer down, by Archbishop Cranmer, when it becomes apparent that the murders are religiously motivated.

I found this book a fascinating read, the latest in a very enjoyable series. At first, I was worried the story could turn out to be similar to the earlier novel 'Darkfire', as they are both set mainly in the same area of London, but this story is quite different.

The interaction between the factual, and fictional characters is very well done, and the attention to detail is second to none. You almost feel as if you are a bystander, watching the action unfold in front of you. An excellent read, and I hope there is more to come in this series.

I'm a big fan of the series and special ordered this book for way to much money. Of the series this book is a mix between the second and third with a new social commentary line. I'm not a big fan of the social commentary nor how the characters are drifting into modern relationship problems, solving the debate over mental illness, or pretending to understand advanced medicine. At one point were ahead of Freud in understanding the origins of mental illness.

Don't get me wrong I read this book in 4 days straight loved the characters, setting, enjoyed the plot (the jacket claims its a serial killer on the lose --get the modern day drift). If your a fan I'd read it. If your thinking of starting the series --read the other 3 first. Read this one last.

Of the four books in the series this one is best left to be read last. Each of the first three are meant to be very different style mysteries. This book is a mixture of the second and third books style with alot of social commentary added in. Don't get me wrong I read the book in four days and enjoyed every page but for me I knew the characters and setting so well that it moved along quite quickly. The weakness of this book is that the author chose to add several story lines that would highlight a more modern way of thinking than possible for people of this period. From psychology to relationships these lines detract from the action and at points your meant to believe they were ahead of Freud in their thinking. Even the medicince seemed alittle to enlightened. I guess you can debate these points but they do provide some unsettling moments in the book which I found detracting. I gave it 5 stars. Would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the other three. Would not recommend it to anyone just starting the series.

First Sentence: The high chandeliers in the Great Hall of Lincoln's Inn were ablaze with candles, for it was late afternoon when the play began.

Henry VIII has asked to marry Catherine Parr and England is in a time of religious turmoil.

The Dissolution of the monasteries is done but now Henry, and the reformists, are moving back toward Catholic ways, under the King rather than the Pope, at the same time as the rise in Protestantism. An English version of the Bible has been published, but only Churches and the upper class are allowed to read it.

One of lawyer Matthew Shardlake's closest friends has been murdered and his body publicly displayed. Brought before Archbishop Cramer, Matthew learns this is not the first such killing. A serial killer is using versus in the Book of Revelations to carry out his killings.

Sansom brings Tutor England to life and makes us see what a difficult time it was in which to live. He doesn't present the romanticized image, but gives us a look at the dangers of the time from social and religious reforms to poverty to mental illness being labeled possession, without ever slowing down the story or being preachy.

The dialogue is, naturally enough, not of the time, but flavored with a sense of the time. I always learn a lot reading Sansom.

Shardlake is a wonderful character who has grown and improved as a character through the series. He is supported by Barak, for whom Matthew tries to do a bit of marriage counseling, and Guy, a Moor, once a monk, now a doctor.

Sansom is an evocative writer and masterful at combining historical detail with a multilayered story, and suspenseful mystery. I am continually impressed by the quality of Sansom's writing.

There is always a ready audience for murder mystery books covering this period in English history and the Matthew Shardlake books are among the better ones on offer. They have become something of a cult following among their many readers and a new volume is always eagerly awaited. This is the fourth book in the series and the character of Matthew Shardlake is starting to feel like an old friend.

Matthew Shardlake, lawyer, confidant and servant to some of the most important and powerful men in the kingdom has come a long way since his early dealings, six years ago for Thomas Cromwell. The Dissolution of the monastries was not a happy time for Matthew, not sitting well with his own religious convictions and going against much of what he himself believed in.

Time has moved on apace, six years in fact and Matthew has struggled hard to better himself and to improve the standing of his lawyer's practice. He has over time even had dealings concerning King Henry himself. Meanwhile, Matthew has received notice of the foul murder of an old and trusted friend. So shocked is he by the news, that Matthew rashly promises the widow of his poor dead friend that he will do everything in his power to track down the perpetrators of the crime

This turns out to be no easy task in a city where life is cheap and many a throat has been cut for the price of a loaf of bread. Trying to devote his time to this case on top of his other workload is no easy task for Matthew and he needs all the help he can get from his assistant Jack Barak and his long time friend Guy Malton, The clues take them on dangerous and frightening journey, a journey that uncovers more than just the murder of his friend . . .

I thought this book was great. Robin gave very good background history of his life in ceramics and his views on what he created on his long career.
I loved the pictures and his instruction on how to be the best in what you make. I have read the book cover to cover a few times and have still learned more after a second and problably a third look.I have tried a few of his ideas and had fun which I think ceramics is all about.

Although much of this book is a compliation of his former books, it encompasses his personal and professional history as well as his philosophy, recomendations on style, and insights about pottery, designs and life.
Every potter, and collector of pottery shoud read and own this book.

This book is great. Robin Hopper shares his unique background with the reader and the thought processes that have gone into shaping his life and career. His down to earth approach to doing the work he loves so much was a joy to read. The technical information in this book and the way he presents it with illustrations and examples is great. The experienced potter as well as the beginner will enjoy this book.

I have several of Robin Hopper's books and I have enjoyed them all immensely. I am able to find any type of info I need from these books. Well laid out, good explanation and very very useful information for a home studio potter. Cheers, Cheryl

I am a potter. I make pots. I make a bunch of pots. I am always open for improvement, assistance, and suggestions. And I am very glad I added this book to my personal library!

Robin Hopper writes very simply about the various stages of making pottery. He profusely illustrates his techniques with photos and drawings, making the book itself a work of art. It is a pleasure to read, and an inspiration for all potters who want to learn to be better at it.

Hopper offers tips on every phase of making pots, from sketching, through preparing the clay, to making glazes. His examples are beautiful, and the descriptions are clear and concise.

If you're in one of those inevitable "slumps," I suggest Robin Hopper's "Ceramics: A Lifetime of Works, Ideas, and Techniques" to break you out of the clay doldrums and into new territory.