Michigan Books

I ended up reading the book, Manchurian Legacy, in one sitting even though I had a lot of other things to do. That is rare for me. The story mesmerized me as I felt like I was learning something about my roots, my mother.

My Japanese mother, to get away from the merciless firebombing of her city, at the age of 19 volunteered as a member of a repatriation team assigned to travel to Manchuria and to help in the repatriation of Japanese colonials there. After training for about a month, she flew to a city in the center of Manchuria on what happened to be the same day that the Russians invaded. She had quite an adventure hiding, being captured, incarcerated, starving, transported by rail in box cars and then force marched thru Korea, to be saved ironically by the enemy American soldiers that she was trying to escape. I am amazed at what she had to go through to get back to Japan.

Not only did this book gave me an insight to what life was like in Manchuria for the Japanese during the end of World War II, it also gave me a glimpse of post-war Japan where both my father and father-in-law were stationed as part of the occupation forces. The stories about the period during the Russian invasion and how they and the local Chinese treated the Japanese colonials was very revealing. Even though Mrs. Kuramoto's experience was not so harrowing as my mother's adventure, the description of the area and the everyday life of the colonials helped me to understand this period of history in this part of the world.

Even though the second part of the book about post-war Japan did not relate to my mother since she had a support system in place when she returned to Japan, the description of Mrs. Kuramoto's experiences with members of the American occupation force helped me to understand the situation that my father lived through during his term of duty in Japan.

Enough of how the book impacted me. Here is a synopsis of the book: The Manchurian Legacy is a story about the life of a young woman born in Manchuria to Japanese parents living there during World War II. Her father is a minor Japanese government official which gave the family trappings of luxury which were not enjoyed by the local occupied Chinese residents. Kazuko was a patriotic 17 year old and to her parent's dismay, volunteered to join the Red Cross to aid in the war effort against the corrupt capitalists and communists. When Japan surrendered, the Russians invaded and the Chinese revolted, sending the Japanese colonialists into hiding. How the colonialists fared over the next year is a testament to their entrepreneurship and tenacious desire to survive in a culture hostile to their former oppressors. The post-war portion of the book focused on how Kazuko coped in Japan after being shipped there on U.S. transport ship and after being rejected by other relatives. This is also a story of her relationship with soldiers and contractors with the American occupation forces, and her struggles in a country not so accepting of the returning colonialists.

A great read and highly recommended.

Recently I was given this book to read by a friend who is preparing to teach a university course on Japanese culture and women's narrative. I am voraciously reading the books that she is considering for her course and giving her feedback. I couldn't put this book down and cried at the end. What more can one say? I sit here now as a foreigner living in Japan and find this book offers me a window into Japanese history, culture and the voice of women that is not normally acknowledged. Everyone should read this book.

Manchurian Legacy is the book,I wished that I could have read when I was in the sixth grade.Readers of that age group could easily identify with the character of Kazuko as a young woman. It is rare to find a book that can appeal to both young and old readers. The author, Kazuko Kuramoto apologizes for her writing, as English is her third language. I believe, this is what makes the book so readable. She does not bog the reader down with flowery language. What Kazuko does give the reader is a feeling of what it was like to have lived in Manchuria as a colonialist before and doing WW II.The real charm of the book is that it does not assume the reader has any knowledge of the historical events that shaped the narrative.A brief explanation that doesn't bog down the story gives you a context to understand and enjoy her memoir. The immense popularity of a book, "Angela's Ashes" shows that readers have a desire for personal stories of the ordinary man. Kazuko's story deserves to be read by as wide a audience as "Angela's Ashes"

I highly recommend this book to anyone in Michigan with a Bird Feeder in their yard. This book is very informative and is easy to use. The birds in this book are definately the types you will see in your yard and on local waterways. We are thrilled with this product!

I was one of the participants in the second edition of "The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan" and counted a total of 44 birds on my assigned patch of territory. This book features 100 of the 'most commonly encountered birds' that can be spotted in Michigan (not all of them breed here). Most, but not all of the birds appear in color photographs (one notable absence is the red-breasted nuthatch).

Before the listings for the individual birds begin, "Michigan Bird Watching" lays out the state's ecoregions, followed by very useful information on bird watching by season.

There are all sorts of useful lists in this book. "Michigan's Ten Best Bird Watching Spots," a page of "Resources for Michigan Bird Watchers," and "Ten Tips for Beginning Bird Watchers" are some examples.

There is a chapter on feeding and housing birds, plus other tips for attracting birds to your property. In the "Nest Box Tips for Landlords," I was surprised to learn that perches by the entry into the nesting box are unnecessary, and may even attract predators.

Instructions on how to use this book precede the hundred bird listings. Each full-page listing includes a color photograph, and sections labeled, "All about," "Habitat and Range," "Feeding," "Nesting," and "Backyard and Beyond."

I've only seen ONE of the birds in this book's "Michigan's Ten Must-See Birds" so I've got a long way to go.

If I could have requested just a few more items in this book, they would have been: male/female and or summer/winter color differences within a species; and photographs of the species' nests and eggs. Otherwise this is an excellent, fact-filled introduction to Michigan birds.

THIS BOOK WAS IMMEDIATELY HELPFUL IN IDENTIFICATION OF SEVERAL BIRDS IN OUR BACK YARD. I WILL USE THIS BOOK FOR THE YEAR ROUND MIGRATION ID.

The University of Michigan Law Quadrangle is an architectural wonder of American Universities - it is perhaps one of the most outstanding group of buildings in the entire United States. This book illustrates this viewpoint by providing wonderful photographs of the law quad along with fascinating text telling the history of the buidlings. For anyone who has ever visited the Law Quadrangle, this book will reinforce the feeling of awe you get while being within it's walls.

The University of Michigan Law Quadrangle is an architecturalwonder of American Universities - it is perhaps one of the mostoutstanding group of buildings in the entire United States. This book illustrates this viewpoint by providing wonderful photographs of the law quad along with fascinating text telling the history of the buidlings. For anyone who has ever visited the Law Quadrangle, this book will reinforce the feeling of awe you get while being within it's walls.

The University of Michigan Law Quadrangle is an architectural wonder of American Universities - it is perhaps one of the most outstanding group of buildings in the entire United States. This book illustrates this viewpoint by providing wonderful photographs of the law quad along with fascinating text telling the history of the buidlings. For anyone who has ever visited the Law Quadrangle, this book will reinforce the feeling of awe you get while being within it's walls.

What an interesting book! But then if you have ever visited Michigan Memorial Park you would agree that it is also extremely interesting. The grounds are immaculate, and the building designs throughout the Park are just amazing.
Having the history of MMP in a book is wonderful. As mentioned in an earlier review, the Downriver Area is unique and this is one of the reasons why. Let's hope everyone has a chance to read this book and get a taste of Downriver and the the families who made it what it is. Thanks to to the Heston family, and more recently, Barbara, Kelly and Heidi for carrying on what their family began so many years ago, and also for keeping such a strong community involvement.

This book is wonderful. It brings to light many stories of families in the Downriver area as well as a great story about Michigan Memorial Park. Anyone who lives in the Downriver area or is a football fan of the University of Michigan should read this book. I think the author should get a "Thumbs Up!"

This book held my attention throughout the entire reading experience up to and including the very last page. I am hoping that this author will continue to write this type of book for many more cemeteries in Michigan and beyond. I appreciated greatly this writing style because it creatively yet accurately presented the lives of the people and their history along with the history of the cemetery where they now rest. I would encourage everyone to read Michigan Memorial Park

This author, Gail Hershenzon, wrote a book prior to this one called Woodmere Cemetery. It was also part of the Images of America Series. Woodmere was the initial book that started my interest in Michigan history via the history that is gleaned from the persons' lives that are buried at Woodmere.

Both of Ms Hershenzon's books are a reminder that history is a wonderfully respectful way of sharing memories by giving honor to those that came before us. These books also give a gift to all of us to learn from AND enjoy.

Dear Mike:
I've been trying to get in touch with you about your book. If you are able to contact me please do, okay?

Dear Mike:
I've been trying to get in touch with you. If you are able to contact me please do, okay?

I've wanted to go mountain biking in the Upper Peninsula for a long time, but didn't know where to go until Mike McLelland's book came along.

With his book I was able to plan a seven-day vacation this summer (1998) and tour the U.P. with a couple of buddies. We went up to the Marquette/Munising area and spent a few days on Bruno's Run, McKeever Hills and Grand Island. Awesome trails!!!!

Then we headed west and went on the Ge-che trail and got into some hardcore downhill action at the Copper peak bike park. The chairlifts make short work of some otherwise gnarly uphills. Then your on the top and fly, baby, fly!!!!!

We had a great trip on some of the best trails this mitten state has to offer. I'm planning to bring my girlfriend up there this fall or next year. She's not as hardcore as I am, but Mike's book has trails for everyone's level. I'm planning a different trip for me and her.

Another good thing about the book was the maps and descriptions. I could rule out the trails that didn't sound good to me, and knew what to expect once out on the trail like rocks, water, hills, etc. Another good thing was its size. I put mine in my backpack to use as a reference on the trail.

I always knew the U.P. had some awesome riding, and I'm glad someone took the time to do the research and put all those trails into one book.

Rapacious logging, indiscriminate damming, wanton discharge of industrial pollution, invasion of pernicious exotic species, relentless urban sprawl, exploitation by multinational corporations--Jeff Alexander's book, The Muskegon: The Majesty and Tragedy of Michigan's Rarest River, tells it all. The book reads like an Homeric epic, with the river itself as the central character. I couldn't help but be fascinated as the author recounts in vivid detail each new assault on this much beset river. And somehow, like Ulysses, the river seems always to survive, and in the end, even thrive.

At times, like the river itself, Alexander's account meanders. But overall this is environmental writing at its best and a fascinating read.

Award-winning environmental journalist Jeff Alexander presents The Muskegon: The Majesty and Tragedy of Michigan's Rarest River, part history, part environmental scrutiny, part wake-up call to the Muskegon River's vital role in both the environment and to local communities that have relied on it for fisheries, tourism, and hydroelectric power. A handful of black-and-white photographic plates illustrate this evenhanded look at all sides of modern environmental issues surrounding the river, from controversies over where and to what extent dams should be built or kept along its length, to pollution runoff problems, to conflicts between those who want to use the river for industry and sports fishermen, and much more. The Muskegon is also a contemplative piece on the river, observing its splendor and glory even as it chronicles man's use and overuse. A highly recommended in-depth case study for environmental studies reading lists and reference shelves.

I just finished reading the Jeff Alexander book and will never look at the Muskegon or any other river in the same way again.
This is a scholarly work with seventeen pages of notes. It could have been dreary reading. But Alexander has style and heart. He pulls no punches here. He does this sublimely. Prepare to be, from the first page, swept up and dropped smack dab into the multi-layered flow of an important American river.
Anyone with an interest in fisheries, or the science/politics surrounding fresh water, or of natural resources in general, should be vastly enriched for having read this bittersweet chronicle.

Dr.Tino W.Smith this book is really interesting although you are my brother n law there were a lot of things about you that I didn't even no myself, and after reading this book it made me appreciate you even more and for those who didn't like what you had to say in the book it was only because you were speaking the truth and the truth sometimes hurt. Anyways I love you and my sister dearly.

We all know that when we hear the Name Dr.Tino W. Smith, three words come to mind. Honest, vivacious, and opinionated. Last year, I chose to do a book report over Dr. Smith because of a book he wrote called Naked Before God. This story depicted the truth and rumors revealed behind his personal life. In English we were asked to choose an autobiographical account of someone's life. I immediately thought of Dr. Smith because I had recently finished his book(which I read in less than a day). Most importantly behind the actual story was it's meaning. It was one of the most intriguing books, I ever read.
Dr Smith is a man of many talents. He'll tell you if you just ask him what they are. Even though he is honest, brutal honesty is sometime what many of us need to get or keep us on the right path. A pastor guides and mentors to people. Dr Smith acts just like a father to many children as well as adults in the church or outside of the church. His vivaciousness is a flow of energy to many people. Assertive, determind, and energetic people are what make ideas into plans, plans into actions, and actions itno results. Although he is an extermely opinionated person and you might not always agree with him, he means no harm. Opinionated persons are those who you need to produce a desired effect, because they won't give up.
Dr Smith; keep using those dynamic characteristics you possess, because using these dynamic characteristics in just the right quantity can produce the greatest of greatness. Good luck in all you try to accomplish.& Best wishes God Bless!
Written by: Shay Brown
"Celebrating the Dream"
Decemeber 28,2001

thrilling- this book held my attention for hours and hours. I found myself not wanting to lay the book down. I read the entire book straight through not putting it down for one minute. I think that it's great that the author was inspired to leave the readers with such a moving testimony.

Ashley

This book is excellent to get a real feel of what being a World War II Nurse was like. The book shares the best and worse times experienced by Nurses from around the world during very difficult days of War. I have attended signing parties and the experience and warmth is outstanding. A must read book for all World War II history readers who want to understand the real heros just doing their jobs of saving lives.

This is a wonderful look at the dedication, work and hardships of the nurses of World War II. Some of their stories have never been told and it was hard for me to put the book down. Their work was demanding, difficult and exausting but the book also tells about the fun and even some romance. Many were killed and captured. Women in combat is not a 21st century idea!

The voice of women veterans is one too seldom heard. Now, with WWII veterans dying at a rate of over 1,000 per day, those voices will all too soon become silent. WWII was the first time women joined the military, and they encountered prejudice and hardships every step of the way. The nurses who served in the military witnessed horrors that many of the men encountered, but with much less preparation and little resource for healing after the war. All but forgotten for the roles they performed, this book brings to light their stories as they can only be told- by the women veterans themselves. Much of the information is rarely found in available books, and "No Time for Fear" is an excellent resource for that information- particularly on the women who served aboard hospital ships and those who were taken as prisoners of war. The personal accounts tell stories of war as well as stories of the lighter side of day-to-day living that was the human side of life as a nurse in the military.
An excellent overall account of WWII military nursing, and one that will likely encourage the reader to delve deeper into our nation's history of female veterans.

This new Homer's Odyssey translation by Rodney Merrill strives to be very literal to the Greek and to also match the line and meter of the Greek, to the extent that can be done in English. That said, the translation reads very well on the page, and in skimming through any particular book of the great epic poem one can see that Merrill has classic aesthetic taste regarding some of his choice of epithets and turns of phrases (as well as his overall approach). 'Great-hearted Odysseus', for instance, is a far better translation than 'Kind Odysseus' or 'Valiant Odysseus' or any of the numerous other choices one can find in all the many 20th century English translations. I point out that one little epithet just to give a sense of Merrill's approach. 'Great-hearted' suggests a level of being higher than the average human being, and that is what Odysseus possesses. Sticking to the literal meaning of the Greek like that (and I assume this is what Merrill has done in that epithet since he announces that this is his overall intention in translating the poem) is what is needed in a translation of the Odyssey (or Iliad). Just in the way that you can get a good feel for a translation this one has that good feel about it. It looks similar to Lattimore on the page, yet it reads much better. Maybe not poetically (go to Chapman or Pope for that), but for what Merrill seems to be attempting it comes across as successful.

Rodney Merrill's poetic rendering of the Odyssey is superlative. It's greatest value over against all other translations lies in its dedication to the *ancient meter* (replacing Greek length with English stress). Read this easily understood, clear, illuminating version out loud and you will feel the entrancing poetry produced by careful attention given by Merrill to the rhythmic, metric elements of Greek epic and to historical accuracy. I had studied the Odyssey and read it in ancient Greek over the period of a semester's study and a year's reading. After sludging through Lattimore and Fagles, I turned to Humphries, who was much better than the other two, with a true sense of rhythm and no *embarassingly anachronistic* words or turns of phrase. But at a special reading at CSU San Francisco, I was able to hear Merrill speak, read some passages and compare texts. I immediately noted a much higher passion for and knowledge of the work itself in his translation, the choices that he made in words and paraphrases. Note: all translations paraphrase drastically because English is so different from Homeric Greek. Rodney, however, does it *well*. See if you can find the paperback version from Michigan University press. The hardcover is nice, but out of most students' and poetry-lovers' price-range. The paperback is available and affordable.

Rodney Merrill's rendering of the Odyssey represents translation at its best ; it serves Homer beautifully in that it is written to be read aloud, and to arouse the emotional solidarity between the performer and its audience that will be understood at once by people who go to listen to music played in public today. You will enjoy the rich materiality of the text (the rythm of the drumming consonants and the melody of the short and long vowels) in its accurate relationship to the characters of the heroes and to the development of story. This new translation will contribute to the enduring popularity of the Odyssey.

There is almost something like a signature or a finger print that lets you know that you are reading one of David Walks-As-Bear's novels. His worlds are inter-dimensionally spiritual, mystical and emotionally engrossing. He always takes his readers someplace where the ordinary does not exist. In his world, he lives with one foot in the material world while the other is immersed dreams, visions and his inner senses. He plays with the readers own sense of reality at times. His latest book in a continuing series of classic Ely Stone novels, "Old Money" takes us to even deeper inner depths of this American Indian tribal cop as he explores the Hawaiian Islands were he has been sent by his tribe to investigate land acquired by his tribe.

The story is a strange and interesting blending of that mystical magic of the author's own Indian cultural along with the mysticism of the old ancient Hawaiian beliefs and religion. Added to that mix are some actual historical events which make this book explode with adventure. This gives his storyline a very unique foundation. There is nothing simple or normal in the plot as we dig up and discover connections with Mark Twain, the Civil War, an old Confederate warship ship named the C.S.S. Shenandoah and our hero's many visions and dreams. There is absolutely no way that you have ever read anything like this before, let alone even dreamt about it. This is so fresh and new and full of energy and mystery.

The author's main character in this series is Ely Stone. He has created this man of mystery with some human flaws and inner demons and conflicts. The character is tormented by his visions and dreams but also by his checkered past. His girl friend Nettie Cole back in Michigan, thinks he can kill much too easily for her likes, even though he was in a situation of defending himself. As with all of the author's previous books he is a master of fleshing out the people he writes about. None of them are cardboard characters; he has rogue Muslins, an antiques dealer, major villains and Secret Service agents among others. He also becomes a suspect in several murders.

He uses dialog as a strong bridge that fully supports and gives the reader an understanding and connection to all the action. It is skillfully written and shows the all around writing skills that Walks-As-Bear has. The phrasing is a joy to read as it allows your mind to absorb what is happening or what the setting may be.

This book is like a good jigsaw puzzle and the more you get into it the more you become obsessed on finding those missing pieces to complete the picture. You will want to know what the ship was carrying. There is also a discovery a journal written by Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) which gives details of the location of an unimaginable treasure in Hawaii if true.

It is not a book that you can just sit and read for a few minutes and then pick up days later on. It is best enjoyed in several longer readings where you can become, in an almost Zen like way, one with the book's storyline. This would be a wonderful vacation book to read on a beach in Hawaii, or some other island paradise, or on a cruise, or just in your backyard on a weekend. It is that kind of book.

One interesting side note about this book is that most all of the facts like the ship and Mark Twain are all based on the author's research and are fact based events. It is once again, the twisting together of fact and fiction that makes Walks-As-Bear novels feel so mysterious.

This book receives the MWSA's highest book rating of FIVE STARS! It also gets my personal endorsement.

When I first heard about "Old Money", I was intrigued. Let's see, A retired Coast Guardsman, American Indians, Native Hawaiians, the Civil War Vietnam, and Civil War Warship, Mysticism, Spiritualism and of course Money.

I will admit that I wondered with all of this going on would I get lost in it all and lose interest and put it on a shelf or get caught up in it and not be able to put it down.

It takes a special kind of author to be able to blend several intertwined stories in to one complete package that you keep thinking just a couple more pages then I will go to sleep. David Walks As Bear does this masterfully!
I was going on a week of vacation, hoping to enjoy a couple of good reads. I finished up the first one quickly, So I picked up "Old Money", I bought so I might as well see how David Walks As Bear writes.

After the first 2 or 3 chapters, I found myself wondering where is this all going and simultaneously finding I can't wait to see what happens next.

I wanted it to rain so I could stay in the cabin and continue on my journey with Ely Stone. Alas, no rain so I stayed up way to late turning page after page.

David develops the characters so you could recognize them if you saw them on the street, and some of them if you did recognize them you would probably go in the opposite direction quickly.

Characters; good guys, bad guys, good girls, college professors, secret service agents, Bull Anuenur and of course Amos plus more that you get to know.

Ely Stone himself does not fit well in to a box, parts of Rambo, James Bond, Dirk Pitt and Indiana Jones, but he has a deep soul and you get glimpses in to the inter soul of Ely as the story move along.


I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story and the author in now on my must read list!

I wonder how I can begin to describe this outstanding novel by David-Walks-As-Bear. Inside the covers of this book you will find Tribal Officer Ely Stone, a man with a heart of gold and a life of mystery and adventure, one that is about to embark on another spiritual journey to right the wrongs of the past.
Ely is on another case and you can be sure despite his regrets his ancestors are making known to him by dreams and visions that something must be corrected. We find Ely's true love Nettie still at arms length and are introduced to some new found women friends who add just the right amount of spice to this work.
What does old money have to do with anything? Mark Twain seems to have left a famous writing which may well hold the secret to a fortune and lives will be lost and changed forever as the race is on to make sense of the mystery. Traveling with Ely in his mind we are privy to information that is revealed to him in dreams and vision as Ely struggles to make sense of the picture show that plays within him. We are taken from the past to the present, introduced to men of old who played a pivoted part in the present day affairs and we are favored to meet new characters with interesting personalities and see again those from previous works whom we have come to enjoy.
Let me say this, as with all of David's books this one is no slacker.
It is full of history, mystery, mysticism, adventure, romance and has a just plain down-right great storyline that keeps you glued to the pages from chapter to chapter.
This book is well worth your time, a top-of-the-notch read that will entertain you in every area a good book should. Highly recommended.