North America Books

Are you one of those people who hates crowded, commercialized destinations? My idea of a vacation is NOT fighting traffic and waiting in lines and seeing row upon row of tacky giftshops that are all the same.

If you want to get off the beaten track a bit (but not totally away from civilization), this is the perfect book to help you plan your family vacation! It lists 77 towns - the maps are great of course, the pictures are captivating, and they tell you what's so great about the town, where to stay, where to eat, and even where to shop, if you're so inclined.

I can speak for only two of the destinations listed in the book, but both of them are fantastic. We've been to Ephraim, Wisconsin (in Door County) twice now and we're going back too! The other town we've been to is Ouray, Colorado. Even though we were just passing through there, and only got to stop for lunch, I can see where this town is a great destination all its own.

Get this book, pick a location, and pack up the car and you'll have a great vacation!

Happy traveling!

Escape for a Season or So

Every so often someone comes along who tells me that if they won "the Lottery" one of the things they would like to do is travel. Well, I would, too, except that I want to
do more than just pay a visit, I want to stay a while... perhaps a season or so.

This book just whets my appetitie for such travel. I have been to a number of the towns in this book. Just for one example, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is as good as it gets. If you visit Eureka Springs in the Autumn, the trees of the Ozarks are gorgeous. Coming in from the west, you might even see a cloud in the one of the valleys below. You'll probably pass by Thorncrown Chapel which is one like no other. Once in Eureka you'll find the Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway and the only church in the world through which you will enter through the bell tower, St Elizabeth's. Ripley's Believe It or Not once mentioned this story. You'll want to stay for more than a visit
to Eureka Springs because nearby is the Pea Ridge Civil War Battlefield just to mention one.

This book is about places like this one from one coast to the other. I have visited some of them and they are all just as fascinating. I wish that I could see them all.

For anyone who enjoys the out-of-the-way small towns and villages, this guide book is a must. It is so well-written that the unique feeling you get about each place compells you to make an actual visit there. A perfect example is the story about Cutchogue, Long Island, New York. After reading so much about the movie stars, the Clintons and other glitterati in the Hamptons on the South Fork of L.I., I was utterly amazed that there is such a small undisturbed rural paradise (at least until this Guide was published)on the North Fork across Great Peconic Bay. The wineries, farm stands, historic sites and great seafood restaurants made our brief weekend visit a true delight. The Guide gave just enough data to locate Cutchogue and its environs to make the drive easy. The Cutchogue residents we encountered were amazingly friendly and helpful in giving directions to a few haunts of the locals that made this a definite "come again" destination. I trust the other places listed in the Guide are equally as wonderful as the one we experienced.

This was one of our "most valuable" books when we took our year long adventure around the USA. The towns they describe are really worth exploring -- they are the way towns used to be in this country. We came back from our adventure and wrote "Live Your Road Trip Dream" to help other road trippers actually get move from the dreaming to the doing for their trip of a lifetime.

Beautiful and breathtaking designs. As a first time cross stitcher (now hooked)I found the instruction in this book very user friendly.

I wanted to make everything in the book and/or adapt some of the designs into my own creations.

I live in Cape Town, South Africa and my husband and I travelled to london for a holiday in July, 1999. I saw this book at Harrods while I was there and promptly bought two copies, one for my youngest sister, and one for a very good friend. It is amazing that an English designer of the stature of Julie Hasler, who has published many other fine cross stitch books, has been able to, so perfectly, portray the wonders of the Native Americans and their culture, both ancient and modern through this medium. The two people I have bought this book for have been stitching non stop from the more than 40 patterns featured in this high quality book. The picture of the Nes Pearce woman featured on the cover is but a small taste of the wonders to be found under it. I would recommend this book to anybody who loves the art of Cross Stitching and who loves the culture of the Native Americans. For cross stitchers who hate back-stitching, this book is ideal as Julie has managed to portray her subjects poignantly, using mainly whole cross stitches and using little or no back stitch. A fabulous buy. Stunningly easy patterns to follow, and the colours are amazing. I have found myself totally inspired by the contents of this book and have, as a result, started to read up as much as I can on the Native American culture. If you have the money and you like this type of work....buy it...you won't regret it! :)

I really liked this book - I did find the large designs rather "busy" but very striking never the less. A nice varity of design complexities and sizes. Well worth owning.

Jack Weatherford is a well known and respected professor and author and he brings great perspective and respect to this subject. The book is not terribly long or difficult to get through but really does a great job of educating the reader about the enormous contributions of the Native people of the Americas, in particular the U.S. and should be assigned reading for high schoolers.

This book details the origins and development of many everyday / ordinary things in our lives. You may be surprised how much the Europeans owe to the natives of this land. This is NOT a hate filled, preachy, or mean spirited book. I think that regardless of age, race or up bringing you will enjoy this book and be educated by it.

Although the clarity of some of his writing is a little fuzzy, Weatherford uses his expansive knowledge of Native American history as the basis of his work in a manner that is quite intriguing. However, I believe that while the basic premises of Weatherford's thesis are sound, his assertions frequently overstate the Indian's influence on the settlers. For a number of his references, he has relied on secondary sources, some of which are incomplete or even controversial in regards to the validity and reliability of their factual assertions. For instance, Weatherford frequently refers to historical documents and journals of various explorers (i.e. - DeSoto, Schoolcraft, Columbus), missionaries and other early settlers as sources for his "facts", without having the benefit of being able to interview any of them first-hand. He would have been able to make sure he more fully understood the nuances and exact meaning of their writings if he had at least conducted more first-hand interviews with their descendents and others who were associated with them. This is, of course, something that is at times unavoidable in this genre of writing. And even though he usually clarifies the reliability of the material he cites, Weatherford does not always make it explicit that the events he refers to are chronicled as someone's opinions of what they observed, and are not necessarily a 100% accurate account of what really took place.

It would seem that with such an extensive knowledge of Native American history as his basis, that Weatherford's work would not only be adequate, but even possibly the defining work on this subject. I feel this is not the case. Although he writes about some 20 or so different aspects of the social, material, technologic and intellectual culture of Native Americans in an attempt to show how present-day America was built on Indian foundations, his rendition of the abuses, atrocities and various injustices they suffered is somewhat one-sided. Weatherford tells of Indians being extensively enslaved by the early Spanish and European explorers and how they were cruelly treated while in servitude. He also tells of their homes being burned, their places of worship and burial being looted and desecrated and other offenses that would make even the most callous person cringe with disgust. While these tragic atrocities most certainly happened, he does not make mention of the other races (except for brief mentions of African American slaves), such as the poor, lower class Europeans, that were forced into indentured servitude along with the Indians. These whites were slaves to almost the same extent as the Indians. Whether it was to pay their fare across the ocean to the "New World", to pay off some real or imagined debt to a nobleman or some other circumstance, these indentured whites were treated just as poorly, if sometimes not more so, as the enslaved Native Americans. Weatherford also does not make any real mention of those that spoke out against the practice of enslaving the Native Americans and African Americans. Just as there were abolitionists in the Civil War era, there were sure to have been anti-slavery advocates in the early days of the "New World". If one were to take Weatherford's account of early North American history at absolute face value, it would seem that the Spaniards, Europeans and other newcomers were little more than self-centered, cruel, greedy warmongers that had no other cares in the world than their own advancement. It would also seem that they did nothing more than rape, loot, pillage, destroy and/or enslave every Native American group that they encountered. Other races suffered injustices just as grave as those purported upon the Indians. They just are not always as "publicized" in the annals of history. The positive contributions of early European settlers, such as the introduction of horses, metalworking and other skills, are virtually unmentioned in the pages of Native Roots.

Weatherford's work is more than adequate in the sense that it gives the reader a wealth of information about how the Indians provided much of the foundations upon which modern North American culture is built. It also is adequate in regards to detailing the horrors that were committed against the Indians by the explorers and early settlers. However, I find it lacking in that it seemingly presents only the totally "pro-Indian" point of view. If I were face-to-face with Weatherford, I would ask him why he did not adequately discuss the massacres, rapes, looting, burning, etc. that the Indians committed against the settlers and other newcomers. Would he say that their acts were in retaliation for the crimes first committed against them by the whites? Perhaps he would, but even that would not justify the "cruelty-in-kind" on the part of the Indians. Regardless of the injustices suffered, returning evil for evil does not solve anything. As the old saying goes, "Two wrongs still don't make a right." What are the implications to be found in the history of the interactions between the early Spanish and Europeans with the Native Americans? How does what happened so long ago affect us today? I think we can take the lessons about the need for racial tolerance and cultural integration learned in these long past decades and centuries and transplant them directly into modern times. Some of the misunderstandings and misconceptions about others of a different ethnic or cultural background still exist today. The early Spanish Conquistadors, the European "explorers" and "missionaries", their monarchs and others all touted the superiority of their individual ethnicity and cultural standing. They felt the Indians were mere savages to be enslaved or "converted" as a means of controlling them and taking what was rightfully theirs. Organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, the Arian Nation and the Black Panthers as well as others each advocate their own brand of hatred, often calling for "racial purity" so as to be able to emerge as the dominant race in the world. We must learn from the disastrous consequences of these types of attitudes that were evidenced in the early days of North American settlement. If we do not, we will be condemned to repeat them and once again suffer the intolerable injustices of a bygone era that is best left right where it is; in the past.

Native American history is a significant part of America in all its facets today. The myths and half-truths that have filtered down through television, movies, school textbooks and the educational system have seriously tainted these indigenous peoples. Jack Weatherford has placed the lives, cultures and customs of the Native Americans in an historically refreshing and accurate portrayl. He writes with carefully researched truth essential to create the groundwork for understanding and respecting America's first -- and perhaps most intelligent --civilization. Once this is accomplished, Mr. Weatherford weaves the complete tapestry that makes up this rich and self-sustaining society, long before the first European set foot on this continent. A must reading for serious students of American history and adults like myself who missed the full story the first time around!

A must have for writers looking to explore the world of American Indians through Academia. This book makes a great place to start for any writers outside the world of the American Indian because it informs from the perspective necessary to invoke change in the poorly and mainly Euroview of the American experience. The essays are insightful and informative and I found the bibliographies at the ends of each chapter a gift that only research freaks like me could enjoy. Thanks for the direction and how about a Volume 2?

Professor Mihesuah does an excellent job, as writer and editor, promoting a new model for American Indian studies, one more cognizant that the scientific/historical assumptions of the academy are themselves culturally loaded against a just understanding and representation of American Indians. Personally, I think this is true of much modern culture as well; one reason academics have such a hard time figuring out what to do with (and how to talk about) rock and roll, for instance, is that it doesn't quite fit the categories western civilization has developed so far. This is a fine collection of essays, one that should be required reading for all PhD candidates in the humanities.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. The book addressed the issue of disrespecting the oral tradition of American Indian cultures by writing about them. This is something that has concerned me, especially as I look into continuing my studies through a PhD program.

Aside from the excellent job Professor Mihesuah does (both as writer and editor) in presenting the case for creating a different model for understanding American Indian history and culture, the essays here offer a much needed balance to academic presumptions about the primacy of scientific (as it were) fact. Should be required reading for all Ph.D. candidates in the humanities.

I read this some time ago and still think this is one of the most fast paced, interesting and exciting books that I have read. I thought it ranked right in there with "The Da Vinci Code" as I couldn't put it down. Excellent story line, character development and vivid descriptions that place you in the midst of the story, scene and characters. It is a very "visual" book with descriptions so well written that you really feel like you are right there walking the paths with the characters. Along with native lore, there are some steamy sections so get out your fans too. Ron Howard, this would make for one dynamite movie!

I found this book a delight. The story was strong as were the characters, with excellent and compelling writing. It was fascinating to be caught up with the native American Indian way of life and quite an eye opener for a Brit like myself who normally only writes and reads thrillers. Well done Mr. George.

'A New Dawn' - Jake George defines what Native American culture is. It is not the same today as it was a thousand years ago - even a hundred years ago - where in Native American life, justice is served for an evil.

The saga continues from Jake George's book, 'Grandfather's Song'.

Using authentic Native words, 'A New Dawn', Jake George forges a successful alliance between the Above World and the Old World. Jake gives his Native voice to his People.

Character development is very strong. The relationship between Running Woman and Crying Woman holds a very special place in my own heart. Custom is true to the instructions given; how to survive in harsh climates, a sense of community, herbal medicine and doctoring and authentic Native tools of survival.

Jake incorporates a spellbinding transformation, a guise of human to animal and back to human shapeshifting through the characters Elder Fawn and Elk Caller.

Jake George has written a phenomenal account of a Native American adventure. 'A New Dawn' is rich in spiritual energy which reflects old-world Native values and survival ties with the land to restore peace to a troubled world.

'A New Dawn' makes its way into modern-day Indian communities to emerge a new generation to sustain cultural identity and respect for being Native American.

The name on this book, 'A New Dawn' in the absolute highest spiritual sense, is an educational gift on behalf of all Native American tribes.


~Sage Sweetwater, firebrand lesbian novelist, author of Blue Corn Woman, edited by Jake George

'A New Dawn' is a smooth transition from the novel 'Grandfather's Song' by Jake George. We plunge into the 'Old World' where the Lenape and other tribes have chosen to travel to in order to help return the balance between man and nature that has fallen apart in the 'Above World'. The tribes must struggle to adapt, for many have forgotten the old ways or long for the life they left behind.

There's an environmental and 'life lessons' theme pulsing through the novel, but it is far from being preachy. The interaction between the characters is fast-paced and extremely engaging. Those who have returned to the Old World do not have a completely peaceful existence. In fact, there are brutal murders and deep seeded problems that must be solved, many of them involving great sacrifice by some members of the tribe.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel! The setting, characters and blend of Native American traditions simply flows along in a swift current of vigorous language. Jake George has a vision and an obvious love for the Lenape People that shines through in his writing. His tense action scenes and tight dialogue has an edgy quality that reminds me of some of my favorite westerns. The graphic torture scenes, erotica, and some harsh language, etc. cautions 'mature audiences only'. Adult readers new to Jake George novels will find their appetites craving more...

Chrissy K. McVay
Author of award winning novel 'Souls of the North Wind'

This book gives very concise and complete directions to the locations of the places listed. Not only was I able to find every location that I wanted to see and with little or no problem, but also there were good places to eat and other things to do along the way.The accuracy in the distances from the starting points to the destinations is so good that with care there is almost no chance of getting lost. Obviously the authors took great care to be accurate in their discriptions and directions and have written a book that is a real joy to use. I look forward to using other guides by the same authors as I know the will be correct in their information.

This is the best series of travel books about New England that I have found. It is easy to read with information I haven't found in other travel books. The New Hampshire book didn't disappoint. It is up to the standard I expect from this series.

This book gives very concise and complete directions to the locations of the places listed. Not only was I able to find every location that I wanted to see and with little or no problem, but also there were good places to eat and other things to do alone the way.The accuracy in the distances from the starting points to the destinations is so good that with care there is almost no chance of getting lost. Obviously the authors took great care to be accurate in their discriptions and directions and have written a book that is a real joy to use. I look forward to using other guides by the same authors as I know the will be correct in their information.

Spent a week in the White Mtns and used the book extensively. Most interesting was "discovering" the old Mineral Springs resort in Conway. Book was well written, concise maps and directions were very clear. This book, combined with a good road map and a general guidebook make touring NH very enjoyable.

I was originally given an expected delivery time of 3-4 weeks. The book arrived in just over a week. It was packed well and arrived in pristine shape.
Overall - an excellent experience that I'll be willing to repeat.

5 stars for a beginner who has never kept an aquarium, 3 stars for everyone else. The first half of this book covers the basics, which was of no use to me. The second half of the book covers the fish, and is pure gold, I just wish there was more of it.

This is not a book to buy for the pictures, the photography is nothing to get excited about. Most of the pictures are small with poor color reproduction.

this book is a throw back in many ways. Much like the old Innes books , Schleser's book starts out with the fundamentals. Topics like why to keep natives, fish taxonomy, conservation issues, collecting information, aquarium keeping tips and such cover the first 8 chapters. I like that. It starts the reader off right with a good foundation. Instead of just dumping you into a glossy book of pretty pictures of fish , this book starts you off with the how's and the why's of native fish keeping. This old fashioned nuts and bolts approach gives the reader a better chance to become a conservation minded Aquarist instead of just a pet store consumer. For Conservation efforts to be a success it must reach the grassroots level. The average person must be able to apply in a practical way, learned conservation ethics. I like to apply my housewife from Dubuque Iowa test to any book about collecting and keeping fish. If a housewife (or hubby) can read this book and apply it to activities with their local youth group, school or their own children then this book is a success. Well following my Dubuque test , this book is winner.

After 8 chapters of the basics , chapter 9 is all about fish. It breaks the fish down into basic types and goes into excellent detail about suitable aquarium species within each genus. Almost 100 pages is spent highlighting North America's unique aquatic heritage. Beautiful and obscure fish like the banded pygmy sunfish, dollar sunfish, gulf darter , Flagfin shiner , Fundulus Chrysotus , brindeled madtom and scores of other unloved North American fishes get the exposure they deserve . Full color photo's , range maps and rearing information follow each species. If you are interested in Longear Sunfish for example (page 139) you get 2 pages of great information , 3 photo's of the various strains out there and the basic information to keep , rear and enjoy this temperate fish. That's the kind of stuff anyone interested in Native Fish wants needs and got's to have. Get this book it's a winner.

Dave Schelser has done it again. His "Native Fish" book covers just about everything the enthusiast could want to know. Schelser describes everything from setting up the aquarium, to collection, feeding, and disease. A worthy sequel to his book "Pirahna: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual," also published by Barron's. All 133 photographs are taken by Schelser himself, whether in the wild or in the lab. One would never guess there were so many small but amazingly attractive fish native to North America without reading this book. Bravo Dave!!

Great stuff. Good information - BUT, what has been of the most use to me is the maps - I've used it in many presentations...tremendous information, looking forward to the new addition.

This book gives a very good description of pinot in the USA. It cuts through all the stereotypes assoiciated with growing and making pinot noir, and gives warm-climate growers a second look.

Ever since the movie "Sideways," it's been easy to love pinot and to know why. Like the movie's characters, pinot noir (the grape) is unpredictable, occasionally brilliant, often bad and otherwise given to fits and starts of temperment and quirkiness. John Haeger's "North American Pinot Noir" is the backstory. From the grape's historic evolution (probably in Burgundy) to it's spread through North America's most marginal winelands, the pinot story on our continent is one of renegade artisinal winemakers living and dying with fickle vintages and improvised technology and, ultimately, winning the grudging respect of Burgundy's barons. This encyclopedic account starts with the plant, it's natural history (habits, pests, preferences and all) and progresses all the way through it's best products -- the wines themselves. The tasting notes are extensive and regrettably bounded in time, but they offer acclaim to some great vintages and some great vintners. As the book ages, the notes themselves will only serve to remind most of us of what we missed. But as a survey of pinot's great American terroirs and their beautiful fruits, the book confers rich knowlege and a deep sense of why this grape matters. The book is the University of Pinot Noir. For graduate school, find a place that you like -- Dundee HIlls or Santa Maria Bench -- and proceed to the advanced seminars they offer.

As a part-time wine instructor and wine enthusiast, I'm always looking for good resources to share as well as for my own use. This book is simply outstanding: the writing is clear, there is more information than you could ever possibly use, but you don't feel like you're drowning in irrelevant junk. Bravo!

This is a fantastic book on nature in North America. The pictures are large and glossy, and the pages are thick. Somehow they cover every animal in North America with a large picture, and some writing. It is written smoothly, however, and isn't like a catalogue. The information provided is not too much, nor too little. Just the perfect information. It is a large book. 14 inches in length, and 12 inches in width. So the pictures are huge, as is the text. A must have for nature lovers.

For an oversized visual approach packing in color photo close-ups of North American wildlife, David Jones' title can't be beat: it pairs delightful full-page color photos with natural history, descriptions of research studies and findings, and protection routines, creating a catalog of wildlife which draws readers in with fine color and completes the education task with plenty of facts. As suitable for high school holdings as for public libraries, NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE is simply gorgeous.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is an amazing book. I could sit for hours and stare at the wonderful photography. It is a visual masterpiece!

This would be the kind of book you will want to read when you don't want to think too much about what you are reading. You just breeze through the pages admiring the photography and the occasional useful insight into the animal kingdom...and, believe me, there are a lot of pages. This is a big book and definitely an excellent read for anyone fascinated by nature and wildlife.

Already have an Atlas, topo CD set of Northeast, Garmin GPS Vista with topo/street maps. Once I found these Gazetteers, I bought one for every state in New England and New York. Each of the above provide different levels of information and alternative routes and access to various locations, often places with no direct road or trails. The gazatteers provide fast detail access to areas in question over the GPS or atlas and are invaluable to me while in the vehical. Although, the GPS is my lifeline away from the vehical, the gazatteers are large and not weather resistant.

You really cannot go wrong with the Atlas Gazetteer from Delorme. Especially if you are flying into Jackson, MS and planning to drive around half(literally) the state on all sorts of back roads trying to find streams, creeks, etc.

I wanted to get this atlas, especially to help us find places to go camping and hiking.. It's not always easy to find campgrounds or primitive campsites (since they're not always located in clearly identified campgrounds), so having these detailed maps is very useful for that. We recently used the atlas when we camped in the Catskill Mountains region, and I was glad we had these maps to help us out.

We have come to rely on the Gazetteer series for general navigation when an Internet connection is not available. My husband purchased the New York version for a business trip and found it to provide exactly the information he needed.