Pacific Books

Es un libro para adolescentes, pero que sin duda le hace muy bien a los adultos. La primera vez que lo leí lo llevé al aula para que lo leyesen mis estudiantes de secundaria. El efecto fue grandioso, leían entusiasmados y lograron vencer su apatía haciendo preguntas que habitualmente no hacían. Es un libro muy bueno. El autor logra captar la atención de los adolescentes, lo cual en este tiempo es un gran logro.

Cuando tuve este libro en mis manos por primera vez no entendí mucho el propósito del autor. Sin embargo, cuando se lo dí a leer a mis alumnos de secundaria pasó algo extraordinario, comenzaron a hacer preguntas, se lo recomendaban entre ellos y a diferencia de lo que suponía lo leyeron de manera entusiasta. Realmente las mejores clases que tuve fueron a raíz de este libro. Luego he preguntado a padres y otros colegas y la reacción a sido la misma. El autor logra captar la atención de los adolescentes, lo cual es mucho en este tiempo.

La primera vez que me llegó este libro a mis manos quedé grátamente sorprendido por su sencillez y a la vez profundidad. La sorpresa mayor fue cuando se lo di a leer a mis alumnos de secundaria. En seguida se produjo un efecto inesperado, ellos habitualmente reacios a leer comenzaron a devorar el libro y recomendarselo entre ellos. Sentían como si fueran ellos los que hablasen. Realmente lo recomiendo, especialmente a padres y profesores para tener dialogos con sus adolescentes. Además, cada página trae preguntas para hacer, por si no se nos ocurre ninguna.

Want to get outdoors and be active in the Boston area? Start by buying this book. Lee Sinai describes, in wonderful detail, many of the rides and hikes one can take within a thirty-five-mile radius of Boston. The author has organized the forty trips around geographical areas, north, south or west of Boston, so selecting one is easy. Maps of each destination are included. Each trip description includes what's important to an outdoor enthusiast.... availability of restrooms, closest access to food, degree of difficulty, directions for getting there, and a historical background of the area.
Using this book, I discovered Dogtown, a mountain biking haven in Gloucester. I also experienced Cameron's, home to the best lobster roll in Massachusetts. The author led me to Great Brook Farm in Carlisle for cycling and then to Kimball's for a memorable ice cream treat.
As a guidebook, I give Exploring In and Around Boston on Bike and Foot the highest rating.

Lee Sinai has taken a group of varied and unusual hikes and trails around Boston and compiled them into an informative and accessible guide. We refer to her book often when looking for interesting, new places to explore, and have found it invaluable in "rediscovering" Boston.

Right from the get go I found this hiking and biking guide to be a miracle of organization and indispensable information. This book not only groups locations by geographical location, but also with respect to hiking, road biking and mountain biking. I found the handy reference guide towards the beginning of the book extremely useful while including not only difficulty ratings, but also mileage for each trip, something not always available in one specific location in a guide book. The maps accompanying each site are extremely easy to follow and the descriptions really do fit the terrain perfectly, whether or not you chose to take the book along on your journeys. I found the directions to each location to be extremely useful and especially appreciated the public transportation options that help those city dwellers who lack automobiles. Other handy features include locations and descriptions of local restaurants, attractions and even restrooms. This book included an very helpful mix of locations both in the greater Boston area, as well as highlighting several gems in the neighboring suburbs. I especially appreciated the handy reference map showing the location of all the spots, as well as the ever present tips to find geater enjoyment in your outdoor adventures!

I bought this for my wife, who is enamored with Lahaina. The book does a great job of detailing the history of this quaint whaling port and once capital of the Hawaiian Islands.

*****
This small book (122 pages) is filled with beautiful vintage photos of Lahaina, including merchants, plantation photos, government buildings, school photos, churches, the waterfront, and more. The vintage photos are beautiful black-and-white pictures, many from archives and the Lahaina Restoration Foundation.

There is even a picture of Moku'ula included, the sacred home of the ali'i on Maui---wild and overgrown, but still evoking a mystique and beauty that is unique.

Each photo has a paragraph of explanation included. Reading this book is a pleasant way to go on a "walking tour" of Lahaina before actually visiting and going on a real walking tour. Or reliving memories of visiting or living in Lahaina.

Highly recommended.
*****

An intriguing look at the beauty that was Hawaii's first capitol, Lahaina. Personally, this book evoked memories buried deep in my heart. The collection of photos and the author's eloquent writing combine to create a book of high caliber. It is evident that Ms. Kupau is quite knowledgeable of Lahaina's history. This volume of the "small town series" allowed me to relive the vivid images of Lahaina that was my youth. Sigh. I remember my old friend Edith Miyahira and her two daughters Jean & Jane who operated the jewel of the Front Street restaurants at the time, Seaside. The home made saimin, fried rice, shrimp curry, hamburger steak and potato salad were among my favorites. Just thinking about the food makes my mouth water. Emeril could learn a thing or two from Edith. BAM! In conclusion, I am anxiously waiting Summer Kupau's next book. She is an excellent author. Keep it real, keep it old school.

This 1995 edition is still a wonderful guide to the large area covered. My wife and I recently used the book to greatly enhance our touring, camping, and hiking experience during a trip covering the areas north and south of Isabella Lake. History that we learned from the book was new to some local residents we met during our stops.

You'll find out all about the bridges that span the Kern, bridges that range from little teetering footpaths to proud products of the interstate age. Jenkins is an affable guide to the different bridges, his roguish voice straightforward and poetical, like the narrator of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY. You will find no covered bridges here, though. The Sierras are harsh country.

I took a few trips with Jenkins in my back pocket, walked around the majestic giant sequoias, and saw with my own eyes the reseeding and the replanting of the great forest. Jenkins has it all down, even to the black flies that will make your life miserable unless you do what he says. If you're tired of swatting, use this book instead. Try tubing and canoeing the Jenkins way, and you'll have the Sierras forever, with a whole new perspective, as pioneered by this man and his late mother, who seems to have been a remarkably good sport.

You'll also want to see the abandoned land mines, some of which are open to the public. Pioneers pulled tons of silver and gold out of "them there hills," and the romance of the Gold Rush is never too far away. At any moment, you feel, there could be another wildcat strike that will shake up this sleepy old world. Find out history and economics all within the covers of this invaluable guide.

I am one of those people who grew up in the city and until about seven years ago, hardly ever placed my feet on unpaved ground. I recieved a copy of Jenkins' book as a gift and began taking some of the easier trips in this beautiful country. The book is full of descriptive detail, well thought out hikes,and enjoyable car tours. The original author, J.C. Jenkins, actually travelled every inch of the territory described in the book with a mileage wheel.After his untimely death, his mother,Ruby Johnson Jenkins,set about the task of rewalking every trip in order to keep the book up to date. There is no second-hand information in either of the books(the companion book is called "Exploring the Southern Sierra,East Side"). I have been of many of the longer trips now and find the books to be reliable, interesting, and informative.

My book is called facing west I like it because it has a lot of adventure and scary moments in it. They name things different then what we do. Zach and Ben are best friends it's a funny book too. AS you read this book you will find what the real Oregon trail and it feels like really on the Oregon Trail with Zach and Ben. I think you should read this book because I think you'llen joy it.

My book is called facing west I like it because it has a lot of adventure and scary moments in it. They name things different then what we do. Zach and Ben are best friends it's a funny book too. Read this to find out if his family will make it.

Ben is the main person in this story. They went west in 1845. His family went to Oregon. His doctor said it was better for him out there. I like the story very much. I liked how they showed the old pictures of the wagons going down the road. I liked the part where Pete pushed Ben and he hit his head against the tree. I also aliked the part where the oxen starting pulling the wagons and Ben sat on the ground. I didn't like the way Pete walked up and started talking to Ben. I thought it would be a surprise meeting.

I grew up with a grandfather who was born in 1889, who survived the first world war, married his wife at the age of 30, had 5 kids, survived the Great Depression, and made a living as a dairy farmer in Mid-Western Wisconsin. He participated in the old-time threshing crews, which meant 15-20 neighbors (read: big strapping men from other farms) would congregate to help each other harvest their crops from the fields. Who fed all of these burly men? The women! Helen Myhers is the real-deal. She has compiled a cookbook full of recipes that are the actual farm recipes used by the women who fed the threshing crews on hot summer days. You'll find classic menus for holidays, Norwegian favorites, old-time baking from scratch, and my personal favorite- a killer Blueberry Bluff Cake. I'd recommend buying this book in hardcover, because you'll have it forever and return to it over and over again. I can attest to that. Mine is already ragged and very well used. There is also a very sentimental aspect to this cookbook. Helen writes about her memories too and gives readers a background about each chapter and each recipe. Her stories resonated with me and the memories I had about growing up on my grandparents farm near Helen's restaurant, so I cherish the book for its authenticity.

If this doesn't improve your cooking, you are either one phenomenal cook, or you need to just start ordering in. Everything is fantastic in this book. I have had it for over a year, now, and I haven't had a bad batch of anything yet. Helen Myhre has tips and techniques that I wouldn't have ever used, but they've work so well that I'd no sooner give them up than give away my favorite pot. I'd been looking for a good pie crust recipe for about twenty years and finally found it here. The recipe was fantastic, something I would have never tried, and everyone compliments my pie crusts. I wish I could spend a day in this gal's kitchen; she is really something else. I don't give a review unless I'm pretty strongly for or against something. This one had to be written. Buy two copies - one for yourself, and one for the person who feeds you most (besides yourself). I've actually travelled to the Norske Nook (on my way elsewhere, believe it or not), and even the french fries are uncommonly good. Warning: recipes contain copious amounts of butter, LOL!

There is a small-town cafe in Osseo, Wisconsin, called the Norske Nook which has earned a reputation for outstanding cooking and great eating. It was founded by Helen Myhre who, with the collaborative help of Mona Vold, now presents an outstanding cookbook that showcases all of the gustatory reasons why the Norske Nook became a regional Wisconsin success. This outstanding compendium of recipes is presented in sections devoted to Brads, Rolls and Sweet Dough Treats; Assorted Meats and Gravies; Fresh and Canned Treasures from the Garden and Wild Patches; Farm Meals; Pies, Tortes, Pan Desserts, and Puddings; Cakes, Bars, and Frostings; Cookies and Fry Cakes; Homemade Ice Creams and Toppings; Old-Fashioned Beverages and New-Fangled Punches; Scandinavian Specialities; Good Kitchen Tools and Mail-Order Products. No personal or community library Wisconsin oriented cookbook collection can be considered complete without the prominent inclusion of Helen Myhre and Mona Vold's Farm Recipes And Food Secrets From The Norske Nook!

This book will be a humorous introduction to the culture of Alaskans. Subtitled "A Guide to Good Manners and Social Survival in Alaska" Good manners there were never written by Emily Post or Miss Manners! If you have been there, you will be ready to go back!

If you have ever gotten the chance to meet or visit with the folks from rural Alaska you will know these are facts of live. Told in a very humorous way. Good reading you can't put down. Great for folks that may never get there but want to know the facts of Alaska life!

When my wife and I first moved to Alaska in 1987 we wanted to find out what Alaskans were like so we could try to fit in. We looked around and found Mike Doogan's guide - plus all of his weekly articles giving advice on how to live like a real Alaskan. (The other guide we found was Jeff Lowenfells.) I took Mike's advice seriously! Now 16 years later I had a chance to listen to Mike in person and he said his newspaper column was a humor column! So now I have all this stuff in my driveway - so my house will look like a real Alaskan home - and what am I going to do with it all? So beware! Reading this book is not for those who want real advice. It is instead a book joking about some things some Alaskans do, but not how you should really try to live just to fit in. But if anyone reading this would like to buy some stuff for your driveway - please give me a call!

Usually, it's easy to promote a friend's effort. In the case of Andy's book, that took a bit of extra time, since during the time his information seemed most needed, the book hadn't been published yet and he usually sent the pertinent details via fax or by mail.

It has only been in recent times, with a renewed interest in running Alaska rivers, that (for me) the book plays a role as a source of information, and more than that. Sadly, Andy is no longer around to provide his concise personal touch. Hence, the book not only serves as a guide, but also as a reminder, who Andy was - in part - as he was certainly a very complex person.

This book is a reminder of how some guide books used to be written, that is, with a healthy dose of historical information. The history alone requires commitment to gather, check and then publish, lest an author had some very serious interests in that field. As in climbing guide books, the trend seems to be to give details about where to find what difficulty and how to deal with it by making available topos while omitting practically all else.

Embicks's book is of great value because of the many personal tidbits it contains and some of the radical trips he relates, like paddling the Chakatatna and then crossing Cook Inlet (a salt water body with extreme tidal currents) in the same white-water boats, a feat, which will not very soon repeated in our time-crunch society.

Fast & Cold makes not just an informative guide book, but also a great coffee-table issue for armchair afficionados. It is pertinent, that one has a lax attitude when dealing with Andy's type A, self-assured personality, and by giving him credit for having seen the many details he found on his trips and in his research, for relating them to us and thus enabling us to contemplate that aspect of him, which so many times didn't make it to the surface of his being, when we knew him during his lifetime.

While the sport has continued to evolve since Andy did most of his rivers, he's still set the standard by which few will even come close. His reviews of the various rivers of Alaska are complete. This is a great read for entertainment. This is a dream book for the kayakers of Alaska and anyone hoping to stop by our beautiful state. Many of these rivers have still not been run since Andy and his friends ran them in the 80's. Kudoo's to THE AK whitewater book by which all others will be measured.

After borrowing this book from the library, I had someone give it to me as a Christmas present. Andrew Embick put his heart and soul (and considerable time and money) into this effort, and it shows. He outlines many whitewater rivers for which he has first-descent credentials; in that respect, he must be viewed as the acknowledged expert. One criticism, hopefully constructive: the book doesn't have an all-encompassing map, which would be useful for the reader to get a sense of orientation as (s)he navigates through the book. But overall, the book is a tour de force. I'll never paddle half the rivers in this book; I may never paddle Alaska, for that matter; but the book was a "must" for me. The color plates alone, depicting all the glory of glaciated streams, are worth the price of admission.

I think this book is a wonderful source of information to anyone who wishes to find out about Kay. She lived a fasinating life. Congratulations on an 100% fabulous book.

Detailed preparation, astounding courage, sheer determination, and a little divine luck are elements of this inspirational true story of Kay Cottee's single-handed circumnavigation of the globe. An achievment made all the more inspirational because she was such a down-to-earth and 'ordinary' person, who started from nothing exept her own vision of what whe wanted to achieve. This is a book I recommended to all my friends. Kay Cottee writes from the heart, and I found this book both compelling and easy to read.

Kay Cottee is one of Australia's most esteemed women. From a relatively 'normal' childhood and adult life, Kay's dream to sail single-handed around the world makes her shine.

First Lady is the tale of Kay's progress to achieve her life long ambition. From securing sponsorship to enduring friendships, her character and humour shine through.

From horrendous conditions to eating too much, this book will inspire anyone with a dream. Kay's story reveals to all of us that with enough guts, determination (and a healthy appetite and humour!) we can achieve whatever we set out to achieve. Highly highly recommended reading!

I was finally able to obtain this book recently (7/07). Published in 1976 (!), it certainly lives up to - and beyond - it's reputation.

The first six or so months of Naval conflict in the Pacific are laid bare and interpreted by Lundstrom - with an eye on the strategic realm. The interpretation is different from the (prior) mainstream. Lundstrom bases this interpretation on newly released radio intelligence, and Japanese sources. Thus, as with the revelation of the "Ultra Secret", strategy, decisions and events can be seen in a new context.

I had purchased, read and studied Lundstrom's "The First Team", and "The First Team and the Guadalcanal Cmpaign". Those books proved to be two of the most fully researched and definitive historical studies that have been published in recent years about the early phases of WW II in the Pacific. "The First South Pacific Campaign" is wider in scope by far.

"The First South Pacific Campaign" was recommended to me by others, and I had seen citations to it in other histories of note. Luckily I obtained a copy at a time when the cost of a used volume wasn't prohibitive. My only comment to anyone who is hesitating about reading/purchasing this volume is: do so immediately! If this is a "Thesis" - as rumor has it - then the author deserves Summa.

This book was essentially Lundstrom's Master's thesis, and marks one of the first attempts at what I would term "hard core" research on both the Japanese and American accounts of the early portions of the Pacific War. Just as he would demonstrate in his more widely acclaimed "First Team" series, Lundstrom is a superb researcher who isn't scared to venture into the Japanese source material and beat it into submission. I tracked down a used copy of this work for my research on my own forthcoming Battle of Midway volume, and don't regret the price I paid for it one bit.

-jon parshall-
Imperial Japanese Navy Homepage
http://www.combinedfleet.com

John Lundstrom's First South Pacific Campaign proves to be s superb strategic overview of the first six months of the Pacific War. Starting from Pearl Harbor and basically ending it after Battle of Coral Sea (with minor stretch to Midway), Lundstrom gave clarity and understanding to the strategic situation of that period. Unlike so many other American historians, Lundstrom managed to give a clear point of view from the Japanese side as well and their plans and understanding of the situation. This dual look make this book unique when it was initially published. I read this book back in 1977 and reread again just recently. It still stand up today because so many American historians are still just too scared to dip into the Japanese side. (Although one of the previous reviewers is co-author of an excellent book on Midway that took full advantage of Japanese sources.) But the approach of the book is pretty clear and author doesn't weight you down with too much facts and details. I was glad I read it in 1977 since it greatly prepared me to appreciate H.P. Willmott's works that came out in 1980s, Empires in the Balance and Barrier and Javelin that roughly covered the same period but in far greater details. (Pair of superb books I might add.)

This book come highly recommended and it definitely worth the money spent on it. I got my copy at an used bookstore in Anchorage and even then, it still cost me plenty for a book of this size and age.