North America Books

This guide uses a simple key to identify most common (and a few uncommon)trees in the Eastern US and Canada. At the end of the search are some of the most interesting facts and details I've found. At this price, this book should be in everybody's hip pocket every time you enter the woods!

The information is sound and proven. It is a very easy to reference guide and is easily organized. It's also a relatively pocket-sized book which makes it excellent for carrying in the field (where it can be best put to use anyway).

The only downsides are that the book's content is about 60 years old so all of the pictures are in black and white. That and the pages are done in regular paper instead of something glossy. Consequently, if you take it in the field with you a lot, the pages will get dirty fast. If they'd simply do a full-color revision on some glossy paper stock it'd get the full five stars.

I used it in my Biology class and i decided to get a copy for myself, it is a great easy to use tree identifier. It is much nicer than the Audobon series.

I have used this book for over 25 years and still come back to it every time, that someone has a question about trees. It gives clear concise descriptions of not only the leaves, but bark and twigs. It has many trees in it that other books omit, and I find that is many times a fairly common tree that is overlooked.

My daughter used the book for High School Biology, now my 14 yo son is using it and younger son is using it in his life science course.

This book is among my all time favorites in Native American studies. Two Leggings was not the greatest or the most famous of the Crows, but he seemed true to his culture. This gave the book the very rare feel of cultural and spiritual authenticity. Bueno.

If you are interested in learning about spiritual power--sometimes referred to as medicine--amongst the plains Indians, then this book is for you. It discusses Two Leggings search for power through traditional vision quest and his inability to receive anything substantial. Ultimately, he receives something of value extended to him by his father-in-law. Also covered is what happens when a person makes a committment to spirit then dishonors that committment--the colapse and end of Sun Dance for the Crow people until it is returned years later through the Shoshone people.

This book was prepared by Nabokov from notes from interviews between the ethnographer and collector Wildschut and the aged Crow warrior Two Leggings. Those looking for a general account of plains Indian life in the mid to late 19th century may be disappointed. This book deals almost solely with Two Leggings spirtual pursuit of 'power' or 'medicine' to give him success in horse raids. And by extension status within his tribal society. The book highlights the significance of dreams to the Plains Indian and the impact they had on the real world. The book documents Two Leggings various attempts to acquire 'power' through fasting or vision quests and also gives accounts of numerous horse raids he made against his tribal enemies. The end of the days of freedom on the plains and the reservation period are largely ignored for, as far as Two Leggings was concerned, nothing of interest happened after the buffalo disappeared and horse raiding ended.

All in all an excellent book which reveals how the spritual world and warfare were so interwoven in the mind of the Plains Indian.

In 1919, anthropologist William Wildschut, living in Billings, Montana, at the time, befriended Crow Indian chief Two Leggings, who was living along the Bighorn River. Wildschut was interested in gathering Two Leggings's reminiscences. Bringing translators with him, Wildshut met with Two Leggings at his homestead over a lengthy period of time and wrote his memoirs down. The final 480-page manuscript was deposited in the archives of the Museum of the American Indian, where Peter Nabokov discovered it. Nabokov reworked Wildschut's manuscript somewhat, usually tightening up his expansive style, and this is the result.

The most striking thing about these reminiscences is how Two Leggings is not nearly as interested in Indian-white relations as he is with his raiding adventures against other tribes, especially against the Piegans. It seems his whole existence is centered on this activity. Almost equally important are his vision and dream quests; all important decisions are based on what are conjured in dreams and visions. Raiding enemy tribes, gathering coup, stealing horses - all these activities were primary to anyone wishing to be a great warrior chief. Possessing strong medicine that produced powerful visions was also important. Two Leggings relates his story up to about 1888 when the Crows were restricted to their reservation; he concludes, "Nothing happened after that. We just lived. There is nothing more to tell." His memoir is a fascinating one, and one that makes little acknowledgement of or concession to the white man's world.

"Unbelievable" (first published in 1987) was Australian author Paul Jennings' second collection of short stories for kids, published while he was still working as a teacher. They're quirky, inventive, funny, occasionally gross and fun for all ages really. They really evoke Australia too, particularly the state of Victoria and the city of Melbourne, which I've always liked about Paul's books.

There are nine stories here:

"Pink Bow Tie" is something of a story within a story, involving a machine that can make the user younger or older. I quite like it, and it must be a popular one, because it was not only adapted into an episode of "Round the Twist" but also made into a very special Paul Jennings comic as well.

"One Shot Toothpaste" was a story I always found really creepy when I was a kid. Dentists, experiments with teeth. It's not surprising, really. Great little tale, and another story within a story.

"There's No Such Thing" is an interesting piece about a dragon who lives in the drain.

"Inside Out" has a punk ghost, a horror film lover, a "spook exam" and even a magic trick or two. The ending comes on rather suddenly, but it's a decent story.

"The Busker" is a pretty intense story for a children's book, I've always thought. It's a reflection on money, greed and friendship, and it's pretty sad too. I know it's made one or two people cry reading it. Yet another story within a story, part of which is set on Australia's shipwreck coast.

"Souperman" sees a comic book fan meet his hero living a few apartments away. He's not quite how he is in the comics though. Seems this real life superhero needs soup for souper powers. Silly, but I like it.

"The Gumleaf War" is a very Australian short story. It's got slang, it's got an Australian folk song, it's got the bush and it's got old men playing gum leaves. It's also pretty funny. What more could you want?

"Birdscrap" features a ghostly seagull and a load of guano. That's all that needs to be said there!

"Snookle" is short and strange, all about an invisble ghost that grants your every desire, even the tiniest of whims must be granted. Is that something you'd really want?

It's all great fun, easy to read for young and old. A great introduction to Paul Jennings for the newcomer and a great addition to your collection for a fan. Highly recommended.

This book is the best! My teacher from london who flew heunbelivible,imangtive but i forgot the other one!re to usa! in K-mart she found there books of him
we read a the stories like Ice Maiden, Birdman, Little SQUIRT,Magic Hermonica, The Vevlet Throne, eXPOSER,and one that we are reading now,Sloppy Jollpy it has a lot of britsh acent because paul jennings is an australing aouthor mates!

I recommend this book to those who like to laugh. I definitely think that it's UNBELIEVABLE. It was just the funniest and most entertaining book I've ever seen before. Be ready!!!

though is a old book but the content is very interesting that is still practical that the things inside may still happened the stories always have a twist at the ending. my friend recommend this book to me and i will surely recommend to somebody else

Like most everyone, I have been slightly familiar with Audubon's Birds of America-but I had no insight into the man or the world that produced his famous series of meticulous paintings. From the first page, William Souder's excellent book drew me into its engrossing narrative, making the carefully researched details come alive. Because of the detail and the direct writing style, the world Souder portrays seems close and immediate-almost like today-but in many ways it was light-years from today's modern world.

In detailing Audubon the man, Souder shows us a fascinating, infuriating character, obsessive in his hunting, exploring and collecting efforts, relentless in his painting, while often oblivious to his domestic responsibilities and economic situation. Reconstructing an immense amount of research materials, Souder describes Audubon's acclaim and success in Scotland and England, leading to the historic publication of the monumental Birds of America. While cutting a flamboyant, confident figure in Europe, we also see Audubon's private torments. His incompetent letters to his wife- addressing her as "dearest friend"- provokes an extended almost tragic transatlantic misunderstanding. Reading these passages should make us forever grateful for telephones!

Under a Wild Sky is full of wonderful rich description, and for this we can thank Audubon and others for having kept detailed journals and letters. But I was most impressed with Souder's ability to write in a familiar, personal style that weaves it all into a highly readable, intelligent and entertaining narrative that-as I said before-really makes the subject come alive. Highly recommended.

I am pleased to give my unprejudiced review of Under A Wild Sky by William Souder, my son.
The author paints a picture, in words, of a 19th century complicated man, dedicated to giving his and future generations beautiful and accurate portraits of Birds Of America. This is a great book for all interested in learning about the life of the man and his work.

William Souder doesn't just describe Audubon's personality. Souder appears to be Aubudon's best friend who has been watching Audubon for years. Now, Souder is telling the reader how his best friend works and what drove his friend to make "Birds of America."

It's been over a century since naturalist John James Audubon's death, but his fame is no less for it, and author William Souder's biography Under A Wild Sky: John James Audubon And The Making Of The Birds Of America provides both a well-researched biography and an inviting leisure read recreating Audubon's time and passion. Chapters tell of the lush abundance of species Audubon was called upon to catalog, and tells of his struggle to gain recognition for his work. A 'must' for any Audubon fan.

It was full of pretty good information and stories. I personally know the author and a few of the people in the book and in the references.

I received this book as a gift. What a great gift. The book contains many short stories that would have appeal to both the young reader as well and the older reader. The book would have a broad range of appeal. The book contains may one liners which can be used in our normal lifestyle. This book is a keeper and will become part of your library.
This book will be on my gift giving list....

Jim Great Elk Waters is wise, observant and a great story teller. History came alive for me through his tales of Indian culture and his positive approach to life is evident in every story. His book will appeal to lovers of history, to families needing the answers reflected in his quote, "Happiness, laughter and family voices in a home keep more people living right than all laws man can make," and to those people looking for inspiration, "You can be your dreamed self if only you believe." I enjoyed all of his "Views from the Medicine Lodge."

Written by Jim Great Elk Waters (the Shawnee Sub-Chief and a legislator on the Shawnee Nation URB Tribal Council), View From The Medicine Lodge is a thoughtful and thought-provoking collection of essays, stories, and poems that present Native American-based inspiration and life lessons to contemporary readers of all backgrounds. Lasting wisdom and deeply meaningful ponderings fill the pages this thoughtful account, which emphasizes the importance of finding balance between Man and Nature. View From The Medicine Lodge is an enthusiastically endorsed recommended for Native American Spirituality and Cultural Practices reference collections and reading lists.

This book is a good read, even for those of us who are neither historians or archeologists. The idea that the Vikings "discovered" America, well before Columbus, is still controversial. History has been dependent on "storytelling" for much of the timeline of America's "discovery." The author has done original research and come up with new evidence; he presents the information in a way that is interesting to the general reader. The translation is clear and direct, and the photos add even more interest to the book.

This is essential reading for anyone who ever thought that Columbus discovered America. Niels Vinding's original thesis regarding the actual landing site of Erik the Red reads like a thriller thanks to Birgitte Moyer-Vinding excellent translation. The Vikings set sail from Greenland to find a land with enough wood to supply their needs on their barren island. They discovered Vinland which is now Newfoundland making them the first Europeans to land in the Western Hemisphere. If you like history you'll enjoy this wonderful book.

Those interested in the Vikings will find this book informative and thought provoking. I expect the author's intriguing thesis regarding ballast stones will stimulate further investigation on the subject.

To answer the question "Who discovered America?", Danish author Niels Vinding provides original and inciteful evidence that Leif Ericksson landed in North America in 998, 500 years before Columbus. The Vikings left few written records, but Vinding does an accomplished job of presenting his theory, interpreting evidence from the Vinland Sagas, the accounts of the Norse settlement of Vinland. In addition, his impressive detective work uncovers original archeological evidence that Vinland is the Avalon peninsula of southern Newfoundland. The book leads the reader through seven voyages in a lively and engaging style. It's a pleasure to read such a stimulating work on such an important topic. Well designed, the many illustrations include maps and drawings in addition to color photographs of Viking artifacts. The pictures are well chosen and are reproduced with exceptionally fine clarity and rich colors. A timeline, and lists of books conclude the volume. Visually appealing and quite informative, the book will delight curious browsers as well as Viking scholars. Neils Vinding received his MBA from Stanford University. This book is the result of years of intensive study of the Greenland Norse and the Icelandic Sagas.

The fifth grade teachers at my school have used this book for a "read aloud" for several years. It has adventure, sympathetic characters, and action. The kids love it and the historical context helps them understand the challenges the Jamestown settlers faced as well as the havoc that they wrecked on the Native American population. It has been a great way to launch our unit on colonial America.

This hard-to-put down book tells the story of Rob, an English orphan, who is kidnapped and sold as an indentured servant to a cruel Tobacco farmer in colonial Virginia. The story is so well-paced and action-packed you don't even realize you're learning quite a bit about American history as you tear through the pages. An excellent choice for summer reading!

This hard-to-put down book tells the story of Rob, an English orphan, who is kidnapped and sold as an indentured servant to a cruel Tobacco farmer in colonial Virginia. The story is so well-paced and action-packed you don't even realize you're learning quite a bit about American history as you tear through the pages. An excellent choice for summer reading!

Virginia Bound is a great story! It grabs you quickly and makes you care about the characters. It's got suspense and adventure and hard hard decisions for the main character to make. Rob's choice ends up making this a book with an important moral, but rather than the book lecturing or seeming saccharine, it shows Rob's dilemma and his decision as part of his growing up-- just the kind of thing that makes kids feel grown up themselves.

This book is also amazing in the way it depicts the history-- not one bit boring, the author brings the time and place alive with amazing details she's gleaned from the best research on Virginia. Who knew that to grow tobacco people had to hoe dirt up over their leg until it reached their knee, jerk their foot out of the pile, and put the plant in that hole? Any kid who reads this book will know a whole lot more about hard labor, hard times, and the complicated history of the beginnings of our country than most adults do...and they won't even realize they're being taught.

One last note...don't think this is just for boys-- there's a strong female character to match Rob, and girls will enjoy her skill, courage, and intelligence.

This is a great story, compellingly told with simplicity and beauty. It also happens to be the best single book I've ever read on "organizational learning."

The "Walking People" left central Asia and walked across an ocean, over to another ocean and back to the great lakes. On their way, they had to learn to deal with an ever changing circumstance, both physical and social. In order to survive, they learned how to learn as a people more and more effectively.

This story deals with issues such as the balance between diversity and unity, how to honor individual styles of learning and use these to help the community, ageism, sexism, racism, cooperation and competition, the balance of long term goals and short term necessities, planning and improvisation, war and peace.

Are you beginning to get the picture? This should be read by everyone, but at least by anyone who teaches or manages people. If a CEO or Senator reads one book in this millennium to prepare for the next, this should be it.

Most of our historical evidence about the lives of our ancestors is in the form of tools, bones, fragments of pottery and cloth, and rock paintings. What was daily life really like before even these artifacts were tools? Perhaps something else did survive . . . In "The Walking People", Paula Underwood presents stories of real events lived by real people from the oral tradition of her people. Not a collection of mythological tales, they cover a span of history, geographical locations and events that is intellectuallly staggering and nearly impossible to put down. These are the stories of the Oneida people "from the beginning" which trace their intentional wanderings over three continents including how they crossed what is probably the Bering Strait, explore the events and decisions that made them who they are, and record some of their tantalizing encounters with other people. These are also teaching stories and can be understood on many levels intellectually and emotionally, individually and collectively. They can be seen as a straighforward historical account; an absolute literary delight; the unfolding of a people's culture and society; a presentation of the development of individuality (ego); a process of learning how to learn; an anthropological exlposion of possibilities; the evolution of scientific experimentation and evaluation; a description of ordinary living in various times; stories of individual lives and commitments - and so much more. I have read "The Walking People" cover to cover at least a dozen times, each immersion bringing fresh and expanding comprehension. The language used and the physical presentation on the page combine to make reading this book a nearly "auditory" experience. It invites the reader to walk with these people through time, participating in their experiences, sharing the tears of their misjudgments, the joy in their masterful accomplishments, and the relief that the laughter at their predicaments brings. It is a most extraordinary glimpse into the perceptions and thinking of real people in ancient and historical times. It is very difficult to describe the deep psychological effect of perceiving the actual voices and syntax of people who lived thousands and thousands of years ago - suddenly, "history" becomes an intimate, personal reality. Almost understated in terms of today's world of extremism, rampant emotionalism and dramatic egotistical conflicts, these stories carry a haunting impact quietly hidden in the simple, direct telling that spares nothing. I have no doubt that these stories have been kept accurately for millenia. This is the first presentation I have found that is a sharing of one Native American people's heritage; it has been my experience that such depth has either been lost altogether or is usually carefully preserved as part of the private, heartfelt identity of the Original People of America. Paula Underwood's generous recounting of the Oneida oral tradition is a stunning and manumental achievement in language and scope of material, a very special and unique gift to whoever cares to explore its pages. "The Walking People" blows the western world's catalog of knowledge to the winds, tatters our self-imposed limits regarding what is possible and how the possible may be accomplished, and rebuilds hope in a positive way - provided we can perceive the possibilities contained inthis true epic saga. It is a sharing of the soul for the soul, touching the essence of us all.

Sad, beautiful, wonderful, wise, haunting, and totally relevant to our global issues of change. Destructive paths happen easily. Creative paths are contingent.

This is the book that has been on my nightstand for the past several months. I read several pages each night. It is a big book, over 800 pages, written like a poem, and almost impossibly precious. The wisdom between its covers is astounding. For what this book teaches is something we, at this time in history, desperately need to know: how to start anew after devastation. How to be a whole people after we've been reduced to fragments. It teaches that the wisdom is within us, to survive, to begin again, to thrive. Hallelujah.

If you plan to visit the Northshore of Lake Superior, take this excellent book with you. It describes and rates on a five-star scale all the many waterfalls of the Northshore, helping you to plan your trip.

Cascade River State Park, Gooseberry Falls State Park, and Tettegouche State Park are must-see destinations, but there are more.

As someone who once lived about half a block from one of these waterfalls and visited about a dozen of the others, I must say that the descriptions are accurate, detailed, and helpful. I believe, however, that the Wallingas' estimations (on a one-star to five-star scale) of each waterfall's beauty are slightly inflated. I never saw a five-star waterfall on Minnesota's North Shore. That designation should be reserved for Gullfoss, Niagara, or the like. The falls that the Wallingas rank three or four, I would rank two or three -- and some things that they call waterfalls are just one-star rapids. But this is not a criticism, just an expression of difference of opinion.

My only real criticism is that the photos should be in color, not black-and-white, with many more full-page bleeds.

I recently spent 3-4 days on the North Shore hiking to some of the waterfalls that Eve and Gary had listed as their favorites in this book.

Their descriptions of each waterfall seemed right on. Directions were easy to follow, their rating of the hike difficulty seemed accurate, and they certainly had a good sense of what made a 5 star vs. a 2 star waterfall.

I am a photographer, and so the only thing I would have liked to see added was a little more commentary on how 'accessable' a particular falls was - i.e. if I could only see it from a pre-built deck, or if with waders I could get in the river and approach it from other angles.

However, without this book I certainly would not have had the time to find many of the falls that I did. It is a wonderful resource - I'd call it essential for anyone planning a sightseeing / hiking trip along the North Shore and will recommend it to my friends and fellow photographers.

There are numerous books about Minnesota's North Shore, but this new book manages to offer something not previously available. It concentrates exclusively on the waterfalls along the Minnesota North Shore, and I don't think there has been such a book before with this kind of information all in one place. Most importantly it includes literally every falls there is including many you won't read about elsewhere. Good directions and trail comments are included - I know we would have had found more difficulty finding some falls without it.

This book is very well written as well. Avoiding both dry commentary and flowery prose, the Wallingas write in an engaging conversational tone, that is nevertheless carefully constructed. It is a pleasure for me to pick up anytime and read at random.

If you love Lake Superior, I recommend this book very highly as one you should consider owning, rather than borrowing.

Upon seeing the title of Sarah Hill's Book, "Weaving New Worlds: Southeastern Cherokee Women and Their Basketry," one might think this is a book only about Indian baskets or a how-to manual for making baskets. Both of these assumptions would be far from the truth. "Weaving New Worlds" is a broad, masterful compilation of research and expression of ideas on Cherokee culture. Put simply and without hyperbole, it is one of the best books one will find on Cherokee History.

The book focuses on what has become the Eastern Band of Cherokees in western North Carolina. Though Hill writes an excellent history of the Cherokees prior to their forced removal by the federal government in the late 1830s, she does not attempt to tell any aspect of the story of the Cherokees who settled in Oklahoma. The strength of her work is in the creative chronology she provides and in her description of the environment of the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Hill divides her work into four chapters: Rivercane, White Oak, Honeysuckle, and Red Maple. These chapter names derive from the material Cherokee women used to weave their baskets. The author cleverly interweaves the shifts in Cherokee history with the shift in basket making and the materials from which the baskets were made.

The Prologue is a stand alone, worthy essay in itself. It describes with tremendous knowledge the plants and animals of the southern Appalachians and how the Cherokees used these resources. In reading Hills's Prologue, one feels they are diving into the nuts and bolts of history. There are parts of the Prologue and in Hill's writing on specific plants that are as good as historical writing gets.

It is rare to find a book this focused and replete with encyclopedic information. It is highly recommended for those interested in the history of the southern Appalachians, western North Carolina, or the Cherokees. Also, this book should be read by anyone vacationing to the Great Smoky Mountains. It will vastly increase one's understanding and appreciation of just what they are seeing when they cross into the nation's most visited national park.

This book is fantastic. Hill covers an array of subjects about Cherokee life, family, politics, beliefs, oral traditions, aesthetics - all relating to the central theme of basket-making. Well-researched and documented. While maintaining excellent scholarship, Hill write in a natural, understandable manner free of academic jargon. Essential to anyone studying Cherokee culture.

Using baskets, the oldest mother-to-daughter tradition still surviving among Cherokee women, Hill traces changes among Southeastern Cherokees and their environments over a 300-year period. Weaving New Worlds has just been awarded the Julia Cherry Spruill prize for the best book in Southern women's history published in 1997, and was described in the award as "beautifully written and brilliantly organized."

A reviewer in The Atlanta History Journal says this book is "destined to become a classic reference text to which future scholars of Native American material culture will always return." It is, the review continues, "keenly attuned to how basketry figures in the spiritual and material lives of the Southeastern Cherokee." I agree with the reviewer, but this book is more than a study of material culture, it is a history of women told by looking at their beautiful, enduring work with baskets. There is nothing like it for learning Southeastern Cherokee history.