Australia Books

An absolute classic. No praise can do justice. Suffice to say, if you're here, you'll buy this book. It's just sad that so few people have even heard of anything written by Alan Moorehead apart from the two books on the White and Blue Nile.

They say that history is written by the victor. While this may have been the case years ago, before the advent of electronic and paper printing, it is interesting to note that often small jewels of history can still be found hidden in the sands of time. This is such a book. You may have read the bestseller, "The Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes. While this book is dedicated to Alan Moorehead's "The Fatal Impact", it is a rather overblown attempt to take off from where Moorehead left off. Moorehead, unlike Hughes, is succinct and straight to the point, describing in a paragraph what might take Hughes pages to deploy. But Moorehead goes further by re-writing history with some of the most beautiful and descriptive language ever displayed in word, especially his lyrical but simple descriptions of the Australian 'bush' before the advent of the white man.Unlike many historical essays, Mooreheads style is to grab and swallow us; it takes and immerses us in our own past, and it is frightening. This book is a true account of the effect of the white invasion of the South pacific. Though often sad, it is devoid of token sentimentality. It is books such as these that keep our history grounded and firmly established in truth, and not the often repeated propoganda that is a common style for Western academia to employ and justfiy our own convoluted history...

A magnificent short book which places the reader on the deck of Endeavor and the Resolution during Cook's first two voyages of discovery in the Pacific. An easy read, yet a scholarly study of the consequences of Western contact in Tahiti, Australia and the Antarctic. One of Moorhead's central themes in the book is the Noble Savage, "happy, healthy, beautiful people whose every want was supplied by the tropical forest, and who, best of all, knew nothing of the cramping sophostries of civilization." Cook brought back evidence that the noble savage indeed existed, and writers such as Boswell, Diederot and Rousseau used it to argue that life in Europe during the late 18th century had evolved into something less than desirable. It is ironic that, despite the high purpose of Cook's voyages of discovery and the pleas of those who recognized the validity and desirability of life in Tahiti or on the barren lands of Australia, the voyages touched off a frenzy by religious zealots and profiteers. A half century after Cook had opened Tahiti to the rest of the world, Gaugin sees shadows of something so beautiful that it still moves him to create his paintings; "The overwhelming physical beauty of the woman remains, but she does not dance. Instead, she lies inert and naked on her bed ... waiting for nothing, hoping for nothing, the petals of the tiare Tahiti scattered about her, a dark, conspiratorial couple in the background and all around them the mystical shapes and symbols of the Tropics. On this one canvas the painter has written in English the one word, "Nevermore."

This 1966 book coined a term that still is used to describe disastrous impacts of more powerful cultures on weaker ones. Moorehead describes the effects of initial European contacts with Tahiti, Australia, and the Antarctic, giving special attention to the voyages of Captain Cook. Early British contacts with the Tahitians are described in fascinating detail. Cook perceived that Western impact on Tahiti would have serious negative effects, writing that it would have been better for the Tahitians if the British had never visited the island. In his description of the initial British colonization of Australia, Moorehead focuses on the mistreatment of the aborigines, including the complete elimination of native Tasmanians from their homeland. Most of the section on the Antarctic is about Cook's determined attempts to reach the continent with his ships. Cook's descriptions of abundant sea life around Antarctica had the unintended effect of provoking whalers and sealers to decimate many species. Well written, this book is a chastening read.

this is the second title of one of the best series around. the other reviewers are absolutely right. and i, too, want to be phyrne.

greenwood writes wonderfully well. there is humor, suspense, excitement in all her books, and tricky plots. the only complaint i could ever possibly make is that there are no references to footy (australian rules football)--and phyrne lives in st. kilda. this is probably not going to be a drawback for most american readers!

this title harks back to many of the mysteries of the early 20th century, which is appropriate for the 1928 setting. there's great excitement in the descriptions of early flying--i wanted even more to go up in a bi-plane after reading this.

none of this series could be described as 'cozy,' since there is a clear-eyed view of reality under the mystery. neither is there violence for the sake of titillation. the motives are believable, the characters--good and bad--are well drawn, the dialogue is wonderful, the australian background fascinating.

this is a book and a series that any reader could enjoy.

I want to be Phryne when I grow up. She's smart, resourceful, talented and independent. She is wealthy, but remembers what it was like to be poor. She cares about people and can distinguish between the criminal and the misguided. This is a quick short, quick read that is well plotted, has wonderful supporting characters that kept me involved from the first page. Although this entry isn't quite as strong as others in the series, it is still a delight to read. I'm delighted Poisoned Pen Press is publishing this series for the U.S. audience.

i have been reading mysteries for decades. i have favorite authors whose books i reread with pleasure. but my absolute favorite for the last ten years is kerry greenwood and her phryne fisher series.

the novels are incredibly well-written and well researched, have wonderfully twisty plots, great dialogue, clothes, food and drink. phryne fisher is a complex and fascinating character with, thankfully, no angst or moral quandries. she has ethics and morals and acts on them fearlessly.

there is humor of all kinds as well as suspense. the twisty plots also pay homage to the plots of the golden age of mystery, the period between the wars when mystery writing became culturally acceptable.

even non-mystery lovers would enjoy the series for the fascinating facts from australian history. the only thing ms. greenwood doesn't include is footy, probably because our phyrne lives in st. kilda. it's not a noticeble lack.

I am just getting started on Phryne Fisher mysteries, and they are proving quite addictive. Much of the charm comes from the setting- Australia in the 1920's, but the plots are well thought out. The heroine is charming, witty and surrounded by a large cast of helpers. Try them, bet you can't read just one!

Great read. I read it in a weekend. Would love to see a movie made of it.

This is no ordinary submarine novel. There are no secret weapons; no stereotypical, one-dimensional superheroes; no barely plausible, geo-political backdrop. This is a story of the courage and ingenuity displayed by ordinary American sailors who, through no fault of their own, have been plunged into a highly perilous situation: their submarine, the USS Tulsa, has sunk and can not return to the surface. There are limited stores to refresh the air in the submarine and few of the essential systems operate on the limited supply of electricity that's available in the main battery. To make matters worse a number of the crew were injured in the accident that caused the sinking and the way their colleagues look after them, using only rudimentary medical skills, is told all too vividly. It's hard to believe that the situation would be as dire as the author describes, but his attention to detail and obvious technical knowledge gives the plot a frightening credibility.

If the story was confined to relating how this group of submariners passed their time, it would not be much of a read. Thankfully, using flashbacks, the author develops the main characters and breaks up the underwater scenario with the story of the international rescue effort. Again, James Francis clearly knows how this would happen and relates it authoritatively. He injects tension by besetting the effort with frustrating delays caused by the weather and human error. The reader spends the last six chapters switching from hope to despair and back wondering if the crew will be rescued before they succumb to the increasingly life-threatening situation in the submarine. True to life, the sinking of the submarine triggers a media frenzy. The unfortunate relatives and friends of the crew, who are powerless to influence the outcome, are drawn to their TV screens and fed a diet of speculation and few real facts.

If this book has a failing, it is that the ending leaves a number of issues unresolved. Then again, life's like that. Despite this, I found it a gripping read and am left with a sense of admiration for the tremendous guts shown the crew of the Tulsa and the tenacity of those who try to rescue them. It's apparently James Francis' first novel. I can't wait for the sequel.

I just read all the reviews of this hard to put down submarine novel which was technically far more accurate than any recent fiction involving the Navy.There were no ensigns as executive officers of submarines or VADM who had once been CINCLANTFLT-an O-10 full admiral billet.
This writer knows his Navy.He also knows his medicine and then I looked on the book back cover and saw that the author who can write quite well was a senior submarine medical officer in the Royal Navy.I hope this book goes places in the way Mark Bowen's book did although where Mark Bowen admitted he didn't know a Tank from a M-113 personnel carrier, Mr.Francis is the expert already and a very good writer to boot.
I agree with one reviewer that the ending came abruptly and I hope this is because the author plans some kind of sequel.it is nice to finally have a good writer who is clearly writing about a subject that he knows so well he could and may well have written the book on it.
I hope the Naval Institute reviews this book and maybe does an interview with the author so that we will have the rescue equipment we need.We may still need submarines for operations in the future even with the War on terroism.I think it could be made into a great movie after a few more years beyond the Kursk .This book was sort of like having Mush Morton write a fictional account of submarine warfare against the Japanese in WW2.

This was a fairly good book. The glossary in the back (why do they always put it in the back of the book when I start at the front?) was helpful. The characters were well drawn out as far as the crew of the USS Tulsa, and the other characters, including the female characters (disregard the editorial reviews) were well done.

The action moves along very well. In fact, I found myself tempted to glance ahead a couple of dozen times to see how the characters would get out of certain situations.

There is no "formulaic" plot to this book. You don't get it telegraphed pages ahead what is going to happen. And with the recent sinking of the RFS Kursk, the book is even more timely.

Now, as to why only 4 stars: I felt that the end was a tad abrupt. Not to say that it doesn't finish the story as it is laid out, but there are some issues that could have been dealt with, but weren't. This may be a bid for a sequel, but I somehow doubt it. I would have liked to know, for example, the outcome of the several boards of inquiry that were talked about throughout the book.

But on the whole, I can reccommend this without reservation. It is a definate go out and buy it book.

First published in 1969, this book brings you 38 original games. Sid Sackson collected these games as member of the N.Y.G.A (New York Game Associates), allthough many are his own invention.

It is true that any Hoyle will give you instant access to many games, but all these games somehow have something special.

My own favorite is Haggle, a delightfull party game for birthday parties.

Board and card games are so ancient and spread around the world that one may think nothing really new will come up. If that's your opinion, this book will change your mind, offering dozens of NEW games to play with pencil & paper, pocker chips or standard playing cards.

Sid Sackson was probably the most prolific collector of board games in the United States (and probably the world). Sid loved games and he loved inventing games, too. With many published games to his credit (some of which made their first public appearance in this book), Sid Sackson (the designer of one of my favorite games of all time, "Acquire") is my personal game guru and I have made a point of acquiring any game or book with his name attached. This book is full of fun and very playable games discovered, re-discovered, and invented by Sid Sackson. Do your brain a favor and buy this book now!

This is a brilliant book by Sid Sackson. It compiles the rules for a variety of games, with the common feature that all can be played with the materials that you already have at home. Some games use cards, others use a chess or checkers set. There are a lot of paper and pencil games which are great to play while travelling.

The games are a mixture of "forgotten" games, new games invented by friends of Sid, as well as lots of games invented by the author. Many of these games have subsequently been published in a boxed format by major companies, but this book gives you a chance to try them out at no cost.

There are simple games, solitaire games, serious strategy games, party games for 20 or more people, and everything in-between.

My favourites in the collection include a 2 player card game of pure skill ("Mate"), a card game that resembles Canasta but which is rather more fun ("Paks"), a scrabble-like pencil and paper game ("CrossWords"), and a game called Focus that is 2 or 4 player strategy game that weakly resembles a cross between checkers and Shogi.

If you love games, then you should have this book. If you don't, then buying this book just might change your mind!

a very accurate guide of one of the best architects nowadays. Ideal for professionals or anyone who's intersted in getting to now about contemporary architecture

I am presently studying architecture and find this book as a excellent resource book, I am also aware of my lecturers enthusiasm on this book. It has expanded my architectural vocab enormously this last 12 months. Congratulations to the author and also Mr Glenn Murcutt himself on a striking book, hope to read more of this material in the future

I recently saw Murcutt lecture and regretted that the wonderful (and fully annotated) construction drawings he was showing us were not published and available for a closer look.

Well, get out the magnifying glass, 'cause here they are! Unlike most architectural monographs, this one actually gives us some insight into how these designs were actualized...highly commendable.

Murcutt's work speaks for itself, but the format of this book would win with any architect...unless they don't want us looking too closely. Hmmm.

One warning: In the best of all possible worlds, we'd all have full size copies of Murcutt's documents at our local libraries. Here on Earth, however, we must settle for books like this one which reproduce the originals at half (or even quarter?) scale. So, that quip about the magnifying glass was not a joke.

While everyone in this world seems to be keen to build more and more complicated buildings, that are later called sustainable (...) you should have a look at one of the more unknown top-architects of the XX century. Glenn Murcutt began in the sixties to mix modern influences with the traditional Australian Architecture and has since then produced a new style, that is not only wonderful in design but also features a great low-tech aproach to sustainable architecture.

note: green can look really cool!

Not only is Tilman's book brillantly written, but his chapter on "Two Mountains and a River," which focuses on the Swiss/British expedition to Rakaposhi and the Kukuay Glacier illustrates all the problems and hardships my uncle, Hans Gyr experienced during his quest for conquering the Rakaposhi in the Karakorum. Thanks to Tilman, I know now so much more about these few trying weeks in snow and ice. I recommend this book to all who like not only mountains, but solitude and the ultimate challenge.

Tilman and Shipton were the first humans to enter the Nanda Devi sanctuary, a valley surrounded by some of the greatest Himalayan peaks. They were indelibly marked by the experience.

In this anthology Tilman's pioneering travels through central Asia are recounted in his wonderfully laconic voice. This is a great addition to any exploration or mountaineering collection, particularly because Tilman was the first European to visit many of the peaks and places described. The portrait of Nepal he presents I will always treasure.

An avid collector of Himalayan subject matter, I have also been lucky enough to have wandered around the upper Langtang Valley on several occasions in the last few years. Not only is Tilmans book still accurate in many respects, but it is also highly amusing at the same time. Fact, folklore and quotations are fantastically woven into a single, almost epic tale of discovery. It is, at times, laugh-out-loud funny, and yet one might feel a certain sense of guilt at particular comic moments. Where Tilman describes one of his porters as "slow in mind and weak in leg, and not, one suspects, long down from his tree", it is an hilarious turn of phrase, but in our modern standardised and easily-scandalised society one feels the need to look over one's shoulder to make sure the PC police aren't looking.
I would heartily recommend anyone to read the book, particularly if it is available, the Nepal Himalaya single edition, - great, great books for travelling minds (and soles..) so long as you can cope with the mountain of salt required to see some of Tilmans less emphatic points.

I've read this book three times, I have never read a book three times. I love this book, I'm not even sure why.
Even though it's not likely someone of Morgan's age could write these memoirs it is still fun to read and imagine yourself in her shoes.
I came to love and care about each one of these characters (except ofcourse her Dad) and thought about Morgan long after the book ended.
Her courage and imagination was one of which I envied as a child.
The first part of the book is a little tough to get through, but once you do, you will be captivated by each of these characters that Georgia Savage portrays.
My hat is off to you Ms. Savage.

A wonderful book that captures the innocence of a young woman who has to grow up faster than expected because of the situation she was placed in. Morgan Christie (Victoria) runs away with her young mute brother when no one in her family believes what had happened to her and her father. During her escape to a place better than the one at home, she runs into some homeless children who have left their own homes for various reasons. Allie, Marchelle, Angel, and Joss are the people she stays with near the beach. At first, they are happy living in an open area, but things change when Allie's about to give birth. Morgan, Max (Morgan's little brother), and Marcelle leave to stay at a marina. Morgan begins to lose her friends (beginning with Angel) who jumps into another car not to be seen again. Marchelle, a close friend of Morgan, leaves believing that she is going to be in pictures. Yet, she disappears after spending the day in an boat with a strange man. Finally, Morgan ends up staying at Tibat caring for Xam-an old man. Yet, the story does not end there. Morgan spends some time at a brothel, falls in love with Joss, and tranforms from a lost and confused child to a mature young woman whose innocence was taken away by her father. A book I highly recommend for those interested in understanding the complexities that life may force upon a little girl and the wisdom that Morgan learns by quietly observing life's unexpected problems.

I could not put the book down, it was an addiction from the moment I picked it up. When I was not reading the book, I was wondering what was happening to Vicky. I felt that if I was not reading it, the story would go on without me. I felt that the author did a great job describing the way a young girl deals with such a traumatic experience in her life, realizing that there is no trust... We all know that if you can trust anyone, it is your mother and father. The author explains how this is not always the case. I myself have experienced alot of the same misfortunes that Vicky had. I applaud Georgia Savage for such a great insite to the mind of a strong girl who can overcome and not get mentally disturbed in the end, but change her life completely and become a stronger person.

Thirteen year old Morgan le Fay Christie began her life as a spoiled Austrailian girl by the name of Vicky, pampered by her dad and hidden from reality by all.

Of course this just cannot go on and Vicky's world is shattered by the rape. After being brushed off by all female relatives, she decides to run off. Younger mute brother James also leaves with her on the afternoon train to Surfer's Beach. Meeting with a band of other runaways, Vicky and James change their names and begin to mature.

It is a grand day when the newly renamed Max speaks. It is a tragedy when myopic Marcelle falls from a boat and drowns. Joss goes back to his father and Dawn wanders off in a drug haze. The other girl (whose name left me) gives birth but is devestated when it is given up for adoption. The babe is later stollen back. Morgan begins work in a whorehouse but leaves after the madame propositions her and she overhears people plotting to turn her in. So she runs to the House Tibet where the kindly old gentleman Xam lives. Here Morgan and Max are reunited with mother, but she agrees to leave them there.

Sure it all wrapped up too neatly, but I really felt a loss when I closed the cover on this book. I lived Morgan's maturation process as she took her first lover, watched as he abandoned her yet she still maintained a equnamity that was impressive.

This is one book where you must read the introduction. and then when you read the book you find out thatthe book can be interpreted in at least one other way. i think everybody would take out something different but that would always be refreshing. i could not stop myself from saying 'aha' at many places. still, i think he sometimes is contradicting himself. he thinks that socialism and liberalism can go together. maybe he is right. i dont think so.

+++++

Controversial philosopher and Nobel Prize winner Lord Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) has written fifteen scintillating essays on which to whet our intellectual appetites. These short essays were written between 1925 and 1935.

Russell writes in an elegant, readable, and understandable style. His arguments are well thought out.

These essays consider social questions not discussed in politics. The general theme that ties these essays together is that the world suffers from dogmatism and narrowness; what is needed is the willingness to question dogma.

These essays are a blend of philosophy with other disciplines such as psychology, economics, science, and history. All the essays are brutally honest and forthright. Each is packed with loads of wisdom. What's amazing is that these essays are as current today as when they were first written and their messages will probably remain relevant in the future.

My five favorite essays in this collection include the following:

(1) "In Praise of Idleness." Discusses work and the importance of leisure. In order to get an idea of Russell's insight that permeates this book, here's a sample sentence from this essay: "The morality of work is the morality of slaves, and the modern world has no need of slavery."

(2) "'Useless' Knowledge." Points out that all knowledge is useful not only that which has a practical value.

(3) "The Case for Socialism." Russell gives many arguments in favor of socialism, most notably the need for preventing war.

(4) "Western Civilization." Discusses its characteristics. Sample sentence: "I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent utility."

(5) "Education and Discipline." Sample sentence: "Education...must be something more positive than mere opportunity for growth...it must...also provide a mental and moral equipment [for] children."

In conclusion, this book is Bertrand Russell at his best. Enjoy!

+++++

Written by a very advanced thinker, this book represents a shattering statement against the Christian petit-burgois morality of work, a true revolution and evolution in man's thinking.

Russell became famous as a mathematician and philosopher.

But when he won the Nobel Prize, it was for Literature. When you read this book of essays, you will see why.

It is beautifully written and has all of Russell's virtues: clarity, wit, humor, forcefulness, simplicity.

Even better, it is a brief education in itself. Most of the essays were written just as the Great Depression was beginning, and Russell gets right to the heart of a problem Capitalists and Socialists do not usually address: How much work is needed, and what is the ultimate point? He constantly stresses that we do too much work, and most of it is unneeded, and makes life grim. He never ceases to remind us that we should work to live, not live to work.

He addresses this point in many ways--through economics, through architecture, through the then-raging problems of Fascism and Communism. And though he treats serious problems seriously, he always has time for the breathtaking perspective and the ligtht touch--as with the essay, "Man Versus Insects."

A wonderful, even life-changing book.

As an avid reader, I was entranced to find this hiddent gem among my collegue's recommendations. It is a beautifully written intellectual soujourn that probes the past advances and compares them to the current day technological advances. Sounds dry?? It's not. It's a poetic journey about what inventive advancements have meant in the past, and what they mean to the modern day intellectual. If you are in the mood for something that stretches your mind and enriches your soul, treat yourself to this rare gem of a book.

This book is a direct relative of Pirsig's "Zen etc" although neither author may agree. This author pens the words that are already in your mind.

This book was a beautiful read. The subject matter,comparing the Computer Age to the Industrial Revolution, was extremely interesting. It was fascinating to see the economic, cultural and technological similarities. As an added bonus, the author has a beautiful way with words, and therefore reading this book was a pleasure as well as being intellectually stimulating. I was captivated from the opening chapter on Alexandria. Highly recommended, and I am hard to please!

With careful research and amazing insight this author details for us, through the work of various people through the caenturies, how our present day computers were born. Through charming and poignant vinettes we learn of their lives and their work. From there, the author brings us to the delimmas the Information Revolution poises for us. A delightfully good read; an excellent liberal education. The vignettes are inspiring; the dicussion of the economics involved is thought-provoking. An outstanding first book.

A rare and wonderful insight into an island community, caught in the struggle between modernity and "the old ways". Naturally, there is an exodus of young people seeking experiences, and hoping to escape the claustrophobia of an insular way of life. Written with the perception and talent of a poetic author, it is kindly, incisive, humorous, gentle and a totally beautiful read. Don't miss it. (I read it first about 15 years ago, and was fortunte enough to find a copy - through Amazon - recently). It's a jewel .

Deborah Tall, professor of English and Comparative Literature, died on October 19 at age 55 after two years of resisting inflammatory breast cancer, a rare, aggressive form of the disease. She had lived in Ithaca, N.Y., since 1990 with her husband of 27 years, David Weiss, and their daughters, Zoe and Clea Weiss.

Since 1982, Tall taught at Hobart and William Smith where she was named The John Milton Potter Professor of Humanities and won the 2001 Faculty Scholarship Award, as well as numerous faculty research grants. She was editor of the literary journal Seneca Review.

"Deborah was deeply admired throughout our community and far beyond," said President Mark D. Gearan. "She inspired us with her original talent as a writer and her dedication to literature, teaching, her family and her friends. Those close to her will be able to share their memories in a public celebration of her life to be held on campus this fall."

Both a poet and nonfiction writer, she was published widely and gave readings and talks around the world. Her books include Summons, which was selected by Charles Simic for the Katherine A. Morton Poetry Prize in 1999; The Island of the White Cow; From Where We Stand: Recovering a Sense of Place; and The Poet's Notebook, which she co-edited with Hobart alumnus Stephen Kuusisto and Hobart and William Smith Professor of English David Weiss. A memoir, A Family of Strangers, has just come out this fall from Sarabande Books.

Born in Washington, D.C., she grew up in the Philadelphia area and spent five formative years on Inishbofin, off the west coast of Ireland. She earned a B.S. in English from the University of Michigan and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Goddard College.

This memoir describes the time period from 1972 to 1977. It is both a book about Ireland, and a book about college-educated Americans. As a book about Ireland, it is a beautifully written memoir of five years on the small island of Inishbofin. We learn much about the islanders and their hopes and frustrations. Although the book talks much about their struggles with isolation, drink, joblessness, family troubles and jealousies, the overall effect is more uplifting than depressing.

The book is also a record of the way that young, educated Americans encountered the world in the sixties and seventies -- through travel, study, the Peace Corps and many other ways. In the wake of the Sixties, many were seeking new ideas for living and new models of community relations. Some, such as Deborah Tall, hoped to find inspiration for art or writing in their pilgrimages to remote and isolated places. At the time, the far corners of Europe were still quite primitive, and part of Deborah Tall's experience was coping without electricity and running water. Now, of course, Inishbofin has telephones and websites and one would have to go much further afield for as exotic a cultural experience.

The writing in the book is very finely crafted, and its words are carefully chosen. Occasionally the author's prose becomes slightly mannered, but overall she is a pleasure to read and the book merits a continued audience.

In this book, Deborah Tall describes life on Inishbofind, 'Island of the White Cow', a remote island off the coast of western Ireland. An American herself, she meets an Irish writer who gives a lecture at her university. They fall in love and she follows him to the island, far away from the distractions of bustling city life, where they both try to make a living as writers. She describes her stay as if it were one year, divided into four seasons. In actuality, Deborah Tall lived on the island for five years.

I loved this book. Having lived in Ireland for a number of years, this made for a great read. The descriptions of the beauty and harsh life on this barren island, always open to the western winds, were very recognisable. Life feels different on these small islands. Even though it is only a few miles to the mainland, it seems infinitely far removed, and people don't even consider themselves part of Ireland. Life on the island is like living in the past. Inishbofind does not have a doctor. It has no dentist (one comes over periodically to pull teeth - nothing fancy like plaque removal here). There is no secondary education. It has only one telephone. There is no running water.
What it does have is charm, some very interesting people and, above all, quiet.

The islanders are much like the island itself: rugged on one hand, charming on the other. They are always up for a story, always good for a song, always in for a drink, always ready for a new audience. As the book goes on, and once Deborah Tall and 'Owen' are more accepted by the locals, one gets glimpses of the real emotions of the people on Inishbofind, an island slowly losing more and more people - mostly young ones - to the main land.
On one hand, people are helpful, friendly and interested in the new arrivals. On the other hand, there is bitterness, resignation, resentfulness, frustration, desperation and jealousy. And always, there is pride.

This book describes life as it really is on an island - not a tourist experience. If you are looking for a book on how wonderful everything about Ireland is, you may want to read a travel guide. If you are looking to read about Ireland, this is definitely a good choice.