Canada Books

After I read this book I had a burning desire to visit the Canadian Shield and paddle a wood and canvas canoe on the Churchill River. I only wish I could have done it in 1960, when this book was written. It is a much different place today. This is an excellent book about a canoe trip of 500 miles by six friends. I only hope I will be as lucky to do such a trip someday.

It's a great book. I haven't paddled the Churchhill River yet, but rivers closeby, and you still find the wilderness and the loneliness that Sig Olson describes. After reading this book and others by Sig Olson I just want to go out paddling and enjoy the wilderness.

I first obtained this book in my youth through the old Outdoor Life Book Club (which also introduced me to other classics such as John J. Rowlands' Cache Lake Country). I'm not sure I read The Lonely Land all the way through at that first encounter, but I recently rediscovered it when cleaning out a family home. I picked it up out of nostalgia, but I soon found that I couldn't put it down.

Apart from the inherent interest of its subject matter -- the majestic wilderness of central Canada's Churchill River drainage -- I was quickly taken by the immediacy of Olson's account. The wind, the waves, the thunder of approaching rapids all spill off the page in vivid detail, as do the detailed descriptions of each night's camp and its routines. As compelling is the exuberance of Olson and his five companions as they explore pristine lakes, shoot the Churchill's wild water, and find refuge time and again on the solid, reassuring outcrops of the Canadian Shield.

Finally, at each stage of the journey, Olson quotes from the journals of those who came before him, the "bourgeois" who led the brigades of voyageurs into the heart of the Lonely Land in search of furs. Men like Alexander MacKenzie, George Simpson, and David Thompson, who worked for the Hudson's bay Company or its competitors: the record of their observations informs Olson's account with vivid descriptions of the land as well as a sense both of how much and how little had changed over the one hundred and fifty years since they had last paddled, poled, and lined their way up the same great river system.

I know that Olson has many well-regarded books to his credit, but a new reader could do worse than enter this world of woods and water by way of The Lonely Land.

I read this book while in Antarctica, and I spent several storm days lost in Olson's vivid tale of an epic journey through the vast Canadian wilderness. His insight into the socio-historical condition of the indigenous peoples and French-Canadian missionaries and traders is unique. Also, I found the illustrations by Frances Lee Jacques to be immaculate line drawings worthy of admiration in their own right. "The Lonely Land" fueled the wanderlust and naturalist in me as much as any Ed Abbey or John Muir book.

I was looking on information on old canoe routes of the voyageurs and I came upon this book. It tells the experiences of Olson, a famous naturalist of the 50's and 60's, and 5 of his friends, as they paddle three wood and canvas canoes down 500 miles of the Churchhill River in Saskatchewan in 1960. Olson describes the setting and experience so completely, including diary entries of famous fur trappers who traveled the same route, that I have thought of nothing else but going to see the country he describes, the Canadian Shield of Northern Saskatchewan. It is a different place now than it was 40 years ago, less lonely I imagine, but still something I must do. I would recommend this book to anyone who longs to experience this land, North America, before it became overpopulated.

don't let this be your only source. I used it more of a starting point for further research.

This passage reassured me when I read it in the Foreword: "Many of our authors work undercover; others aren't so secretive. None of them accept freebies for positive write-ups."

Canada's Maritime Provinces is a simple, easy-reference guide to touring Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Maps, facts, history, motel listings, restaurants, famous entertainment locales, highlights, expenses, and much more are covered in this small, handy, portable and information-packed reference. Canada's Maritime Provinces is a "must-have" for anyone planning to see the sights on or near Canada's windswept and beautiful coast.

February 2003 - just back from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. I found the book helpful, accurate and comprehensive - exactly the qualities required in a travel guide.

I'm currently using this book to plan a Sep 2003 trip up to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island & possibly the Bay of Fundy. Lonely Planet has to be my favorite series of travel books, and this edition is right on par with their other guides.

One goal of mine has been to stay in B&B's the whole time (I picture lots of intimate Atlantic oceanside places), and there is a good focus on these accommodations. Another increasing trend in the LP series has been to supplement with web addresses for more information. The author looks like they have gone to great lengths to provide an extraordinary number of links for accommodations, activities, visitor info and often, restaurants. Coverage of maps (including city) and suggested itineraries are two of my favorite aspects of Lonely Planet, and this guide has great ones. This book also doubles as a history primer for the area. Two easy-read examples within that I enjoyed included background on the New Brunswick-to-PEI bridge & the history of why Halifax gives a Christmas tree to Boston each year.

Overall, there is more information contained within than I could use while visiting the area. It's simply the best choice for visiting the Maritimes.

One last note, Lonely Planet also released a full guide on Quebec as well.

As the previous reviewer stated, this is a great guide for locals as well as visitors. The author combines some fine local history and stories with essential travel tips that will definitely point travellers in the right direction for an enjoyable vacation.

Manon was the daughter of a well known
Hockey Coach in Quebec, Q.C. and later
went on to play in games, or exhibitions
in three men's leagues. She also was a
sports pioneer who played roller hockey
as well. She represented Canada splendidly
in several Olympics and this is her story.
Get it while you can and check out her
great site. Much about her at mykaussie
dotcom as well. You go, girl!

I loved reading about Manon and how she got as far as she did. I have a continuing argument with male friends that if little guys like Theo Fleury and Paul Kariya can play hockey, and be some of the best players in the NHL, so can women. My only problem with this book was that it ended too soon. I want to know more about Manon's career with the Atlanta Knights, and her struggle to get to the NHL. Sequel, anyone? Heck, I'd love to write the sequel...

This a wonderful book. I've had the pleasure to talk with Manon about this book after reading it. She is even more charming in person.

I am one of if not the biggest of lady Manon's fans. The book gave me answers to many questions I had wanted to ask her. I also learned quit alot from Manon about life, dreams, and my passion hockey. Manon is one of the most beautiful, and compassionate people in the world. I am just sorry the national hockey league did not give her a chance. She is and will continue to be one of greatest goaltenders in the world. I highly recommend her book.

Wonderful book! As a female hockey goalie and one of Manon's biggest fan, this book gave me a lot of answers to a lot of questions!

Though my atlas is in need of an update now, more than seven years after I purchased it, it is still the only one I use when I have a choice. It is, quite simply, the most readable atlas there was when it was made, and, I can say from experience, more accurate than AAA. The hierarchy of lines and type, the fonts, the use of color, and the use of solid color borders on the highway roads especially, increase the readability of the map greatly. It is the only one that can be read at a glance while on the road (not that I recommend doing that...often).

I bought my National Geographic atlas last November. I have been pretty amazed at its accuracy and detail. I think it is ALOT better than Rand McNally or AAA maps. I threw away all my other atlases!

Blows Rand McNally and AAA away! If you need an atlas, quit looking and buy this one. Best I've seen.

Take it from a real "map nut", this is the best road atlas ever. RM and AAA might as well stop publishing. Not only is it VERY readable, but it contains references to interesting places along the way, places like "Carhenge", lots of rail and otehr museums and other off-beat but interesting sites you just shouldn't pass up.

My friend from Ohio summed it up best: "When I look at it, I can see the roads." As the earlier reviewer says, it blows Rand-McNally away. I was a big RM loyalist until we used the National Geo atlas on a recent drive from New Mexico to Iowa.

The major highways and state roads are much clearer on these maps than in the RM, and the national parks are exponentially more visible.

It is a pleasure to use this atlas. Can't wait til the 2000 version comes out in September.

A Natural History of Trees is a compilation of a rich resource of material on native U.S. Trees. While you'll do better with a Peterson's Field Guide for identification, I don't think you'll find more fun.

Grouped by Family(beginning with Pines and ending with the Ashes) the stories are king here. Just pick your favorite tree and sit back and enjoy. The history of the White Pine, for example, seems almost mythic in its sheer height and size back in colonial days. It very well helped build near most of colonial America, too!

From White Pine to White Oak to Redbud to Sycamore, this is a fascinating and informative read. There is an index of both scientific and common names, plus a glossary and a section called Keys to Species and Genera (which is much easier to decode with a Peterson's Guide at hand).

Also recommended, Petrerson's Field Guide to Eastern Trees(ISBN: 0395904552) and National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees(ISBN: 0394507606) for IDing and Trees in my Forest(ISBN: 0060929421) and the Man Who Planted Trees(ISBN: 1570625387) for more great stories.

What an extraordinary book. You might not think it possible, but this book about trees reads like fine literature. It is full of stories, legends, and facts about these giants in the earth, not to mention the author's interesting ruminations. Here's a sample of Peattie's writing on the bur oak, after the pages devoted to its Latin name, range, characteristics, and the like: "[W]hen we are gone the rippling fox squirrels and the jeering crows will not remember us; the big dull yellow leaves of the Bur Oaks will cover the paths of our autumns. But these same trees will see our children and our children's children, and look to them the mansions that they are."

Wonderful stuff. In addition to all this the book is chockablock with anecdotes of specific trees and their histories, and how our forefathers and the American Indian viewed the various types of trees. Tree lover or not, you'll enjoy this book.

This is a great book for tree lovers.Though not very good for identification(one of the field guides would be better for that),this is an excellent book for the reader who has already learned to identify the various trees and now wants to learn something about them.The short,non-technical articles cover a host of topics,from botany and historical reports to the author's personal acquaintance with the various trees discussed.

This book and its companion volume, "A Natural History of Western Trees," are by far the most detailed accounts of the trees of North America. It's truly too bad the author didn't have the chance to complete the third book in this series: "Southern Trees." Never have I read a richer, more lovingly or enthusiastically written description of trees. Aside from being packed with facts, the books offer a glimpse of man's interaction with trees and teaches one how to interact with them and respect them. The author's enthusiasm is contagious!

This is the essential book for anyone who cares for the trees and forests of the USA. The writer has a talent, unmatched as far as I know, to spin a tale on trees, bringing to life not only the trees of North America but also the people who walked among them.

It also is an essential book for anyone interested in the history of the USA. Fittingly the book starts off with a description of white pine and the birth of what is now the USA. In short anyone who claims to care for trees or to be interested in how the USA came to be and who is not familiar with the contents of this book is in serious danger of appearing to be a charlatan.

[Quality of the reprint could be better; actually this book deserves to be in hardcover. However, the quality of the reprint could also be a lot worse, or -horrible thought!- the book might go out of print altogether]

"A jolly, laughing lady," those are the opening words of the biography.
The closing words are:
"To be able to share what I have learned with others is a privilege and a joy. Has not this journey been an enviable inheritance in itself?"

In between those personal words, I got the chance to intimately share the life of Winnifred Eaton. Birchall opens the family vaults, secrets and intimacies; shares her deductions and her thoughts about Winnifred with me as reader; and writes in a zesty, tangy language that kept seducing me to read on and on.
The things I learned about the early filmindustry in Hollywood and the look behind the screens, are as fascinating as all the facts about the working conditions for women in the first half of the century in the USA

This biography by Birchall leads me to wonder and think about Winnifred as a human being and also about the culture and times that Winnifred went through in her life and tackled straight on, in her own inimitable style.
What more can a biography do?

Normally I am none too fond of biographies as genre. This one had me enthralled, qua content and style of writing.

Birchall's fascinating and beautifully written account of her grandmother's life is an important work for scholars in women's studies, Asian-American or American studies, Canlit, and the movie industry, and for the general reader seeking a compelling biography.

Other reviewers have mentioned Eaton/Watanna's background. I will stress instead the absorbing interest of Winnifred's successive reinventions of herself in societies that had no ready place for her. Like a brilliant slackrope walker with an increasingly awkward load, Winnifred managed to shift her balance not only to survive, but pulled off one tour de force after another. Her performances as a Japanese-American novelist, as a screenwriter and as a rancher doyenne would win applause from Daniel Defoe.

Eaton/Watanna has become a focal interest of American scholars in recent years. As her granddaughter, Birchall had informaitonal advantages in writing on her. Her graceful, well-considered book shows how glad we should be for Birchall's advantages.

I didn't mean to like Winnifred Eaton. After all, she was a bit of a fanfaronade and very much of a poseur, not at all the sort I wanted in my circle of intimates.

But Diana Birchall's sparkling biography changed my mind. Writing with unblinking honesty, Birchall describes the many lives that her chameleon grandmother lived, from journalist and novelist to story editor and screenwriter. Of most interest to me were the stories of her career as wife in two unconventional marriages and mother to four children. Birchall's graceful use of language is enhanced by her wit and intelligently ironic style. She concludes this delightful biography with the acknowledgment that sharing what she has learned about her grandmother has been a privilege and a joy. Surely it is no less a privilege and a joy for the reader.

In my library I have dozens of books inherited from my parents and my grandparents. We have been readers for several generations, and I grew up with many of these books. One of these books was a novel called "The Heart of Hyacinth" by an author mysteriously named Onoto Watanna. The author was unknown to me, but I thought the book was one of the most beautiful of all the books I'd inherited, with lovely Japanese-style illustrations and drawings.

But now I've had a chance to learn about the woman who lurked behind that exotic nom de plume. I learn she was not Japanese at all, but half Chinese and half English. Yet her true story seems to be as fully exotic as any of the character's lives from her books.

Diana Birchall has done a wonderful job of bringing her fascinating grandmother to life. The book give a wonderful look at a most unusual woman, and what life was like for young women at the turn of the last century. At least what life was like when the young women were as self-confident and gutsy as the young Winnifred Eaton.

"A jolly, laughing lady" are the first words of the bigraphy; the last ones are: "To be able to share what I have learned with others has been a privilege and a joy. Has not this journey been an enviable inheritance in itself?"

Inbetween these words Birchall indeed shares with the reader the life of Winnifred, in personal and intimate detail. Birchall also seduces the reader into not just reading, but thinking about the culture and times Winnifred faced in her own inimitable style, from her life in Canada as young girl down to the years of Hollywood.

Normally I am none too fond of biographies but this one enchanted me, by the content and by the style of Birchall's writing. Full of zest, lifely images and easy to read on and on. As non native reader I appreciated this very much; it was a joy and a privilege to share. Would that all biographies were such a good read!

Rita has shared a true life story. It is a brave revelation of the many twists of life. There are many lesson one picks up througout the book. To look at life with a broad, unselfish view while valuing every drop in the ocean of time is one. Every life event has a purpose, and one must have faith in the way life unfolds itself. Her presentation is truly pictureque --from Rajasthan in India to Africa and multi-cultural Canada.

Hi! I am Rita Nayar.
I am writing a message here to provide an email address to those of you who wish to get in touch with me!
It is rita_nayar@hotmail.com
Please do write as I would love to get your thoughts, comments, feedback or simply an acknowledgement of my book.

Rita's book is about her journey; an idyillic child hood living in
exotic locations, her horrific first few months of marriage, her attempt
to escape, her immigration to Canada, her constant quest to placate her
violent and unstable husband, her carrer success, her wonderful children
and the most unimaginable tragedy anyone can ever experience.

Her story has a universal appeal which crosses cultural and economic
boundaries. My admiration for her has no bounds, because she has
survived and is willing to share her story to celebrate her son and to
reach out to women.

This is a true story of love, abuse, suffering, tragedy, forgiveness, redemption and closure. When I began reading this book, I was not able to put it down until I had finished it.

This is a memoir. If you are living through, or have lived through, family violence, or simply know someone in that situation, then this book may be very helpful. It grew out of Rita's own need to come to terms with these horrific events in her life. She has since also become active in providing support and counseling to others who are suffering or have suffered domestic abuse.

Be warned: the violence that the author and her family endured is graphically described. But it is not gratuitous violence. The violence was real, personal and even fatal for some members of Rita's family. That it occurred in a middle class family in a middle class neighborhood in a major North American city provides a hint of the pain that may be only one friend or family away from each of us.

Wow! An amazing story of survival and sacrifice. This extraordinarily personal story is written in a simple yet eloquent style that provides a window directly into the heart of a woman dealing with unbearable emotional confines in her life.

It is both an awful story of an oppressive and controlling man and awesome story of a woman's struggle for emotional and spiritual freedom for herself and her children. And it is the story of an Indian woman's struggle to reconcile her own identity within traditional Indian culture and with family expectations about her role in marriage and in life.

Read this book if you want to be astounded...and then inspired!

The book is great. There are many stunning photos. The book is worth every penny for just the photos alone. But after you get past all the eye candy there is a lot of interesting information about Owls. For example he shatters a lot of myths about their sight and hearing. The book has 8 chapters plus an introduction explaining Owl addiction: Anatomy of an Owl which has an identification guide; son et lumiere where he talks about the sight and hearing of these birds; Haunts and Hideaways; The Owlish Appetite, Family LIfe; The Next Generation; Predators, Pirates and Pests and Owls and Humans.

this was a gift for a friend, that is into birds. He said he loves it.

I have studied owls for years and this one is the finest book I have read on the subject, Not only are the pictures fantastic but the text is very informative. Buy with confidence that you will enjoy this book.

This is another wonderful book by a real naturalist and consumate photographer. The images are just stunning photographically and from a naturalist's standpoint. Dr Lynch writes in a conversational tone that makes reading a pleasure, it's more like a conversation with him than anything else.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in either nature photography or birds, but especially if you like both.

Chase Hunter

A wonderful book. The large format and abundant photography at first suggest a coffee table book, but Lynch's contribution is much more than that. The writing is intellectually luminous, displaying a good mind and careful researching. Though the author is very up to date on current research in the field, the scholarship is unobtrusive - the text is free of footnotes and citations though these can be found at the end of the book.
The photography is in a league of its own. Lynch is a well-known wildlife photographer, and these photos show just why. The artistry and a technical excellence are breathtaking. For instance, the whiskered screech-owl on p. 16 is composed the way a painter would compose, but the photo still brings out the individual feathers, the half-closed eyes, the long beak hidden behind the whiskers. These birds are so closely observed they show more than I can see with my binoculars in a woodland walk. And add to this the field knowledge: owls are not sparrows or seagulls that one can see anywhere. To capture them on film, the photographer must spend hours in a blind, and travel to places far off the interstate. This book is one that will stay in the mind after it has been read.

Bill Mason and son Paul really get down to basics in canoe and paddling technique in this revised soft-cover paddling manual. This book is geared to those who want to learn everything there is about flat-water and white-water travelling. It's the most definitive guidebook on the market.

This is an almost perfect book - Bill Mason's love of the craft shines through homey but well-written prose, while his descriptions of canoe technique and rivercraft are generally clear and easy to follow. He obviously writes from a wealth of experience, which translates into solid advice without becoming needlessly dogmatic. As a technique book, I much prefer this to Jacobson's series of canoe texts (although those are reasonable in their own right); I especially appreciated his series of river scenarios and discussions of how to handle them.

I would really liked to have rated this 5-stars. However, the production could have been much improved. The b/w pictures accompanying the text are often poorly reproduced, with insufficient greyscale to allow them to be clearly interpretted. Additionally, a bit more editting might have spotted some inconsistent terms as well as other undefined terms. But all in all, this is one of my favorite canoe books. It certainly should have a place on the shelf of every serious paddler.

Path of the Paddle provides more than an instructional text, it introduces the reader to the art of canoeing. Mason infuses the practicality of the subject with a respectful dose of philosophic underpinnings that anyone who has ever slid a canoe onto the water's surface and experienced the joyful dance of boat, paddle and water will appreciate. There are many "how to" canoe books, covering the basic stokes and safety concerns, but this book conveys that information in a form that demonstrates the author's love for his craft.
If you want to become a canoeist, not only do I recommend this book, I recommend finding and getting the video of the same title.

Best canoeing book on the market. Not only is it a great how to guide on canoe handling, it is an excellent read for those long winter nights for the canoe enthusiast. The book imparts Bill Mason's love of the canoe. Written by a true legend in canoeing and wilderness film making.

I own both "Path of the Paddle" and "Song of the Paddle". These are the best books I have seen on canoeing, written by one of the best canoeists ever. They cover all facets of the canoe and how to use them properly. The "step-by-step" photos and the diagrams help teach proper techniques and the text is both informative and entertaining without becoming confusing or boring. Bill Mason and his son Paul have done a splendid piece of work and these books are a cherished addition to my personal library.

This is the original, and, in my opinion, still the best reference book on phase lock loops.

a detailed comprehensive coverage of all aspects of phase-locked loops. The book contains lots of paper references relating to each chapter and has many examples as well.
A recommended book for research students.

Superb book. Essential reading and reference for any serious PLL designer. This updated edition does for DPLLs what the original did for analog. I haven't seen any author come close to Gardner for comprehensive, accurate treatment of these topics.

Este libro contiene todo lo necesario (de lo mas simple, a lo mas avanzado) para poder entender como funciona y como implementar un Lazo de Enganche de Fase (PLL). Ademas está explicado con mucha simpleza y claridad.

I am gladly surprised to see how the author has taken the effort, not just to make a routine revision of the classic book, but to write a completely different book. Non interesting material has been removed, while new up-to-date topics have been added (for instance Charge Pump PLL), based on the own author research, and other published papers.

The approach of some classic analysis has also changed. In particular the approach to the so called Loop Filter as a controller and not as a filter.

In summary, a very valuable addition to PLL literature, worth to buy even by readers that own previous editions.