Mid-America Books

I love the Great Lakes. My great-great-grandparents were pioneers in Manistee. I live close to the lake in Chicago. Our family is tied to water from the 1600s of the West coast of France. Fresh Water was on my wish list for a long time. I asked for it for Christmas. Now I can't give it away. The Notes on the Contributors has too many references to other literature the authors have written and ecological societies around the Great Lakes. The stories vary from personal to purposeful.

Having grown up on Lake Ontario, living now in high desert country, I was longing for the big vista of "my lake". Fresh Water is full of well written strong experiences and images that vividly recalled my years on the lake. I could almost smell and feel that big body of fresh water, remember the intensity of storms and forgotten mystery, as well as the joy of quiet early morning swims. Gifts from Alison Swan and all the contributors!

Edited by award-winning environmentalist Alison Swan, Fresh Water: Women Writing on the Great Lakes is an anthology of brief yet contemplative reflections upon the Great Lakes, all written by women. The essays are contemplative rather than scholarly in nature, dwelling upon emotion, history, the beauty of the Lakes and the need to preserve them. A deeply moving compilation filled with passion and respect for the spiritual bounty of nature.

makes NYC manageable for the tourist.

maps are much better than those found in other guides.

This is the best guide available for walking tours of the cultural attractions of the Big Apple. I've used this and earlier versions of this book off and on for 25 years, both when I lived in New York and subsequently. The ratings of New York's major and minor sites from one to three stars are spot on, just as the Michelin Green Guides for London and Paris are. Useful both for the tourist with a few days to spend in New York as well as the resident New Yorker who needs to haul visitors around town to those attractions usually disdained by natives.

I was on one of those tv show/ movie tours in NYC recently and the tour guide had the most interesting stories to tell about the city. After the tour was over, I asked her to please tell me where she got all of her information. She explained to me that the NYC government requires that tour guides pass a test to get a tour guide license. In order to pass that test, they recommend that you study the Michelin NYC Green Guide. I wanted to make sure, so I called the licensing division and asked them what I needed to do to prepare for the exam - sure enough, they said to get the Michelin Green Guide NYC!! This travel guide has to be good!

The New Jersey State Parks Camping & Recreation Guide by Scott Zamek is a wonderful book for people want to explore the beautiful wildlife areas of New Jersey. To quote the book's preface, "It is for anyone wishing to explore New Jersey's little-known corners, quiet campgrounds, and mountain corridors...".

Because our family enjoys camping, I especially appreciate how the author goes into detail about each campground of each state park. He includes maps and tips on which sites are the best.

Within each state park chapter, the author also includes a section called "Surrounding Points of Interest". These sections include wildlife areas from all parts of the state.

I highly recommend this book. This book is about some of New Jersey's greatest treasures.

As avid birders and outdoorsmen we plan to use the especially
well defined section of New Jersey State Parks Camping and
Recreation Guide which refers to where migrating birds and
horseshoe crabs can be located. Thanks to this well organized
guide we were able to plan our upcoming trip from Michigan to
New Jersey. One should not limit the purchase of this book to
just camping as we were able to find a great cabin near the
Reeds Beach area mentioned in the book. Great maps and trail
guides for other areas as well.

I visit state parks a lot, and this is the first book I've seen with all the information I'm looking for.

The trail maps and mileage tables are great - I can go for a quick hike after work without having to find a map behind the park office desk. I like the campground maps as well. They have desriptions of all the prime camping spots and recommendations for both wilderness campgrounds and family oriented sites.

I also do a lot of obscure sports like butterfly watching and cross-country skiing, and the guidebook covers those activities, plus rock climbing, birding, and horseback riding (it also has the mainstream activities like picnicking and swimming).

The book covers about 80 or so wildlife areas in New Jersey, and it's been a great help for the ones I've visited so far. I would recommend this book to anyone living in or near New Jersey who likes the outdoors.

This book is excellent!

The introductory essay brilliantly connects the history of the city, the multiculturalism of the city, the reality of the city in a way that is warm and insightful. It smoothly flows from the actions of yesteryear that have lead to the great metropolis of today, all while maintaining an emphasis on the human side of the story. Its a great literary preparation for the visual feast your eyes will experience as it glances, absorbs, and inspects photos in the latter parts of the book.

The images themselvess are fantastic. The book is divided into six chapters: City of Islands (which is the well written introduction), Passage (random images of the city), Retreat (images of green areas, parks, and gardens), Connection (images of bridges and roadways), Structure (images of facades and interiors of a few important buildings), and Edge (images of places along the outer edge of the city such as Staten Island, Rockaway Beach, and Coney Island among other places). There is a certain human element through out the book. One of the nicest element is that the author places emphasis on showing pieces of all New York boroughs and avoids the Manhattan bias typical of other books about this city.

All in all, the book shows New York City as it is, a great multicultural metropolis worth saving!

I bought the book based on the coverphoto. Regarding that I in fact wanted a book on New York, I cannot say I regret it. The book is fully illustrated with beautiful photographs of New Yorks five boroughs. Though I`ve been to New York five times before I`ve only been to Manhattan and Queens, but I surely was tempted to see all five boroughs when I go back during fall -99. The photographs has a soul in a way and all represent a motion or a mood that I catched right away. I could actually feel the smells the sounds and the dynamic pulse New York stands for. Pete Hamill's text as an introduction to each borough gives the reader a fully good and poetic insight in New Yorks majestic soul.

I bought this book back in 1999. I am a New Yorker and I wanted a book that showcased all of my wonderful city. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that I would have to look at this book in order to ever see the World Trade Center again. After the attack on New York City on Sept.11, 2001, my whole world as I knew it changed forever. This wonderful, beautiful book is my only reminder of the New York City that I have known and loved all my life. I know the Twin Towers will rise again! Until then I have my book!

I'm a single woman and I went to New York with a lot of trepidation. A friend gave me The Top 10 Guide as a going away present. I read it on the plane and I was so excited about the city by the time I got there. It's filled with inside hints and highlights of special places and things to do. The author shares his enthusiasm for the city and tells you the most important things to do to make your trip fun. I was there alone for a week and I used this Guide exclusively. The author's got everything organized. I just went down the lists checking off everything as I did them. I had a terrific time. And it was the Top 10 Guide made the difference. I strongly recommend it.

This is the best guide on New York I've ever read. It's fast, pithy and filled with inside information. I go to New York a lot on business and I've tried a lot of guides but this is the best. It highlights the top restaurants in a city filled with outstanding restaurants, the top sights to see in a city filled with interesting places and the top things to do in a city loaded with things to do; it's just a terrific guide! The best!

This book is a treasure for theatre students and enthusiasts, a valuable resource for everyone interested in the pieces of history that are in danger of being lost to future generations.

Steve Susoyev, author of People Farm

Never heard of Caffe Cino? Try Bernadette Peters, Sam Shepard . . . Al Pacino? Yes, all got stage time in their fledgling careers at the legendary Greenwich Village cafe/theatre known as Caffe Cino. It was the seminal womb of Off-Off-Broadway theatre in New York. This space, inhabited by founder Joe Cino and a host of practically mythic characters, was a non-judgemental---and magical---laboratory for a generation of new theatre artists, many but not all gay. It was a place where they could risk, and often fail, but also create groundbreaking successes.

Scholar Wendell Stone has done a masterly job of snatching important historical interviews, first-hand accounts, and documentary artifacts from the precipice of obscurity. We are all richer for it. Moreover, he does so with such grace and obvious affection for the subject that the factual read turns out to be a most pleasant ride. Woven through the saga of the location is the elegant tragedy of the man, Joseph Cino, a figure practically unknown, but a determined soul who literally sacrificed himself for his small corner of artistic influence. Stone has redeemed that sacrifice with this simple but illuminating snapshot of a "magic time" and place---New York's Greenwich Village in the 1960s---and the merry band of genderbenders who presided over Caffe Cino. New Yorkers (wherever you may live); theatre lovers; gay historians; students of life, love, and loss---this book is for you.

I have to end this review with a disclaimer: I know Wendell Stone very well. He is a most respected colleague and friend. We did PhD work concurrently and I watched this material develop from an idea to an important and exciting work. I've loved this topic for a long time now and am pleased to see that Wendell's treatment of it has been so appreciated. It's a good book by a good guy. Read and enjoy!

This is a great read for any DC resident; the pictures will certainly delight and amuse and educate!

Having just moved to the area, it's nice to have a little history lesson. The photos are incredible. Things have changed in our neighborhood. Anyone native of DC will love this book and any from the IMAGES of AMERICA series.

Please note that the author of this book is Tracy Will, not Charles Calhoun, and that the photgrapher is Zane Williams

Wisconsin is lucky to have Zane Williams so he can capture our lovely state. Another book that captures Wisconsin's beauty is The Spirit of Door County with photographs by Darryl Beers. Darryl is to Door what Zane is to Wisconsin!!! Thanks to both of you!!!

A companion book to the award-winning PBS series "Cruising American Waterways," The Erie Canal by Debbie Daino Stack (PBS Project Coordinator for the "Cruising American Waterways" television series) and Captain Ronald S. Marquisee (Producer of "Cruising America's Waterways"), is a quality travelogue showcasing the history and beauty of the famous Erie Canal, a still active waterway used for recreation, flood control, irrigation, and power generation. Lavish color photographs of this historic canal fill The Erie Canal from cover to cover, and the insightful text offers a wealth of cultural lore. A superbly gorgeous coffee-table book and enhanced with a foreword by Andrew Cuomo, The Erie Canal is a true pleasure to read and enjoy and highly recommended for armchair travelers and community library American History collections.

This book is filled with color photographs that capture the beauty and historic charm of this waterway. The text is comprehensive -- touching on everything from history to Canal utilization. It let's you see what all of New York's canals have to offer - as a boater, cruise ship tourist, or automotive traveller. The Canals are fully functional and waiting for tourists. This book let's you understand the "New York State Canal System" and all that it has to offer. As the text points out... (rough quote)...if we had not inherited this legacy resource; costs, environmental concerns, and political considerations would not allow its construction today. This is a superior book on the world's most famous canal.

I have several books from this publisher and this is one of the best. Due to the loss of so many homes and businesses from the purposed Tocks Island Dam project, this book is an excellent record of what once was in the Pocono area along the Delaware on the PA side. The photo captions provide the text in this series and they are both informative and well written.

This book is exactly what I'd hoped it would be. Lots of information and photos of the Poconos/ Delaware Water Gap area. We wanted to know something about the history of this area, we just purchased a home here.