Knowing Professor Dalzell and Mrs. Dalzell personally, I was incredibly curious to see how they blended the two seemingly connected but perhaps contrasting topics of George Washington and his home. Essentially, they were connected very successfully. The entire history of the home itself is told vividly with photographs, anecdotes, and objective descriptions of its development. Following, Washington's own personal, military, and political history is told in light of the times, and in the book's shining ability, in relation to the home itself. The Dalzell's cleverly-melded arguments and discussions leads the reader to a full knowledge of Mt. Vernon and its inspiring owner.

I openned this book expecting to read a story about a house and how it was built. I was surprised, and impressed, to discover that what went on as Mt. Vernon took form was far more interesting than I had expected. This is not so much a book about a house as it is the story of how George Washington related to the slaves on whom he relied to execute his architecture. In other words, the story here reverberates far beyond the boundaries of the plantation. It went to the heart of the republic, and it goes to the heart of this nation. Slavery is encoded in our national DNA (sorry, Jefferson). The Dalzells make it clear that it is also mortared in the wood and plaster (cut and painted to look like stone) of our national edifice. Are you tormented, or at least intrigued, that a slaveowner could style himself father of a republic dedicated to freedom? Maybe Washington was, too. Find out. Visit Mt. Vernon, and do it by reading this book.

Mount Vernon was both architecturally innovative and a true mirror of Washington's feelings and mind. He never wrote an autobiography and his diaries consist largely of farm accounts, but in Mount Vernon, the authors write, "he produced a text from which it is possible to coax a remarkably full sense of his political convictions and of how, over time, they changed." The book, George Washington's Mount Vernon, combines the public and the private sides of his life and uses the combination to enrich our understanding of both.

This is an excellent book for anyone who is interested in orca whales. It has mass amounts of great information, it's easy to read, there are great photographs, and the ID catalogue of orcas is nothing but the best. This book is a must have for any whale-lover, researcher, or someone with just a general interest.

May I first say I have never encountered a better identification book then Killer Whales and Transients. Both books are written by THE wild orca authority in the Pacific Northwest. Catalouged pictures and organized information of each individual in every pod along the coast from WA to northern BC along with accurate info on feeding, behavioral and other habits of the pods in Puget Sound and British Columbia. Truly a great book, and as I plan on researching these animals in my adulthood, it has been a great boost to my knowledge on them.

I just returned from a kayaking trip in the Johnston Straight just East of North Vancouver Island known as the inside passage. We had first hand views of the Orcas. This book was used as a reference manual to identify some of the whales. It has wonderful reference pictures of the known pods (families) in the area. It goes into great detail on their eating habits, language, and family history. It also explains their social behavior, and the differences between the pods. It is a wonderful book full of pictures, and details.

Written and compiled by holistic veterinarian Donna Kelleher, The Last Chance Dog And Other True Stories Of Holistic Animal Healing is a heartwarming anthology of stories about treating animals ranging from dogs and cats, to horses, turtles, birds, and more, through the application of alternative medicine. Engagingly narrated in a down-to-earth fashion, The Last Chance Dog is an engaging, entertaining, informative, and very highly recommended read for animal lovers everywhere.

I read a LOT of animal-related books, and this is one of the very best. It is so well-written and engaging, that you can hardly put it down (although I had to often, just to process all the new information that Dr. Kelleher gave in each and every chapter). I have learned so much about holistic vet care from this book and really appreciate her knowledge and the way she shares it with us. Each chapter gives a beautiful, moving story about a particular animal and the health problems he or she has been going through, as well as the fears and frustrations that the animals' humans are experiencing. Probably most of us who have ever lived with animals have gone through those most difficult times, and I especially appreciated the love expressed by both Dr. Kelleher and the animals' caretakers in each instance.

I am now determined to find a holistic vet for my cats and am excited about starting them on the homemade cat diet that Dr. Kelleher gives us in the book (and, yes, there's a dog one too!). This is a must-have book for everyone who lives with an animal, and the stories are wonderful to read for all animal lovers.

Okay, once I got past the 50's-textbook-cover design (which does an inadequate job of expressing the vitality of the book and its author), I discovered a dynamic, articulate animal advocate; a very knowledgeable veterinarian (both conventional and holistic, explaining acupuncture and the Chinese medicinal theory behind it, chiropractic, herbal & homeopathic solutions, and other alternative approaches); and a delightful storyteller. Her enthusiasm and personality fairly jump off the pages; her stories are well written and heartwarming/heartbreaking (18 chapters, 18 bouts of tears), and her advice is absolutely essential. The only challenge is keeping track of it all - I have tattered sticky-note bookmarks spewing from the book edges. She uses an interesting and effective structural rhythm: case stories followed by explorations of the medical issues and alternative medicine solutions each story brings up.

Dr. Kelleher is impassioned and opinionated (without ever judging or making me feel inadequate because, for example, I can't get my cats to eat home-cooked food), compassionate (her love of animals is glaringly apparent), brutally honest (revealing her heartbreaking frustration and despair at some cases), thoughtful and interesting (her embrace of holistic medicine is both well-reasoned while also quite intuitive as she tells the tale of her medical-intellectual-emotional-spiritual journey), and, at times, funny, like when she crawls around in a dirty crawlspace looking for her escaped tortoise muttering, "I am the worst tortoise mom in the whole world." By this point in the book, you can see her doing this and chuckling while a tear escapes the corner of your eye.

A great read: entertaining, heartwarming, informative, and ultimately hopeful. Any person owned by a pet will love (and benefit from) this book, even more so if your animal companion has medical challenges.

THis is a great book for lovers of art, romance, and Civil War history. Vinnie is an intriging person that draws you in from page one- worth your time

History has always been fascinating to me.When I picked up the book, Letters From Vinnie by Maureen Stack Sappéy, I was transported back through time to Washington D.C. during the Civil War. There, through a girl's letters to her best friend, Regina I learned about Vinnie Ream, a high spirited, stubborn, head-strong individual. In the year 2000 with the advanced computers, e-mail, chat rooms, cell phones, and overnight rush delivery services, it's pleasant to read an author's version of a letter from a time period over one hundred years ago. The letters were composed so well that I actually began to believe that those letters were real and that I was Regina! You may not agree that learning about the hard life of an unwanted sculptress isn't the best plot for a book, but guess what? To me it is!

I recentely finished "Letters from Vinnie" , a story of a young girl's letters from herself to her Counsin Regina. The time period is the time of Abraham Lincoln , and the subject on everybodys mind: Whether this war will end. Vinnie Ream , finds herself falling in love with sculpting and Abraham Lincoln himself. When she finally gets a grant to sculpt Mr.Lincolns head after his faitful death , all changes for Vinnie Ream. This book is based on true accounts and true characters.

Just Imagine: 250,000 Americans encompassing every race- standing up to be counted in the struggle to fight the demons of inequality. For many, the march for freedom was their chance to make that stand. Of course I've seen countless rolls of footage and viewed PBS specials documenting the March on Washington in 1963 but nothing compares to my reading first hand accounts of committed individuals who threw caution to the wind while enduring the threat of possible bodily harm, sacrificed their jobs and alienation from friends and family who deemed the march "a path for fools to follow" or something worse as the committed and concerned journeyed against the current.
Whether by plane, train, bus, bicycle, or automobile- one thing was certain for those Americans during a warm August in 1963, "They were gonna March on Washington come Wednesday mornin'."

I had the pleasure of enjoying this wonderful book over the Thanksgiving holidays and I will always remember the March on Washington and be thankful for the sacrifices made then I'll pay my respects to those who thought enough of me to do so.

Just Imagine: 250,000 Americans encompassing every race- standing up to be counted in the struggle to fight the demons of inequality. For many, the march for freedom was their chance to make that stand. Of course I've seen countless rolls of footage and viewed PBS specials documenting the March on Washington in 1963 but nothing compares to my reading first hand accounts of committed individuals who threw caution to the wind while enduring the threat of possible bodily harm, sacrificed their jobs and alienation from friends and family who deemed the march "a path for fools to follow" or something worse as the committed and concerned journeyed against the current.

Whether by plane, train, bus, bicycle, or automobile- one thing was certain for those Americans during a warm August in 1963, "They were gonna March on Washington come Wednesday morning."

I had the pleasure of enjoying this wonderful book over the Thanksgiving holidays and I will always remember the March on Washington and be thankful for the sacrifices made then I'll pay my respects to those who thought enough of me to do so.

Like a Mighty Stream is not merely a book about the greatest march on Washington. It is a portal; a literary doorway into the not so distance past using the detailed accounts of actual march participants. The author Patrik Henry Bass, with his fluid style and well researched writing, details a time when we as African-Americans were denied the most basic freedoms and decisions, such as where to live, what schools to attend or what jobs we could hold. His writing evokes the reader to remember our present day lifestyles and freedoms were bought with a price. And the emotionally stirring accounts of the marchers invoke us to make sure the present civil rights ledger is not owing. A truly great read!

One of the nice things about the Lonely Planet guides is that they are very good about telling you which things are just tourist traps and which are genuinely worth seeing. I don't think I've yet run into any bad recommendations from this guide, and now that I live in Seattle (I bought the book several years before moving here), I've had pretty good opportunity to try out a lot of their suggestions.

There is lots of good information about interesting spots in many of Seattle's vibrant neighboorhood communities besides just the downtown and Pioneer Square areas. I also appreciated the information on various points of architectural interest, which has made me want to chase down another book about Seattle's architecture.

If you want to get to know Seattle beyond just the touristy stuff that every visitor to Seattle has seen (Pike's Place, the Needle, etc.), you can't go wrong with this book. Even if you are already familiar with Seattle, there is much you can learn from this book -- I intend to try out more of their recommended day trips to the surrounding areas soon!

I bought this book for about 7 months when I was in Seattle for a week. The book has only 200 pages, so that europeans can read the whole book during the fly. The book give you detailed information about facts about and around Seattle. A quickly reference about the history of Seattle can be founded here, but also information about the economy, arts, language and culture. There is a section of 20 pages with color maps needed for a good orientation. This book is highly recommended for all people travelling to Seattle.

Virgilio Krumbacher

As a resident of the area, I have say that this book is a great asset to my bookshelf. I often find myself looking through the book to find new and exotic things to do around the city. Sometimes it is more useful than using the phonebook because there are tidbits on culture, restaurant styles, and where the best places are to rent bikes, canoes, and rollerblades. When friends or relatives visit, I lend them the book so they can easily find the things they need around town. I highly reccommend this book to any traveler heading to the Seattle area!!!!!

This book is wonderful and engaging. It is about a little boy, George W. Allen who shares his name and his birthday with George Washington. He knows many facts about George W. but he wants to know more. One day he decides he wants to know what George W. had for breakfast and the learning adventure begins!! I read it to my boys 6 and 4 and they loved it. My sons enjoyed the facts about George W. like: he had two horses named Nelson and Blueskin. There were many "fun facts" such as this in the book. I loved it because in addition to learning about George W., it shows children different ways to search for information. George Allen first goes to the library from there to the card catalog, and then the biographies. Then his family took a trip to Washington D.C., and to George Washington's home in Virginia. It's a great addition to any family library.

You have the wrong illustrator listed. The illustration on the cover is by Tomie dePaola and you have Paul Galdone listed.

George Allen feels related to George Washington because they share a name and a birthday. He knows many facts about the first president but George Allen wants to know what Washington ate for his breakfast. His detemination to succeed makes the book an interesting tour through history. We learn many facts about Washington and also the rewards of perseverance.

Well, if you have a young reader who is looking for a book about the Father of Our Country that is out of the ordinary, tell them to look no farther than "George Washington's Cows." By the end of this collection of humorous rhymes about the rather strange animals at George Washington's Mount Vernon farm the future President is standing with his head in hand, sighing, and complaining "My cows wear dresses, my pigs wear wigs, and my sheep are more learned than me." At least the pigs help out around the house, which is more than can be said for those smart sheep. David Small must have a little Jonathan Swift in him, for this is not exactly a reverential portrait of George Washington, who might have been first in war and first in peace but who takes a back seat to the animals in this cute little volume (I like the wicked little smiles on the pigs the best). However, I think parents will appreciate the book's final punch line a lot more than the young readers for who this work is intended.

Have you ever wondered why George Washington left Mount Vernon and became the father of our country? Award winning author and illustrator, David Small, let's you in on that little well-kept secret. It all started with his cows. They wouldn't give milk unless they could live upstairs in their own room with silk bedding, dress in lavender gowns, eat scones and jam and wear perfume. Then there were the hogs. They thought they were maids and butlers, doing chores, filling in for sick servants and serving meals. And, when it came to genius, Washington's flock of sheep were unrivaled. It all became to much for him, so he gave up the farm, crossed the Delaware and went into politics. Told with creativity and great humor, Mr Small's wonderful rhyming text is complimented by his detailed, expressive watercolor artwork and youngsters will laugh out loud as they see cows, lazing about in bed, pigs in wigs serving dinner and sheep in caps and gowns teaching lessons to Washington's guests. This is a delightful, silly, witty picture book that can be enjoyed by children of all ages and makes a wonderful addition to all home libraries.

David Small is a wonderfully imaginative author. *Fenwick's Suit*, *Imogene's Antlers*, and *Paper John* by Small are also terrific children's books, but this one is just hilarious. My four-year-old daughter nearly fell off my lap laughing at the pictures of the pigs in their powdered wigs, and my eight-year-old son appreciated the wry humor. Few children's books are illustrated as beautifully as this one, and the rhyme and rhythm are delightful. A picture book not to be missed.

When Susan Basquin's brother suggested they join forces and develop an Angora goat farm on Lake Michigan's remote Washington Island, she jumped at the offer. The isolation and rural environment would offer her free time for writing and contemplation -- or so she thought. What Susan found out first hand is the sheer physical and mental effort that goes into raising a herd of temperamental goats. For the next six years she struggled, growing founder of her animals, and discovering unknown reserves of strength and energy within herself. Goat Song: My Island Angora Goat Farm is the riveting memoir of Susan's life on Washington Island, a fascinating chronicle of her affection for her animals, her determination to overcome feelings of insecurity, and her reflections on island life. Goat Song is ardently recommended reading for anyone who has ever felt the urge to get away from it all and take the rural life in some isolated Eden.

I am/was interested in raising angora goats. This book provided valuable and informative information on that topic in a wonderful, well written story. I haven't decided if it talked me out of the dream or further embedded the dream but the story was great.

A poetic narrative, this book reflects life on a large scale as it tells Susan's story of raising angora goats on a small Lake Michigan island. I was touched by the depth of feeling Susan expressed in vividly describing everything from learning to know and care for the goats to living in an isolated community which generously offered friendship and support to a new resident and her risky venture.

Good driving directions, good riding directions, good guide to what is actually at the trail. All around a great addition for anyone just getting going in Mt. Biking.

As a visitor to Seattle, I used this book to find some good local mtn. bike trails. The author of the book has detailed every aspect of these trails to the mile. If you use the information and follow your bike computer, you will find your way around some awesome trails. I would suggest photocopying the pages and carrying them with you as the book is too bulky unless you have a big backpack. Luckily, when we rode the Middlefork trail at Snoqualmie we were smart enough to tear the pages out of the book. We misjudged our timing especially due to some of the obstacles we faced on the trail i.e. water crossings, fallen trees, etc. With one light (one burned out in 2 hours) and three people, we followed the book to the "t" and hiked approx. 6 miles of this trail in the dark. Without those torn out pages, we'd have spent the night in Snoqualmie! Great book. Buy it if you want to ride the trails in Seattle!

If you're new to mountain biking or new to the area this book is a "must have." The book is filled with rides within 90 minutes drive of Seattle. Directions to trailheads are excellent, routes provide a good overview of each area, and route maps provide adequate diection. This is THE guide for Seattle-area mountain biking.