I've had this book for many years and I've re-read it many times and enjoy it each time. It is an amazing story of courage and love. I feel as if I'm in Alaska each time I read it. Currently, I'm reading Tisha for the 6th time.

Last year (1999-2000) the teacher in my literature class made us read a book that had to do with Alaska (this being more of the state spirit they try and cultivate at school). My mom suggested Tisha, and I finished it shortly after she dug her copy off of her book shelf. The true story of a lady who went to teach in Chicken Alaska was very interesting. I learned things about the way life was in 1927 in Alaska, because now it's very different from that. The racial predjudices that some of her students face are very interesting, and I found this story captivating.

For my 13 birthday I was given a copy of "Tisha". I loved it! Not just because grandfather wrote it but because it is an inspiring story. The librarian and my teacher were very surprised to find out who I am. Everyone loves this book. It was written a long time ago, but is still read by adults and their children. When people travel to Chicken Alaska they buy the book and then they write a fan letter. My grandfather died 3 years ago. I am proud of his work.

After 40 some years of living Alaska, I am well aware of the difficulty and seeming impossibility of capturing the great land on film and with words. The true essense and spitituality of this vast offering often eludes our cameras and pens. John has nailed it. His enduring patience and impecable eye for the finest of nature glows from image to image, mushroom ice stands, an otter enjoying a meal, volcanic clouds balloning over stands of towering spruce, an eaglets first moment broken from the shell, in your face bears, all these images and much more inspire me to look harder, go further, and wait longer for more of Alaska than I have ever experienced. The photos are sparkled by John's unique style of writing. After recieving the book as a gift I spent long nights, reading and re-reading his tales of adventure with delight. My work takes me far from home and John's book gives me opportunity to share the true flavors of Alaska with those I meet on the trail. Thank you John for sharing your God given talents, I so look forward to the next book.

I received a copy of John Pezzenti's book,A Photographic Journey Through The Last Wilderness,as a gift through my work. John Pezzenti's photographes portray such beauty and his words flow with spirituality. John Pezzenti's gift for writing matches his talent for capturing nature at it's finest. From the incredible photo's of the birth of an eagle,to the heart felt story of the Birthday Cake Bear. As I look through this magnificent book I feel his photo's and words drawing me in. It gives me the sense that I too am able to share what John Pezzenti must have felt being there. When I was young I went on a cruise to Alaska. I knew that one day I would move to this great land. John Pezzenti's book reinforce's why I kept this dream so close to my heart for all these years. I will always cherish this gift I received and feel blessed that John Pezzenti chose to share his God given talent with the rest of us. One could keep writing but there are no words that can truely describe this work of art. I highly recommend this book to anyone that has ever dreamt about Alaska. John Pezzenti truely opens his heart to the reader with his photographes and lets us share in the beauty he has captured over the past 25 years. I look forward to being able to share his work with my family and friends,as I also look forward to his next publishing.

If you want to experience the true Alaska as few have ever done, no need to make a pilgrimage to the far north. All you need to do is read this book about a photographer's solo odyssey into the wilderness of Alaska in search of getting the great shot. The shot, that transforms photography into emotionally evoking art. The shot , that exudes the magnificence of the photo into telling the full rich story around it. The shot, that envelops the viewer with both the tenderness and majaesty of nature. John Pezzenti's journeys not only allowed him to capture this "Holy Grail' shot but unbelievably a whole book of them. In my estimation his work is unparalleled in his field. John is truely one of the premier wildlife photographers of our time. Equally fascinating to the absolutely stunning photography, is the human story behind it. John chronicles his amazing adventures on his journeys. He details his harrowing survival struggles to awe inspiring revelations with candor and humor. John presents himself to the reader not as some superhero but as an everyday person with all our human fragility. While reading John's book it dawned on me that it is an antithesis to Conrads's "The Heart of Darkness". John and Marlow both, endure the brutalities of our world in their journeys, but while Marlow is left only with "bitterness and darkness", John is left with "wonderment and light". I would like to mention that though nature has thrown John some mighty barriers in his quest, the greatest hurdle lies within himself. John is classified 100% disabled with a rare and agressive form of rheumatoid arthritis, treatable only with a mild chemotherapy so he can walk. Experience this book! The reproduction of John's work is exquisite and the price surprisingly low.

Again and again we hear it, but it's true: John McPhee can interest a reader in anything. He manages to combine a richly sedimented prose, which frequently rises to a level of virtuosity of which 95% of novelists would be envious, with a tangible involvement in the activities of the people he writes about. And he does always write, first and foremost, about people. 'Coming into the Country' is McPhee's longest single book and contains about ten capsule biographies (and quite a bit of modest autobiography, too) in addition to observations on the hibernation of bears, the various techniques of panning for gold, the advantages of sled-dogs against snow-machines, the failings of bush-pilots, and three-dozen other disquisitions.

Without wishing to carp, I do think that the book is a shade too long -- the final section 'Coming into the Country' could profitably have been pruned of about forty pages -- but the greater length does allow the reader to see the effort McPhee goes to to provide his stories with an aesthetically pleasing structure. The first section, 'The Encircled River' deposits us, in medias res, halfway down a tributary of one of Alaska's northenmost rivers. McPhee and his companions travel downriver to the confluence of a larger river, and then we head back to the headwaters of the earlier river -- the story describes an encircling pattern. The second part 'What they were looking for' is a very funny record of a helicopter trip taken by a committee established to decide on a new capital for Alaska. Here the story skips around the theme as the chopper skips around proposed sites for the new metropolis. It's in the final section which gives the book its title that McPhee really lets loose, leaping from the present to the past, from those living on the river to those encamped in the small town of Eagle, back to the Indian village, on to a white mountain trapper and his Indian wife, back to the first goldrush era in the Yukon valley, all the time incorporating off-the-record views of Eagle townspeople, journal entries, his own observations of the breathtaking landscape. It's a tour-de-force. McPhee is the best journalist in the English-speaking world. Alaska is a wonderful place. The meeting of the two is something to behold.

John McPhee, it's often noted, can write about anythying and make it interesting, so when he tackles a subject as broad and fascinating as Alaska you know you're in for a treat.

The book is divided into three parts; it begins in modern Urban Alaska, with the story of its history and contemporary society. From McPhee takes you to the remote villages and towns, a place still populated by Native peoples and rugged outdoorsmen (and women). The last chapter concerns Alaska's last frontier- the remote North Slope, and the men who drill for oil there.

Like all McPhee books, the author seems to fade into the background and let the people and the land tell the story for him. Sometimes the reader feels as if or she, and not McPhee, is standing there on an oil rig.

Alaska is a rich topic, and McPhee is a wonderful writer. A great combination.

John McPhee is a writer who seems able to interest readers in anything that captures his attention. The range of subjects that his books cover is striking and his skill at involving readers in subjects that they might heretofore have thought uninteresting is, in my opinion, unique. This book, recounting a journey through Alaska - as a pretext for broader commentary about Alaska and its relationship with the lower 48 - is an excellent introduction to the state we only think we know. I read this during a long stretch of living and working in Alaska and found it to be the most insightful and interesting book on the subject that I had found. As is true with all of McPhee's books, this one satisfys on many levels, from the clarity of the prose to the fascinating subject matter. Great stuff.

I use this book constantly to identify Pacific Northwest plants and get information about the conditions under which they grow in the wild. The pictures are especially helpful. Ethnobotanical information is interesting, too.

This is one book that travels with us wherever we drive; it is filled with bookmarks & scribbled observations whenever we've seen something new to add to Messrs. Pojar & MacKinnon's awesome efforts. Naturally they alone did not compile this book & it is an impressive & accurate effort of a large collection of dedicated people.An easy-to-use field guide featuring close to 800 species of flora commonly found from Oregon to Alaska, including trees, shrubs, wildflowers, aquatics, grasses, ferns, mosses & lichens. From shoreline to alpine, including the Olympics & the western Cascades. The perfect gift for anyone who wanders the land!..............

I have about thirty field guides on geology, fungi, plants, and wildlife generally focusing on the Northwest. I consider this to be best field guide of all - the standard by which other field guides should be measured. It is fairly comprehensive. It is concise and user-friendly. The color photographs are generally guide good. It even has occasional bits of interesting trivia to help you get familiar with the plant in question. I have heard from a biology student that there were a couple minor inaccuracies in the taxonomic classification, but unless you are a professional whose career depends on total precision, this book is your best bet. Buy it and get out and get to know your land a little better. Have fun but stay on the trails!

I read Kavik The Wolf Dog and loved every bit of it. I like how it told a story about a dog trying to find his way home, and the challenges that he had to overcome to get back to the place is loves. I think that this is a book that lots of people would love to read. If you like adventure, this is the book for you!

Kavik the Wolf-dog was the first book about wolf-dogs I have ever read. Because of this book, it inspired me to respect and raise my own wolf-dogs and wolves to teach people how noble these animals are. I was in second grade when I read it.Now I'm almost thirty and this book stills vividly sticks in my mind. This is a classic novel.

If you like dogs you should read THE WOLF DOG.You should read this book because it's about a very smart dog who gets lost and he is 2,000 miles away from home. He knows the way back but he has to walk a lot. THE WOLF DOG does alot of interesting things. I like the part when Kavik and an other dog fight and when he tries to find his way back. If you read this book believe me you will like it.

I like Alaska's Three Bears because I learned a lot of stuff in the book. I had no idea only three bears lived in Alaska. If I could be one of the bears I would be the Small black bear just lying in a tree in the jungle. That sounds like my kind of life.

I like the book Alaska's Three Bears. I learned a lot about bears. I think you write the coolest books.I think you're so cool. Thanks for coming to visit our school.I hope you come visit again!

I really enjoyed the book ALASKA'S THREE BEARS. I learned that all the bears live and eat different food and live in different places. I liked your visit. I hope you will come again!

I have lent this book to countless people, and everyone has loved each page. Even my husband, who does NOT like novels, couldn't put this book down. Winterdance is a novel that has a fine pace, spectacular imagery, and wonderful humor. It is an engaging story. Gary Paulsen, a celebrated children's author, highlights a time in his life where he was not a writer, dead broke and totally in love with his dogs and the great outdoors. Winterdance chronicles Paulsen's discovery of "running dogs" and follows him all the way through the grueling Iditarod. Along the way, he reflects on personal transformation as well a passion for nature. His writing paints beautiful pictures of the northern wilderness areas without going on and on. He is funny, compassionate and very much an individual. It is a quick read and a MUST read.

This is actually one of the few books I have read twice. Gary Paulsen tells the story of his rookie run in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. He starts out this process knowing almost nothing about what it will take to actually get to the starting line, much less finish the race. His experiences during the training phase are tragically funny. The abuse he takes from his dogs, the elements, and his lack of knowledge about putting an Iditarod racing team together would make most people quit. Gary, however, sticks it out and endures what must have been one of the most spiritual experiences of his life. I read this book on a plane and I was laughing so hard I think people thought I was crazy. Have fun with it!

I wasn't real sure about this book when I took it out of the library. I didn't know what an Iditarod was, and wasn't sure I cared to know. However, from the first few pages on, I couldn't put the book down. I like dogs, but I wouldn't consider myself a dog lover. However, after reading this book, I came away with a different view of animals, especially dogs, and the magnitude of training for this big race. Gary takes the reader from the time he decides to sell everything he and his family own, and move to Minnesota to live off the land, by running traplines, and hunting his own food, and to train dogs for the Iditarod race. The reader is taken on a great adventure from the time he begins training the dogs to the race itself. He describes his adventures with such humor and detail, that I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions, and actually there were times when I felt as though I was on the sled with him, taking the ride of my life. Many times I believe I felt his pain as he describes slamming into trees, being dragged on his face by the dogs for miles, and skunked six times in one night. This is truly a good book, and I definitely will pick up another book by Gary Paulsen to read soon in my lesure time. I highly recommend this book fo all to read.

I'd like to start out with my favorite quote from Michael Modzelewski, "Sometimes you have to lower your standard of living to reach a higher level." I have sailed the inside passage via cruise ship 5 times and every time I read "INSIDE PASSAGE" brings back all the wonderful memories and magical moments I have experienced in this wild and untamed wilderness.
Michael lived with killer and humpback whales, bald eagles, Kwakiutl Indians on the surrounding Islands, Tuffy the cat, Cottonwood the ridgeback dog, and my favorite raven named Blackie! On page 59 is a hilarious story about Blackie!! Michael lived in Will Malloff's 12x34 ft. home with no t.v., indoor plumbing, electricity,no car or grocery store. No traffic jams,pollution or noise of any kind, and all you can eat fish in the sea was the trade off! You will learn what Michael needed to do to survive 18 months on Swanson Island.
This is one of those books you read over and over and underline everything. I'm going to close with another of Michael's quotes,
"I touched the whale; she touched me; and what passed between us changed me forever." Reading this book and meeting Michael changed me forever. This book inspired and motivated me to take some risks in life, to travel, and to dream big because dreams do come true,look at Michael's!

Inside Passage is a book for the ages. An awe-inspiring piece of work that has left me both breathless and wanting more. Each image is created with such care and heart, the spirit of a "warrior" and the heart of a "man" shines through in each page. Inside Passage will leave an idelible mark on both the reader and the readers soul. A must read for anybody who has ever had a dream or a person seeking refuge in the majestic landscape of the Alaskan wilds. Modzleweski presents a totally-balanced account. Unlike many authors who've left the city for the wilds he doesn't "deify" Native Americans. He describes each Kwakiutl he meets as an individual with different life-styles, education-levels, and manners of speaking. Inside Passage brings out the raw and harsh natural laws man must live by in the wilderness, but intertwined within that plot is a story of unharnessed adventure and a life worth living. Having visited the Inside Passage the past two summers, I can say that the author brought the area totally alive! In the economical and passionate-style of a poet, Modzelewski goes far-beneath the surface of an awesome place. Most of all, he takes the reader on a spiritual VisionQuest-where as he describes it:"The Inside Passage is real dream country. Even on land you are moved. The tides that carry the great whales move the bulk of your thoughts just as effortlessly. On the islands, the surrounding sea enters your subconcious, creating a rippling mirror that reflects reality from many perspectives. There is no concrete to fix attitudes, harden dreams. The world around you constantly flows in many levels, swirling deep fathoms into you, loosening holdfasts and safeguards, stirring up sediment, provoking protean change." Reading this book changed my life. Now I see the world through un-biased eyes. Life is a challenge and a blessing, I accept it with passion and un-dying gratitude. Mr. Modzelewski has opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed, and for that I am forever en-debted to him. This book will change you; I guarantee it!

After reading Inside Passage,I felt my soul was baptized by the beauty of Alaska and the author Michael Modzelewski was the minister who administered the baptismal ceremony for many poor polluted souls. My outlook of life has been changed since then. Every day and every minute I live is full of beauty and purity like Alaska's blue sky. I would like to live in inside Passage every summer!

This book sat on my dresser for a long time and it even traveled to Georgia with me without being read. I just couldn't get into it. Finally, when I had nothing else to read I pushed past the first 100 pages and boy am I glad I did. It turned into a really good read!

It does take a while to get into the characters and to get the actual plot moving -- 3 women discover they are married to the same man who has disappeared with their money and they decide to follow him to the Yukon where he is joining the gold rush. It did take me a while to identify with the women and I found them to be annoying at first. But I grew to admire their tenacity and perseverance. More importantly, they made me laugh. This book contains one (okay two) of the funniest love scenes I've read. And, I found it very, very interesting to read about the Yukon gold rush and what people had to go through to get there. As a matter of fact, I found a web site that has some good pics and maps to show where the characters in this book travel .

I would recommend this book and it is worth the read for the last third of the book.

So now the book is sitting on my sister's dresser...

Jean Jacques Villette travels the West Coast hitting small towns in California, Oregon, and Washington where he finds lonely wealthy spinsters to seduce, marry, rob, and desert. In California, he hit on Juliette March who for nine months believed in his love and that he would return until she followed his trail to Oregon, where she finds victim number two, Clara Klaus. Together they head to Washington where they are joined by dupe number three Zoe Wilder. He married all three of them.

The wives decide to confront and perhaps kill the scoundrel. His trail takes them to Alaska where Villette has a surprise in store for his three spouses. Meanwhile each woman meets a handsome man who falls in love with her. However, once burned, Juliette, Clara, and Zoe find it difficult to give away their respective hearts again.

Readers will enjoy Maggie Osborne's Americana romance that brings to life the last decade of the nineteenth century. The story line is entertaining due to the powerful depiction of the ensemble. The audience will understand why the women married Villette. The charming cad includes a compassionate side that makes him into a complete character and not just a totally evil villain. I DO3 is an intriguing historical romance that will provide enjoyment to fans of Americana.

Harriet Klausner

What a wonderful premise! Three very different women -- Juliette, Clara and Zoe -- discover by accident that they are all married to the same man and, once the shock has abated, set out to the Yukon to find him. This makes for a delightful, fast-paced "on-the-road" novel filled with love and adventure. Inevitably, each of the women grows and changes and finds her own true love. But the course of those relationships can't possibly run smoothly, especially when the intrepid ladies are married to someone else.

Ms. Osborne's characters are always well-drawn and a treat to read. Her plots are intriguingly different and set up complex problems for the characters to resolve. This is another fabulous book in her repetoire. I loved it.

When I was a kid, my favourite sorts of books were adventure stories with animals. I read a lot of Walter Farley, Jack London, Farley Mowat, and Jean Craighead George. Julie of the Wolves was one of my favourite books. Decades later, I still like to dip into my childhood favourites.

Last week, I decided to read Julie. Although Julie of the Wolves is edgier, with its themes of childhood marriage, attempted rape, loss and deprivation, Julie is an excellent follow-up. She overcomes feelings of betrayal toward her father and racist prejudices toward her stepmother. She also gets together with her beloved wolves once again.

The simplistic writing style makes Julie a very quick read. It is also very educational, with its conservationalist theme matter, Innu vocabulary, and examinations of life in the far north. It's a book people of all ages can learn from and enjoy.

Hi! I've read Julie of the Wolves and Julie and I think they are the best books EVER! I've only read three of George's books: My Side of the Mountain(HIGHLY recomended), Julie of the Wolves(Excellent!), and Julie(Probably the best of all three!), but they are all cool, exciting and suberb. Now about Julie: A great book, very descriptive, and extremly captivartion. I'm ten years old. I took me three days to read, and I absolutley ADORED it! Miyax Kapugen Julie Edwards, a young eskimo girl(14) who has lived on the arctic tundra with her adoptive wolf pack for almost a year, must now return to her father. Her father has changed very mush from when she knew him: He had adopted the ways of the 49 southern states, had started using technology, and had married a gussak(American) wife. Julie also meets Peter, and Siberian eskimo who loves her. She thinks of school before him, but decides to marry him when she gets grown up. Julies wolf pack starts killing her fathr's oxen(there are no caribou to hunt) and her father attemps to kill them. CCan Julie save her wolf pack? Will her father ever re-accept the wolves? Read this AWSOME booi to find out!

"Julie" is a book about a young woman called Julie, who returns home from her life on the Tundra, with a pack of wolves as her family. Her father Kapugen has married an American woman named Ellen, who is pregnant. Julie arrives home to normal family life. She feels that she could accept the family life, if she hadn't known that her father had killed her wolf father. Julie can speak beautiful English, but she will not talk to Ellen, until she is sure she can accept Ellen into her life. Julie starts talking to Ellen, when they are in an ice shelter helping a Musk Oxen, give birth to her calf. Julie realises that Ellen is no longer an intruder in her family, and welcomes her.

Julie goes through many difficult situations in this story, like when she comes face to face with a wild bear. I enjoyed this book very much because, you have the feeling you were part of this book, and also the story. I thought Jean Craighead George made things very descriptive, like the ice on the Tundra, the soft fuzzy fur of the wolf pup, and the scurrying ground squirrels. This book shows the power between a father and his daughter, they love each other so much that they can read each others minds'.

This novel is for people who like a book with happiness, a bit of sadness, and the smallest bit of romance. It is also a book that has a lot of adventure.