They say write about what you know...LeMonds knows the soul of the past and modern logger and writes with as unpretentious style as I've seen in a long time. He uses the language (always loggers...never lumberjacks) and shares with the reader the language and techniques of everything from falling, bucking, setting chokers, to trucking the logs. Furthermore, he does it based upon the real-life experiences of his family. You learn how they used to rig a spar tree and what went through the climbers mind as he accomplished this task 150-200 feet in the air. LeMonds also shares the future of forestry (hand-seeding, herbicides, fertilizer & thinning) to move the life span of high-productive crops like Douglas Firs from hundreds of years to perhaps as little as 35 years as well as what the modern equipment does now and probably into the future.. Perhaps you might find the short chronology of the work history of each of his family members in the logging business too detailed but it's more than worth the wonderful stories and perspectives that go with them. LeMonds acknowledges the scars on the landscape of the past but also the enduring scars on these tremendous men who contributed so much to this Country's development of the 20th century. I don't think one could ask for a more balanced view of this industry and have it written with such class. This is the best book I ever expect to read about this subject, which is so dear to my heart having been raised in a nearly identical community in Southern Oregon. Today I ordered a second copy to send to a dear friend still working in the woods.

James Lemonds peels away the Bunyonesque macho image that has been falsely hung on the loggers of the Northwest and shown them as they are; broken down, disabled and discarded by the industry that exacted a terrible toll on both the workers and the forests.
Anyone wanting to research the human cost the industry extracted should start with this book. Death and disabilty rates beyond the range of nightmares were considered standard and acceptable, simply because the carnage took place outside the public view.
The hard work, honest efforts and caring that the workers brought to the job were repaid with lack of respect and now, lowering wages, no job security and disdain from the general public.
As bad as it is in Lemonds description, the list at the end of the book does not include all the co-workers of any current or former loggers that I have talked to who have read this book, nor co-workers of mine, who were killed on the job. The toll suffered by the workforce was at least equal to that suffered by the forests.
Lemonds tells the story in an even-handed, personal way through his extended family and community. This is a must-read book by any student of Northwest culture of the past century.

Logging in America's Northwest, an industry and occupation which arouses strong passions and polarizing viewpoints.

Jim LeMonds, though not neglecting the emotional and substantive areas of contention, focuses primarily on the human contribution and in some cases sacrifices of the loggers themselves.

This book should be read by anyone with even the vaguest interest in forest management and environmental issues. Although he is from a logging family, I feel that the author has been exceedingly fair in his description of todays industry and what the future holds for this industry and more importantly for logging communities.

To me the efforts and accomplishments of the people featured in this book, and the many thousands like them, are what has made our country great. It is ironic that their contibutions and in some cases sacrifices have not received the recognition that they are rightfully due.

Buy this book, regardless of your political viewpoint on the logging industry, and celebrate the spirit that has enabled all of us to enjoy the many privledges of being Americans.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, "It matters not how far you travel, but how much you are alive," and Jim LeMonds, a former English teacher of mine in the small "mill-town" city of Longview, WA embodies this phrase in his tight, solid prose and compassionate understanding of the area and it's people. For anybody to understand the psyche of this area, the Pacific Northwest, I recommend not only living here and listening, but also a cold plunge into the severely deprived art scene and it's few vibrant sectors. Jim LeMonds, in South of Seattle, provides us with one of these. My favorite essay was Scripture For The Land, for it's sheer intensity and truths.

Jim has captured the life of small town America. More precisely small town Pacific Northwest where the largest employer is the lumber companies and the county fair still attracks the whole town. Jim brings to light some of the hardships and personal obstacles that impede the daily lives of even the most simple lives. The memories that Jim shares will most definitely make you laugh and may even bring you to tears. An intimate exploration of a great geographical area.

I am a former English student of the author of "South of Seattle," and not only is this man an exceptional teacher, but he is the only writer of my acquaintance to so vibrantly capture the spirit of life in the ever-growing Pacific Northwest--roots, leaves, rain, et al. If you want to experience a small lumber town and are unfourtunate enough not to have been born and raised there, then take your next best option as an outsider and read this book. This journey through time and terrain is all the more meaningful due to the obvious love the author feels for his topic. Don't miss this one...

I have been a fan of King for years, and it is simply a given that when one of his novels come out I am in the bookstore that very day, plunking down whatever the asking price for a hardcover copy. There are many horror novel fans (believe it or not) who will tell you that Stephen King is a pulp author whose talents are based solely on the ability to toss off a 900 page book with an interesting sounding plotline every fall or so, but we true fans know that King's writing is much more than that, that he is a master storyteller capable of entertaining, shocking, and frightening at the same time. Needful Things is a prime example of King at his twisted best. The story centers on King's now mythical town of Castle Rock (undoubtedly an unlucky place; it is the site of Cujo and The Body to name a few of King's other works). A small rural town such as Castle Rock cannot help but take interest when a mysterious stranger breezes in and sets up shop (particularly a shop with a name as enticing as 'Needful Things'). The proprietor, one Leland Gaunt, can offer the residents of Needful Things whatever they want... for a price. Literally, the hopes and dreams of every person in town is somewhere on Gaunt's shelves, and as it turns out, most of them are willing to do anything to buy them. Of course, Gaunt doesn't simply take money; he requires a favor of his clients, in the form of a small service (usually a seemingly harmless prank or act of vandalism inflicted on another citizen). The people of Castle Rock are only too happy to comply, and that is where King really begins to spin the yarn. You see, Gaunt is very intelligent and very wicked. He uses the weaknesses and prejudices of the residents of Castle Rock against them, and soon his seemingly random series of pranks begin to connect, and suddenly the good folks of Castle Rock are set against one another, paranoid, vindictive, vengeful people who will do anything to protect their 'needful things'. Eventually, the killing begins. King turns his characters into killers and monsters in a frighteningly believable way, and ties the characters together in ways that will make you sit back and marvel at his storytelling. Obliviously assisting Gaunt is Ace Merril (yes, the same character from The Body, played by Kiefer Sutherland in the film Stand by Me) A criminal all his life, Ace harbors a hatred for Castle Rock that Gaunt cultivates and nurtures. The only thing that stands between Castle Rock and damnation is our hero, sheriff Alan Pangborn, who distrusts Gaunt and attempts to unravel his evil scheme (those of you who read King's The Dark Half will recognize Pangborn; he is one of its central characters as well). I must say after all this that I was less than impressed with the dramatic, climactic ending, which I found to be more than a tad cheesy and unfulfilling. However, the story leading up to the less than agreeable ending is well worth the mild disappointment. I would recommend Needful Things as a very enjoyable and exciting read, right up there with King's best works (the very best of which is the magnificent Eyes of the Dragon, which I will review some time in the future). If you are a King fan, Needful Things is a must, and if not, then I suggest it as an entertaing alternative to whatever your area of interest might be

P>I first reviewed this book several years ago. It was one of the first books by Mr. King that I had read. I loved it.

Now that I've had the chance to read much more of his work, what do I think of it now?

It's still great.

This is one of his best cast of characters assembled here. Alan Pangborn, Norris Ridgewick, Henry Payton, Ace Merrill...everyone is very real-seeming and three-dimensional.

But as is often the case in good fiction, the villain steals the show. Leland Gaunt will entrance the reader as much as he did the people of Castle Rock, while simultaneously making you loathe him utterly.

This is interesting, because most of King's villains are able to evoke *some* sympathy for the reader; Randall Flagg, IT, and Tak are just a few examples. So what's the difference? Why are those three--among others--capable of being rooted for while Leland Gaunt receives only boos?

Randall Flagg, IT, and Tak only want to kill you, and they have semi-indentifiable motives. Gaunt, however, simply wants to be entertained by the carnage and chaos. He'll steal your soul and sow havoc in the same way that you or I would turn on the TV. He'll manipulate whole towns simply for his amusement. Thus it is that King does an excellent job of portraying him as a demon who deserves nothing more than absolute destruction. Overall--still great!

"Needful Things" is the story of Leland Gaunt, the mysterious proprietor who opens up shop in the town of Castle Rock. (King fans will remember the town from books like "Cujo" and "The Dark Half," both of which are referred to on several occasions.) Gaunt sells anything to anyone, provided they are willing to pay the price.

What I liked best about the book was that it really built up to its conclusion. I was surprised that so many found the ending lacking. It may have been over-the-top, but it got across the feeling of the mass chaos. From the beginning, I was waiting for the moment when neighbor would turn against neighbor, and I was not in the least bit dissapointed.

The writing is clever and includes brilliant descriptions of each character. Point-of-view switches frequently, creating suspense and an insatiable urge to find out what happens next.

"Needful Things" is a wonderful book that undoubtedly required much work to complete. It is not King's best work, but it is definitely near the top. What better way to say goodbye to the town we fans all know and love.

A comprehensive map of the trails (including roads and tracks closed to cars) of the area around Big Basin, focusing on the northeastern section (Map 2 focuses on the southwestern area, both include most of Big Basin Redwoods). Good detail, including property jurisdictions, topographic (40 foot contour intervals), points of interest and conveniences like road mileage markers. It also includes rules and regulations for the various parks, general , natural history and contact information for each. Limited notes on trail trail mileages is a minus.

This is a handsome map printed on plastic, map on one side, other information on the reverse

A great resource for finding and enjoying hikes of any length in the area.