Jim Krusoe sits on the weathered edge of reality to describe the view from both sides beautifully. His writing is sharp, original and entertaining. He captured a jaded reader's belief in the surreal tales layed out here, and left me wanting more. Fantastic.

These stories are so different. The author succeeds at making the reader believe entire imaginary worlds. A very interesting, different, read.

Jim Krusoe's Blood Lake and Other Stories is the wittiest collection of tales I've ever read, and more. For on top of and above the wit is a style and voice, and occasional whopping metaphor, that make for dizzying satire. Krusoe's fictional worlds compare to those of Kafka, Donald Barthelme, and Raymond Roussel, his reviewers observe. Some of his characters resemble the posturing, fraudulent whackos found in Woody Allen. Then there's the morphine addict pharmacist who buys at zoo auction a female gorilla that becomes his lover; and the unlucky night nurse who confesses, "I like hospitals and I like the sick, and of all the times that I can be with them, my favorite is the night shift, those hours from eleven to seven, when everyone's asleep." "Another Life" is a story whose narrator, an elderly bear, resides at the National Institute of animal Narrative, where he was "... trained by well-meaning scientists to operate a typewriter." In these tales there is thundering satire that smacks of the saturation bombing carried out over 200 years ago by Swift, yet has been terribly silent since. Simultaneously erudite, sobering, and farcical, Blood Lake and Other Stories will make you laugh, cringe, and cry, as Krusoe the writer does so many things so maddenlingy well.

Dorothy's Stormy Lake describes the life of an Englishwoman and her husband and their young daughter in the remote Kootenay Bay of British Columbia. Dorothy's story goes well beyond mere descriptions of surviving in the wilderness to a picture of a young woman of wit and wisdom.

Dorothy's experiences illicit a wisdom which is timeless and universal. While an inquiring mind can discern many lessons from her writing, one of the most interesting to me was the notion of community-building. Toward the middle of the book we realize that Dorothy has successfully laid the foundation for her marriage and is preparing to lay the foundation for her young child. Through her activities, which she shares in her journal, we see how she is also building a strong foundation for the community of neighbors. Her attitude and activities in building relationships are as important and relevant today as they were in the remote wilderness in the 1930s. She lives and describes a universal truth about successful living. She writes, "We must live with the spirit of neighborliness uppermost...And it all begins at home."

Dorothy's words caused me to think and to reflect and to examine my own life. A good read, indeed.

The author, Joan Wooliver, is my aunt, by marriage. I had heard about the book, and, based on what I had heard, I wanted to read it, to perhaps learn more about my aunt and the environment in which she was raised. I was not disappointed. "Dorothy's Stormy Lake" is the story of a near modern-day pio-neering family, set in Canada's British Columbia province in the early 1930s. Dorothy, a world traveler and teacher, living comfortably in San Francisco, gives it all up to live in a beautiful, but demanding, environment. Without electricity, candles supply light. Without natural gas or oil, wood supplies heat. Water comes from carrying buckets filled at the lake (Lake Kootenay). Roads do not exist; travel to buy supplies or visit friends is by boat to another part of the lake. This is life lived close to the earth. Yet, throughout the book, the hardship of living "off the grid" is downplayed, and the joy of life is celebrated. Dorothy learns to preserve meats, fruits, and vegetables. As time progresses, power is derived from flowing water in a creek, and water from the creek is pumped to the house. The time frame is during the Depression, yet, there is little reference to this economic debacle, other than an occasional mention of the public works for married men (10 days a month) to build a road into the region. For the most part, people get by; they raise fruits and vegetables, some raise chickens (for eggs to eat, and sell), some raise cattle (for milk to drink, and to slaughter). Through it all, Dorothy is mostly optimistic, describing everyday life in her letters. While one might think that a description of "everyday life" would be mundane, this is far from the reality of this book. I found it difficult to lay the book down; reading Dorothy's narration of her experiences was compelling. And, yes, I gained a better sense of my aunt and the environment in which she was raised. I highly recommend this book for its description of present age pioneering and for its facile and powerful read.

Dorothy's Stormy Lake is a great read on several levels. First, it is a great read because it paints such a vivid picture of rural life in the 1930s. From its account of the endless work associated with obtaining, preparing, and preserving food, to its warm depiction of the simple joy of listening to a radio, this book puts the reader right in the heart of a pioneer family's life.

Second, it is a great read because of the author's delightful writing style. Did ordinary people really used to write that well?!

Finally, Dorothy's Stormy Lake is a great read because of Dorothy's unwaveringly positive outlook. What a joy it is to read an author who loves life so completely. Despite having started out in a life of privilege and refinement, Dorothy embraces the hardships of her new life with enthusiasm and a sense of both wonder and adventure. This book is a great reminder of the wisdom of the old saying "life is what you make of it." Most of us would be well served by following Dorothy's example of paying attention to life's small pleasures and looking for (and finding) the best in everyone and everything.

On the book jacket it states that Dorothy wrote in her journal for many more years and that Joan Wooliver will be publishing those papers at a later date. I certainly hope that she is busy with that project because I can't wait to rejoin Dorothy in her life on her stormy lake.

A great read!

I loved this book! Gary is a great writer and makes his books full of well researched,sound information. In this small volume he tells you where the lakes are (they really exist where he says-I checked topos!) and challenges you to go! Wonderful, fun book!!

This book mixed enteraining stories with valuable information on Gary's years of observation of the behavior of trout in high country lakes. I have read numerous books and articles regarding techniques to use on high country lakes, but have rarely found such valuable information as revealed in this book. In fact, I have read this book twice over the last several months in an effort to soak up all the information, and plan to read it again before the local mountain lakes start to thaw. I would strongly recommend this book to beginning and experienced anglers alike.

Great reading for the flyfisher who enjoys the high country or likes to get away from river crowds. Lots of fun new methods to try out. Trying to figure out where I can keep my pack goat.

Excellent database on the F-4. This book is by far the best on the Phantom, with excellent images and an indepth study of the aircraft from its inception to its retirement. Jon Lake takes us on a detailed tour of the venerable F-4 describing all the squadrons and air wings it served with, plus all foreign operators of the Phantom with detailed descriptions on the modifications and improvements. All variants of the F-4 are thoroughly discussed and any reader would no doubt become fully acquainted with the intricacies of the Phantom. A must for any aviation library.

To all you Phantom fans out their this book is for you . I have bought books for AIR Time publishing and they are wonderfull books , if you love naval interseptors this is for you also check out the F-14 Tomcat book by this same company.

AS we all know, the Phantom went down as the greatest jet fighter in the history of military aviation. Personally I have over 10 books on the Phantom and "Spirit In the Skies" by John Lake is by far the best one yet....This book is worth every penny. This is such a fantastic Phantom book, I would easily pay $100 for it. This is a "must have" for all you Phantom Fanatics out there...!!!!!!

I find this book well organized ,with a lot of informations about the community,the town of Buffalo,nice old pictures and very good food,real food for real people.I appreciated expecially the chapter about bread and bakery and some appetizers,anyway all recipes are put down very clearly and it is evident that before writing everything was tested many many times

This book is great for anyone who collects Junior League cookbooks. It has beautiful pictures and little history tidbits about Buffalo. The recipes are diverse and easy to do. I can't live without the "Sherry Chicken for a Crowd" and the "Potatoes Foster" - both great for entertaining!

This cookbook is a five star winner. I have tried many of the recipes and they are all great. I love the artwork and I also enjoy reading about the history of Buffalo. A must have cookbook for all collectors of Junior League Cookbooks.

This book is almost a bible to me while traveling the Great Lakes Region. It features over 300 lighthouses of both the American and Canadian side of the lakes. The lighthouses are indexed by lake, making a trip to an area, easy to plan and execute. Each lighthouse has a photo (if available), brief description and most importantly to me, access availability and directons.

With the access availability to each lighthouse, (boat, car, private or public), weekend trips are planned to visit each lighthouse in the area. A checkoff box is also printed, to mark off each lighthouse you have visited.

This is a very useful guide to these historic sites, both operational and non-operational, and a valuable reference book.

I have a few books on lighthouses but this one is amazing. The imformation on each lighthouse giving you the location and a place to check mark it and the date you saw it. I am looking forward to using it on my trip to the lakes in October. Thank you for helping me get the best imformation for my trip.

Great set up, lake by lake. Good history of each light, plus a story about each of the lakes. I also appreciate the information regarding visitation of the lights, very useful. A must have for Michiganders

This book is excellent for someone who is more interested in identifying lake malawi fish as opposed to general information on how to properly keep these fish in a home aquarium. For someone who is not a beginner, this definitely is a must have book. The pictures are great and there is a whole lot of information on lake malawi and the general characteristics of each fish. Buy this book, it will be a decision you will not regret.

Ad Koning's Book of Cichlids and All Other Fishes of Lake Malawi is a fantastic book, and a "must-have" in my opinion.

The book is designed to be enjoyed by -- and put to good use by -- anyone interested in the cichlids of Lake Malawi. It covers all aspects of the fish including maintenance, breeding, behaviors, taxonomy, etc.. The over 1000 photos -- almost all taken in Lake Malawi -- are absolutely beautiful. And the cichlids of Lake Malawi are among the most beautiful, diverse, and interesting fish on this planet.

The book is a worthy counter-part to Pierre Brichard's Book of Cichlids And All Other Fishes Of Lake Malawi. Together, these 2 books provide the most beautiful, comprehensive, and thorough books on the African Cichlids of the Rift Lakes of East Africa. There is no overlap between the books -- one is on Lake Malawi, the other Lake Tanganyika -- yet they are remarkably similar.

I own both this book and Brichard's, and they are the most interesting coffeetable books I own. I flip through them often, whether idly reading, identifying fish I've just seen in a fish store.

This book is expensive, but entirely worth it. You can buy a less expensive book on the subject, but you'll always know you have an inadequate subset of the ultimate book on the subject.

This is one of my favorite books. Once again Ad Konings does a wonderful job of presenting the fish of Lake Malawi.

This book provides the Konings typically wonderful photos of virtually all of the fish and color morphs. The information provided on each fish is excellent as well.

This is a must have for the serious cichlidiot.

for those of you who want a picture of life on an oar boat on the Great Lakes in the 1950's, this book is for you. Very enjoyable and accurate portrayal of that life.

I sailed on a number of Great Lakes oar boats in the 1950's. Reading this book, I had a vivid re-experience of my life as a Great Lakes sailor, both positive and negative. For anyone interested in an accurate and compelling account of life on oar boats back then, this book will give you a good read as well as a historical account of that time.

I was a Great Lakes sailor in the 1950's and worked on a number of ore boats. I view Meditations of a Great Lakes Sailor as a highly accurate, albeit fictional, account of what it was like to work on the Great Lakes at that time. Reading this account, I was enabled to vividly relive some of my own experiences, both positive and negative. This book, I believe, has historical significance in recreating an important time in our history.

This follow-up book to the incredible "Chicago Haunts" is equally as impressive and hard to put down.
While most "sequel" books are obviously comprised of filler material and rushed to press to capitalize on an earlier success, it is evident that this book was painstakingly researched. It is beautifully done. Bielski doesn't just recount ghost stories; she weaves in sympathy, historical fact, and sometimes humor to present artfully written short stories. Her hard work does not go unnoticed in this book. If you love Chicago history, ghost stories, or just good reading, this is a book for you.

Bielski responds to hungry readers' continuing craving for otherworldly weirdness by reviewing her files for stories she sifted out of both of her previous Chicago-focused titles (CHICAGO HAUNTS editions 1 & 2). As the subtitle indicates, these stories delineate a fascinating expanse of human consciousness that lies somewhere between subjective experience and synthesizing belief.

Bielski's talent for placing myth in the context of its culture, time, and place without dissecting the thrill out of it makes her work an illuminating, entertaining ride through Chicago history from the delightfully skewed angle of enduring energies that go way beyond the city's "I Will" ethic. Her sense of humor infuses her open-minded investigator's rationality with a kind of hip campfire storyteller's glee. Don't miss the unique legacies Bielski unearths here and throughout her addictively haunting volumes.

Author Ursula Bieslski provides an excellent sequel to her first book of ghostly tales. Told through historical facts and by eye witness accounts, this book is worthy follow-up. Highly Recommended! Perfect for Halloween or any ghost-hunting time of the year.

I like this book because it's fun to listen to. I also like the story of the Homecoming. It's cool. I highly recommend this to future fans.

The 4 cassettes are titled "Summer", "Fall", "Winter" and "Spring". All have very funny stories on them and are worth the listen many times over. But the absolute best of the 4 tapes, and the biggest reason anyone should buy this collection, is the "Fall" stories. "Fall" (which I also found listed separately, and have left a review there as well) contains the single funniest Lake Wobegon monologue, "Bruno the Fishing Dog." It also contains a funny take on Minnesota Thanksigivings, and a devastating 24-minute epic called The Royal Family, which I found to be well worth the trip.

To me, Keillor-on-paper vs. Keillor-live is apples and oranges - they should be judged separately. If you do want to hear him, buy this collection--and the collection called "Gospel Birds", also a classic--and you'll be set for some time.

This CD compilation 16 of the finest stories in the history of the famed, long-running radio show "A Prarie Home Companion". The stories come under four headings: "Faith", "Hope", "Love", and "Humor". Some of the best stories from this package include "Smokes", a brilliant story of a father's attempt at quitting smoking out of pure guilt. "Let us Pray" tells the story of Pastor Inquvist and the stir up he causes among his congregation. "A Trip to Grand Rapids" is about a weekend getaway gone horribly wrong. "Truckstop" is the painfully hilarious account of the events both before and after Florian Krebsbach accidentally leaves his wife Myrtle at a truckstop. "Homecoming" is the story of Karl Krebsbach and his nightmarish experience on the day of his daughter's High School homecoming. These and many other brilliant stories make an amazing array of the Lake Wobegon experience.