Wow! This is not just your normal big photo book to set on the coffee table for an occasional browse through. This is a book to savor, page by page, slowly and with thoughtful contemplation of the stunning images presented both by the photographers and the author. From the first paragraphs of the introduction, I realized this book offers an unusual journey, as the author explains, in elegant prose, his reasoning for taking the reader UP the Colorado River rather than down. Here is a book worthy of being used as a reference in any historical geography or geology class, yet read from cover to cover for its literary appeal. Even those who have not visited the Grand Canyon in person will gain an awesome appreciation for this wonder of nature by traveling with the author and photographers through the pages of this masterpiece.

Take this wonderful guide to the Grand Canyon. Not only is it informative and visually beautiful it enhances your spiritual understanding and love for the natural beauty of this magical place. Robert Hutchinson's text takes you on an awesome adventure.

I am Public Relations Manager for GreaterGR.com, the Greater Grand Rapids area website. As such, I am often asked which publications about history and life in Grand Rapids are the best. "Greater Grand Rapids: A City that Works" tops my list! It is a unique look into life in Grand Rapids as Gerald R. Ford experienced it. You will find this book in the reception area of many businesses in the Greater Grand Rapids area, most likely because the pictures are exceptionally vivid, capturing the essence of city life. It is a great coffee table book and conversation piece!

Being new to the Grand Rapids area, this book is the most effective and efficient way to get a glimsp at the Grand Rapids business and private sector as well as a view of Grand Rapids through the eyes of Gerald Ford. This is a must buy for anyone who is looking at Grand Rapids for fun and fellowship.

Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Kane for sharing their extensive compilation of photos and memorabilia from Bertrand's Island, and publishing them in a book for us all to enjoy. I have fond memories of visiting Bertrand's Island when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's, and of hanging out there as a teenager in the 70's (unfortunately, I missed Peter Frampton). Old fashioned parks like Bertrand's Island, with their rickety wood roller coaster, tunnel of love (Lost River), and gas powered go-carts are now a thing of the past, but the Kane's book brings it all back to us in vivid detail.

An excellent review of the old NJ amusement park that everyone loved before the days of Six Flags, Action Park and the multi-million dollar mega parks. My Grandfather owned one of the rides at Bertrand Island and I have hazzy memories of going there when I was very little. Not big enough to be remembered by historians, this is a slice of NJ life that can be forgotten very easily. An excellent book.

Upon first opening this book, one is hit by a wonderful introduction which creates a promising beginning for the book. Unlike many books dealing with bears, this book contains good information and wonderful pictures that dazzle the eye. The ending brings all but the strong hearted to tears, as five years with Little Stony is ended abruptly. For anyone interested in letting their child read a good book about grizzly bears, with both pictures and excellent informational content, this would be the best one. The reader watches the bear grow from just a tiny cub to a large adult with the pictures allowing one to see the stages of development in a natural setting. Rick McIntyre weaves a breath taking story with his written words, letting the reader feel what Rick was feeling when those words were written. This book has truly made me interested in bears, visiting Yellowstone National Park and waiting silently at dawn in hopes that a bear would be spotted on one of the hillsides. Usually, my efforts pay off. This book makes one feel as if Little Stony and his mother were standing right in front of them, so detailed is the story and the pictures. A highly recommend book for anyone interested in seeing good pictures of grizzly bears in the wild and having good writing to accompany it. Buy this book now and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

"It reads like a movie." -First grade student "Everyone should take time out to read this book." -Third grade student

Our class read Grizzly Cub: Five years in the Life of a Bear and absolutely loved it. It's a great source of information as well as an entertaining story. The photographs throughout the book are breathtaking and help tell the story of a curious bear named "Little Stony". -Multiage Class grades 1-3 Rainier Primary

Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of Newfoundland is one of Canada and North America's greatest treasures. Yet, it is also is one of the least known. Michael Burzynski's book provides an excellent overview of the Park which anyone planning a first visit would be well advised to purchase and read. It will greatly enhance a visit.
The book is aimed at the first time visitor but it promises to continue to be useful on subsequent visits . Mr. Burzynski assumes the reader to be intelligent, curious, and to have a desire to go a bit beyond the basics. There are sections on the Park's animals, plants, and history and its unique, intricate geology. All of this is woven into description of the all-important weather and seasons. This includes appropriate warnings for visitors not familiar with the severity of this magnificent land's climate.
Besides natural history, there are useful guides to trails, backcountry (and car) camping, and an overview of the Park's justifiably famous and arduous unmarked backcountry routes. However, be aware that no trail maps are included. Descriptions include activities appropriate to each season.
If I were to level a slight criticism, it would be that much of the material in the book can be found in a series of publications that are available at the Park or in some cases, on the Parks Canada website. Moreover, I might have hoped for more detail in a number of places (for example, in some of the trail descriptions). However, these criticisms are minor. I continue to find the book useful, as have some friends. It provides a complete overview of the Park in one convenient, portable form, it is nicely written, and it is generally very well produced. Over the years I have read many "National Park" books and this is probably the most useful and informative.
If you haven't been to Gros Morne, you should go. This unique place is remote, not heavily visited, and very much worth the trip. Michael Burzynski's book will provide you with an excellent guide and the Newfoundlanders make wonderful hosts.

The book is clearly aimed at the first time visitor. Mr. Burzynski assumes the reader to be intelligent, curious, and to have a desire to go a bit beyond the basics. There are sections on the Park's animals, plants, and history and its unique, intricate geology. All of this is woven into description of the all-important weather and seasons. This includes appropriate warnings for visitors not familiar with the severity of this magnificent land's climate.
Besides natural history, the book includes a useful guide to trails, backcountry (and car) camping, and an overview of the Park's justifiably famous and arduous backcountry routes (the Long Range and North Rim traverses). Be cautioned however, that no trail maps are included. Descriptions include activities appropriate to each season.
If I were to level a gentle criticism, it would be that much of the material in the book can be found in a series of publications that are available at the Park or in some cases, on the Park's website. Moreover, I might have hoped for more detail in a number of places (for instance, in some of the trail descriptions). However, the fact is that these criticisms are minor -- I continue to find the book useful, as have some friends. It presents a great overview of the Park in one convenient, portable form, it is nicely written, and it is generally very well produced. Over the years I have read many "National Park" books and this is probably the most useful and informative.
A final note. If you haven't been to Gros Morne, you should go. This unique place is remote and not heavily visited and very much worth the trip. Michael Burzynski's book will provide you with an excellent guide and the Newfoundlanders make wonderful hosts.

The first edition of this book was written in 1993 and has been thoroughly updated since the 1995 microburst. With 84 hikes described in detail, Mr. O'Shea calculates distance and time, fascinating history of the areas and descriptions of the flora and possible animal sightings. Seasons of the year are also described according to what trails are reasonable in winter or summer as well as appropriate safety recommendations. Sights most hikers might missed are noted and most trails have simple accurate maps. The back envelope of this guide contains a very detailed topo map of the Cranberry Lake Region and the Upper Saranac Lake Region. This guide not only improves your trip but can save you great distress with the analysis of lesser traveled trails. The 1995 microburst destroyed many popular trails and one will have second thoughts about traveling these routes. However, there are so many fantastic places to visit, you'll have no trouble finding a hike to remember.

Let's face it, it's hard enough to get a book focusing strictly on the Northern Adirondacks. I went to school in Potsdam, New York and needed something to get me through the year. This book did it. Hikes are broken down even further into sections, such as Paul Smiths, Tupper Lake & Cranberry Lake. It includes distances, alternative routes, along the way, etc... all the typical stuff in a good hiking guide. It also includes a large topographical map of the region. One my favorite aspects of this book is that the author let's you know which trails are great for hiking in spring/summer/fall and if these same trails are recommended for cross-country skiing in the Fall. This book covers as far North as the boundaries of the Adirondack parks, as far West as Star Lake, as far South as Great Sacandaga Lake, and as far East as Lake Champlain. Enjoy, it's a great guide.

This book is out of print because the author has passed away and there are (unfortunately)disagreements on updates. Today, one would have to buy at least three hiking books, a general park overview book, a park history book and a few maps just to remotely compare to the information included in *this* book!

Mr. Heatwole provides an enjoyable mile-by-mile overview on the park. Containing incredibly detailed information on trails (hikes by milepost, length, estimated hiking time, elevation changes, etc.), park animals, plants, weather, camping, waterfall heights, geology, mountain range names and more, this is THE book on Shenandoah National Park!!

The late author not only knew and loved the trails of S.N. Park intimately; he had the rare gift of organizing his material for maximum usefulness to the reader. A vast amount of information is in the book, yet none of it superfluous, and it never overwhelms. The author wrote with an understated charm reminiscent of Frost's New England characters. Some of the book's facts are obsolete, but only a very few. The guide is not merely descriptive, but charitably evaluative, thus doubling its unsefulness. Any who love the Park and its trails will surely treasure this book; it has no equal or replacement.

Even though this book is really written for older children, my 17-month-old son loves it too! We don't read the words to him, but he loves to look at the pictures and make elephant sounds. As he gets older, I'm sure he'll appreciate the information more, and my husband and I find it very interesting too.

The book is very well written and the pictures are great. I highly recommend it for all ages, especially if you have an elephant fan of your own at home!

Hansa: The True Story Of An Asian Elephant Baby is a remarkable picturebook for young readers about a baby elephant born in the Woodland Park Zoo. Children will learn that Hansa was 235 pounds when born and by her first birthday had gained almost 800 pounds! Filled cover to cover with true facts about elephants and splendid color photographs from the Woodland Park Zoo, Hansa is very highly recommended for young people who want to learn more about this wondrous, exotic animal species.

Harriman State Park (NY) is about 30 minutes outside of NY City. The main areas get crowded on late spring, summer and early fall weekends, but hike into the park a mile or so and you will find excellent and challenging trails virtually all to yourself. The Harriman Trails, A Guide and History gives the hiker many interesting facts on the trail they are contemplating hiking. It also gives the weary hiker the distance to the trail head ;) Great book. Too bad it's out-of-print. I was going to buy another one because my copy is dog-eared and worn.

Mr. Miles has captured the essence of Harriman State Park in his magnificent guide. As a life-long resident of Rockland County, which incorporates the eastern half of the park, I have hiked many of the trails. Yet with Mr. Miles' guide in hand, it's like hiking each trail for the first time! Of particular interest is the author's detailed history of the "forgotten villages" which were absorbed into the Park, and are slowly fading from memory. Harriman Park with it's 50,000+ acres is a wonderful treasure of natural unspoiled beauty only 40 miles from the greatest city in the world. Mr. Miles has given his readers a magnificent passport to this treasure!