This was a wonderful novel. The freshness and purity of the love between the main characters was very uplifting. The fact that the struggles in their relationship came from their separation instead of their pride, selfishness, etc. was absolutely refreshing. I am looking forward to reading more of Lisa's work!!

A magnificent first novel by Lisa Samson! If you can find this book, I definitely recommend that you read it. The love between Jenny and Kyle is so real and the story itself is magical.

This little book released by New Directions is bright-eyed and youthful, with hardly any of the rancor contained in Saroyan's other tales. Written all before 1940, these short pieces pick you up quickly, drop you in the middle of a bunch of scrappy kids in Fresno/San Fransisco in the depression era, and then take you back home with hardly any jet-lag.

Saroyan goes back in time effortlessly, describing a game of leap-frog (remember that game, where a line of kids crouch on the ground and one kid hops over the whole line and crouches in the front, and then the last kid gets up and hops over the whole line, to infinity...) where a tough boy and a tough girl compete brutally, leaping and crouching, all the way out into the country and to the next town, ending in a bloody brawl. And in "The Messenger", a young boy gets hilariously distracted from his extremely important mission to send a message to the town doctor. Most of the stories are light, funny and non-ironic, but at times the customary Saroyan bile simmers to the top. Like in "The Living and the Dead", where a reluctant young Communist writer, is walking down the road to town, whistling happily, and suddenly "...the whole world, caught in time and space, seemed to me an absurdity, and insanity, and instead of being amused, which would have been philosophical, I was miserable and began to ridicule all the tragic straining of man, living and dead." Like I said, MOST of the stories are light and funny...

What I like most about these is the sense of respect and compassion Saroyan shows his characters, no matter how young, simple or strange they are. He describes their lives like he was there experiencing the same bittersweet mini-tragedies and absurdities simultaneously, right along with them. He uses the vernacular of the day to write the most endearing dialogue ever, bringing these superbly-drawn characters to luminous life. Saroyan's early stories here reflect the same kind of innocent humor and subtlety as the brief output of another American master, Nathaniel West. If you liked "The Day of the Locust" or "Balso Snell", then these little classics will bring you a similarly delightful reading experience. I strongly believe Raymond Carver to be a literary son, or at least nephew, to William Saroyan here in his best form, the short story.

this saroyan collection gathers together some of the stories he wrote while living in san francisco. besides the fact that they are beautiful short stories (one of my favorites: "the mother"), they are all set in san francisco. for a sense of place circa 1930s, a great book. also, the herb caen introduction is a nice addition. makes it a piece of SF literature worth holding onto, i think.

North From The Mountains is the latest in "The Melungeons: History Culture, Ethnicity, and Literature" series from Mercer University Press. This groundbreaking series is the first such to extensively study the Carmel Melungeon settlement since 1950. John Kessler and Donald Ball effectively collaborate to trace the history of the Carmel Melungeon settlement from 1700 onward, and provide the reader with exhaustive firsthand information connecting the Carmel population to the Melungeons and other mixed-blood populations in the Mid-Atlantic region. With documentary evidence and facts gathered from visits to and informants of the Carmel area, North From The Mountains is a highly detailed documentary offering fascinating insight into the lifestyle and relationships of the Carmel community and recommended for students of American history and regional development.

"North from the Mountains" is a splendid read on the incresingly popular subject of Melungeon heritage. This is both an excellently written and exhaustively researched book by meticulous authors. It is a great read on Americana on the first person part of the senior author. Both men are experienced authors of scholarly papers, and their work on this book is the result of their exacting and uncomromising dedication to making as certain as possible that every last word in this book is documentable. I consider it the standard against which I will judge all other books on the subject. The Bibilography will set me off on searches for further material. It is a truly worthy book to add to any library, both personal and collegiate.

When this book arrived in the mail last week, I took to it like a kid from yesteryear when the new Sears Christmas Catalog would arrive before Thanksgiving - - (like sugarplums, etc.)

I found my Dad's family name was from the Paisley District, plus my husband's English name showed up with an O'. Fun to learn that the "Mac, Mc, and M'" all meant the same; "son of"!! Plus, the North American pronouncement of these prefixes is "Mik". Haven't yet learned where the "O'" represents.

A quick glance through the book tells the reader instantly that this research has been a loving and diligent work-in-progress. The price is so reasonable that I'm giving thought to tucking a copy in a few Christmas stockings this year!

Next to my photo album hobby, this search for family tartan plaids, etc. etc. is my newest and exciting adventure. (A lady in our town has years of weaving experience, and we've used THIS BOOK to get us started on her weaving project of my family's plaid!) What a hoot!

virtualy every clan and district group at scottish games all over the u.s. (150 a year in usa)use the perfect quick reference guide for the guests who come to the games to find something of their heritage as it relates to family names ,tartans and some location geographicaslly speaking. a big plus is that when we are swamped "tartan for me " is really user friendly , too bad it does not include tartan color samples,

This is an absolutely fabulous book for anyone interested in the tradtional style of piping that has gradually disappeared over the years. It is well documented, follows a logical course of instruction from Scotland to Nova Scotia and gives quite a bit of what I think is extremely interesting information about the old "community pipers" of Cape Breton and their parallel style of piping. I've read and re-read the volume, highlighting areas of import and interest as I went along until my volume looks like a well-thumbed and multi-indexed textbook - which in my case, it is. The only area of disappointment is that I wished it contained more photographs of some of the old-time pipers like Joe Hughie MacIntyre, etc. But, the text makes up for any shortcomings in that area and is definately a MUST read for pipers with an interest in the beginnings of their craft or anyone who just enjoys the skirll of the pipes. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a great gift to those of us who enjoy Celtic music, and especially the Great Highland Bagpipe, and wish to enrich our understanding of the origins and traditions of this increasingly regarded art form. Gibson focuses on the bagpipe as an instrument "of the people," who used the pipe and its music more or less for everyday and special occasions, from entertainment at the hearth to music for weddings and funerals, the latter of which, perhaps ironically, is what most people today associate with the bagpipe. But Gibson also intelligently, and sometimes rather provocatively, discusses the other piping tradition, the grand and myth-laden one of ceol mor ("big music") or piobaireachd, the classical music of the Highland pipe, a strict and often dour-sounding theme-and-variations form that may have developed from harp music, and which has tradionally been viewed as the "original" and somehow more artistically worthwhile music of the pipe. In developing his major themes, Gibson masterfully describes the history and culture of Scotland and, eventually, Cape Breton, where so much of the piping tradition was carried forward in perhaps a purer (and, amazingly, not at all sentimentalizing) form, after the Clearances and emigraton had taken their toll on Scottish culture. Of special interest is Gibson's denunciation of the eternally heard claim that the Highland pipe was proscribed as an instrument of war, along with all weapons and Highland dress, after Culloden in 1746. He effectively shows that from a legal standpoint this was never actually the case, though in a way, he simply spoils a lovely if somewhat silly myth that has only added to the romance of this impressive instrument. A must-have book for every Celtophile and lover of pipe music!

This guidebook never leaves my car! It always tells me something new to discover about Tennessee!

Cathy and I looked through many guide books before attempting to write Traveling Tennessee. We found none covered the state in our easy helpful style (see Traveling the Trace and Traveling the Southern Highlands).

We followed the pioneers through the state from east to west giving you a brief history of the people and the area, and what you would find there today. Tennessee offers many pleasant surprises along its highways from scenic sites to activies you may participate in. For instance, you know of the Great Smoky Mountains but do you know the quite side of the Smokies? where Tennessee's first gold rush was? about a failed Utopia brought back to life? the courthouse stolen in the middle of the night? or where you can swim at the end of a scale model of the Misssissippi River?

We strove to give you information and details about interesting attractions all across Tennessee as well as B&Bs, dining, shopping, special events, camping, and where to get more information. More than 200 photos help tell the stories in this 316-page guide.

This book is by far the best trail guide I've ever used. (a) The directions to the trailhead are accurate to the tenth of a mile; (b) the directions on the trail are also very accurate; (c) each trail description has its own topo map; (d) the trails feature what the book says they'll feature; (e) the trails are fun!

The trail lengths in the book vary between 1-hour hikes to all-day affairs, with plenty of all types; also, the directions usually suggest other places to go or variations to shorter or lengthen the hike.

If you live in Pittsburgh or the area, buy this book.

An interesting account. Perfect for reports.

I used this guidebook in helping me plan a 1999 visit to the highlands and islands of Scotland. I was charmed by the author's stories and literary quotes, which not only provided an excellent background to the places we visited, but also a guide to some of the literature I wanted to read in conjunction with my travels.

Through Ms. Miers' book, I learned of the work of the poet Sorley MacLean and the historian Martin Martin, who wrote a book about the isles of Scotland around 1700 that was instrumental in persuading Dr. Johnson to set off on his famous journey with Boswell years later.

I learned that a medieval bishop in Caithness was set upon by an angry mob and fried in butter for daring to raise taxes on dairy production.

Although my vacation is now just a memory, his book remains on my shelf. I liked it as a travel guide, but I loved it as a source of highland lore connected with some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Miers is sketchy on accommodation (but she did recommend some good places) and even more so on restaurants, but I prefer her book as a keeper. For strong accommodations & restaurants, your best bet is the Rough Guide to Scotland.

Rambo, Reed, Cuc and DiGregorio's collection of essays on the topic of The Challenges of Highland Development in Vietnam proves to be a very informative yet concise guide to anyone interested in development work. The collection came about from a conference on this subject, and the publication includes topics ranging from developing human resources, approaches to sustainable development, comparative analyses of policy, forests, coffee growers, as well as abstracts on health care, education, watershed development, and immigration to the highlands. This resource is extremely helpful for anyone wishing to learn more about this dynamic and growing region of the world.