The somewhat haunting photographs of the interior of the asylum makes one try to imagine how life was for those souls who lived there. The beautiful architecture of those majestic buildings and well-manicured grounds is a testament to an era of compassion. There is one photograph in particular that caught my attention, on page 185 that has what appears to be a ghostly image of a man standing in the doorway of room 50. A book you can look at over and over again and see new things in the detailed photographs.

This book should be required reading in Psych 101 classes. Photography classes as well.

The author gently uses her camera and prolific writing style to tell a story that both inspires and shocks you at the same time. There are incredible amounts of patient and staff histories both touching and surprising. The book inspires one to ponder the life of each person profiled.

One can only hope that Johnson continues along the same lines and creates another masterpiece like Angels in the Architecture.

"Angels in the Architecture" is a first-rate homage to a former asylum, the Traverse City State Hospital of Michigan. Heidi Johnson has masterfully combined her hauntingly beautiful photographs with both archival material and first-hand reports from the trenches. The result is a powerfully compelling journey into the soul of a once vibrant institution that provided care to thousands of its wards.

I gave this book to 25 family members and friends for Christmas and I have received most wonderful comments from everyone. They praise the photography and the text. One person wrote that she could "see" the grandparents walking down the path to the beach with their grandchildren. If you know someone who has ever summered in the Great Lakes in their own summer home or in a rented cottage this book is a must. It does capture the essence of cottage living in this area.

The Great Lakes Cottage Book is a specialty title recommended for those who love cottages and Minnesota. The authors present fine photos and recollections of Great Lakes cottages and scenes, focussing on subjects which reveal the cottage experience. The result is a coffee table book celebrating a special place and structure.

Ed Wargin's photographs capture the emotions of these much loved cottages with a sesitivity and beauty that few others could accomplish. His use of natural light is extraordinary and gives a warmth that reflects the feelings that abound in these cottages.

When you add Kathy-jo's unique ability to convey loving sentiments in short essays, this becomes an heirloom book. I will never again hear the screen door slam, or sit in on a rainy day or do any of the other normal activities in a cottage without remembering Kathy-jo's essay about that activity and how she captured emotions that I have had but never before seen expressed so beautifully. Thank you Ed and Kathy-jo for seeing into our hearts.

I've been buying these books since the 80's. They contain Names, Sizes, & other details about any ship on the Great Lakes Also some great photos.

The only book when it comes to Great Lakes Shipping. Fascinating detail and outstanding pictures. It is as fun to use as it is informative

FROM THE EDITOR: I just wanted to clarify that this is 2000 edition, as the way it is listed here is a bit confusing. The book includes information on more than 2,500 Great Lakes and saltwater ships, full color stack and flag tables, vessel histories and dozens of color photographs. This year we also look at important milestones in Great Lakes history from the last 100 years, and honor the sisterships Arthur M. Anderson, Philip R. Clarke and Cason J. Callaway as our Vessels of the Year...Thanks

I would recommend this book to anyone who lives on or near the Great Lakes or to anyone interested in preserving the environment. The author taught me as much about the havoc the modern world has strewn on the natural world as she did about Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie.

The five great lakes are between the boundaries of Canada and USA. The book describes the lakes, one by one with lots of details. The great lakes are the most important liquid water reserve. Each lake is different. There are ecosystems like nowhere in the world. We have to protect them. The lakes are not usually well known, so with this book, you discover a fantastic area !!

I have a great interest in saving our environment. The only way to do this is through knowledge. I am thankful to the authors that bring their vast knowledge to the reading public.

This book is a masterpiece, filled with fascinating information and references. Barbara Spring has done an outstanding job of bringing her love of the Great Lakes to others. I have been watching the return of the bald eagles to New England. What a wonderous sight to see them soaring overhead after an absence of many years. This was made possible by active ecologists and hard working nature enthusiasts. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about saving the Great Lakes. I feel that this book should be a required read for science classes.

Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting and attending a reading by Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place. At the time, I was unfamiliar with her work, but I was nevertheless astounded by her presentation. Immediately, I bought two of her novels-- one of which was Refuge. When I read it a few months after meeting her, I was amazed at the tone and emotion in the text. Williams' book can be a source of peace or healing to many whether you have experienced cancer, a loss, or just adore nature. The language is rich yet gentle. The structure of the narrative is such that, during reading and after, a reader feels she has experiences a unique marriage of nature and family issues. The way in which Williams weaves the Great Salt Lake and its inhabitants with her own family's suffering is not only amazing but especially touching as well. Just as the waterfowl and other creatures are evicted from their home during the great rise and flood of Salt Lake, so does William's mother fight for the domicile and dominance in her own cancerous body.
This is a must read. A wonderful story of love, hardships, and more love, REFUGE is a truly breathtaking piece of art.

Now that I have read Terry Tempest Williams' excellent book on finding refuge in the areas around the Great Salt Lake, I find I want to visit, to see for myself the stunning landscape and myriad of birdlife. I also find myself drawn to this courageous woman who lets us into this difficult part of her life, as her mother passes into the shadow of cancer. Not for the first time, we learn, and not such a rare occurrence in her family, we discover; a discovery that, for me, evoked anger at the unfairness of exposing human beings to atomic bomb test fallout. There is so much in this book: the detailed descriptions of the birds and their habits, the extraordinary unfolding of the progression of cancer and its effect on the family, the interplay of three women -- grandmother, mother, daughter -- and through it all, the gentle and exquisite writing carried me nearly effortlessly, yet with great strength. I can find no fault with the writing, the evocative images, the revelation of relationships, and the treatment of this undoubtedly amazing place. Thank you, Terry, for writing this book.

As the Great Salt Lake rose to submerge and destroy the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, grief rose and submerged Terry Tempest William's spirit with the destruction of her mother and grandmother by cancer. The gradual regeneration of the Refuge with the subsiding of the lake parallels the regeneration of her spirit and the subsiding of her grief. But the pain and the scars remain and transform. Terry is no longer an accepting trusting Mormon daughter but a searching questioning activist after her tumultuous emotional experience. One wonders if the gifts of awareness and sensitivity are worth the price of the pain endured. The Refuge becomes a sanctuary for the returning birds and Terry's returning spirit. No more moving piece has been written about the folly and ultimate tragedy of human intervention in the environment. From the nuclear testing of the 1950s to the manipulation of the level of the Great Salt Lake, there is much to learn about the long term consquences of our short sighted acts. Everyone should read and reread and pass on this book.

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

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 is a very inspirational book for all boaters. It was very entertaining and informative. It is a lovely adventure to Florida making it apparent that Yes anyone can capture their dreams.

..you will love this book. From the banter between the sailor husband and the vacationing wife, to the struggles with demanding draw bridge attendants, you will find yourself wrapped up in their adventure. Included in the book are interesting breakdowns of estimated and real costs along with recommendations on places to stay and see. Mr. Watterson proves to be a good story teller keeping you afloat from front to back. Try it, you'll be hooked.

One of the best books I've ever read. Do yourself a favor and get this book. I finished the book in a day and a half.

My Father sailed the Great Lakes with Captain McGrath. Their careers paralleled for many years. Captain McGrath's account of his experiences was very informative and enlightening.

I cannot be objective when it comes to the majesty and danger seen through the eyes of this man, Captain Ray McGrath. I live on the Great Lakes and cannot begin to have experienced, both good and bad, what these often mysterious lakes hold for those who are dependent on their "goodwill" for a living.
Captain McGrath not only signed some copies of his book, but also added illustrations that are not only charming, but understandable to the person of average intelligence (such as myself)more so than any actual "schematic" of a ship, which would have little meaning to those of us not engaged in the shipping/sailing life.
I recommend this book to those who have been on the lakes, those who are entertaining a career on the lakes and anyone, like me, who loved the "vicarious" life I led while turning each page.

My father has worked on the Great Lakes for years, but as a Midwest Gal, my knowledge of the area and its history is limited. My dad handed me a copy of Captain McGrath's book over the Christmas holiday, and I had a difficult time putting it down. The stories are full of humor, irony, and much history. It's an enjoyable read for anyone, even if you aren't associated with the Lakes.