I've been to the French Quarter twice in the last year. I think I left my heart there! It's such a beautiful city with so much history, and so many great and colorful people! This CD does the city justice and then some! The pictures are glorious, and I don't think there's a block in the Quarter they missed. You can take a variety of "guided" tours, or you have the option of clicking on a map of the Quarter. The map let's you click and see just about every square inch of the Quarter. There aren't a lot of interior pictures on this CD if that's what you are looking for. There are also panoramic views which are great, and an area to "meet" a couple of people from the French Quarter and get some info and perspective from them. This is just a really great buy for anyone who wants to travel to New Orleans' French Quarter, or for people like me who absolutely love the city!

I tried this CD after viewing the Armchair Tour of Charleston, SC, and I think this one is even better. Tons of information and great photos. I'd love to be able to visit the French Quarter every few months, but failing that opportunity, this has got to be the next best thing.

Wow! The quality of the pictures and the effect of the panoramic feature was impressive. New Orleans French quarter is one of my wife and I's favorite places to visit. The use of the DVD shows us some of the houses that we have not visited plus things about the ones that we have that we missed- decorative vents in the buildings. I particularly enjoyed the lady with the Cajun accent doing the audio. Love the dialect. This helps us plan our next trip. Good job.

This book had such a wonderful meaning. I love the way she incorporates a leaf's point of view. Everytime that I babysit I read this book to them as a bedtime story. The kids always seem to enjoy it. Usually it's the first book they recommend for me to read to them at night. Sometimes I get feed back from the parents telling me that they hear their kids talk about the book. Believe me I think this book is worth every penny.

I bought this book at a book signing because as a child I always had a fixation for alligators. It is an easy book for young kids to follow and I would recommend this to all people, young and old. In the future when I plan on having a family this book will definately be read to my children.

I loved this book. I read it with my nephew almost everynight. It is great quality time. We love discussing her illustrations, they are so capturing. I would recommend this to anyone who loves spending time with their young loved ones.

I have read all but 2 of the books that r out & i stay up until 1;30 in the mornig to finish it in the 1st sitting! I totally recommend this book 2 EVERYONE! I u r looking for exciting reading than go from the 1st through the last ASAP!

This book is a thriller because there is suspense since it is hard to survive in a place full of alligators and snakes. This is the best Survival book of the series and it has one hilarious part: Phillip getting attacked by the "stick snake". This is Simon signing out.

This is the story of a wealthy twelve-year-old boy lost in the bayous of Louisiana in the 1850s and the poor Cajun girl who attempts to rescue him. It was a very exciting story filled with historical details. I also really liked the character of Lily. She was a very strong, determined girl who didn't let her handicap stand in her way!

Taxing Tallula is a very entertaining book! T.J. Marino has many problems, and they all need to be dealt with NOW! A gambling habit she's trying to break. Three marriage proposals. A Mafia connection. What's a girl to do?

L.L. Lee does a marvelous job of weaving all of these aspects, along with the idiosyncrasies of small town life, into a believable, funny, enjoyable book.

I consider all of L.L. Lee's books in the "must read" category.

L.L. Lee's first novel will appeal to anyone who enjoys fast-paced farcical literature with an emphasis on eccentric characters. But it will especially appeal to anyone with small-town experiences. Having lived most of my childhood in Louisiana, I must say that Lee's Louisiana reflects the real one in the funniest and most bizarre ways. But gambling problems, the mob, and crooked politicians in the Pelican State? Can I believe all of that? Well, actually, yes.

One scene in particular epitomizes Lee's comic skills. When a hard-at-hearing man happens into the middle of a poorly timed break-up of two lovers, his attempt at comprehending the words somehow turns into a threat that causes him to leave all his money and take off running!

The main character, T.J. Marino, is a special treat who will stay in the minds of readers, even after they forget the details of the plot. Marino is one of those offbeat, lovable characters who manages to put herself into every bad situation possible! However, you can put yourself into a good situation by reading this delightful book!

I just finished Taxing Tallula and really had a few belly laughs.I identified with several of the characters and the abundant "Comfortable in Chaos" that many of them shared.The characters were "Real" and many I have met before.The authorwas able to paint a picture in words in many instances such as the holiday sights and scenes and the environmental amviance that goes with such.It would be interesting to see a sequel to this story to find out how T.J. manages or unmanages the rest of her life.

I'm doing a research paper for english and I chose the net ban as a topic. My father used to be a commercial fisherman on the Florida coast. He was put out of business after the net ban was put into effect in 1995. He's always had theories about why the ban was passed. He read and loved the book Wetland Riders and with his information, and the facts I got from the book I was able to write a strong paper against the net ban. The book was great and was a lot of help. Anyone who's been affected by Net limitations in any state should read this book.

"Sport Fishermen versus Commercial Fishermen, Fun versus Food.
Fish fights, author says, imperil coastal communities, the seafood industry and the fish themselves."

I'm Robert Fritchey, the author of "Wetland Riders." I fell in with South Louisiana's traditional coastal finfishermen in 1980, deciding after graduate school that I would earn my living only from renewable resources. A lifelong sport fisherman, my addiction to fishing and the outdoor life led me to the Bayou State's rapidly vanishing coastal marshes, where I earned my livelihood netting redfish and other wetland-dependent species of fish through the 1980s.

"As the 1980s opened, fishermen worked freely, under few restrictions other than those imposed by nature," I wrote in the book's preface. "But earning a living as an inshore finfisherman became progressively more difficult--and finally next to impossible. What happened?"

"Wetland Riders" details my own search for the answer to this question. But my interests were more than academic--in 1988, Louisiana's anglers--prodded by a Texas-based sportfishing organization which has since gone national--claimed the redfish for their own exclusive use. By taking the fish from us fishermen--and the seafood markets and restaurants--the sportsmen began to devalue Louisiana's threatened coastal wetlands. I wrote "Wetland Riders" as an educational tool, to circumvent a biased media and inform the public directly, as a prelude to getting back our fish.

Equipped with my experience as both a sport and commercial fisherman, I investigated the escalating fish fights between the recreational and food-producing industries which, I learned, were occurring around the coasts of America.

I also learned that the underlying cause of the sportsmen's aggression against our traditional seafood harvesters lies deeply embedded within our emotional human nature. In the book's introduction, I quoted a true sportsman, a Texan who-- in the 1930s--also sought to quell the destructive friction between these two environmentally important industries: "When the average sportsman sees a net fisherman make a good catch he is overcome in many cases with a feeling that must be experienced but cannot well be described." That feeling, unfortunately, is envy, an emotion that can easily overpower rational thought.

The number of recreational fishermen began to steadily increase following World War II, and exploded during the 1980s and 1990s, as financially successful Baby Boomers and their children took up fishing. A critical mass of these anglers have proven more than willing to be organized into a political movement which imperils our domestic seafood industry.

As old Claude McCall--one of the 7 net fishermen that I profiled in "Wetland Riders"--explained, "There needs to be regulation, but not the kind we have now. The management that's being used now just tries to knock the commercial fisherman down. We'll wind up with almost no domestic production of seafood; it'll all be imported.
"How about if we get in a war and can't get imports? We'll have to eat steak, I guess."

In the chapter, "It's Not Me, It's Him!," I revealed that, "The collective impact of great numbers of recreational fishermen, each landing just a few fish, quickly adds up." Indeed, virtually every species of fish that is currently defined as "overfished" is being harvested by both recreational and commercial fishermen. And data presented in this chapter reveal that, in many fisheries, the recreational sector is responsible for harvesting a far larger slice of the pie than the food-producing sector!

As I investigated why this fact is not publicized, I described in "The 'Con' in Conservation" the first attempt by a media conglomerate to expand their "educational program" beyond the sportsmen, to 30 million members of the general public. The campaign typified the recreational media's tactic of focusing blame on our family fishermen while avoiding any responsibility by sport fishermen.

In "The Recreational Fishing Industry: Something of Value?" I deconstructed the incredibly diverse recreational industry that is displacing our traditional commercial fisheries. Many of our commercial fisheries are centuries old, and predate recreational fisheries. They have achieved sustainability by merely harvesting fish which they send out to consumers in urban areas, thereby bringing only money into their rural communities. The tourism-based recreational industry, on the other hand, brings people into coastal communities which spurs coastal real-estate development.

The co-existence of both industries leads to a natural tension, a sort of two-party system where each "party" limits the impact of the other, though in different ways. As we go to a one-party system, the astute reader may envision the future of these old fisheries.

In "Conservation Through Use: Resource Management for the Twenty-First Century," I advocated sharing hotly-contested finfish species on an equitable basis, and cite the precedent for such an action. Upon the increased allocation of fish that commercial fishermen and consumers would receive, I proposed a per-pound severance tax. Inspired by the self-reliance, resourcefulness and optimism of our inshore fishermen, I suggested that taxes on our product be used to establish a local, sustainable source of revenue for a stewardship action fund dedicated to slowing the loss of fishery habitat.

As noted in the update to the book's second edition, "1998: New Players, Same Game," sportsmen in the mid-1990s benefited from a multimillion dollar national "fish crisis" campaign, which eerily failed to mention any negative impacts by the vast sportfishing industry. Amid that backdrop, well-heeled sportsmen demonized and outlawed nets, destroying some of the largest traditional food fisheries in the country, including Louisiana's.

I'm Robert Fritchey, the author of "Wetland Riders." I fell in with South Louisiana's traditional coastal finfishermen in 1980, deciding after graduate school that I would earn my living only from renewable resources. A lifelong sport fisherman, my addiction to fishing and the outdoor life led me to the Bayou State's rapidly vanishing coastal marshes, where I earned my livelihood netting redfish and other wetland-dependent species of fish through the 1980s.

"As the 1980s opened, fishermen worked freely, under few restrictions other than those imposed by nature," I wrote in the book's preface. "But earning a living as an inshore finfisherman became progressively more difficult--and finally next to impossible. What happened?"

"Wetland Riders" details my own search for the answer to this question. But my interests were more than academic--in 1988, Louisiana's anglers--prodded by a Texas-based sportfishing organization which has since gone national--claimed the redfish for their own exclusive use. By taking the fish from us fishermen--and the seafood markets and restaurants--the sportsmen began to devalue Louisiana's threatened coastal wetlands. I wrote "Wetland Riders" as an educational tool, to circumvent a biased media and inform the public directly, as a prelude to getting back our fish.

Equipped with my experience as both a sport and commercial fisherman, I investigated the escalating fish fights between the recreational and food-producing industries which, I learned, were occurring around the coasts of America.

I also learned that the underlying cause of the sportsmen's aggression against our traditional seafood harvesters lies deeply embedded within our emotional human nature. In the book's introduction, I quoted a true sportsman, a Texan who-- in the 1930s--also sought to quell the destructive friction between these two environmentally important industries: "When the average sportsman sees a net fisherman make a good catch he is overcome in many cases with a feeling that must be experienced but cannot well be described." That feeling, unfortunately, is envy, an emotion that can easily overpower rational thought.

The number of recreational fishermen began to steadily increase following World War II, and exploded during the 1980s and 1990s, as financially successful Baby Boomers and their children took up fishing. A critical mass of these anglers have proven more than willing to be organized into a political movement which imperils our domestic seafood industry.

As old Claude McCall--one of the 7 net fishermen that I profiled in "Wetland Riders"--explained, "There needs to be regulation, but not the kind we have now. The management that's being used now just tries to knock the commercial fisherman down. We'll wind up with almost no domestic production of seafood; it'll all be imported.

"How about if we get in a war and can't get imports? We'll have to eat steak, I guess."

In the chapter, "It's Not Me, It's Him!," I revealed that, "The collective impact of great numbers of recreational fishermen, each landing just a few fish, quickly adds up." Indeed, virtually every species of fish that is currently defined as "overfished" is being harvested by both recreational and commercial fishermen. And data presented in this chapter reveal that, in many fisheries, the recreational sector is responsible for harvesting a far larger slice of the pie than the food-producing sector!

As I investigated why this fact is not publicized, I described in "The 'Con' in Conservation" the first attempt by a media conglomerate to expand their "educational program" beyond the sportsmen, to 30 million members of the general public. The campaign typified the recreational media's tactic of focusing blame on our family fishermen while avoiding any responsibility by sport fishermen.

In "The Recreational Fishing Industry: Something of Value?" I deconstructed the incredibly diverse recreational industry that is displacing our traditional commercial fisheries. Many of our commercial fisheries are centuries old, and predate recreational fisheries. They have achieved sustainability by merely harvesting fish which they send out to consumers in urban areas, thereby bringing only money into their rural communities. The tourism-based recreational industry, on the other hand, brings people into coastal communities which spurs coastal real-estate development.

The co-existence of both industries leads to a natural tension, a sort of two-party system where each "party" limits the impact of the other, though in different ways. As we go to a one-party system, the astute reader may envision the future of these old fisheries.

In "Conservation Through Use: Resource Management for the Twenty-First Century," I advocated sharing hotly-contested finfish species on an equitable basis, and cite the precedent for such an action. Upon the increased allocation of fish that commercial fishermen and consumers would receive, I proposed a per-pound severance tax. Inspired by the self-reliance, resourcefulness and optimism of our inshore fishermen, I suggested that taxes on our product be used to establish a local, sustainable source of revenue for a stewardship action fund dedicated to slowing the loss of fishery habitat.

As noted in the update to the book's second edition, "1998: New Players, Same Game," sportsmen in the mid-1990s benefited from a multimillion dollar national "fish crisis" campaign, which eerily failed to mention any negative impacts by the vast sportfishing industry. Amid that backdrop, well-heeled sportsmen demonized and outlawed nets, destroying some of the largest traditional food fisheries in the country, including Louisiana's.

Bayou Farewell by Mike Tidwell is a first-rate book and highly recommended. This book is about the loss of land along coastal Louisiana. At a rate of about 25 sqaure miles (or more) per year, Louisiana is losing the shallow water estuary that both supports a very productive fishing industry and offers storm surge protection during hurricanes. The reasons for the loss of land are presented in the book. With the sense of a road-trip adventurer, Mike Tidwell researched this issue by hitch-hiking his way up and down the bayous so that he could talk to and gather information from residents, fishermen, and scientists. The result is a report that combines scientific facts with cultural insight into what makes this region of the US a national treasure. Every American should read this book because this is a national issue that rarely gets reported in the media. If you like seafood, enjoy Cajun culture or like to visit New Orleans, then you should read this book. I particularly appreciated Mike Tidwell's ability to weave scientific discussions (e.g., river geomorphology) with cultural information such as the annual blessing of the fleet. This is an engaging and enlightening book. Read it soon before the story comes to a tragic ending.

I would never proclaim a book "great", as I am not experienced enough in this area with regard to form/prose/etc...However, I do believe in labeling a book as "entertaining", as this is much more subjective (what are reviews for, right?) Tidwell's book is one of the most enjoyable and entertaining I can remember reading. I have lived in Louisiana for over ten years, and was able to recall many of Tidwell's descriptions as he recounted visits with most of the "players" in the Lower Louisiana coastal area, as well as with the bureaucratic brick-walls standing in the way (locally and nationally). An intricate pattern is woven by Tidwell, demonstrating how one industry/community/culture can have a domino effect on many others. READ THIS BOOK and TAKE ANY ACTION POSSIBLE!

I was born and raised in New Orleans. In the 60's we built a fishing camp southeast of N.O. out of the town of Empire, La. A 15 minute boat ride, we were deep in the Gulf Salt Marsh and about 3 miles from the actual Gulf. We set power poles in the thick muck to build our 30' by 30' camp. The mosquitoes and racoons were everywhere--and the redfish, speckled trout, oysters and shrimp were bountiful. Over the next 25 years we watched the marsh slowly "drown" and disappear--eventually having our camp sitting in open water. Our knowledge of where the "edges" of the bayou used to be is the only way we can get back to the camp--now, without the marsh grass to use as a guide. Mike Tidwell has done a marvelous job of describing a real ecological/sociological disaster in the making--while much of Louisiana and the nation snoozes on. I have been to most of the places he describes. Spent many an hour fishing in the oil pipeline canals never realizing the damage they were quietly creating. I have trawlled for shrimp in some of those places he mentions, and Tidwell does an excellent job of creating a real picture for the reader through his word choices. I can't imagine how someone would not enjoy reading this. I fear that it might be too late--but Tidwell does an admirable job of bringing the problem to focus from a variety of viewpoints.

I was very pleased with this book and read it from cover to cover.Besides having a fascinating text it's loaded with beautiful pictures, including a set of pictures of Anne Rice doing a publicity shoot in one of New Orleans's cemeteries.I really wasn't that familiar with the history of the burial grounds in New Orleans and I learned a LOT from this book. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who's into cemeteries, funeral history, and Anne Rice!

I would never have went to New Orleans without visiting at least one of the famous above ground cemeteries - I was not disappointed! The history behind them is fascinating. They're built above ground, so that when there is any kind of flooding, the bodies don't float away since New Orleans is 700?ft below sea level. What was really neat to me though, is that one tomb, could and would be used for many generations of the same family. I thought it was a comforting thought to know that you wouldn't be burried alone, but in the exact same place as your ancestors. I think New Orleans people celebrate death, not that they're glad someone is gone, but that they're glad they had the chance to live and love them! There is just a kind of magic about the cemeteries, especially St. Louis #1, the oldest cemetery in the area. The photo's in this book capture that magic! Unfortunately, the section on #1 is small. This book includes many of the cemeteries including St. Louis 2 and 3, and Metairie, which is one of the nicest and most [costly] ones. I highly recommend this book for it's information and photography! If you go to see #1, it is in a not-so-good crime area that is improving, but make sure you go with a tour! The tour guides always have some interesting extra info!

We travel to and through Louisiana quite a bit. Because of this, I tend to pick up books about Louisiana, particularly Louisiana history. I bought this book because I liked the pictures. However, once I began reading this book, I realized that there was much more to the cemeteries than interesting statues. I can honestly say that I enjoyed reading this book and found it as informative as it was interesting.

This book begins with an introduction about cemeteries in Louisiana and then covers different cemeteries in Louisiana. Generally there is a history of the cemetery, an accounting of some of the more famous people buried in each cemetery and a lot of information.

For someone visiting Louisiana, particularly someone who is considering a tour of the cemeteries, this book is a must.

This folk story is retold with all the spice of a Cajun jambalaya. San Souci, interweaving several variants of the funny tale, places his characters in the bayou country of Louisiana, where they set out to catch fish for their gumbo. Their comical misadventures reach a climax when the mathematically challenged fisherman decide to count each other "to be sure we all safe." Whoever does the counting always comes up with five, forgetting to count himself, leading the men to conclude that one of them must be dead. Kennedy's cartoon-style illustrations, created with acrylic on velum, are a perfect accompaniment to the story. A short, helpful glossary, as well as an author's note directing readers to more information on Cajun culture, can be found at the end. Suited for ages 5 and up, this book would make a fun read-aloud. A word of caution, however: It's peppered with Cajun dialect, so be sure to practice first!

One day six brothers decide to go fishing. When it was time to go home they all counted to see if they had six brothers.The first brother counted five and the second brother counted five.All of the brothers counted five,and those foolish fishermen thought they had a lost brother.Read this book to find out how they became six foolish fishermen all over again.

My daughter LOVES this book! We sat up in her bed the other night ROARING with laughter over these 6 Foolish Fishermen. She's only 7 but she understood their silly, foolish mistakes. (. . .)

Al Rose's history of America's only (until recent decades in parts of Nevada) legalized red light district is an entertaining read if you have an interest in American history, Victorian and Progressive Era culture, historic preservation, jazz or prostitution. Featuring Ernest Bellocq's bittersweet photographs of Storyville's denziens and reproductions of 19th century New Orleans newspapers and gossip sheets this book has a moral for all of us: namely, that the legalization of prostitution can put an end to disease, abuse, and harrassment by johns and the authorities and become a viable part of the economy.

"Storyville, New Orleans" starts out with a brief history of prostitution in the Crescent City and takes the reader on a street-by-street tour of the district created by city aldermen in 1897. Photographs of the girls and their houses are on just about every page and really shows the day-to-day operation of Storyville. In addition, scattered throughout Rose's work are the surviving calling cards and advertisements for each prostitute and her place of business. This includes the "Blue Book", a sort of Yellow Pages for the lecherous. There is also an extensive chapter on the jazz musicians--professors--who played in the various brothels and bars. Storyville was closed by order of the US Navy in 1917 and Rose shows us what happened to some of the women and many of the buildings.

My only problem with this book is that many of the newspaper reproductions--especially that of the full-length Mascot in the back--are hard to read. I first found "Storyville" in my university library years ago when I was a student researching a paper. It was an original hardback copy and the pictures and reproductions were of a much higher quality. This paperback edition is not as good. I hope future editions will correct this when it comes time to print. Other than that, I recommend this "Authentic, Illustrated Account" to anyone who likes their history a little on the raw side.

If this was a fictional account about the section of New Orleans called "Storyville," no one would ever believe it. That it is true is wonderful, monstrous, fascinating, horrible, and damn good reading. The birthplace of blues, jazz, Dixieland and the beginning of the "Black take" on music that has swept the world and reinvented itself many times...right up to the present. The sex in this book and the way it was practiced and viewed at the time is unbelievable; it boggles the mind. This book cries out to be the basis for a movie, a musical, and/or a TV series. The cast of characters defies explanation. If this book doesn't blow your mind, you don't have one. Great!

This is a very informative book.However, more than being full of facts and figures and information, this book is interesting. The interviews with prostitutes, pimps, visitors and musicians that lived and worked in Storyville make this book interesting. The pictures are tactful and add a lot to the book and it's contents.

Anyone interested in the history of New Orleans will find this a not to be missed book. Anyone interested in prostitution will find this book useful.

This is the story of Solomon Northup, in his own words, a citizen of New York kidnapped in 1841 and taken to Louisiana as a slave, where he was found twelve years later on a cotton plantation near the Red River. It is a story that will break your heart as Solomon was torn away from his family for over a decade. According to a quote from 1853, when Solomon first published his memoirs, "Think of it: For thirty years a man, with all a man's hopes, fears and aspirations--with a wife and children to call him by the endearing names of husband and father--with a home, humble it may be, but still a home...then for twelve years a thing, a chattel personal, classed with mules and horses. ...Oh! it is horrible. It chills the blood to think that such are." And indeed, this story will both chill--and boil--your blood.

Solomon Northup was an educated literate man who worked in New York and was brutally kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana. His autobiography was very detailed with skillfully painted pictures of the people and situations he encountered until at last he was freed. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Solomon Northup was also mentioned in the newly released children's historical novel, The Journal of Darien Dexter Duff, an Emancipated Slave that also takes place in Louisiana.

In an age when most history that is presented to the masses is whitewashed or made politically correct it is quite refreshing to read a historical narrative "warts and all" about a period in American History that many want to forget about or gloss over.

Solomon Northup was an educated, free black man from upstate New York with a wife and children in the 1841 when through a chain of events ended up being kidnapped and sold into slavery. He eventually ended up deep in Louisiana and spent the next 12 years of his life there until he was rescued by a prominent citizen of his home state that knew him.

What stands out in this book to me are the descriptions of the various people he met and how they treated him from being very kind and gracious to vile and wicked. As a southerner I have often heard that slaves were basically happy and contented and this book will immediately put an end such a notion. Even the most illiterate and uneducated slave Solomon met yearned for freedom, as is human nature to do so. That being said there were several decent southern slave owners described in the book who treated their slaves well. One of them William Ford, almost certainly saved Solomon from being lynched by his new owner.

On the flip side there were many vile slave owners as well. Solomon was owned by a carpenter who mistreated him quite badly and Solomon had to fight him twice to prevent himself from being killed by his owner. After one of these fights he fled into the swamp being chased by his owner and several other slave owners with their bloodhounds. His description of the bloodhounds following him into the swamp and him seeing all of the snakes and alligators was quite interesting. Solomon, beside being literate was blessed with a great deal of "street" smarts and common sense. He knew how to evade the dogs when they chased him into the swamp. The aforementioned William Ford saved Solomon from the carpenter's wrath after this episode.

Solomon then went on to spend the rest of his time in captivity with another brutal slave owner. This owner was drunk half the time and continually mistreated all of his slaves. Solomon's rescue came when a Canadian drifter who worked as a laborer agreed to mail a rescue note to Solomon's home town. A few months later Solomon was rescued by a prominent gentlemen from his native New York and was reunited with his family.

This book was fascinating reading and moved at a rapid pace. Most of the books I read I never bother to write a review on unless I found them to be a good read and this is a good read!

If you want to read about slavery as it was and not in glossed over terms or political correct terms then this book is for you. The truth what a concept!