This is a wonderful collection of poems, musings and essays all revolving around the theme of Nature. You can pick it up anytime, thumb through it, quote it on cards to friends or just when you need some inspiration in this techno existence we're living in. Add it your shelf, why not, it can only do your mind and spirit some good.

Lynne Bachleda calls upon some of my favorite writers and poets (Jeanette Winterson, e.e.cummings, Annie Dillard, Thomas Merton) in order to bring us this marvelous refreshment for the soul. Read all in one sitting, or in bits - it will remind you of how glad you are to be simply alive.

Bachleda has put together an anthology that I would like (and once planned) to have done, but am glad I did not because she has done it so much better. These excerpts are for outdoor folk of any kind, for those who cherish the earth or want to do so more, for hikers and those who enjoy just a sunset or fresh breeze. She has cast a wide net and cites from many ages and cultures and genres of literature, 160 or so indexed authors, passages that are old and welcome friends (like Maclean's "Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it" and Muir's "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings") and many more citations that are new and unexpected gems, even touches of humor like Woody Allen's moose in spats or Marge Piercy shooing the hunters (caw, caw). As in all anthologies everyone will have some favorites that have been left out or will find some selections cited and wonder why. The passages are spiritual and responsible, but without any touch of theological tediousness or political stridency. Bachleda shows us just the beauty, spirit, poetry and wonder of holy earth. Her selections are arranged loosely according to the theme of the hero's journey from desire and need, to marveling and adoration, comprehension and joy, connection and unity, redemption and grace, recognition and compassion, to hope, resolve and beyond. One might read it in that order cover to cover -- which unless done a little at a time would be like eating a giant box of chocolates at a sitting -- but a system of marginal symbols for the elements of nature, the seasons of the year, and the religious sources of the quotations facilitates random access depending upon your location or mood. It is well worth its weight in your backpack or its space on your bookshelf.

Our Earth is the Blue and Green Ark adrift in the dark. This alphabet book is poetic, rich in imagry and ideas for conservation, respect for life and the environment. The lyric language, imaginative illustrations and striking juxtaposition of content worthy of further reflection will intrigue most readers and touch many more with a reverence for nature.

Winner of the English Association's English 4-11 Award for the Best Children's Picture Book of 1999 - Non-Fiction Key Stage 2. We considered the scope and imaginative power of this work to be quite exceptional. Brian Patten takes each letter of the alphabet, presented by Sian Bailey as a work of art, in the fashion of the key letter of a medieval manuscript, and explores fascinating aspects of our planet from the origins of the earth to the development of the child in the womb. In free verse and with the help of 11 gifted artists he evokes images of the creatures in the oceans, on land and in the sky, of features of the earth like rain forests and volcanoes, of the planets and the stars in the heavens and of the technological achievements of human beings. This exploration in poetic language of such wide ranging phenomena make the book a wonderful celebration of our world for the new millennium. It also reinforces the notion that non-fiction can make a strong appeal to the imagination and can be the beginning of the reader's further investigation of concepts and topics. Further help here comes in the form of an exceptionally fine glossary with a scholarly flavour. Readers of different ages will be inspired by this highly original and informative book and will return to it again and again.

This volume in the Coming to America series groups together three nationalities together in what is essentially a book on Scandinavian immigration to the United States. Before 1820 Scandinavians did not immigrate to other lands or explore the New World all that much (there was a brief New Sweden established in what is now Delaware for a while), mainly because of restrictive emigration laws. When a place was found in America for a Quaker church, letters describing the rich farm land in the Midwest and extolling the laws regarding separation of church and state made immigration an attractive option. Like other books in this series, this volume by Kay Melchiseedech Olson talks about Life in the Old Country (all three of them), The Trip Over, Arriving in America, Surviving in America, and Keeping Traditions from the old country alive. Obviously up here in the Northland this is the old volume in the series that local students are most interested in reading. Olson does a nice job of introducing the uniqueness of Scandinavian immigration and providing interesting details.

"Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish Immigrants 1820-1920" has sections in each chapter talk about how to make Scandinavian flags, Lindbergh's Favorite Swedish Party Cakes, and a Family Tree. The back of this book provides biographical notes on five famous Scandinavian Americans: Charles Lindbergh, Hubert Humphrey, Jacob Riis, James Arness and Walter Mondale (bonus points if you recognize the one Danish and name on the list since you already got a big hint about the one Swedish descendant). There is also a glossary, and short lists of other books to read, place to write and visit, and Internet sites. The Coming to America series also includes volumes on Chinese, German, Irish, Italian, and Japanese immigrants. However, young readers who go through this series will notice that not all immigrants were treated alike by their new nation. There can be some very interesting classroom discussions off of some of these books.

This book is a MUST read for all people of Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish heritage. Just like Grandma told me!!

A totally unexpected experience, so typically french, it reveals all the secrets of the ocean in less than 40 pages. For scuba divers only.

Paul

John Jerome has, in recent years, become one of my favorite writers thanks to his elegant and straightforward prose style. I ordered "Blue Rooms" the moment I heard it was out, and I was not disappointed. This is a terrific book.

"Blue Rooms" is about a lifelong love affair with water. From playing in the muddy San Marcos river as a boy, to kayaking the cold waters of Canadian lakes as a grown man, it seems Jerome has always been fascinated by water. Most of the earth's surface, he points out, is water. So is most of the human body.

What strikes me most about this book is the way in which Jerome takes a personal obsession and makes it understandable to his readers. By the end of the book I could have sworn I had a lifelong love affair with water, too, even though I'm a mediocre swimmer who lives in hills far from any large water source. Really, this is a terrific book. Go out and buy it. You won't be sorry.

In 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first time America singled out a particular group of people who could not longer immigrant. However, there is really no explanation this book can offer for why the Chinese immigrants were singled out for this treatment beyond racism. Kay Melchisedech Olson tells about the history of Early Chinese Immigration and how Life in the Old Country inspired thousands of Chinese to leave for the U.S. when famine, foreign invaders, and higher taxes afflicted the peasants. Also covered are what The Trip Over was like, as well as Arriving and Surviving in America, followed by one on Keeping Traditions. Special pages in this book are devoted to Chinese Words, how to make Chinese Moon Cakes, the Angel Island Immigration Station, how to play the Dragon Game, and how to Make a Family Tree.

"Chinese Immigrants, 1850-1900" covers one of the smallest periods of any of the books in the Coming to America series, but after reading it you can understand why. Unlike European immigrants, those who came from Asia, such as the Chinese and the Japanese, faced a much different experience in their new country. The back of this book provides biographical notes on five famous Chinese Americans: Michael Chang, Elaine Chao, Connie Chung, Gary Locke and Michelle Kwan. There is also a glossary, and short lists of other books to read, place to write and visit, and Internet sites. The Coming to America series also includes volumes on German, Irish, Italian, Japanese, and Scandinavian immigrants. However, young readers who go through this series will notice that not all immigrants were treated alike by their new nation. There can be some very interesting classroom discussions off of some of these books.

Robert Henrickson is the founder and President of Earthrise Farms, one of the world's largest growers of spirulina.

So, what is spirulina, and why is it important? Sprirulina is really an amazing whole food that can be grown in almost any climate. People can survive on little more than spirulina alone, due to its high concentration of vitamins, minerals and protein. It has gained popularity in recent years, and has been touted as one of nature's most perfect "whole foods".

That alone would probably not be enough to pique my interest though. The most exciting part about this food is that its recent "discovery" by modern man could help to ease or eliminate food shortages around the world. It is an extremely nutritious whole food that takes up minimal space to grow and store, and results in absolutely no soil erosion or damage to the environment. No pesticides or chemicals are necessary to grow it, and cultivation has been successful in a variety of third-world countries.

In this book, Henrickson not only gives the reader a mountain of information on the food itself, but outlines his vision on how this whole food could someday help to feed millions of hungry people across our planet, as well as save our environment in the process. It's nice to know that someone is trying to use science to change our planet for the better.

Germans made up the largest group of immigrants to come to the United States, with over 5 million arriving between 1820 and 1920 (including one set of my great-grandparents). Today one-fourth of our population is descendant from German immigrants. In "German Immigrants, 1820-1920," author Helen Frost tells about Life in the Old Country that convinced millions to travel (Catholics and Protestants alike left for religious freedom), what The Trip Over was like for these immigrants, and then what it meant Arriving and Surviving in America. A final chapter deals with Keeping Traditions and throughout the book there are pages devoted to specific topics like Packing to Leave, doing Papierschnitt, learning German American Language, making Pfeffernuesse (German cookies), and how to Make a Family Tree. Be warned that young readers will probably be thwarted in their attempts to do Papierschnitt as detailed as they will find in these pages.

Despite its focus, "German Immigrants 1820-1920" tells the rather universal sotry of why people came to America and how they carved out their own communities across the country. The back of this book provides biographical notes on six famous German Americans: Sandra Bullock, Albert Einstein, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry J. Heinz, Herbert Hoover and George Herman "Babe" Ruth (I was predicting Lou Gehrig actually, but I NEVER would have thought of Sandra Bullock on this list). There is also a glossary, and short lists of other books to read, place to write and visit, and Internet sites. The "Coming to America" series also includes volumes on Chinese, Irish, Italians, Japanese and Scandinavian immigrants.

During the 19th-century, between immigration and the deaths caused by the great Potato Famine, the population of Ireland was cut in half, from 8 million to 4 million souls. In "Irish Immigrants 1840-1920" author Megan O'Hara tells about Life in the Old Country that forced millions to travel to leave their homes for a better life. She also tells what The Trip Over was like for these immigrants as well as what it was like to arrive and survive in America. A final chapter talks about some of the Irish traditions that have kept alive in the New World. Young readers will also learn about how to Grow Potatoes in a Pot, St. Patrick, a recipe for Irish Soda Bread, Tammany Hall, and how to Make a Family Tree.

"Irish Immigrants, 1840-1920" provides a satisfactory introduction to this particular topic. Even if your ancestors did not come from the Emerald Isle you will find the story told here to be pretty universal with regards to why people came to America and how they carved out their own communities. The back of this book provides biographical notes on five famous Irish Americans: Buffalo Bill Cody, Henry Ford, Judy Garland, John F. Kennedy and Bill Murray (JFK was a given, but the other four sure surprised me). There is also a glossary, and short lists of other books to read, place to write and visit, and Internet sites. The "Coming to America" series also includes volumes on Chinese, German, Italians, Japanese and Scandinavian immigrants.

Between 1820 and 1920 more than 4 million Italians immigrated to the United States with the greatest number, including my paternal grandparents, between 1880 and 1920. This slim volume by Anne M. Todd covers the reasons why people left Italy to start a new life in America (originally many Italians immigrated to Argentina), following their journey through timelines and maps. Photographs show the new arrivals on Ellis Island and then making homes for themselves in the New World. Young readers will also learn about wise Italian sayings ("Scopa nuova, scopa bene"/"A new broom sweeps clean"), how to play Bocce, a reciepe for Italian Wedding Cookies and how to Make a Family Tree.

"Italian Immigrants, 1880-1920" provides a satisfactory introduction to this particular topic. Even if your ancestors were not part of this particular wave of immigration, you will find the story told her to be pretty universal as you learn why people came to America and how they carved out their own communities. The back of this book provides biographical notes on five famous Italian Americans: Mother Cabrini, Madonna, Mario Cuomo, Joe DiMaggio and Geraldine Ferraro. There is also a glossary, and short lists of other books to read, place to write and visit, and Internet sites. The "Coming to America" series also includes volumes on Chinese, German, Irish, Japanese and Scandinavian immigrants.