I biked the TransAmerica trail last summer and I used this book for pre-trip planning and as a guide while on the road. The vast majority of the route Ikenberry takes is along a trail that was first ridden in 1976 and was designed by Adventure Cycling. If you just need maps of the roads to take, you'll be much better served by getting them from Adventure Cycling. If you want to use this book as a companion to the maps, you should realize that this book was written for westbounders. If you are riding from west to east (like i did) get ready to learn what dyslexia feels like as you try to decipher all the directions backwards.

The book is thin on trip planning info and simply points readers to other sources for info on bike touring. In general, most of this book merely describes points of reference along the TranAm trail (ie: mile 1 - You'll pass a convienence store on the left; mile 2.3 - You'll see a lake with picnic benches to the right). I felt that it lacked a real focus (sometimes it reads like a diary, sometimes it reads like a guidebook, etc) & was full of superfluous fluff (the state flower of virginia is blah blah, a family in kansas fed me cake, etc) that only made my saddlebags that much heavier.

Overall though, it's not my objective to dissuade you from buying this book... as unbelievably it seems to be the only guide written about riding the TransAm trail. Ikenberry's book certainly has some usefullness - perhaps mostly so in providing info on places to sleep along the way. But even then, she fails to mentions whether these places have showers or food on numerous occasions. It's worth the 15 bucks... but the book could (& should) have been so much better... (for example: there is no mention anywhere of suggestions on what kind of bike to use, gearings, tires - nothing even remotely technical)

I used this book this summer, riding from Florence, OR to Yorktown, VA (yes, the book goes from east to west, so I was reading "backwards"). For my purposes, I used the book to help figure out how large towns were and what services they offered. 9 times out of 10 the book gave fairly accurate assesments of services. There were times when "full-service" towns were no longer in existance and the grocery or restaurant we had been relying on was nowhere in site.

That said, I would NEVER bike the Trans Am, or even a portion of it, without consulting Adventure Cycling first [on their web site]. Their maps are indespensible and when used in conjunction with their up-to-date addendums, they are incredibly accurate. Ikenberry makes it pretty clear that she is using the Adventure Cycling maps as her guide as well.

I also found it odd that Ikenberry only biked the Trans Am once. She makes comments on terrain and areas which are purely cicumstantial (such as mentioning "dog-prone" areas in Kentucky - where we had no more dogs than any other day - and areas with mean drivers.) It was sometimes hard to tell whether her descriptions of places were based on one pass through or fact. Plus, I would have trusted her judgment of "steep" and "trafficky" had I felt more confident in her bike touring past.

On the plus side, Ikenberry does offer some nice background information on historical areas which the Trans Am cyclist may not otherwise recieve.

Overall, I am glad I lugged the extra pound on my tour. It was helpful and since I wasn't relying on it for accuracy, I wasn't affected at all by the closed services. It would be great if someone would update the book! Some towns in the book are no longer on the Adventure Cycling route. Also, she breaks the route into 70 different biking days. Some are rediculously long. She must have had some serious tail-winds at some points! Again, had she biked the route several times, I am sure her days would have been more "normal" in some instances.

In any case, bike the Trans Am since it is awesome and contact Adventure Cycling for your most accurate information. If you have [any money] left over and some room for a medium-sized book, squeeze Ikenberry into your pannier.

Donna Ikenberry's "Bicycling Coast to Coast" is a well laid out, day-by-day guidebook for a bicycle trip across the country. From maps, to sights to see, to places to camp and eat, this book has everything you need to get across the country and not get lost.

The only thing I wish this book included was trip preparation hints (of which it has very few). However, this book along with Steve Butterman's "Bicycle Touring - How to Prepare for Long Rides" make a great cross country bike touring set.

The historical study of Jesus and Christion origins is discussed by six well-known scholars. In two succinct essays and the book's introduction Marcus Borg gives us some basic tenets of modern Jesus scholarship. There is, for instance, no such thing as a wholly objective perspective on Jesus. The Bible is the human product of two ancient societies. The gospels are products of early Christian communities and they reflect a developing tradition within those groups of people. Jesus' public life took place in the first third of the first century while the canonical gospels were written during the last third of the same century. In between the newly emerging faith was sustained largely by oral tradition. Most of the other contributors to this book are probably in agreement with the above statements even though they come to this discussion from widely different backgrounds.

For anyone interested in learning more about the work of the Jesus Seminar and contemporary Jesus scholarship this is as good a place as any to begin the journey. The diverse essays are mainly excellent. Most chapters are accompanied by questions and responses recorded during the actual scholarly symposium commemorating the 2000 anniversary of the birth of Jesus held at Oregon State University in 1996. The notes for each chapter are extensive and I find the list of resources at the end of the book to be very helpful for someone who is just beginning to become curious about the study of the historical Jesus.

Marcus Borg has written the introduction and two of the book's eight essays. I found it useful to read Borg's contributions first mainly because he describes with such clarity the basics of modern Jesus scholarship.

Allan Segal is a leading Jewish scholar and Huston Smith is a well-known philosopher and historian of religions. All of the book's six contributors seem to approach the subject from different vantage points. The result is a very stimulating reading experience.

If you want a book that is too long, too tragic, and too depressing .... this book is for you.

I rarely review books, but could not let the opportunity pass to comment on "Always in My Heart". I read this book prior to reading any other reviews, and was surprised by the critical editorial review listed above.

This is an excellent book with very well developed characters. Yes, a lot of the book is discussing the emotions of the main charachters, but that is what sets this book apart from many others.

If you enjoy a book with more depth than "fluff", this is an excellent book to read. This was my first Catherine Anderson novel and since I have purchased several of her previous books.

Enjoy!

Tucker and Ellie Grant were high school sweethearts who married and had three children. However, the death of one of their kids led to the destruction of the relationship between Tucker and Ellie though their split is amiable. However, their two surviving sons Zach and Kody believe that their parents still love each in spite of the evidence that both have moved on with their lives in different ways with both dating others. Zach and Kody decide that Tucker and Ellie need a catalyst to bring them together just as the tragedy tore them apart.

The younger generation Grants run off to the Baxter Wilderness Area where the family used to camp out in happier times, but not before informing their father that they will remain in the Oregon woods until Tucker and Ellie come back to one another. Accompanying Tucker and Ellie on their trek is their current significant others though neither are welcomed. Will a family formed out of love find its way back to each other or will this incident place the final exclamation point to what once was?

ALWAYS IN MY HEART is an emotional family saga that focuses on the aftermath of a tragic event on the survivors. The story line succeeds because the Grant quartet seem very real as each one internally accepts the blame for Sammy's accidental death. Fans of passionate relationship dramas will want to read Catherine Anderson's novel that emphasiszes the need to remain open with your loved ones if one is to begin to heal.

Harriet Klausner

Road depiction is very vague. Difficult to read. Somewhat useable with AAA maps. For the best maps see the series by Benchmark Maps. I have used their maps in New Mexico, California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona. Unfortunately, they do not have many states. I use the Delorme "Utah" with my AAA maps.

My tour of Oregon would have been far less exciting without Delorme's Atlas. As with others in this series it is not only a great source of detailed local maps but filled with general information about the area, along with specific locations of towns, scenic areas and special destinations, even if they are on obsure or little used roads. As a waterfall fan I was especially pleased with the ways they were included on the maps. I would have missed many of these and other interesting sights without the guide. Never travel without a Delorme.

This book is good for anywhere in oregon. When you go into the wilderness it is very good, the only thing better is a forest service map ;)
BUY IT if you are planning on living in oregon or like to come to oregon ALL the time.

Lee is the ordinary duckling in a family of brilliant genius swans and sometimes it hurts. After failing to graduate her exasperated mother packs her off to house sit for grandfather while he goes off on a lecture tour. Immediately, things get strange. Someone is terrorizing Lee and she suspects it's due to he skeletons in her family tree.

So far so good. I liked Lee and I loved how the story moves along up to this point but two things come close to ruining the book for me. First: Are the nation's creative writing teachers all telling their students that black characters must be written the same way? Lee's black roommate from college is sassy, jokey, and calls her "baby" every five minutes. She also suffers a complete melt down at the sight of a 50 year old klan robe. The author meant well, with this character but I suspect she doesn't know any real live black people and based this character on stuff she's seen in the movies. Next, the description of New Orleans was dumb. As another reviewer said, things have changed. The Big Easy depends on tourism and the scene with the TV never would've happened in real life. The town has had two black mayors, and the police force is mostly black. The author needed to do her research.
Bottom line: Would I buy another one of this author's books? Yes, but only after I spend some time leafing through it first and after checking out the Amazon reviews.

This was my first Kate Wilhelm novel. I may choose to read more. I enjoyed Lee Donne, the main character because she was smart, and she didn't succumb to stupid romantic subplots that so often ruin these books. I liked the premise of the book as well: mystery meets history. I was bothered, however, by the typical Southern stereotypes portrayed. I am a Southener, and I can assure you that, for example, a bar patronized by tourists, would never have the television turned to a white power spouting racist politician. Come on, this is New Orleans. Tourism is its bread and butter. And, if Ms. Wilhelm had spent any time there, she would know that New Orleans is a huge melting pot of cultures that typically have melded to make it a fascinating place. It is a place where differences are appreciated. Furthermore, I tired of the descriptions of the houses and how disgusted Lee became with the fabulous richness "built on the backs of slaves." I felt it was overkill. I appreciate what Ms. Wilhelm was trying to say about how racism still rules some areas of the South. I would never try to deny that it exists here. But I took offense in the fact that she stereotyped all Southeners by the 1% of crazies, whackos, and idiots that also happen to reside here with the those of us who want racism and hatred to end not just in the South, but everywhere. Basically, this fact overshadowed what was a well-written and really fun read. Overall, I enjoyed the novel.

Kate Wilhelm has become one of my favorite writers of romantic suspense. Ever spent a summer afternoon delighted to be travelling the world in the pages of a Phyllis Whitney or M.M. Kaye novel? If so, you'll love this book!

"Skeletons" is a delightful page turner. The mystery is well-plotted and suspenseful. Unraveling the strands of a decades-old secret takes our heroine, Lee, on an ever-more exciting journey across the country. It is also a voyage of self-discovery. Lee starts off as a not-quite college graduate, a few hours short after four years of shifting from major to major. In a family of overachievers, she is the disappointment. In the course of "Skeletons," she discovers herself as not just competent, but gifted.

I loved Kirkpatrick's first book in the series, All Together in One Place, enjoyed the second, No Eye Can See (although not as much), and lost interest by this third one, What Once We Loved. I don't even think I'll finish it. The characters and their relationships are beginning to be too sappy for me.

The theme through this book is one of redemption. The characters all come to realize that life is best lived with someone who truly cares about you and your independence. Not having read the other two books in the trilogy, I didn't know all the background. However, I don't think that hindered my understanding of the plot and the characters.

The characters are well written and for the most part, very likeable. The only thing that bothered me was that at times, the timing of the book seemed off. I never really knew what events were happening in the past, and somethings seemed to be skipped over. For instance, this big secret was going to be revealed, and the author cut to a different story line; when the first story line is picked back up--the secret isn't told--you only get their reaction. Parts of the book just seemed jumpy.

I would recommend this book--either on its own or as the last book in the series.

This 3rd book of the trilogy drew me into the story and the lives of these strong women from page 1. How they overcame the tradegies they faced and prevailed was heart warming. In a present-day time of easy fixes, the obstacles these women overcame shaped their personalities and gave them amazing strength to go forward with their dreams. It's about dreams. And it is about not ever giving up. Ever! Wonderful!

I was led to believe the book would be a lot about the team and it was. However, there is an awful lot more about coach Jody Runge and her contract dilemma with the university while trying to build a winning basketball team. I can see why she may have hated this book. It is everything she isn't about. Your common fan isn't going to care so much about Title IX and men/women equity in sports. They just want to cheer for a winning team and learn about their experiences. The inside look at a women's basketball team was interesting, but it also got repetitive. Mention that a player misses her best friend once or twice and I get it. Mentioning it throughout the whole book is a bit much. The author gets too hung up on the coach's contract squabble that the team didn't even care about. Why should the reader care if the team didn't? There isn't much direct comment from the players, only their thoughts ... or is it the thoughts of the author for the players. Just about right on the season highlights ... not too much and not too little, just hitting what's important and how it affected the team.

The book was great. It was detailed and easy to reada, where as it described the life of these women vividly. You felt at home with each of the women and like you knew and understood all of their problems completely. Laure Kessler does a great job!

In a way I loved the book. But I also felt sorry for some of the players, for having to put up with someone like coach Runge. Arianne Boyer was a great player and still is, and for Runge to treat her like that upsets me. I go to Fort Vancouver High School and my Basketball/Volleyball coach is Arianne Boyer. Yes alot of the book is true, but I feel people didn't really get to see the real side of Arianne like my teammates and I do. She is very supportive and understanding and she cares for each one of us. I'm very glad that Runge acted the way she did, because now Arianne doesn't treat us the same way. She understands how far to push us. I'm glad that the book came out, it made me understand where my coach came from and how far she has come.

This was an okay book, it wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. If I like a book I can usually finish it in a day or two this one took a couple of weeks for me to read it didn't hold my attention. The book starts with a wedding were the bride has been stood up at the altar. When she leaves the church it is blown up by a bomb that was set to go off in the middle of the ceremony. Who was it meant for and why is the main theme of the book. I found it to be a really slow read and didn't really care what happened to the characters.

Since I have only read Ms. Gerritsen's newer works such as "The Surgeon" and "The Apprentice" it was fun to read one of her earlier works and to see how far she has come as a storyteller.

This is the story about Nina Cormier who is a ER nurse from a very affluent but dysfunctional family. The story opens with Nina being left at the alter. To add insult to injury while she is sitting in a car waiting to go home the church blows up. And still in the same day someone tries to drive her off the road. Why is this all happening to her?

Bomb detective Sam Navarro is called to the scene of the latest bombing and ends up questioning the bride to be. Sam has his own problems from the past and really has no plans to ever share his life with someone else. Now he finds himself drawn to the witness and there is still the huge mystery as to how Nina fits into the puzzle of the recent bombing, and other murder attempts.

The chemistry between these two people was great and Ms. Gerritsen shows her potential as a suspense novelist. You don't want to miss this one.

I STARTED OUT WITH THE SURGEON AND COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. I MOVED ON TO THE APPRENTICE AND IT HAD THE SAME EFFECT. I ORDERED 5 MORE OF HER BOOKS INCLUDING KEEPER OF THE BRIDE WHICH I READ IN JUST 2 SITTINGS. HER BOOKS CONSISTENTLY KEEP MY ATTENTION. HER WRITING MAKES ME SYMPATHIZE WITH THE CHARACTERS AND FEEL EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE FEELING. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HER BOOKS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'LL DO WHEN I FINISH THE OTHER FOUR!

_Death Qualified_ is ostensibly a mystery written by the award-winning speculative fiction writer Kate Wilhelm, yet it contains elements of SF and perhaps even a dash of romance novels. It is unfair, ultimately, to describe this book in such a third-rate-critic-voice. Wilhelm is certainly better than the sum of her parts, yet I was ultimately disappointed by this book.

The book opens much like a traditional mystery: we start from the viewpoint of the victim before his untimely death. (I don't give too much away; this is established quite early, and is obvious.) Cut to another charcter viewpoint -- this time one who is crucial -- and finally the reader learns of the main character, Barbara 'Bobby' Holloway. Bobby is a lawyer who gave up her practice five years ago for personal and moral reasons. Her father calls to say that he cannot defend the woman accused of her husband's murder; he doesn't have the talent, but Bobby does. Despite serious misgivings, she returns to her father's side to help him. In due course, the reader is introduced to a wide cast of characters. Unlike the drawing room mysteries of England, not everyone has a reason for killing the victim. In fact, no one really does. Rather, the characters exist to give depth and detail; and each plays a pivotal role in the trial.

But then enters the speculative fiction plotpoint: it becomes evident that the murder victim was embroiled in a secret and (of course) deadly scientific experiment. I wouldn't spoil too much, but it has to do less with chaos mathematics (which is explained superficially but with clarity) and more with the development of thought in infants and adolescents. It is crucial to understand the details of Wilhelm's explanations here in order to fathom exactly what she is hypothesizing, but I found these explanations muddled; it's only because I have scientific training that I found it easy to follow. And frankly, this entire subplot (which may be the main reason for this novel's existence)was largely irrelevant to the mystery and courtroom drama the synopsis on the back cover promises.

The resolution ends with two traditional and almost hackneyed events: first, there is the necessary chase through the dark and scary forest, which is mercifully short for those who have seen this too much; and second, there is the obligatory 'we thought the danger was past but no, somehow the danger has not been eradicated and -- oh my! -- aren't the implications frightening?' (Think of the dead character who isn't, or the mutant or alien gene still present in the overlooked rat.)

I found myself comparing the style to William Kienzle's Fathery Koestler books. I found Wilhelm to be the better of the two, because Kienzle often requires an almost deus-ex-machina resolution (usually by keeping some key piece of evidence from the reader for no reason other than to maintain suspense -- a tactic I consider unfair to the reader interested in untangling the knots him- or herself). Wilhelm allows all pieces of the puzzle to be placed before the pattern is revealed. Unfortunately, the pattern is not quite seamless, demanding that the reader be interested in two nearly non-intersecting storylines: the courtroom drama and the scientific discovery. Wilhelm also has a more (for want of a better word) feminine quality, wherein the characters emotionally respond to events rather than the common untouched-and-unmoved-main character so prevalent in mysteries. While this lends depth to the characters and the story, I found that it was overdone at times, occasionally overwhelming the storyline.

All in all, a reasonably good book. Although it doesn't deliver on all promises as well as it could, I found it interesting and entertaining enough to purchase the next in the Barbara Holloway series.

the book was very well written and interesting as it went along, but the end was very disappointing. I don't want to give it away, but it was hard to believe.

"Death Qualified" is a very interesting and ambitious book--in fact, interesting in too many different ways, and ultimately, too ambitious.

It's a human drama about young adults and middle-aged people facing their conflicts and unfulfilled needs; cheating spouses, parents estranged from their grown children, etc.

It's a murder mystery. Who killed the long-lost husband in the woods? His estranged wife? Unseen enemies? An unlucky shot from a hunter?

It's a courtroom drama. Naturally, the defense attorney was once the lover of the prosecutor. Defense keeps hammering at an angle that can never be proven, and the prosecutor contests her every step. Will an innocent woman go to jail, and her kids be left without the care of parents?

It's a science fiction thriller. What was the pathbreaking experiment that went horribly wrong, and whose lives did it plunge into a nightmare of insanity and murder? This part gripped me the most, but it isn't really explained until about the last 50 pages.

Finally--and improbably--it's got a dash of "Celestine Prophecy." This part might be OK for atmosphere, but to use it to wrap things up is completely unnecessary and almost adds a note of unintended comedy.

To me, the best thing about it is that the author uses poignancy to heighten the sense of horror and dread that builds throughout the novel. The poignancy and the horror combine to make this more than just a formula novel or an airplane book.

I almost stopped reading before about 20 pages, because at that point, the author was writing too much like a city dweller who kept having to remind herself that if you don't live in LA, Chicago, or New York, you've got to talk "folksy." Fortunately, that distraction soon passed. However, the author should have avoided another distraction--that of giving characters last names like Dinesen and Belloc. If you're going to do that, you might as well name the local garage owner Cal Dickens and the local court stenographer Jenny Hemingway.

In any case, the author is telling 4 or 5 interesting stories, but they never really quite come together. Still, the book gives you something to chew on.

The book begins well, rich (or at least well off, but playing at being poor) female lawyer is asked to do the impossible, free a woman pre-judged to be a baby killer. Barbara (the lawyer) does a credible job and succeeds. The book bogs down near the end with a lot of shooting off in all directions apparently trying to explain herself. 'Bad guys' are unbelievably bad: making money on abortion formula while mouthing abortion foe rhetoric. A little too overdramatic...a C-minus for such a lack of sublety. The righteous are 'good-good', the other side is 'bad bad'. Author is no John Grisham.

This is a book from an obviously highly skilled author. The plotting was compelling, clever and tense and the main protagonists well drawn. The bad guys are clearly delineated if somewhat two dimensional. One slight flaw was the at times confusing detail of the plot. I am looking forward to other legal thrillers written by this author.

I'm a tough grader - reserve 9 and 10 for all-time greats. This is simply a good read. Very plot driven, with commentary on a number of contemporary issues and personal relationships. It also is about power and greed, and the corrupting influence of money. It touches on the fanatical nature of people's response to abortion, and gives the reader an emotional ride over some very difficult issues. The main characters are complex people, while the supporting characters are a little unidimensional. However, through it all you are engaged in unravelling the crime and discovering whether the truth will prevail or whether money will buy the verdict