This book is really geared more toward the academic. I would not find it useful as a field guide, though it makes for fairly interesting biological reading. It is not laid out in a "field guide" fashion, with species listed and illustrations for each provided. It would be frustrating to take the kids to the beach at low tide and attempt to use this unless you are very well acquainted with your marine taxonomy. Most species are not identified by a common name, and the color plates and illustrations are not necessarily near the species text.
This book reads as a textbook for students rather than a useful tool for laymen who just need to know what critter they just found under a rock, and want the information before the tide comes back in.

Though published in the early 1980s, this book does a wonderful job of introducing the active naturalist to the nearshore marine life of the Pacific Northwest. This book includes good illustrations and photographs, descriptions of where marine flora and fauna live and what they do there. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to go the seashore of the Pacific Northwest and figure out what they are looking at. Kozloff has been there and seen everything he's writing about. I use this book as my primary text when I take students to Puget Sound, Washington, for my marine ecology field course. A top notch field guide!

My open tandem canoe group used Soggy Sneakers on an exporatory (for us)week long trip in Southern Oregon. We found that the ratings listed in the book varied considerably depending on wether the writer was a kayaker, rafter or open canoeist. When a rafter called it a Class II it was a very different thing from when an open canoe rated it Class II. We got skunked several times before we started looking at the boats the raters were using. An open canoes Class III is a rafter's Class I and a Kayakers Class II. Once we figured that out we found the book very useful.

Soggy Sneakers along with Paddling Oregon (by Robb Keller) are the two definative books about boating in Oregon.

Soggy Sneakers -published by Seattle Mountaineers-is in its third edition and features over 200 runs compiled by members of the Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club who have run all of Oregon's rivers.

Included are Class 1 to Class 6 runs, with maps and descriptions of flow, gradient, length and character of each run. The book is an easy read and includes information on where to obtain shuttles and the best seasons to run.

The one criticism I have is the book fails to specify which type of craft (kayaks, canoes, rafts) are suited for each run.

This book contains four separate stories about people on a wagon train heading for Oregon. The style of each author is different, but each includes characters from the other stories. This gives the total book some continuity. However, the shortness of each story was frustrating to me and would have rated higher if expounded upon and made into four complete books. Although the last story was my favorite, there was a bit too much drama and all four short stories were much too predictable. More suspense would have proved interesting and would raise my stars ratings.

As the caravan heads for Oregon, members become like extended family and these four talented authors have used this setting to weave their narratives into one intriguing whole. The characters are fresh and believable. Their problems ring with authenticity and each narrative blends into the next with quiet style. I enjoyed "Wildflower Brides" from the first story to the last. If you like mystery and intrigue mixed with romance you will enjoy book.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" and "Ruth Fever." Reviewer for Intriguing Authors and Their Books...

I was quite impressed with the authors knowledge about free campsites in Oregon. I enjoyed staying in Oregon for a week last month without hassling with campsite fees. Some areas were quite nice too. I recommend reading this book before camping out in Oregon.

If there's certain kinds of books that must be consistently updated, it'd be reference books, especially place references. I keep this book near and dear to my heart because it has great hikes, particularly ones that have small campsites that once the day-hikers go home are quiet and nice. But thee lack of an update is glaring. For example, the Table Rock (Molalla River Valley one) hike has a poor description of how to get there, as rapid growth in the Willamette Valley has changed the roads and towns on the way. Also, the trailhead is now around three or so miles earlier, since the road gave out in 1996. I cannot group this book with the outdated trash though, since it manages to capture a good idea, and also most books overlook Table Rock, period.

This book has been extremely helpful in planning our trip to oregon. We have found all sorts of information from rates, to ammenities to personal info on the owners. We were able to choose our b and b from this book with lots of confidence and knowledge.

This is a useful little guidebook, rating segments of the Timberline Trail and showing an elevation profile for each segment. Nice for those of us who prefer to select our trail segments with more downs than ups when possible! Each segment has a concise summary of what you can expect to find in terms of scenery and river crossings (not to be taken lightly on Mt Hood; these aren't little babbling mountain brooks, they're raging torrents that can roll hundred pound boulders with ease). For those who are doing car shuttles, each trail is also described for clockwise and for counterclockwise hiking (relative to the entire circle of the mountain). This also creates the only disadvantage to the book, that is, it's twice as long as it needs to be due to repeating the same information in reverse sequence. Backpackers would do well to photocopy only the relevant portion and leave the book at home. The authors also suggest the preferred direction for each trail segment, which is useful. This book is worth the price.

A group of militants, distrustful of all Federal Government Agencies and rules abducts the ex-wife (Ellen) of one of its members (Ridge) with the intention of forcing her father to print thier manifesto in his Oakland Ca. newspaper. Confused and scared, three days latter, Ridge realizes he has made a huge mistake and in the early morning hours sneaks Ellen back to her roomates parents home. Latter that day Ridge is found murdered with professional efficiency on a remote mountian road.
Because the kidnappers call themselves THE SENTRIES and are believed to be a domestic terror organization, the State Police and the F.B.I. are called in with thier entire "we know everything" attitude.
Meanwhile,with the help of amateur sleuth (Bea Ellis) the local Chief of Police (Ed Dunleavy) begins his own investigation with little support or encouragement from the State or Federal Agencies. With thier familiarity of the personalties and attitudes of the local powerful and not-so-powerful population in the small town of Bitterroot Oregon they discover the surprising leader and funding source behind the Sentries.
A timely, well written story with colorful charactors and a suprise ending. If you enjoyed the MURDER SHE WROTE T.V. series you will love this read and like me, be sorry when it's over.

It's very informative to anyone not acquainted with the lumber industry, or if you like to read historical books. Having lived in Drain, Oregon (20 miles south of Cottage Grove), I was excited to see names of people I have personally met and pictures of familiar places. Mr. Thoele has done a thorough research job on Bohemia from beginning to end. I ordered this book on May 15, and it has taken almost 2 months to read, so I don't recommend this book for light readers.

Gabe and Renee Roman were driving almost blind from the blizzard wracking the Oregon Mountains because he wanted to get home to put an end to this miserable trip. Renee and even their Husky Bo are frightened with this storm that leaves visibility at zero. However, Renee is also worried that she and Gabe are finished as a couple as they can no longer communicate and when they do the receiver misinterprets the sender. As Renee ponders the future, suddenly Gabe warns her as their vehicle plunges off the mountainside.

Perhaps it was the deep snow or more likely an act of God, but the three travelers survive the crash though Gabe is unconscious. Somehow they must survive the weather, their feelings towards one another, and a cougar with the most dangerous being their animosity, for to survive, they must work as a team and find their lost beliefs in God because they will need a miracle.

Inspirational romantic suspense readers will appreciate this delightful cliffhanger. Flashbacks provide depth to the lead couple, but also slows down the action caused by the current peril. The "re-finding" of God is brilliantly incorporated into the plot in a no atheist in the foxhole manner yet Karen Ball makes the growing hope and belief seem genuine, as readers will believe in miracles. Fans will reassess what is truly their personal THE BREAKING POINT while enjoying a powerful contemporary tale.

Harriet Klausner