If you enjoy climbing, hiking, and first hand historical perspective you must find this book!

This book made my visit to Olympic Nat'l Park so much better -- made identifying flowers quite easy (they're grouped by colors so tracking down the right one's a snap). Accompanying text was interesting and the photos are top-notch.

Recommended for anyone interest in wildflowers or those who just want get a little more from any outdoor travel in the West!

For those of us with an interest in geology, but no degree in the field, this is a well written, easy to read and understand treatment of the subject of Cascades volcanos. It was a thoroughly enjoyable adventure into the world of vulcanism. Well worth reading.

Stephen Harris may be one of the last non-specialist authors. He doesn't confound the reader with copious scientific jargon. Insstead he conveys his love for what may be one of the last wild regions in the United States. In addition to excellent, understandable discussions of each volcano's potential danger and past history, Harris' technique enables the reader to use his book and a simple road map to plot the reader's own choice of which delightful scenic areas to visit.We visited the Oregon and southern Washington Cascades, as well as Mount Shasta, last September, and without Harris' well-planned guidebook, we would have missed many sights, such as Mount Newberry, and would have failed to fully appreciate others, such as the Columbia Gorge.
Harris' doesn't overwhelm the reader with propaganda about environmental spoliation by logging companies, but simply lets the facts speak for themselves. The book is an absolute must for anyone planning a vacation, in whole or in part, in the Cascades or Mono Lake region.

"Fire Mountains of the West" is a well-done account of the volcanoes of the Cascade chain, plus the Mono Lake/Long Valley caldera. I enjoyed each chapeter--indeed have read some two or three times (Mt. Hood and Crater Lake, of course!). The text incorporates all the volconologic knowledge of the 'Cades volcanoes to date (1988 for my copy). This would be a good book for the beginning reader of volcanoes, as well as the more informed home volcanologist. As an artist, I appreciated Chris Hunter's careful line drawings, which depicted the volcanoes, some of the prehistorical eruptions (Mazama), and detailed geological maps. All in all, a book that's worth every cent.

It's winter in Alpine and the beauty of the snow-covered landscape is lessened by the discovery of a woman's leg, and eventually of another woman's dead body. Emma Lord, intrepid owner of the Alpine Advocate newspaper, is on the alert, looking for clues which will lead to the murderer. She has lots of suspects which lead to a good number of red herrings, a requirement for a good mystery. In this book she is joined by her brother, Ben, a rather irreverant priest who is a welcome new character. Daheim does her usual good job and this will be pleasing to "cozy" fans.

So far, I've read three of the books in the Emma Lord mystery series and they've all been great! Ms. Daheim does a great job of keeping the reader in suspense throughout the whole book. Every character is continually developed throughout the whole series making each book in the series interesting! Most series get dull after a while, but not the Emma Lord mysteries!

I can't wait to visit Alpine again

Great photography and clear prose. The book left me wanting a little more, though. You can breeze through this in a couple hours! The subject matter covered is diverse and uniformly interesting. Again, I just wish there could have been a little more.

This book really captures the grandeur of the North Cascades (Washington's end of the range). While Martin's text is occasionally a little tough to plod through (seven of the eight chapters are written in a journal format, which drags once in a while), his mesmerizing photographs make up for this minor shortcoming. The vivid photographs show us the breathtaking beauty of these still wild mountains, the beauty that has captivated and still captivates people as diverse as Fred Beckey (the legendary climber who claims hundreds of first ascents in the range) and Pulitzer Prize-winning Zen poet Gary Snyder (whom Martin once took a hike with).

Martin takes us up some of the major peaks, from gentle Ruth Mountain to gorgeous Mt. Shuksan and from massive Glacier Peak to the rugged ridges of the Pickets. In between, he devotes a chapter (the best in the book) to poets Kenneth Rexroth, Jack Kerouac, Gary Snyder, and Allen Ginsburg (one of the only major Beat poets not to cultivate a life-long relationship with the Cascades). There's also a chapter on mountain wildlife.

All in all a great book not to be missed.

This book is a wonderful marriage of clear prose and stunning photographs. Few people know about the highest and most rugged corner of the Cascades, but Martin conveys its grandeur and beauty.I expected climbing stories and natural history, but a chapter on beatniks? It's a quirky book but it all hangs together. Worth it for the photography alone.

A useful guide with great pictures. I recommend it to anyone skiing the backcountry in the norhtwest.

Oregon Descents is the best guide to the area for skiers and boarders. All the classic peak descents are here and a few great stashes too. The aerial photos offer excellent perspective while the route descriptions hold all the info you need to know. This book inspires confidnece - It is obvious the author has actually skied the routes!

The book is extreamly well writen and inspires confidance. I've used the book more than once to organize a backcoutry tele trip with friends and they are always impressed with the routes we take. And the pictures are wonderful.

I read the book nearly cover to cover and was disappointed at how little direct help I found for vegetable gardening in my small Seattle back yard. Since the majority of folks living "West of the Cascades" don't garden on the acreage the author enjoys, I felt a little duped by the title. I know I'd appreciate a chapter in the book dedicated to those of us who garden in 200 square feet or less.

I've only been gardening for a year or so, but in that short time I've read more than my share of gardening books and advice online. Mr. Solomon's book is a great inspiration -- he provides no-nonsense, practical, honest advice about how to plan for and expect the best from your garden. After reading this, I finally feel mentally equipped to get the most from my backyard.

However, I'll agree with another reviewer: this book has a definite "homestead" bent which doesn't apply well to us city folk. While the self-sufficiency angle is interesting and doesn't lead to any irrelevant tangents, it would be nice for a chapter or two on planning and management for small (less than 200 square feet) gardens. Maybe in the next edition?

The book is well-organized, and the writing is pleasant and easy to follow. If you live in western Oregon, Washington, or BC, then this book is a must-read.

I loved this book! I knew very little about growing vegetables and needed step by step instructions and confidence. I even ordered the lettuce from Territorial Seed Co. on the last page and they grew well! If you live in the Northwest and want to grow vegies organically and as a bonus, harvest year round, and don't want to spend alot of money on a book, buy this book!

I think Don't Waste Your Time in the North Cascades will compel you to get out even more. I've lived in Bellingham for most of my life. I know the Cascades well. I'm a very experienced hiker and mountaineer. That negative-minded Mike who put this book down isn't comparing apples with apples. Most people would be appalled with the difficulty of the scrambles in the book that he thinks is so good. Most people want trails and need trails. And there's a terrific network of trails in the Cascades. The Copelands' book is an invaluable guide for the vast majority of hikers.

What that Mike dude doesn't tell you is how much work it takes to go beyond the end the Perry trail and climb up those mountains unaided by trail. Dickerman has a moderately-ascending, switchbacking trail that makes the 4,000 foot ascent pleasant. Copelands didn't write their book for a handful of scramblers.

In addition to having thorough and accurate trail descriptions, this book is literature: intelligent, enjoyable, inspiring. And it's obvious the Copelands love hiking, as this quote displays: "At Whatcom Pass you'll stand in awe of cloud-bursting Whatcom Peak and heart-stopping Challenger Glacier. For those whose place of worship is the mountains, hiking this grand loop (Trip 88) feels like a pilgrimage."

This is a tremendous resource, particularly for the occassional hiker/backpacker. One could say that _all_ of the Cascades are beautiful--and they are. But too often, books by the Mountaineers make everything sound wonderful, even if its been clear-cut, has limited views, or is crowded. I've never had a bad time in the Cascades, but some hikes are less spectacular than others.

If you're only heading into the woods a few times a year, why not shoot for the very best? I cherish this book, and very much appreciate its candor and descriptions. It is, without a doubt, the best trail guide I have ever read. Let's hope for more of these guides. Happy hiking!

Living in the shadow of Mt. Baker, I am blessed with the opportunity of hiking the North Cascades all summer long. As a result, I've hiked many of the trails in this book, from "Premier" to "Don't Do." In my opinion, the Copeland's advice is right on track. Another reviewer said something to the effect of "if you read their book you'll miss a lot of opportunities." True, but no guide can cover every trail, and of the 104 trails featured, only 15 are classified as "Don't Do." If you're not familiar with the region this book can help you discover the real gems, which is worth the cost of the book if you only have a short time to spend in our little slice of heaven.

Both these stories are pretty easy and quick to read, Zahn's Cascade Point being the easier one. Like most of Zahn's stories it takes a single sf idea - the "cascade point" at which you see all possible alternate realities at once - and explores it. I found the idea kind of interesting, but a little contrived.
The other story, Greg Bear's Hardfought, blew my mind. At first the narrative is a little confusing, but once you get used to that it's okay. It deals with an interstellar war in the extreme future of humanity, and the ways our species has evolved and adapted to the war's requirements. I read this a few years ago, so I don't remember specific points too clearly, but I can remember the way Bear wrote it. Bear has never been interested in making his narratives straightforward or simple, either in the complexity of the plot or in the prose he uses, and this is no exception. Some people are probably put off by the narrative not being totally clear, but I loved it (and I'm sure that if you read it a little slower and think a little more, it will all make sense).

Seems some of the previous reviwers overlooked the fact that there were two authors involved in this work. Although I like Timothy Zahn a lot, I'm a dyed in the wool Bear fan, and Hardfought is one of the few shorts (of any author) I re-read over and over again. Shoehorned into this story are commentaries on the consequences of total war, cloning, social changes over vast periods of time, political back-handedness, speciesism, and manipulation of popular culture. Plus ripping action and even some tepid sex! The open-ended ending appeals to me too...I'm sure the editors hated it. Another example of Bear's mastery. Oh, and Zahn's story was good too.

Just Superb! The way Mr. Zahn writes as usual makes me wish for more. Now, the cascade point idea is one of the best in Sci Fi, clever and original. I only regret that the book is not as big as I would wanted it to be, but it makes for an excelent reading for those Sci Fi readers. Highly reccomended!

One of the best read aloud books ever, Indian in the Cupboard takes us on a magical journey to childhood where fantasies seem real. A young boy is in charge of a tiny, feisty indian whom he keeps in a special cupboard with a key that only he holds. He learns the excitement, value and caretaking responsibility of another human being. The imagination and detail draw the reader right into the story. As a school teacher and mother, I have experienced an emotional bonding with my students and son through this book. My son, 9 at the time, put his hands over his face and said, "Mom, this is my favorite book in the whole world." I felt a surge of joy as I watched my son become hooked on reading. One student unknowingly gave Lynne Reid Banks a wonderful compliment when I attempted to show the class a sketch of a picture in the book..."No! Don't show us the pictures!", and quickly covered his face. The descriptions and story-line of this book make it a DON'T MISS for your child's growing up years! RaNae Palme

Mrs. Bedwell read this book out loud to my third grade class, and years later as I finish up grad school it still holds a special place in my heart.
The adventure begins when Omri discovers that a magical cupboard given to him on his birthday brings to life plastic toys. When he animates Little Bear, a plastic indian that lived about the time of the French Indian War, Omri's perspective on life changes.
What's special about this book is the how resectfully and seriously it takes the it's young characters and their conflicts. Omri and his friend Patrick discover that Little Bear is no toy, he is a real human being with actual life experiences. He has killed people, eats and sleeps, and remembers his own life and culture. As the two boys deal with the reality of keeping a real person concealed from others, they realize that they can't trifle with others' lives. It is this realization, and Omri's ultimate decision regarding Little Bear that make this a lovely coming of age story. Omri and Patrick learn to repect others and their beliefs.
Although Little Bear, the Native American toy brought to life is called an Indian, this book, I feel, is not chracterized by racism or stereotypes. Little Bear is not a western move redman, he's a real human being with a real human personality, and portrayed respectfully and realistically (as much as he can be, considering the plot).
This book is a definite must read for any kid, or kid at heart, who wonders what would happen if toys came to life.
"The Indian in the Cupboard" is one of four books, thought this one is the best. The final book, in which readers learn what makes the cuboard magical in the first place, detracts from the magic amd mystery of the first three books.

This book was amazing! I find many books that I liked but this one's in the top ten. Lynne Reid Banks must have a lot of imagination if she is able to create a full and exciting book with a boy and an action figure.
I remember that when I was growing up I always wanted to have my toys come alive. This story is terriffic and now that I have the sequel I can't wait to read it. I also plan on reading the other books. I got the list of this series and listed it below.

The Indian in the Cupboard

The Return of the Indian (the one I'm reading)

The Secret of the Indian

The Mystery of the Cupboard

The Key to the Indian.

I plan on reading all these books in order and enjoying them from cover to cover.