This book offers a very detailed account of the history of the Napa Valley. Thoroughly researched and well presented.

A young naturalist sets out to single-handedly explore the Amazon basin in the mid-19th century, his only help being Indian guides and interpreters.
This book is so refreshing after reading other travelogues that are either too introspective or full of overblown hyperbole. Mr.Wallace is, I admit, a favourite author of mine, but there is nothing partisan in my praise for his writing ability; in another, later, book he says he is no writer, but his minute descriptions of people, places and environs conjures up mental pictures almost as good as a video. He doesn't over-elaborate points, but describes them so well that any more words would be superfluous. Having read Humboldt's descriptions of the same areas, I know whose I prefer - one can almost smell the soil and foliage.
Reading the book today, there is something a little disturbing in the casual way he shoots everything that crosses his path to add to his collection, but when we consider the alternative of drawing and measuring each item on the spot (no cameras then) and the hyper-abundance of animal life in the forest at that time, it is no wonder he takes the easy option. There was no environmental crisis nor any need for species protection in those days - an area the size of Europe was governed from a town of 15.000 people!

He poses some questions that underpin the theory of evolution by natural selection, and it is interesting to observe first-hand the mental process of trying to understand why and how different species became adapted to a particular shape and lifestyle. Wallace and Darwin corresponded and independently arrived at the same result, which culminated in 'The Origin of Species' (also recommended); although Wallace had doubts about the completeness of the theory, believing in a higher authority which lent a helping hand now and again - reminding us a little of the modern-day clash between Gould & Dawkins.

A great example of good travel writing *****
This review refers to the original 1889 copy.

This book is gorgeous. It is loaded with wonderful photos of Mt. Everest, the mountaineers, the local people, and the Nepali Himalyan region. The photos really convey the feeling that you are there. The text interestingly details the expedition and is well written. More than just a coffee table book.

Native American Legends Of The Great Lakes And The Mississippi Valley is an outstanding collection of legends, tales and myths drawn from the Native American peoples of the Great Lakes area, the Midwest, and the Mississippi River valley. This rich and diverse collection reveals the central beliefs and reflects the guiding principles of Winnebago, Ojibwa, Menominee, and other native tribes, providing the reader with insights into their outlook and aspirations. Native American Legends Of The Great Lakes And The Mississippi Valley is a welcome addition to personal, academic, and community library Native American Studies reading lists and reference collections.

This book is a monumental work on Buddhist monuments in Kathmandu Valley (Nepal). It has requred a thorough study and long periods of fielwork in the country itself. Not only the graphics, including black-and-white photos and line drawings, give a very elegant impression, but the reader is also impressed of the very thorough and accurate descriptions of monuments with technical terms given in Sanskrit or local languages. Though this work gives a lot to those who are eager to study the history of oriental arts, its mere browsing is delightful to anyone.

This is a great book, with photographs from Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. The Nile in Egypt is what we are used to see photographed, so it is interesting to see other sides of this great river. The photos are simply stunning!

This charming 1998 edition of Mary Trumbull Prime's travel diary from a voyage up the Nile during the winter season of 1855/1856, NILE JOURNEYS, edited by Charles Derowitsch, makes an interesting and curious addition to an earlier account of the same trip, published by Mr. Prime way back in 1857, within a year or two of the voyage. William Cowper Prime, 1825-1905, was an early Trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1857, Harper and Brothers of New York published two volumes comprising Mr. Prime's account of their travels to Egypt and the Holy Land: BOAT LIFE IN EGYPT AND NUBIA and TENT LIFE IN THE HOLY LAND. Insofar as this reader can determine, Mr. Derowitsch was completely unaware of the important link between Mrs. Prime's travel diary and her husband's earlier publication. Beyond doubt, the woman's point of view is valuable for its own sake, but the editor might have avoided a number of misreadings of Mrs. Prime's handwriting if he had done his homework and used her husband's version of the voyage as a constant reference.

This book is a must have for anyone who is seeking truth. The information leads you to a brink of brand new enlightenment.Nile Valley Contributions... is the beginning of the real story...

Socialwk@mail.com- email me if you come across another must have such as this

this is my favorite svh book so far! you will never guess what happens.... if you dont read it youll miss out on a great story!

NORTH BANK explores the patterns and the feelings of recreating a home place. After the author and his wife buy a home beside the Rogue River, he sets about discovering the locale--the hillsides, the neighbors, the rivers, the fly-fishing riffles. What began as strange landscape gradually takes on a familiar and valued quality. This book engages the process of rediscovery that we all experience, in some form, when we move from one place to another and set about putting down new roots. Because the author loves rivers and flyfishing, his particular process has much to do with the rivers and smaller coastal streams of the region. But there is more than fishing here. A wonderful read.