I use this book everytime I go hikin

Anyone who's ever visited Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine, knows the owners are sticklers for exquisite detail. From the views of the lush and meticulous one-acre garden out the freshly painted farmhouse windows, to the seasonal food artfully arranged on the plate, the experience is a treat for the eye as well as the palate. With the garden full of flowers, herbs, vegetables and heirloom tomatoes for inspiration, the food is creative and bursting with bright and subtle flavors.

The owners' first book reflects this with a balanced presentation of recipes, gardening advice and personal details. Organized seasonally, the authors showcase Maine staples such as lobster, Maine shrimp and cod and halibut, fiddleheads and blueberries. But the fiddleheads come served in brown butter with Bundnerfleisch, a German cured beef (you could also substitute prosciutto or smoked salmon); the lobster comes in an Asparagus Soup with Lobster, Morels and Chervil, and the lobster salad is served, not with mayonnaise, but with Tomato-Tarragon Vinaigrette.

The authors cross cultures freely and do not mind a little extra effort for a spectacular result. The skewers for the Chinese-inspired Grilled Lamb Brochettes on Basil Skewers with Spicy Basil-Cilantro Marinade, for instance, are basil stems left to dry over the winter.

Each chapter opens with a short essay on the season and state of the garden (which provides 90 percent of the restaurant's produce) and business, then moves on to feature appetizers, main and side dishes, sauces and desserts. Recipes are prefaced with short, useful notes on growing (even in Maine, "tomatillos grow like weeds"), selecting (the best piece of bluefin tuna, for instance), variations, accompaniments, and cooking tips.

Interspersed with the recipes are short gardening pieces - how to grow tomatoes or peppers, growing and using herbs, watering with soaker hoses, using up zucchini, making the most of a small space, edible flowers, saving seeds and lots more.

But the food is what Arrows veterans are looking for here. For a tantalizing taste of summer, try a Sweet and Sour Fennel Salad or a simple plate of Marinated Tomatoes or a Sugar Snap Pea and Rock Shrimp Salad. Then maybe some Maine Sweet Clams with Risotto and Arugula, or Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Herbs and Caramelized Onions. Accompanied perhaps by some Thai-Style Corn-on-the-Cob (soaked in coconut milk, grilled), or Yam and Leek Gratin, and your own Onion and Rosemary Focaccia. Topped off with Cinnamon Basil Shortcakes with Peaches or Blueberry Ice Cream or Steamed Raspberry Pudding.

This is an attractive, personable, conversational book, as much fun to cook from as to browse. The recipes are not difficult, though some are time consuming and many feature ingredients you can find, but not necessarily at the local supermarket (but isn't a new discovery half the fun?). A delightful book and a kitchen inspiration.

This Atlantic Cruising Club Guide to New England Marinas is well organized, laid out and easy to navigate. The book and CD are complimentary to each other - plus allows the skipper to use one medium while the first-mate uses the other! ;-)

A superbly presented compendium of two dozen classic ski and snowboard tours throughout the states of Vermont and New York, David Goodman's Backcountry Skiing Adventures offers the best routes, equipment and backcountry riding tips; topographic maps and photos for each tour; information on avalanche awareness, winter camping, gear, safety, and first aid. This absolutely user friendly outdoor guide is a "must" for anyone planning a skiing or snowboarding excursion in Vermont or New York. Also very highly recommended is the other title in this outstanding Appalachian Mountain Club "Backcountry Skiing Adventures" series: Classic Ski and Snowboard Tours in Maine and New Hampshire.

I am the author of Becoming Cape Cod: The Creation of a Seaside Resort, which is the first book to tell the history of Cape Cod's development as a vacation mecca. This book traces Cape Cod's resort history from its discovery by Henry David Thoreau before the Civil War to the present day. It is lavishly illustrated with rare historical postcards.

Becoming Cape Cod has three main sections: 1870-1920, on the early years of the resort; 1920-1950, on the impact of the automobile on creating a tourist region with common marketing, a plethora of attractions, and a strong heritage appeal; 1950-2000, on measures taken to preserve the Cape in the face of overdevelopment.

The decisive moment for the Cape's development was the coming of the automobile during the 1920s. For the first time, tourists were able to explore the entire region. As a result a plethora of cottage colonies, restaurants, antique shops, and historical landmarks appeared. After World War II, a boom ensued that continues to the present day. Cape Cod's greatest challenge has been preserving the natural environment, historic buildings, and cultural traditions that have shaped the Cape's sense of place. Becoming Cape Cod drew upon my experiences working at the Cape Cod Commission, a regional planning agency, in writing this book. Part social history, part cautionary tale, Becoming Cape Cod meditates upon how to preserve authentic places against continuing growth pressures.

The Cape Cod Voice has called Becoming Cape Cod "an intriguing combination of historical research, overview and statistics, with a fun visual hook." The Cape Codder said the book is "a welcome and important addition to the Cape Cod history library."

My other publications include three books and numerous articles on Boston, Western Massachusetts, and urban history.

I found the book very interesting and informative since I grew up in Brattleboro. I treasure the book since my father was one of the co-authors (Richard H. Wellman)

This book is a wonderful read; simple yet complex at the same time. It is an indepth look at exactly what it's like growing up as a young man, full of first experiances. His views of society are insightful yet subtle as they are interjected periodically in the middle of a story. I could'nt help but feel a strong connection with the author. It's like his experiances back then are the same we face today. A delightful book, and a must read for any young man. Get a hold of this book any way you can!

Now in an thoroughly updated and expanded, The Berkshire Book: A Complete Guide by hiker, newspaper publisher, and travel writer Lauren R. Stevens, is an informed and informative travel resource ideal for anyone vacationing in the Berkshire county of Massachusetts. After providing a history of the area, individual chapters are filled with information on transportation, lodgings, dining, fine arts, recreation, shopping, and much, much more in this packed, tell-all, detail-laden guide. If you are going to find yourself in Berkshire country, Lauren Steven's The Berkshire Book is the travel guide for you!

It is hard to imagine another region that can boast more consistently interesting writers per square foot than the beautiful Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts.
The present volume has gathered many, from the 1600's to our own time, always with an eye for local color and the good read. Along the way we meet some interesting residents and visitors (Francis Parkman, Charles Dickens), sample some old favorites, Hawthorne, Melville, and Wharton, among others, and are pleased to become acquainted with the fine writing of Paul Metcalf and Don Gifford.
Altogether a delight for anyone who cherishes good reading, and especially of course for those who love the area.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

A wonderful pictorial sample of life in Berlin New Hampshire. A beautiful and hard to come by book!!! If you have roots in this area, you should have this book.