Faith in a Seed, a collection of Henry David Thoreau's late nature writings, deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the plant sciences or Thoreau's life and work. This volume consists of four previously-unpublished manuscripts, which the author left uncompleted when he died in 1862. Although compiled of rough drafts, Faith in a Seed is still very readable and enjoyable. Thoreau's last major project, The Dispersion of Seeds, fills most of this book. In it, he describes the seeds of various New England plants, as well as how they are disseminated by way of animals and the elements. The philosopher of Walden Pond roams the woods, fields, and swamps of "a world that is already planted, but is also still being planted as at first." Although this is a scientific work, Thoreau's wonderful voice and way with metaphor permeates every page, making for a very pleasurable read. Of historical interest, Thoreau was one of the first American scientists to embrace Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The idea of an ever-changing earth coincided with Thoreau's own beliefs. He felt that "the development theory implies a greater vital force in Nature, because it is more flexible and accommodating, and equivalent to a sort of constant new creation." In addition to the cornerstone of this book, The Dispersion of Seeds, three shorter selections are included. In Wild Fruits, Thoreau writes about the joys of hunting for wild berries, and teaches that "the value of any experience is measured, not by the amount of money, but the amount of development we get out of it." Weeds and Grasses and Forest Trees elaborate on the ideas of plant propagation and forest succession illustrated in The Dispersion of Seeds. On the whole, I found this book to be a welcome addition to my Thoreau collection. Even in his late years, as he became more and more interested in the technicalities of nature, he still dearly loved the wild; and this comes through in Faith in a Seed. Come, saunter with Henry through dark pitch-pine groves, the huckleberry fields of Fair Haven Hill, and the seedling-lined banks of the Concord River. Discover that "the very earth itself is a granary and a seminary."

Dublin's Farm to Factory contains real, unedited letters about 19th century factory girls in Massachusets and New Hampshire. The book provides great insight on the daily lives of these women, and how many were torn on becoming independent and working for themselves and staying home with their families. Lowell, Mass. becaming a largely industraial city because of these women. The book also shows how women were just one source of cheap labor at the time and how they were not always treated fairly by the mill owners, and how their lives were sometimes dictated by these people. The book is a very good historical source, as it provides quite a few letters, some from the same women (this helps the reader identify with the worker as a person and not just a historical figure), and some pictures of the town are included throughout the book. My only complaint is the lenght of the book, it can become rather tiring towards the end. My suggestion would be to read it in small doses so you can absorb everything and come out with a better understanding of it at the end.

Fodor's Boston Citypack is a compact guide small enough to easily fit into a breast pocket. Despite its small size it is packed with concise and practical information about Boston and environs. It contains sample tour days with clear directions as well as a fold-out map inside the back cover. Recommendations for hotels, historical sites, and restaurants are brief and to the point. I found it an easy read and helpful companion as I walked the Freedom Trail and rode the public transportation. Well worth the price.

The Fordor guides are a good source for the various locations around the globe. They are not as good as the Arthur Frommer guides. The Fodor guides are not for the budget traveler. They focus on the pricier accommodations and restaurants. But, what they do rate there is a wonderful detailed description. The maps could be a little more detailed.

I found this book to be informative and easy to follow. I received great ideas for my vacation in Cape Cod and feel more reassured that I will have a great time there. I alwasy use Frommer's books in planning any vaction or outing! I definatly reccomend it!

This is my first Frommer's guide book. The map is great and better than Fodor's. The accomodation section is definitely the best part of the whole book. Arthur Frommer is really a penny pincher. For twenty something travelers who want to go the night spots will have to ask around or go with Lonely Planet. This book is a 5 star for the budget consicious older folks and anybody traveling with families.

We used this guide on our recent trip to Maine, from Portland north to Bar Harbor. The suggestions about economical lodging in Bar Harbor alone saved us over $200! We are passingly familiar with all of New England, and we found this guide to be the most useful of the three we had with us (this one, Fodor's, and AAA). I would recommend it alone if you have to choose just one guidebook for your trip.

This book proved itself very useful for out weekend drive up the coast. Naturally, there are many places to stay or dine, but you can't list them all (in this "portable" book). However, we did need to purchase a Maine Highway Map for better directions. I wish I'd gotten the book BEFORE I made Hotel reservations!

Frommer's guidebook provides an excellent overview of the sights to see, things to do, and places to stay in the three Northern New England states of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. The overviews are very accurate and provide a good description of the places, making the book an excellent way to decide where to go in the areas, and a good guidebook once you arrive.

The biggest problem with the book is that there is not enough individual descriptions of each area. Chances are most tourists are not visiting several regions in all three states, but are choosing one or two to explore in-depth. For example, I went to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park in Maine, an area that was given around 20 pages of coverage. Therefore, more research on the specific areas you plan to visit will probably be necessary to help you get the absolute most out of your trip!

This book is comprised of a series of articles spanning the past 25 years, from Boston's pre-eminent feminist newspaper, "Sojourner, The Women's Forum". The articles are organized in chapters by issue area with thoughtful essay/introductions by Ms. Kahn. If you like reading alternative publications, you will like reading the articles in this book! And, the book provides a great overview of the feminist movement of the 70's, 80's and 90's.