J.J. Creighton has written a fascinating book on a largely unknown encounter between a group of art students and instructors and a group of traditional Native Americans. This happened in a rather remote area of the state (the Colville Reservation) in the 1930s when gravel roads were the norm. A wonderful record of life on the reservation has been preserved in the form of portraits and landscapes, many of which are illustrated in this book.

This book is an excellent source for understanding North American Indian customs and life style prior to the appearance of European settlers. It is very well documented with good authenticity. The journals by Nicholas Perrot are vivid and interesting.

I liked it. I learned a lot

Don't be misled into thinking this is a coffee-table book because it has so many stunning photographs! This is one of the most illuminating voyages into the spiritual landscape of the Inuit that I have ever come across. Through his friendships with Inuit elders born before their people had any sustained contact with Europeans, Mr. Hallendy obtained information about the uses and meanings of inuksuit rarely if ever shared with whites and nearly forgotten even by the elders of today. His extraordinary and inevitably personal interpretation of the words and phrases they used to "explain" these monuments evoke reflection on some of the larger and more universal aspects of religion and art--because another thing evident in this book is that these megaliths are an as yet under-appreciated form of three-dimensional Inuit art. They are sculpture at its most powerful, and Mr. Hallendy's photographs not only provide us with a chance to see these virtually inaccessible masterpieces, but fully capture the spiritual power emanating from them.

I loved the pictures in this book and the wonderful stories that go with them. I especially loved learning more about Helmi Juvonen. It is wonderful to see an artist of her calibre receiving this kind of recognition and to see such an excellent overview of Northwestern art. Wes Wehr's drawings, particuarly the Aztec High Priestess with the sparkplugs in her headress, are quintessential examples of his droll part-kachina, part-insect, part-outer-space "Little Monsters". I highly recommend this volume to anyone interested in experiencing the unique qualities of Northwestern art.

Lovers of the African Kora, the 21-string traditional African harp, will enjoy the gentle sounds of this CD. This is mostly string music (kora, nyanyer, electric kora) supplemented by the balafon and drums of the area.

The music originates in West Africa - in the countries of Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Mali, and showcases the Griots (or Jalis) of West Africa. Because it is the place where many of America's slaves come from, West African culture has strongly impacted life in the USA.

For 800 years - since the beginning of the great Malian empire - Griots have preserved their region's history and lore, passing them down orally through arduous apprenticeships, providing cultural cohesion that endured both colonialisation and its aftermath.

The names of the musicians on the album read like a who's who of the musicians caste of West Africa: Kuyateh, Suso, Jobarteh, and others. Featured on the album is Foday Musa Suso, who is well known in the West. To this, add some of the best Western names in the business, like 20th Century minimalist composer Philip Glass, Jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and the production skills of Bill Laswell, and you end up with a very professional cross-over product, and certainly a very interesting mix.

Ellipsis Arts has a history of making beautiful music box sets. Like most of their products, Jali Kunda comes with a mid-format full-colour book of 96 pages, about the music, the people, the history, and the countries. Highly Recommended.

I can't say enough nice things about this slim littlecookbook. First, every recipe I've tried has been stellar -- and I'veused the recipes with several dinner parties to rave reviews. Second, I appreciate the organization. Sarich classifies every recipe by seasonability of ingredents, cost of ingredients, and time needed for preparation...very helpful features that I wish more cookbooks shared. Third, I like the lay-flat spiral binding, which makes it handy to use. Fourth, the presentation and photography are beautiful. Interestingly, I've bragged up book to several out-of-town guests, and they've purchased the book (even though they don't live in the Pacific Northwest). Additionally, the indices at the back of the book include wine and food/herbs/spices pairing, wine descriptions, and useful lists of ingredients to have on hand depending on what type of cuisine you tend to cook.

Thomas Lacy has done an excellent job of building a sense of place for the Priest Lake area in this book. He has done this by keeping alive the human histories of the common, unsung inhabitants of a wild and beautiful region; people whose lives and everyday living were shaped by the rugged environment. In these times of a mobile busy society it is good to take of book like Kaniksu and look back to the days and places where human history and the natural environment moved down parallel trails.

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kaya'aton'my', a nine-year-old Native-American girl growing up among the Nez Perce people in 1764. In this book, when Kaya losses a footrace against a girl from another tribe, she becomes jealous; but things go from bad to worse when it turns out that this same girl has become friends with Kaya's sister, Speaking Rain. Eventually, though, Kaya realizes that her jealousy has gone too far, and when a crisis hits, Kaya learns that there is much to be gained by working together.

This is another excellent American Girl story. My twelve-year-old daughter is a great fan of Kaya, and I must admit that I like the stories as well. I like the lesson that Kaya learns in this story, plus I like the story and illustrations for themselves. This is a very good book, one that my daughter and I both highly recommend.

Lots of good trips, lots of tips about timing your trip with the tides for a more enjoyable and safe trip. Good list of saftey tips. No book is a subsitute for experience but with this on you are less likely to get into trouble. The Puget Sound region has a lot of good open water kayaking and this book covers a lot of that ground.