Probasco's Favorite Northwest Flies: Tying And Fishing by fly tying expert Steve Probasco (who brings forty years of experience fishing the Northwest's waters to this "how to" book) is a superbly presented, thoroughly "user friendly" guide which is ideal for avid fly fishers aspiring to craft dozens upon dozens of different fly types. Step-by-step instructions, enhanced with color photography (often eight or more to illustrate the various stages of creating a specific fly lure) make Probasco's Favorite Northwest Flies a very highly recommended resource which all truly dedicated anglers should add to their personal fly-tying reference collections.

Excellent reference book for anyone who grows or plans to grow native plants. Will likely go out of print. Highly recommended for the native plant lover or nursery grower. Unusual book.

I enjoyed reading Jerry Gold's lively book of interviews. It is hard to understand how anybody could be so silly as to start a small press. What impressed me however was to see the range and depth and the money that can be made by publishing cook books, especially. You get a good cross-section of the intellectual and non-intellectual milieu of the northwest -- with all its paranoia, its utopianism, its peculiar optimism. I especially liked the interviews with Jean-Louis Brindamour, David Brewster, Dan Levant, and some of the older figures, whose interviews span decades, and give a sense of whole lives. Some of the younger people interviewed, especially if they grew up exclusively in the northwest, don't have as much to say. The book seems especially good from the viewpoint of understanding what makes publishers tick, psychologically. I liked the book and I'd personally rate it a ten, but I think the average book buyer might be a bit baffled by the reason for its existence. I see it as a very good oral history of a very interesting profession.

It's unlikely this book will be of much interest to anyone not living in the Tacoma area. Just the same, it is a colorful portrait of the city that used to be, the dreamers and scheamers who came so close to creating the west coast's hub city from scratch. The story of Tacoma's rapid rise to prominence, and its equally swift and steady decline is not only facinating, it delivers a valuable lesson on what still happens today when civic cheerleaders go blind with optimism.

This book is a must-read if you want to amuse and/or bore your fellow Tacomans with antecdotes on street names, unusual buildings, et cetera. Perfect fodder for Tacoma's burgeoning barstool-pundit culture.

Too much is made of obscure, humorless poets with grad school vocabularies and a tenth grade idea of what passes for truth. Dodge isn't one of those academic pretenders. He's the real deal: a living, breathing poet reporting back from the edge where body and mind give way to the world. My only complaint is that his poems aren't as outright funny as his wonderful novels. Fans of the poetry of Gary Snyder, Jim Harrison and the Beats should find much of value in this fine collection. Everyone else should, too.

Jo Ann Roe has written a magnificent book, adding considerable information and insight on Ranald MacDonald. In addition to the biographical content, she added valuable scope by describing and explaining the context, for instance the Japanese forces at play at the time of MacDonald's arrival, the gold rush in Australia and British Columbia, etc. Thanks to her lively style, Ranald MacDonald becomes very present to the reader. It is a remarkable historical research.

Collaboratively written by ornithologists Thomas Bosakowski and Dwight G. Smith, Raptors Of The Pacific Northwest is an informed and informative guidebook enhanced with splendid color photographs of hawks, falcons, owls, kites, and even turkey vultures native to the American Pacific Northwest. Detailed information is accessibly provided for each species' habitat, nesting and young-raising behaviors, diet, and much more are covered in this superbly presented field guide very highly recommended for anyone with a keen interest in this fascinating birds of prey.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to enjoy's Ray's Boathouse in Seattle knows what delicious food they serve! I was so excited to find that they had made a cookbook so that I could enjoy some of their dishes at home as well. From Dungeness Crab Cakes with Orange Tarragon Butter Sauce to Yakima Peach & Blackberry Crisp you will find making these Northwest treats easy and delicious for even the novice cook. The variety of seafood in the cookbook allows the rest of the country to experience the Northwest no matter where they live.

This great, classic history of Outward Bound in the United States has been updated to include the newer parts of Outward Bound including Expeditionary Learning, the highly successful school reform initiative.

One of the authors, Josh Miner, was responsible for bringing Outward Bound to the United States. He was there when it all started and his stories are so real and down to earth. This book is a must read for any one who has interest in Outward Bound or outdoor adventure in general.

Romance of Waterfalls is a unique book on the magnificent waterfalls within day-trip range of Portland, Oregon. The 252 page work combines the best of a hiking book, coffee table book, nature book, art book, and a work of poetry and literature.For each of its 100 featured waterfalls, it provides a photograph-like pencil drawing, complete directions, time and distance, map, description, nearby attractions, hazards, accessibility to the physically challenged, view and kissing spots, picnic areas, restrooms, historical trivia, and a poem. Introductory and reference sections offer advice on weather, children, pets, and safety, and information on local wildlife and plants, the Chinook language, and phone numbers for reservations, information, and emergencies. It contains 165 illustrations and 111 poems, all original works by the authors.This one of a kind book can be enjoyed year around by all families, couples, and individuals, it should be in the library of every resident and visitor to the Pacific Northwest.