This book is very informative. I do have a warning though. On page 44 Canoe Shack is listed as canoe rental. On November 24, 2001 I had scheduled a drop off with this outfitt. Canoe Shack never fullfilled its obligation. No explination was given. Perhaps the author should omit this outfitt in future editions.

This is a very useful book. It is easy to read and gets you where you want to be - on the water.

Illinois is a lot more fun than people realize.

A native of Illinois, Mike Svob has canoed the steams of the Midwest for thirty years. In Paddling Illinois he draws upon his experience and expertise in showcasing sixty-four outstanding trips for canoe and kayak. Each trip route features detailed maps showing roads, put-ins and take-outs, significant rapids, mileage, fascinating points of interest, and other useful information. General summaries are provided covering camping opportunities, water levels, shuttle routes, access points, canoe rentals and/or shuttle services. Paddling Illinois is additionally enhanced information on fishing opportunities, river reading and maneuvers, and special safety factors. Highly recommended for both novice and experienced canoeists and kayakers.

If you are planning a trip to visit lighthouses in Michigan and are not familiar with MI do not do it unless you buy this book. I used this book to visit about 50 of the 116 lights. I would have visited more except the rest are out in the water or on islands.
I have the previous edition of this book and it only has a
few color photos. This newer edition may have more. There are several B&W photos in the edition I have.
Laurie Penrose also has these books:
A Traveler's Guide to 100 Eastern Great Lakes Lighthouses
A Traveler's Guide to 116 Western Great Lakes Lighthouses

Just this past May (2001), I toured to most of Lower Michigan's lighthouses. Starting in St. Joseph and traveling north to Old Mackinac, then up to Whitefish Point in the UP, then back down in the Lower Peninsula. Once in the Lower Peninsula, we followed Lake Huron south to Marine City and then crossed over into Canada for our trip back to Buffalo. All I can say is...WHAT A GREAT BOOK. The biggest thing that I like about it is it includes directions to each light. What a concept. This book, coupled with my Garmin Streetpilot GPS unit got us everywhere we wanted to go without guessing. All together, we visited about 44 lighthouses and took over 30 rolls of film. ...

I am a freelance photographer that travels the State of Michigan. This book is by my side when I plan trips and when on the road. It is organized logically in a trip around the state. Each light has a complete and detailed map and distances are almost always correct

The "great river" is the Mississippi River that provides the western border of Wisconsin. This 250 mile stretch of the river showcases spectacular scenery. Beginning in the north at Prescott, and continuing down to Potosi in the south, there is a superb highway running down along side which is called the "Great River Road". Norm Rogers and Chris Dinesen Rogers have collaborated to produce for the traveler or vacationer traveling along this highway system a highly recommended and very portable compendium of 101 suggestions of things to do and see. Designed with one specific suggestion per page, each entry also includes a specific and relevant fact. If you are planning a day-trip or an extended weekend along Wisconsin's share of the Great River Road, then begin planning your itinerary by browsing through the pages of Norm and Chris Rogers' 101 Things To Do On The Wisconsin Great River Road!

For the past several years, Chris and I have traveled the Great River Road in Wisconsin, and while doing so, looked for the perfect travel guide. Everything we found seemed to be self-serving, paid advertisements, so we decided to write our own. "101 Things To Do" is a list of fun things that can be enjoyed by the entire family. It turned out to be the best little book. Even after driving the Road a dozen times, it still keeps us busy. I would recommend this book to anyone.

A delightful travel companion with interesting suggestions and fun trivia! Definitely leads you down the "road less traveled" with great results!

Now this is a guidebook, written by Branson "local" Carol Shaffer. Branson's Best Day Trips mixes area history (better than any show!) and photographs with a complete guide to Ozark attractions from shows to inexpensive day trips in the area. After all, the Ozarks do not begin and end on the Strip; Shaffer takes you to surrounding communities, and provides 19 maps and detailed directions clear enough for even the most directionally-impaired traveler! To top it off, Shaffer's writing style is delightful. We highly recommend this book.

We used this book throughout our vacation. The maps were great. Our favorite chapter was the one to Branson's free attractions. We would have missed a lot had it not been for this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Wow, what a great book! I can't believe how much information is in here. Carol obviously knows the area and I think she was able to explain a little of the background behind the different places without becoming a history lesson. I also think the maps are very clear and plenty easy to read and I think the text was well written. I especially like the section on how to navigate the various side-roads (if you've been to Branson you know how bad the traffic can be). I went on vacation to Branson before but only got to see a third of what is in this book - now I can't wait to go back again!

The collaborative effort of writers Kirk Deeter, Andrew Steketee, and photographer Liz Steketee, Castwork: Reflections Of Fly Fishing Guides And The American West is a unique and remarkable book about thirteen people who intimately know the best fly-fishing for thirteen different American rivers. Wonderfully illustrated with black/white photographs throughout, and featuring candid portraits of the people who know and love fishing as a true joy in life, Castwork is a fine coffee-table book for devoted anglers that is as much fun to browse through as it is to learn from. Castwork is especially recommended for anyone setting forth to fish the waters of the Bighorn River, Colorado River, Snake River, San Juan River, Missouri River, Silver Creek, Yellowstone River, South Platte River, Green River, Beaverhead River, Roaring Fork River, or Henry's Fork of the Snake River.

This is a classy book. If you aren't learning, you aren't reading. If you don't enjoy the view, you aren't looking. In Castwork, we have a great fly fishing document -- one that looks beyond the tourist veneer and puts you on the water with the people who literally live to fly fish, and fish to live. This book is honest and enlightening, and at the same time, it cuts to the core of authentic American character. Like Ruark or Capstick put you on the African hunt, these guys float you down the best rivers in the American West with clean prose. If you can't wait for your next fly fishing adventure, Castwork will hold you over ...

Unlike any book I have seen, "Castwork" puts you as close to being on the river as possible without getting your feet wet. The authors clearly know their stuff. It is a great read and informative without the attitude. And the b/w photos are awesome.

John J. Binder's book tells the tale of organized crime in America from the turn of the century to more recent times. Unlike most books where there is a lot of dry text to read, John Binder instead illustrates this interesting and colorful node of American history through glorious photographs that depict how these men lived. Raw and unedited, they show us the true criminality invovled and the reasons why organized crime came to be one of the most successful operations ever to be run in America. Binder's book is a true gem to have, from historians, to people possessing a keen facsination for this particular subject!

John J. Binder's book, The Chicago Outfit is a real treat for anyone who loves gangsters and has a special interest in Chicago gangland. He not only sites interesting facts, includes a wealth of captivating photographs and mug shots, but his analysis of the Chicago gangs is fascinating and informative. A great illustrative book that is a must have. Highly recommended!

The Chicago Outfit by John Binder tells it all! If you're interested in the history of organized crime in the streets and businesses of Chicago from the 19th century to the present...this is it! This fascinating book contains lots of new facts and rare never before published photos. As a crime writer I strongly recommend this book to all history buffs. It is a great addition to your collection. Good Reading!

Although I've got a shelf full of every conceivable type of gardening book, there aren't many out there written specifically from the Midwest gardner's point of view. And this is the first gardening book that I would call a real page-turner! Joan takes the reader on a gardening adventure, giving us invaluable tips and opinions along the way, and showing us wonderful photos of her garden. Based on her perennial choices for sun and shade, I've already put together my wish list for next year!

The writing of this book was a self-fulfillment project. A graduate of Wisconsin's Master Gardener Program, I am pledged to do what I can to further gardening. Speaking to groups of people is nice, but a BOOK can reach many more people! I write to help beginners and intermediate gardeners come to terms with making gardens. I favor the organic way, but not exclusively. I love native and common plants, but not exclusively. I specialize in shade gardening, but, you guessed it, not exclusively! My book is meant to be encouraging. I am a senior citizen and I do all my own work. It keeps me young.

This is the first gardening book that I have read every word of. Joan Severa has a very easy to read, colorful style of writing which is both informative and humorous. Nearly every plant she writes about is photographed and displayed beautifully. She goes through her garden development step by step, so that if one were creating a garden, one could depend on the book to guide one through the entire process. Joan makes a point of stating in the books preface that she is expressing her own opinion and that it is not necessarily the only way to do things, however; in the books content she expresses her opinions so strongly that one feels one had better not stray from her advice. Luckily I happen to agree with her in most cases. I highly recommend this book to novice as well as experienced gardeners. It is so packed full of usefull information that everyone is sure to learn something new.

I recently purchased DISCOVER! Volume 3 and I want more! Please send Volumes 2 and 3!

Having traveled and lived in the areas described in Vol.3, The Lower Mississippi, from St. Louis, Missouri to Memphis, Tennessee, and descended from a family of river rats, I can say that I've "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt."

Reading Pat's book is like traveling along with her as she explores the Great River Road along the mighty Mississippi River. I was especially impressed with the with the book's scope and readability. Pat has included personal insights from area inhabitants, collected geographical, historical and societal information and spread it all liberally throughout the travelogue. This is one hard book to put down, and if you ever decide to visit the area you'll have plenty of reference material to use. You will feel like you know the place already, and have gotten your own t-shirt.

Jim Pankey USN (Ret.)

Rolling on the River.......... In a few weeks, it'll be road-trip weather, and we have some of the nation's prettiest highways at our fingertips--US Hwy 61 and several other state and county highways form the parkway known as AMERICA's Great River Road. Making that drive even easier is a new guide: "DISCOVER! AMERICA'S GREAT RIVER ROAD, Volume 1." This 240-page guide highlights the heritage, natural history and recreational activities available along the Mississippi River from St. Paul, Mn., to Dubuque, Iowa. It includes maps, historical and geological points of interest, bike trails, bird watching spots and short features on small towns, parks, and villages. ----STAR TRIBUNE, Minneapolis, Mn. April 1997

A very fast and interesting read of a street smart 8 year old in a Catholic orphanage, and his maturation into a decent young man over the next 8 years. His recollections are amazing, as is the nostalgia he feels. I enjoyed it very much!

I AM THE AUTHOR'S SON AND RIGHT NOW YOU MAY THINK MY OPINION IS BIASED. BUT IT'S NOT BIASED IN THE WAY YOU WOULD THINK. READ ON AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND HOW EVEN I HAVE GONE FROM BITTERNESS TO FORGIVENESS. A TRULY GREAT, INSPIRING BOOK SUCH AS THIS HAS NOT BEEN PUBLISHED SINCE 1939! THIS WAS THE YEAR THE AUTHOR, MICHAEL KRECIOCH WAS BORN. THE NOVEL WAS "BLACK NARCISSUS" BY RUMER GODDEN. THE REASON FOR THE COMPARISON, NOT SINCE "BLACK NARCISSUS" HAS THE TRUTH BEEN TOLD ABOUT CATHOLIC NUNS. WHAT MY DAD HAS DONE IS CAPTURE IN A HUMANIZING WAY THE TRUE ESSENSE OF "BLACK NARCISSUS" EVEN THOUGH MY DAD CAN HARDLY REMEMBER THE NOVEL, LET ALONE THE CLASSIC BRITISH MOVIE FROM 1947. AFTER READING "ST. HEDWIG AND ME" IT WAS APPARENT THAT THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN MEMORY THAT NUNS WERE PORTRAYED FOR WHAT THEY ARE. HUMAN! WITH ALL OF THE FRAILITIES THAT GO WITH IT. ALTHOUGH MY DAD WAS NOT AWARE OF IT AT THE TIME, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THEIR IS DIVINE INTERVENTION AT PLAY AND ULTIMATELY MY DAD HAS GOTTEN OUT THE STORY OF SISTER MARY (MARCIA) MARCY BALDYS. MY DAD WRITES "I HAVE KNOWN AND ASSOCIATED WITH MANY OTHER NUNS DURING MY LONGER THAT EIGHT YEAR STAY AT THE ORPHANAGE. MY INVOLVEMENT WITH SISTER MARCY WAS BRIEF. NEVERTHELESS, THE LONE YEAR THAT WE INTERACTED WITH EACH OTHER MADE ME THE MAN I AM TODAY. SHE TAUGHT ME WHAT REALLY HARD WORK WAS, BUT SHE HELPED ME REALIZE THE RESULTS OF MY HARD WORK AND HOW REWARDING IT COULD BE. FAIRNESS WAS ANOTHER OF THE SPECIAL QUALITIES THAT SHE INSTILLED IN ME. IT REALLY HELPED ME IN MY LENGTHY CAREER IN THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT. MARCY WAS NOT A WOMAN'S LIBBER, BUT SHE TAUGHT ME TO RESPECT WOMEN, ALL WOMEN. SHE SAID I COULD NEVER GO WRONG IF I TREATED A WOMAN AS MY EQUAL. AT A GATHERING OF THE ST. HEDWIG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN OCTOBER 1996 I FINALLY GOT TO PUBLICLY THANK SISTER MARCY FOR GUIDING ME THROUGH SOME PRETTY HORRENDOUS TIMES. SHE WAS WISE BEYOND HER YEARS. SHE TURNED TWO OF THE BIGGEST TROUBLE MAKERS INTO TWO VERY PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS OF OUR SOCIETY. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME WHILE I TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ONE OF THE FINEST TEACHERS I HAVE EVER KNOWN. MARY BALDYS WAS BORN TO GENEVIEVE AND PHILIP BALDYS IN WEST HAMMOND, ILLINOIS, ON MARCH 23, 1915. SHE WAS BAPTIZED INTO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BY THE REVEREND B. NAWAKOWSKI AT ST. ANDREW THE APSOTLE CHURCH IN CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS, ON APRIL 4, 1915. ON AUGUST 23, 1935, SISTER MARY MARCY MADE HER FIRST PROFESSION OF ANNUAL VOWS UNTIL SHE PRONOUNCED HER FINAL VOWS ON AUGUST 23, 1941. ONE OF HER FIRST TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS CAME IN 1933 AT ST. JOHN OF GOD PARISH IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. SHE TAUGHT THE FIFTH GRADE FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. IN 1935, SHE TRANSFERRED TO ST. JOSEPH PARISH IN CHICAGO AS A FIFTH GRADE TEACHER. SHE REMAINED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR FIVE YEARS. IN 1940 SISTER MARCY WAS SENT TO BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, TEACHING AFRICAN AMERICANS AT THE HOLY FAMILY MISSION SCHOOL IN ENSLEY. SHE REMAINED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR APPROX. SIX YEARS. HER FIRST STINT AT ST. HEDWIG ORPHANAGE, ALSO KNOWN AS ST. HEDWIG INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CAME IN 1946 AS A SEVENTH GRADE TEACHER. AFTER APPROX THREE YEARS, SHE LEFT FOR AN ASSIGNMENT AT ST. BRUNO'S PARISH, IN CHICAGO, TEACHING THE EIGHTH GRADE. THE FOLLOWING YEAR SHE WAS ASSIGNED TO ST. HYACINTH PARISH IN LA SALLE, ILLINOIS, TEACHING THE EIGHTH GRADE. SHE REMAINED AT ST. HYACINTH FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. FROM THERE SHE WENT TO HOLY ROSARY PARISH IN NORTH CHICAGO, FOR A TWO YEAR TOUR OF DUTY." SISTER MARCY'S DEVOTION TO HER FELLOW HUMAN BINGS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT HER ENTIRE LIFE, SELFLESSLY SERVING OTHERS. SHE CROSSED OVER FROM THIS WORLD TO THE NEXT ON NOVEMBER 22, 1999. "SHE HAD ALLOWED US TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH HER FOR 84 YEARS OF LIFE. I KNOW THAT SHE IS IN A BETER PLACE AND IN A POSITION OF INFLUENCE. I HOPE AND PRAY THAT SISTER MARCY WILL PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR ME IF SHE THINKS THAT I DESERVE IT. MAY SHE REST IN PEACE. SHE CERTAINLY DESERVES HER PLACE IN HEAVEN. I GIVE HER ALL THE CREDIT FOR KEEPING ME OUT OF JOLIET STATE PENITENTIARY. YOU TAUGHT ME WELL, SISTER." I hear today that Catholic nuns average 68 years of age approx. Not enough young women are heeding the call of our Lord today. We need many more Sister's like Sister Marcy in this world today, not less. It is books such as this that can make a difference in the world. If nothing else, let this be a wake up call! We need to spread the word about nuns such as Sister Marcy who have helped countless souls strive toward Salvation. I was shocked when I finished reading my Dad's book and my life has been changed forever. I also strongly believe now that my Dad's life was changed by some of these very nuns. Although some nuns were not as good as other nuns, the bottom line is that they tried to make a safe and secure home for the orphans in their care. From the bitterness at the beginning of the book, to a changed man at the end, my Dad in his first attempt at writing a book, has become a crusader without knowing it for the story of Sister Marcy and the many more nuns like her who selflessly give their lives to God and helping their fellow human beings. Sister Marcy should have serious consideration for Sainthood from what I read in the book. My Dad should be commended for never giving up on his dream to write the story of his "incarceration" in a Catholic Orphanage. Please buy and support this book so that my Dad can someday tell the full story of Sister Marcy. Tell your friends and God Bless You All!

A TRULY GREAT, INSPIRING BOOK SUCH AS THIS HAS NOT BEEN PUBLISHED SINCE 1939! THIS WAS THE YEAR THE AUTHOR, MICHAEL KRECIOCH WAS BORN. THE NOVEL WAS "BLACK NARCISSUS" BY RUMER GODDEN'S. THE REASON FOR THE COMPARISON, NOT SINCE "BLACK NARCISSUS" HAS THE TRUTH BEEN TOLD ABOUT CATHOLIC NUNS. WHAT MR. KRECIOCH HAS DONE IS CAPTURE IN A HUMANIZING WAY THE TRUE ESSENSE OF "BLACK NARCISSUS" EVEN THOUGH IT IS OBVIOUS THE AUTHOR PROBABLY HAS NEVER READ THIS BOOK NOR HAS SEEN THE 1947 BRITISH CLASSIC. AFTER READING ST. HEDWIG AND ME IT WAS APPARENT THAT THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN MEMORY THAT NUNS WERE PORTRAYED FOR WHAT THEY WERE. HUMAN. WITH ALL OF THE FRAILITIES THAT GO WITH IT. ALTHOUGH MR. KRECIOCH WAS NOT AWARE OF IT AT THE TIME, IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THEIR IS DIVINE INTERVENTION AT PLAY AND ULTIMATELY MR. KRECIOCH HAS GOTTEN OUT THE STORY OF SISTER MARY (MARCIA) MARCY BALDYS. MR. KRECIOCH WRITES "I HAVE KNOWN AND ASSOCIATED WITH MANY OTHER NUNS DURING MY LONGER THAN EIGHT YEAR STAY AT THE ORPHANAGE. MY INVOLVEMENT WITH SISTER MARCY WAS BRIEF. NEVERTHELESS, THE LONE YEAR THAT WE INTERACTED WITH EACH OTHER MADE ME THE MAN I AM TODAY." "SHE TAUGHT ME WHAT REALLY HARD WORK WAS, BUT SHE HELPED ME REALIZE THE RESULTS OF MY HARD WORK AND HOW REWARDING IT COULD BE. FAIRNESS WAS ANOTHER OF THE SPECIAL QUALITIES THAT SHE INSTILLED IN ME. IT REALLY HELPED ME IN MY LENGTHY CAREER ON THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT. MARCY WAS NOT A WOMAN'S LIBBER, BUT SHE TAUGHT ME TO RESPECT WOMEN, ALL WOMEN. SHE SAID I COULD NEVER GO WRONG IF I TREATED A WOMAN AS MY EQUAL." "AT A GATHERING OF THE ST. HEDWIG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN OCTOBER 1996 I FINALLY GOT TO PUBLICLY THANK SISTER MARCY FOR GUIDING ME THROUGH SOME PRETTY HORRENDOUS TIMES. SHE WAS WISE BEYOND HER YEARS. SHE TURNED TWO OF THE BIGGEST TROUBLE MAKERS INTO TWO VERY PRODUCTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL CITIZENS OF OUR SOCIETY. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME WHILE I TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ONE OF THE FINEST TEACHERS I HAVE EVER KNOWN. MARY BALDYS WAS BORN TO GENEVIEVE AND PHILIP BALDYS IN WEST HAMMOND, ILLINOIS, ON MARCH 23, 1915. SHE WAS BABTIZED INTO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BY THE REVEREND B. NAWAKOWSKI AT ST. ANDREW THE APOSTLE CHURCH IN CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS, ON APRIL 4, 1915. ON AUGUST 23, 1935, SISTER MARY MARCY MADE HER FIRST PROFESSION OF ANNUAL VOWS UNTIL SHE PRONOUNCED HER FINAL VOWS ON AUGUST 23, 1941. ONE OF HER FIRST TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS CAME IN 1933 AT ST. JOHN OF GOD PARISH IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. SHE TAUGHT THE FIFTH GRADE FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. IN 1935, SHE TRANSFERRED TO ST. JOSEPH PARISH IN CHICAGO AS A FIFTH GRADE TEACHER. SHE REMAINED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR FIVE YERS. IN 1940 SISTER MARCY WAS SENT TO BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, TEACHING AFRICAN AMERICANS AT THE HOLY FAMILY MISSION SCHOOL IN ENSLEY. SHE REMAINED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR APPROX. SIX YEARS. HER FIRST STINT AT ST. HEDWIG ORPHANAGE, ALSO KNOWN AS ST. HEDWIG INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CAME IN 1946 AS A SEVENTH GRADE TEACHER. AFTER APPROX. THREE YEARS, SHE LEFT FOR AN ASSIGNMENT AT ST. BRUNO'S PARISH, IN CHICAGO, TEACHING THE EIGHTH GRADE. THE FOLLOWING YEAR SHE WAS ASSIGNED TO ST. HYACINTH PARISH IN LA SALLE, ILLINOIS, TEACHING THE EIGHTH GRADE. SHE REMAINED AT ST. HYACINTH FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. FROM THERE SHE WENT TO HOLY ROSARY PARISH IN NORTH CHICAGO, FOR A TWO YEAR TOUR OF DUTY. SISTER MARCY'S DEVOTION TO HER FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT HER ENTIRE LIFE, SELFLESSLY SERVING OTHERS. SHE CROSSED OVER FROM THIS WORLD TO THE NEXT ON NOVEMBER 22, 1999, SHE HAD ALLOWED US TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH HER FOR 84 YEARS OF LIFE. I KNOW THAT SHE IS IN A BETTER PLACE AND IN A POSITION OF INFLUENCE. I HOPE AND PRAY THT SISTER MARCY WILL PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR ME IF SHE THINKS THAT I DESERVE IT. MAY SHE REST IN PEACE. SHE CERTAINLY DESERVES HER PLACE IN HEAVEN. I GIVE HER ALL THE CREDIT FOR KEEPING ME OUT OF JOLIET STATE PENITENTIARY. YOU TAUGHT ME WELL, SISTER." I HEAR TODAY THAT THE CATHOLIC NUNS ARE BECOMING LESS AND LESS, AFTER READING THE BOOK I STRONGLY BELIEVE MR. KRECIOCH'S LIFE WAS CHANGED BY SOME OF THESE VERY NUNS. ALTHOUGH SOME NUNS WERE NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THEY TRIED TO MAKE A SAFE AND SECURE HOME FOR THE ORPHANS IN THEIR CARE. FROM THE BITTERNESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK, TO A CHANGED MAN AT THE END, MR. KRECIOCH IN HIS FIRST ATTEMPT AT WRITING A BOOK, HAS BECOME A CRUSADER WITHOUT KNOWING IT FOR THE STORY OF SISTER MARCY AND THE MANY MORE NUNS LIKE HER WHO SELFLESSY GIVE THEIR LIVES TO GOD AND HELPING THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. SISTER MARCY SHOULD HAVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION FOR SAINTHOOD FROM WHAT I READ IN THE BOOK. MR. KRECIOCH SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR NEVER GIVING UP ON HIS DREAM TO WRITE THE STORY OF HIS "INCARCERATION" IN A CATHOLIC ORPHANAGE. PLEASE BUY AND SUPPORT THIS BOOK SO THAT MR. KRECIOCH CAN SOMEDAY TELL THE FULL STORY OF SISTER MARCY. TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Michael Klein is a poet. As the author of 1990 and Day and Paper and the editor of three anthologies of AIDS-related verse, he has made his name - and spoken his identity - through the language of poetry. While Klein's sublime new book, Track Conditions , is subtitled "A Memoir," it, too, is best appreciated as poetry. In rich, brief, sorrowful chapters, Klein sketches five years, from 1979 to 1983, in which he abandoned Manhattan's bohemian life and crawled along the strange underbelly of the horse racing world, as a walker, a groomer and an all around lost soul. Out of the starting gate, Klein has two reasons to run from New York: he's chasing Richard, the lover who's left him for the tracks, and trying to flee his own pitifully destructive alcoholism. Dramatic tension seems to be established. The reader realizes rather quickly, however, that neither the drinking nor the romance will ever come to resolution. Instead, marbled with recollections of the author's troubled childhood, the instability of his life in the stables and his development of a near-mystic relationship with a Derby-winning horse named Swale, they become touchstones for obliquely lyrical meditations. So, while laced with intriguing anecdotes, Track Conditions is ultimately less about storytelling than it is about poetic perception. Rather than trying to see life as a building, linear narrative, Klein views it through a kaleidoscope: the juxtaposition of elements is ever-shifting, each moment is quickly transformed. It may not have the straight-ahead velocity of a horse race (or a commercial bestseller), but in the realm of impassioned, highly personal art, Track Conditions makes a glorious run for the roses.

This book is so unique and special -- not at all your typical gay coming out story. There are horses here and the tactile world of the racetrack and Klein's lyrical and spare prose adds just the right kind of music to a poignant and harrowing redemption tale.

Memoirs tend to tell too much, but Michael Klein's TRACK CONDITIONS manages to convey a lot without giving away everything, and that is what makes this book so special. Klein manages to seduce us with his prose and with little snippets of half-told stories. One might say his memoir is a half-told life, and that would be true, for, as one finishes the book the thought is that a second memoir should be forthcoming. Or maybe Klein has written TRACK CONDITIONS in such a way that the reader yearns to hear more. One of the best qualities of the book is that it doesn't whine, the downfall of the modern-day memoir. It feels incredibly honest and Klein comes across as an accessible kind of guy, someone you might sit down with over coffee. TRACK CONDITIONS seems to have something to appeal to everyone: lovers of horses, aficionados of the track, gays, straights, lovers of people, drinkers, teetotalers, people with lives in crisis, and lovers of words. It is amazing that a small memoir can have such a large reach. But it does. And it works.