I read Flanagan's 'Naked to Naked Goes' a few years back, and am so glad I found this collection of stories. Each story portrays strikingly original characters who are also quite familiar. Flanagan has a distinct style that draws you in and lets you learn a little about yourself in the process. I highly recommend this collection.

This collection of stories by Robert Flanagan rings true in every way. The prose is tight; the voice is one of many textures, one of wit and compassion and force, one that is both soft and sharp. Flanagan has captured the spirit of the Midwest, the spirit of the place and the people I know and love. His characters have gusto and the writing does as well. His style ranges from classic to experimental, as in "The Apprentice," a story in which he tests what he calls "the limits of stories." The best compliment I can give these wonderfully crafted stories is that they say the big things in the smallest way. Flanagan uses the particulars to get us to the bigger picture, and he does it poignantly, intimately.

These stories are like family--you have met the characters, you have sat in their kitchens, and you will recognize their conversations. Or perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised upon reading these stories. Perhaps you will be surprised and heartened by the fact that the stories of our daily lives ARE worth telling. I know that I was. And I am glad that Robert Flanagan was the person to tell them, because he does us such justice with his work. This is a must read.

Buy this book. It is filled with a wide range of stories that all deal with the complexities and reality of everyday life. "By Available Light" and "Winter Term" are gems.

Directs you away from the theme parks and into the great outdoors... the information on trekking routes, canoeing, wildlife refuges - even golf courses - is well researched. The Sunday Telegraph

Intended for adventure-minded travelers with special affection for the outdoors and nature. Each Adventure Guide packs in outdoor-oriented activities set in different regions. There's something for nearly everyone. Midwest Book Review

Michigan offers year-round activities for the adventurous traveler - all detailed here by resident authors. Take in the excitement of the Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island sailboat race; or hike some 166+ miles in Isle Royale National Park; watch the wheels spin in the Tour de Michigan cycling marathon; spend a quiet afternoon canoeing on a pristine lake; or try some urban adventures in the cities. This is the only guidebook to combine outdoor adventures with all the basic details you need for a rewarding vacation, such as accommodations, sightseeing, restaurants and history. Every part of the state, from Detroit to the far reaches of the Upper Peninsula, is covered, including the state's inland lakes, shoreline and national and state forests. Fishing, hiking, boating - this book tells you the best places for adventure, the recommended outfitters and guides, as well as general resources. 35 maps.

When I travel and stay with a host family, I look for a gift to bring them that reflects my home city. I've always really wanted it to be a book of photographs, but could never find one that does Milwaukee justice (except for a few that were too expensive and heavy to bother with). This book is perfect - I'm sure I'll find myself buying copy after copy for my travels. Thanks, Todd.

I received this book as a gift and I think it is easily one of the best pictorial tours of Milwaukee, Wisconsin that I have ever seen. The talent of this photographer is extraordinary. The book walks you through the seasons as if you were really there. I have been to Milwaukee many times and never knew about some of the beautiful scenes that are captured in this book. Not only do you see the sites of Milwaukee; you are introduced to the great mix of people that live there. I recommend this book both for it's content and a study in great photography. I would love to know what the photographer had to do to get some of these great shots.

Milwaukee by Wisconsin photographer Todd Dacquisto is a gorgeous, full-color montage visual celebration of urban life and joy in Wisconsin's largest metropolis. Very few captions and almost no text interrupt these pristine, clear, and memorably beautiful images. Milwaukee is a highly recommended as a souvenir book for anyone looking to celebrate their fond memories of this great Wisconsin city.

This book is packed with history, geography, politics, art, and more. It will suprise and delight any native. Meticulously edited, all contact info. I used is up-to-date. After a few months, you find yourself laughing with Huhti, fighting with him, and agreeing with him; but most of all, you are awed by this native's depth of knowledge. He does use some obscure vocabulary. It's inconvienent, as most travelers I know don't carry a dictionary. More than a travel guide, it's an achievement.

Moon Handbooks: Wisconsin is a 570 page travel guide to the Badger state and designed specifically for the adventurous traveler seeking to sample its wealth of diverse cultural and ethnic festivities, events, communities, and cuisines. Now in a completely updated and expanded second edition, Moon Handbooks: Wisconsin is packed with invaluable, descriptive information ideal for planning everything from a simple daytrip to an elaborate and extended vacation itinerary. If you are traveling in Wisconsin, don't leave home without your very own copy of Moon Handbooks: Wisconsin!

Want to know where the talking cow statue is? How about where to find some of the state's best pie, or scenery, or the sites with great local atmosphere? Huhti's book offers it all, thoroughly covering every region in the state--pointing out highlights and lowlights throughout Wisconsin. It's all interspersed with historical tidbits and local color, providing a wonderfully in-depth guide to the Badger State. I write a statewide travel column and it is an invaluable tool. Defintely recommended!

The Newcomer's Handbook for Chicago offers a thoroughly detailed guide to making the move to the Windy City. Not only was it informative, but it was interesting. I'm going to read other Newcomer's Handbooks for fun and to learn about some other great cities. These books will not disappoint you.

If you are moving to Chicago, this book is BIG help. Very useful info on finding a place to live, rentals, neighborhoods, utilities, services, etc. Covers the city thoroughly, the suburbs less so.

If you're moving to Chicago, this book is a BIG help. Very useful info on finding a place to live, rentals, neighborhoods, utilities, services, etc. Covers the city thoroughly, the suburbs less so.

The North Dakota Atlas & Gazetteer, and others in the series, include nearly everything you would expect to find on a map and more, including roads; railroad lines, current and abandoned; towns; rivers; lakes; the higher hills; Wildlife management Areas; federal and state land such as wildlife reuges and parks; fishing areas,; wildlife viewing areas, including what type of wildlife can be see; campgrounds; unique natural features; museums and other attractions; tribal lands; historic sites and trails.

These not only are in the maps, but many are cross-referenced in indexes.

There also is a complete index of place names and map features, plus marks fo using the maps with the Global Positioning System.

The other books in the Atlas & Gazetteer series are of equal quality, if you are interested in any ohter states.

You can't obtain so much informatin about North Dakota anywhere in 66 pages or the North Dakota Atlas & Gazeteer's price.

It's a true bargain, and a real service to outdoor enthusiasts and travelers.

Dale Stensgaard, Grand Rapids Herald, Feb. 28, 1999

The DeLorme maps include everything of interest in North Dakota to travelers. In addition to the roads, cities and airports included in standard road maps, DeLorme has included towns, lakes, rivers, intermittent water areas, current and abandoned railroad lines, historic sites, national wildlife refuges, state parks and recreation areas and campgrounds and what services are available at each. Wildlife viewing areas are listed including the types of wildlife which can be seen. Higher hills, coulees, creeks, fishing spots and tourist attractions are identified. North Dakota's unique natural features such as the Pembina Gorge in the northeastern part of the state and the remote areas of the Badlands are included. The sites are indicated on the maps and listed in indexes of various attractions. Also included is a full index of place names and features and marks for using the maps with the Global Positioning System. The GPS is a series of satellites used by the U.S. government for navigation, which when used with a GPS receiver, will provide accurate information about location, direction and speed of travel anywhere on earth.

Carol Ann Jones, Staff Writer, Minot Daily News, March 21, 1999

"The newly published North Dakota Atlas & Gazetteer solves the problem for those looking for remote outdoor adventures in the state. It is an excellent outdoor and travel book, containing detailed maps of every township in North Dakota. Whether looking for Writing Rock State Historical Site northeast of Grenora, Skunk Hill northwest of Kidler, or Shell Lake south of Blaisdell, the Gazetteer shows plainly where each is located."

- Minot Daily News March 21, 1999

PLACES OF GRACE consists of a series of stunning photographs by Gary Irving and an essay by Michal Strutin. The book covers states in the upper central plains--Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio and Indiana, although as Strutin notes, some would include other areas.

Strutin asks--what is the American Midwest? She outlines what she thinks comprises the area and discusses the forests, wetlands, huge fresh water lakes, and prairie that can still be found throughout the region. She imagines what the first European explorers must have seen when they arrived. She says, for example, the word prairie is French for meadow. French explorers were the first Europeans to travel extensively through the American plains. They saw the amazing wide open spaces where grass grew 10 feet tall and lacking any other word, likened it to their own grass meadows back home. The French named many places from Des Moines to Des Plains.

Strutin says conservationists are working to restore parts of the prairie to their natural state. She explains some of the research involved in determining the correct proportions of Asclepia (Butterfly Weed); Echinacea; Daisy; and other flora in a region that contains one of the three major U.S. flyways for birds, butterflies and other migratory animals.

PLACES also contains photos and text about non-prairie areas in upper Michigan and Wisconsin where hugh forests once existed as anyone who has ever read Laura Ingalls Wilder's LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS or heard of Paul Bunyun knows. Even today this area is a source of timber and home to many paper mills, though a good deal of the timber is being recovered from the bottom of Lake Michigan where it landed a century ago.

Irving and Strutin could have called their book HIDDEN PLACES OF GRACE. There are many wonderful nooks and crannies that somehow escaped the developer's axe, and today are protected in one way or another. This is an interesting and beautiful book.

A very well composed book featuring fabulous photographs with vivid colors and composition- enjoyable page after page. Books like this succeed for me when I desire to visit these locations. Well done!

Good production values overall make this a nice addition to other landscape photography books. Highly recommended.

Mr.Irving has had some wonderful books in the past,but "Places of Grace"is not only his finest,but is the best collection of landscapes i've seen in a long time!This book is a must for anyone interested in the finest of landscape photography!

Pop this cassette into your dashboard, and you won't miss a single site in northern Ohio. Ms. Davies points out everything you could ever want to know and tells you every stop you should make as you travel the Ohio turnpike. I never realized Ohio had so much to offer.

Travelers heading east, take note. The book, Ride With Me, by Melinda M. Davies is nothing short of exceptional. Her detailed prose regarding life and living along the Ohio Turnpike made me feel like I was riding in the passenger seat next to her. As I have traveled this stretch countless times, I can attest to the accuracy and of this account. A helpful reference for any traveler. An interpretive, well-written, useful legder of this pictorial landscape. Thumbs up, Ms. Davies.

Travelers heading east, take note! The book, Ride With Me, by Melinda M. Davies, is nothing short of exceptional. Her detailed, thoughtful and informative essay describing life and living along the Ohio Turnpike made me feel like I was sitting in the passenger seat next to her. It is a vivid description of this picturesque landscape. As I have traveled this stretch countless times, I was charmed by this merry, yet, interpretive sample of journalism. Thanks, Ms. Davies.

In Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin, John-Brian and Teresa Paprock effectively collaborate to profile over 400 places around the state of Wisconsin that are known for worship and pilgrimage, ranging from churches, temples, and synagogues to cemeteries, effigy mounds, and retreat centers. Each location has its history described, along with what makes it sacred and all the information a traveler will need to find and enjoy it, such as contact hours, location, and phone number. Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin contains nearly 80 photographs of its many destinations, and maps of each reason. A superb reference for anyone seeking to take a spiritual journey within Wisconsin, no Wisconsin community library state reference collection would be complete with the inclusion of John-Brian and Teresa Paprock's Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin.

Sacred Sites of Wisconsin will remind people of childhood trips to Holy Hill or the Dickeyville Grotto. What a great opportunity to think back on churches and other places that mean so much to us. And what a great opportunity to visit them again!

Sacred Sites of Wisconsin is a complete guide to buildings, places and natural areas that are or have been considered sacred in Wisconsin. Inclusive in its approach, it showcases the diversity of beliefs that are a part of Wisconsin heritage.

This guide will be of interest to spiritual seekers, historians, and those who might want to expand their knowledge of their own faith and its heritage in the state.

Best of all, Sacred Sites is a guidebook, meant to be kept in the car for quick reference. It includes contact information, hours and directions for the sites.

Sacred Sites would also make a great holiday gift for those with an interest in the sacred.

Although Bob Muzikowski's book, "Safe at Home," is catagorized as an autobiography, it is so much more! This book is a real life story of THE Author's plan for one man. Bob Muzikowski has shown us how one man (and woman, Tina!) can make a difference when he chooses to please an Audience of One - the blessings of God on Bob Muzikowski's life have been multiplied exponentially to others! "Safe at Home" has been described as "inspiring," but Bob's story will only be truly inspiring if it generates a response from its readers; one that takes them out of their comfortable church pews and into the God-prescribed place that He wants them to be! "Batter Up!" The choice is yours: you can take the challenge as the designated hitter or warm the bench in the dugout!

When Bob Muzikowski and I sat across from each other on a plane ride last September, I mostly listened as he told his story. As publisher for Zondervan, I knew by the time we landed I'd be asking him if he was interested in telling this story in print! The world is hungry for stories about "everyday heros" with whom we can actually identify. Bob is a regular guy who, in spite of a rough and tumble first few decades of life, has found a way to live an extraordinary life. His story reads like a novel but the inspiration that drives him is compelling and accessible to all of us. This is a book that you will not be able to just read. You will most definately encourage your adolescent children to read it and you will talk about it with your colleagues and friends. Trust me...for what started as an idle conversation on a plane last September is now a wonderful book that in just over a month is being read by thousands.

I have known Bob Muzikowski for three years now, and he never ceases to amaze me. Reading this book has been a revelation. If you're feeling cynical, or doubt that one man can make a difference in society, read this book. Muzikowski chronicles his life from a tough childhood to a self-destructive early adulthood through his current and permanent persona, a caring, compassionate person who genuinely wishes to spread goodwill. Hopefully, this story will inspire others to follow in Bob's footsteps, and love their neighbors. The narrative is alternately heartbreaking, hopeful, and humorous, but always honest. A seemingly endless parade of intriguing supporting "characters" add color depth to Muzikowski's infectiously interesting vignettes. Rather than see the Keanu Reeves/Hollywood version, read the real thing. Pass it on!