Louise Dickinson Rich is a star! A truly wonderful and gifted writer. You can't put her books down.

Louise Rich is not what you might expect a person who has given up the "essentials" of life to be. She is not trying to escape, not trying to save the wilderness, prove a point or return to her roots. Her motivation, quite simply, is that she likes where she lives and is willing to put up with a fair amount of discomfort to stay there. Moreover, she is mightily amused by the questions she is frequently asked by friends and acquaintances, the most common being:
"How do you make a living?"
"But, you don't live here all the year round?"
"Isn't housekeeping difficult?"
"What do you do with all your spare time?"
"Don't you ever get bored?"
"Aren't you ever frightened?"
"Don't you get awfully out of touch?"
"Do you get out very often?"
and
"Is it worth-while?"
Rich's eminently practical, and amusing answers to these questions form the basis of this book and will keep you grinning from ear to ear for hours.

It is clear from the start that Louise and her husband Ralph are more than capable of taking care of and amusing one another, and things only get better with the addition of various family members. These include Gerrish, their friend and handyman, son Rufus, daughter Sally, postman Larry, a skunk, five huskies, a marten and an ongoing parade of visitors, neighbors and "sports" (that's backwoods for tourists).

You will be treated to Rich's opinions on a wide variety of subjects, including women's fashions (and why she couldn't care less what she wears in the woods), the futility of trying to do housework when you're married to a man who loves motors, how to plan meals that take the weather's idiosyncrasies into account, the best way avoid getting lost, cut with an axe or burned by a stove. Even better, you will be taken along on a whole series of hilarious escapades as Rich learns how to cope with life in the woods.

With wry amusement she tells of the day she and her husband delivered their son on their own, her trip to the "Outside" after not having left the woods for 4 years, and the afternoon she spent cooking dinner for a bunch of lumberjacks. Here too are entertaining stories of playing tag with a family of foxes, going berry picking, pulling porcupine quills out of dogs, learning to tie fishing flies and locating hunters who get lost.

The real gift of this book however, is the chance to spend time with Rich herself. Here is someone it would be worth a long hike through snowy woods to visit. You'll feel like you've made a friend by the time the book is finished.

This book is one of the most enjoyable to read you will ever find. It is written in such a clear, humorous and timeless style that you would swear it was written yesterday instead of in 1942. Each chapter answers a question that would arise upon hearing that one had decided to live in the deep woods of Maine---how you do school your children? How do you keep in touch with society? How do you keep house? There are pictures and the kind of nitty gritty details we all like to read! In addition to just being great to read, I think this book is a very important one. I would say it had a part in starting at least two trends. One is the back to the land movement. At the time it was written, you just simply didn't decide to get away from it all and live in the woods! I think this book, which was extremely popular when it came out, put some unique ideas in a lot of heads and may have had a big part in giving people ideas about alternative ways of living. Also, I think it's one of the first autobiograpical books of its type---written plainly but with humor about a unique way of living. I think this book, which in my knowledge has never been out of print, is really one of the key non-fiction works of the 20th century. But don't read it for that, read it because it's fun to read and you will love it!

Any child that reads this book will enter into a magical world......I am now 34 yrs old....I read this book as a child and still remember liking the stories.......I am originally from Guyana formally British Guiana......I grew up on all Enid Blyton books....they are a delight to read.......this is one book I suggest you get for you children.

These enchanting and magical tales have delighted me since my childhood, when my mother read them aloud. My siblings and I loved them. Twenty years later, I still love them. I was fortunate enough to obtain the three-in-one volume bumper edition of 500 plus pages containing the complete text of three of the six adventures about the magical Faraway Tree: "The Enchanted Wood", "The Magic Faraway Tree" and "The Folk of the Faraway Tree." This title is only the first in the series, but do whatever it takes to get hold of it and the others!

The adventures begin when three children, Jo, Bessie and Fanny, discover an enchanted wood inhabited by brownies, talking rabbits, and other fantastic creatures in the vicinity of their new country home. In the center of this wood is the mysterious and magical Faraway Tree, home to the friendly Moonface, adorable Silky, irritable Angry Pixie, cheeky Dame Washalot, and clattery Saucepan Man. In the homes of their new friends, the children enjoy wonderful treats like magical Pop Biscuits and Toffee Shocks. And any time they want to quickly head down the tree, they grab a cushion and slide down the exciting Slippery Slip.

But best of all, at the top of a tree is a white cloud, the mysterious entrance to a magical land above the tree. In turn, magical lands - good and bad - visit the tree, giving the children opportunities for glorious adventures. There are wonderful lands that every child dreams about, such as the Land of Take-What-You-Want, the Land of Birthdays, the Land of Toys, the Land of Goodies, the Land of Presents, and the Land of Treats. But there are also dangerous lands, such as the Land of Topsy-Turvy, the Land of Tempers, the Land of Giants, and the Land of Dame Slap, all of which lead the children into terrible dangers and exciting adventures.

My only concern with these tales is that Blyton's focus on material things is not always upbuilding for children, and to dream of imaginary utopian lands of goodies and toys can result in an unwholesome form of materialism. But on the whole, Blyton takes pains to present positive moral attributes in her characters, and there are definite implicit lessons about virtues and vices. Similarly, there is a very clear conflict between good and evil.

All in all, Enid Blyton's magical world is a delight to children and will hold them spell-bound. Although written in the 1930s and 1940s, these stories have become classics that have stood the test of time, and are just as enjoyable today as ever. They are not deep, but they are enchanting, and this is the perfect book to read aloud to your children. They'll beg you to read it again and again. Come to think of it, as an adult, you'll secretly be glad of the opportunity to read it again yourself! You may outgrow childhood, but you won't quickly outgrow your enjoyment of these enchanting and magical stories!

I owned the Enchanted Wood about 30 yrs ago, and I still remember the "occupants" like Moonface, Mrs Washalot and Mr Pots-n-Pans even up to today. They have filled my childhood with unimaginable happiness, brought me to so many incredible places and introduced the most amazing world of fairies and elves to me. Truly a book that will be enjoyed by both the kids and the adults, it is never too late to pick up a copy and keep by your side. I will for sure, for it is not just a story book, but a friend to be kept for life. Enjoy...

I bought a used copy at a thrift shop with the idea of listing it on eBay, but I wanted to read it first. Now that I have, I'm not sure I'm ready to part with it just yet!

The first Natalie Wood movie I remember having seen was "Inside Daisy Clover." At the time (the early 60's), I was too young for the star's name to make an impression - my cousin, who was a year older and whose idea it was to see it, no doubt knew who she was - but I do know that I really enjoyed the movie. I had also forgotten that she had been in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.

The pictures throughout the book helped tell the story as well as the narrative. No one but Lana could have told the story in this kind of detail.

Lana Wood, who is probably best known for her brief but memorable role of the suggestively named Plenty O'Toole in the Bond flick Diamonds Are Forever, wrote this engaging, poignant, and frequently funny memoir on her famous sister Natalie.

Amazingly candid and brutally honest, Lana painted a fascinating and yet disturbing portrait about Natalie Wood; from her years as a child star controlled by her domineering stage mother, then growing up to become one of Hollywood's most famous and beloved (and volatile) celebrities. Then to later years as Natalie struggled with age and the ups and downs of both her career and her relationship with her sister....culiminating to the fateful day when Lana was informed of her tragic death.

For James Bond fans, they will probably be interested in Lana's experience on the set of Diamonds Are Forever, revealing an affair with Sean Connery (which curiously, she did not disclose on the special DVD of Diamonds Are Forever).

Ultimately, this book is also as much about Lana herself as it is about Natalie. Forever in Natalie's shadow, Lana herself never developed her own life and identity, everything in her life is connected with Natalie in some fashion and she spends virtually her entire life seeking Natalie's approval and acknowledgement.

This book will probably make you see Natalie Wood's films a little differently. Underneath that gamine veneer is a woman who has a fury that Hell can't match.

Before I started reading this book (I bought it used on an internet auction site recently), I really did not know too much about Natalie but always wanted to know more about her. I could not put the book down, it was so engrossing. The only movies I saw her in was Miracle at 34th Street and West Side Story. She was a wonderful actress, and in the latter movie, when I first saw it, I thought she really was Puerto Rican, and that it really was . . . her singing voice! She was, always, and will be a gifted, suburb, and beautiful actress.

Her sister did a wonderful job on this book, motivating me to want to seek out more of Natalie's movies and wondering what she (the author) is doing nowadays. You can clearly see that she truly loved her sister, through the ups and downs of their relationship, and did not gloss over the bad times but was honest and took responsibility for her own actions, not what most autobiographers would do, so you know the information is from a trusted source.

My heart and sympathy goes out to the entire family during this difficult time, and hope in their own way, can reach out to each other because, the family history and memories, good or bad, are truly to be cherished, the tender strength binding every member together, that LOVE clings to.

Beisdes being an incredible tract on falconry (modern ornithology has yet to surpass it, really. Doubly impressive, considering Frederick was writing some three centuries before the scientific revolution). This book is a cross-section of one of the most profound minds in all of Western history. Frederick the Second was the most magnificient of all the latter day emperors. From nothing he raised the throne of the Roman Empire to transcendant limits, defied both God and the Church, and brought in the fabled "third age" for the superstitious people of medieval Europe, who believed that he was either the bringer of Peace before the apocalypse or the Anti-Christ himself. His memorable utterance "...I am tired of being the anvil. Now I shall be the hammer!" was the inspiration behind Nietszche's work 600 years later. The Empire died with the next brilliant generation of the Hohenstaufen.

In light of all this, his book of falconry is indespensible. It shows us Frederick the Renaissance man, engaging in Scientific method in an era of revealed truths, and it shows us Frederick the hunter: shrewd, catching every detail, and always for the love of the chase. This book will amaze you to no ends!

As a practical guide to modern falconry, I don't believe this book would be as helpful as some on the market, but as a primary source from the middle ages it is first rate. The intricacies and details of the hunt, the housing, the care given to the birds, hounds, etc. . . . for this, the book is priceless. If you are looking for summaries of the hunting practices in the middle ages, Marcelle Thiebeaux and Anne Rooney are among the best authors to seek. If you want the actual details of the way it was by someone living at the time it was practiced, there is no better source than Frederick II's book (and few even close).

This is the perfect book for whoever wants to learn about what falconry was like a long time ago. However, I would not reccommend it to anyone who wants to learn about present day falconry. After you get your license, I would reccommend it. The reason I say this is because it can confuse the apprentice. It confused me. It does teach a lot though, and can give insight to diff. ways of training hawks. Belongs in every falconers library!

This absorbing work presents the knowledge and reminiscences of a modern healer. The nature of healing and wisdom, herbalism and dreamtime, signatures, similars, patterns, elements, temperaments, and constitutions are all subjects of discussion, as are alchemy, chemistry, and the use of medicinal plants. Wood intertwines personal clinical knowledge with information gleaned from traditional herbalism, native American shamanic herbalism, traditional Chinese medicine, and homeopathy. Over 40 plants are described, including information on gathering, preparation, indications, and usage. Presented in a familiar and informal style, the information is not only enjoyable to read but succeeds in imparting a real sense of the healing qualities of each herb.

if you already know how to talk to plants, dont buy it

This herb book is one of the best I've read because of the vivid descriptions. I've been able to help myself much more effectively with herbs now than in the past due to the detailed descriptions. The author explains traditional systems of classifications and includes examples that really stick in the mind. It's obvious the author has a deep understanding and love of each plant.

First of all, I need to clarify what at least two other reviewers have mistaken: this book is NOT Enid Blyton's 'Enchanted Wood' as part of her Faraway Tree trilogy. This is a children's picture book confusingly by the same name - an original fairytale by author and illustrator Ruth Sanderson, also know for her works 'The Crystal Mountain', 'Cinderella' and 'The Golden Mare, the Firebird and the Magic Ring'.

That said, this book is an interesting mix of truly beautiful paintings (its a pity there isn't a picture of the cover on this webpage, as that always puts people off buying products) and a traditional, predicable story.

After a beautiful kingdom becomes plauged by a drought the king sends his three sons Edmund, Owen and Galen to find the Heart of the World that lies within the Enchanted Wood to restore the kingdom - in finding it their purpose will be magically achieved. Successively the three head off, and individually come to a cottage on the verge of the forest, where an old woman warns them not to wander off the path no matter what. Well, you don't really need to be told any more to know exactly what happens. The two older sons succumb to temptation, while the youngest remains true to his quest and succeeds, inheriting the kingdom and marrying the old woman's beautiful daughter Rose who accompanied him through the forest (for both mother and daughter had been unwilling gatekeepers of the forest, though eventually liberated by Galen's nobility). It is an old formula, encompassing all the cliches of a beautiful maiden, the threefold trial, the cursed kingdom, the virtueous youngest brother... Even though children will certainly not be bothered by this, seasoned fairytale lovers will know the tune oh-so-well and be frustrated at its predictability. Thus the title 'original fairytale' is somewhat misused.

On the other end of the scale however, some points of the story are quite confusing. It is unclear why finding the Heart of the World restores the land to its former glory, nor how it actually manages to achieve this. Furthermore, though Edmund and Owen's submissions to temptation (respectively to hunt a white stag and engage in battle with a Black Knight) are indeed vices, we are never really certain whether Galen did the right thing in turning his back on his own brothers when witnessing them in peril. Lastly, the meaning of the silver key that Rose drops into the Heart's waters and the 'ceremony' that she performs is unclear in its meaning and point.

However, *please* don't let my grousing over this feature stop you from finding this book as they pale in comparison to Sanderson's exquisite oil paintings, and are in fact (in my opinion) her best. In no other book of hers has she reached the level of detail and realism that she does in 'The Enchanted Wood'. She captures motion perfectly, her animals (deer and horses) are beautiful, and all little girls be satisfied that the heroine Rose is stunning. The best part however is Sanderson's illustrations of the forest - their misty, mysterious, shrouded depths are gorgeously created, from their forbidding entrance at the iron gates to the Heart of the World - three treetrunks intertwinging to make one.
The illustrations more than make up for the story and make this book a must-have for all lovers of great art, children's books, fairytales or beauty in general.

It is unfortunate that it has such a well-used title, as I know of two other books by the same name (Enid Blyton's, and another 'Enchanted Wood' by the Australian writer and illustrator Shirley Barber) but the illustrations *are* worth the effort to tracks this book down, either from Amazon or your library.

Ruth Sanderson is an excellent story-teller and author. This is a fine book to add to anyone's collection of fairytales or picture books. Highly recommended!

I've never read Ruth Sanderson's version of this book but when I was about 8 years old I found an old hardcover book by the same name in my uncle's basement. It was by Enid Blyton and had been published in 1939. I just about read the covers off that book and I still have it today. I recently started reading it to my children (ages 5 and 8) and find that they love it as much as I always did. I hope Ruth Sanderson has kept the same sense of wonder and innocence that the original book had. Just a note; the original book by Enid Blyton was followed by a sequal called The Folk Of The Faraway Tree which was filled with more adventures that Joe, Bessie and Fanny had with Moonface, Silky and all the other friends they made in the first book.

Wood writes with such immediacy about the history of the search for Troy one would think he'd done it himself, or at least been there to witness it.

It is refreshing to see such an easily read book on an overstudied topic.

It is also very refreshing to see a book about Troy that doesn't launch into the usual polemics and irrationalities about Schliemann.

New in this edition is a chapter on new findings which support the historicity of the Trojan War.

Also of interest to fans of this book is "Ages in Chaos" or "Oedipus and Akhenaten" by Immanuel Velikovsky, David Rohl's "Pharaohs and Kings", or Peter James' "Centuries of Darkness".

Only someone like Michael Wood could breath life into such a subject as Troy; his 6 part P.B.S. "Trojan War" series back in 1985 is one of my favorites! The only other author who is as passionate about his subject matter is John Romer. His "Ancient Lives" series is not to be missed.

What I found almost as interesting as the search for Troy, were the varied personalities in the search. Frank Calvert, for example. Were it not for his direction, Schliemann may have never have uncovered what he did.

Sir Arthur Evans died a spent man, both physically and financially, due to the intensity with which he approached Troy.

Carl Blegen's 7 season dig was carried out the with a surgeon's precision. He seemed so passionate about Troy, yet in thought and appearance, so restrained.

Did the war actually occcur? After reading the book, seeing the video, I believe it did; however, still doubts remain. Homer and The Iliad await vindication thirty-two hundred years after the "fact".

After reading the book, I became very interested in archeology. I have visited Ephesus and Herculaneum. Heretofore, having no interest in the subject at all; this, I feel, is the greatness of an author and his/her subject matter. To convey to the reader the excitment, intrigue and triumph that stories like this offer and to draw the reader into the mystery.

That an author can inspire, stir up enthusiasm and interest in this way is a triumph!

This book get a "Two Thumbs Up--Way Up!"

I was first intrigued by M. Wood through his BBC programs, but i am more impressed with his book. In comparison to the BBC programs, the book is able to give much greater detail and thus continuity to the whole story of Greece, Troy and the immortal sacking of Troy. Mr Wood is a true historian in that his analysis is exhaustive, intellectual and above all--objective. Moreover, his passion can bring the reader to the windswept plain of Troy itself.

Filled with tips for beginners and some tricks for old dogs, this book is a nice purchase to people wanting to try N scale or check some techniques on a very practical approach. The only drawback on the book is that while it is an introcutory book to model railroading, it doesn't concern on operating the layout (that's half the fun on model railroading!), but that can be easily covered by other books as well. BEst of all, the book does not present any complex technique, if you are a beginner go for it.

Esp. for novices, this book is a great introduction on how to get from a plan to the finished product. The author starts with a plan (in this case, a CAD design) and then walks you step-by-step through every aspect of building your railroad until it is finished: landscaping, wiring, carpentry, laying track, testing; in short, everything is covered. Even the experienced modeler will still be able to pick up and use the tips in this book.

As a person who waited and waited to start a hobby that was always in the back of my mind, this book finally made it a reality. I bought this book on Amazon.com and it was the perfect book for me. The book provided a huge amount of information that guides the reader through the steps and procedures required to get a N-scale model railroad up and running. The book gives you lists of materials you will need, and then tells you how to use them. The wiring, track, and background information is all there and it is easy to understand and use. Buy this book and then get started. I did, and it is a blast.

This collection of poetry has me breathless! The depth of emotion in these poems is endless. So much beauty is presented here it is virtually indescribable. I can only say that any poetry lover needs this book, and anyone interested in beautiful writing should truly consider investing in this book. You do not have to be a fan of poetry to fall for this poet, his words are like stories that engulf you in its tale, never letting go! Many nights I have found myself still immersed in a world of his creation long after I had closed the book.

To put it simply: Kenneth Wood is an amazing poet, a timeless visionary, and most importantly, an epic storyteller!

Buy this book.

-Tara

I'm almost at a loss for words when I try to find a way to review this book! Epic, grandiose, Mesmerizing...three simple yet powerful words that could easily accompany this book.

It goes without saying that indeterminate amounts of heart, mind, soul, and integrity went into the creation of this book, from cover to cover. While reading this book the most predominate emotion I feel is sheer amazement. Simply put, this man writes intense, amazing heartfelt poetry! And more than that, he has the ability to create stories and new worlds' for the readers, creating a vivid, welcoming escape to the dreary, monotonous drone of everyday life.

This book will stay at my bedside when sleep eludes me, and when the nighttime birds do not sing me to sleep, these words will guide me to a place of deep peace. This is a guarantee.

Again, I am trying to find words to explain something virtually beyond words of praise. This is an ocean of thought, in which you'll gladly drown.

Pen on, my friend, pen on...

This book reminds me of one of my favorite authors'...Stephen Crane! He is most notably known for his "Red Badge of Courage" book, but he wrote some wonderful, alluring poetry.

There are about 200 pages in this book and every page is a wonderful read. He is mainly a free verse poet, straying from the typical rhyming scheme we see in a lot of poetry these days, but he is not above writing this kind of poetry. Most of the rhyming poems are short with a lot of punch, or they come in free form style without structure and a fast flow, and it's great. It reminds me of rap style, which is rare in poetry. I could see a lot of these poems going over well in poetry slams.

Another great thing about the book is it is broken up into sections and each section ends with a long epic-style poem at least 3 pages long. The first sections seems to be the lighthearted section where he seems to touch upon love and hope, and other things of that nature.

The second section is the darker section, with poems written in a manner to express sadness and despair, even psychosis!

The third section reads like a story and I believe this is what the author intended it to do. There are two sub-sections aptly name "The End" (section 1) and "The Beginning" (section 2). It starts with a foreword type statement, a prelude if you will, and into the first poem which is a haunting plea written to himself called "A Letter From Prison" and that sets a sad tone of despair. Still, as the reader progresses through the pages you find yourself intrigued as to where he is going, and when your reach the end you can actually feel the hope and love withing his words! You will strain to hold tears back after reading the final poem!

All in all, I could not find one thing wrong with this book! Fans of poetry will LOVE this book, and I cannot stress that more. For those who do not like poetry may want to give this a try, you've never read poetry like this! Kenneth is a great poet and I hope he gets the recognition he deserves!

Maybe I am wrong, but, unlike all the reviews here that give this book a 5 start rating... I woudl give it 4 or even 3 stars.
I bought this book just because of the reviews I read here, and now Im not going to trust them as much as I did before.

Some people say about step by step articles, hmm, yea, ONE or two, really boring ones. I expected to see something like Thom Taylors book " How to draw cars like a pro " which is excellent. But this book is very boring to read, Im a little bit dissapointed about it. Well, I will have to search for more books to find what i expected to find here.

If I knew this book was 1st published in 1983, I wouldnt have bought it. My mistake. Also, I dont want to sound mean, but most of the reviews here about this book are not exaclty correct.

Service was great and the book was awesome. Answered every question I had and taught me things I never thought of.

This is an excellent book for any airbrush artist from beginning to advanced. The author does a great job of covering the technical aspects of airbrushing in understandable terms.

The book starts out by detailing all the features of the airbrush, helping you choose which one to buy & then describing how to clean it. What kind of mediums to use with each type of paper is then explained in depth.

Next, actual use of the airbrush, including many practice exercises, are given. How to transfer drawings, construct curves for making masks, and use both color and other painting techniques is demonstrated.

There are not really any step-by-step projects per se, but there is a section on airbrushing the human face in both color and in b/w. A beautiful full-color gallery in the back is a nice bonus.