Though this title may be a little pricy, it is a must have for residents of California, Oregon, and Washington. At any rate, any family within which there is a flower collecter, should have a copy of this excellent resource. Though my family originally purchased this title because of a biology project assigned to my daughter, it has since opened up an interesting world of the natural plant life of this area and even those farther away.

I like the book and the topic, however the binding is is such bad shape that the book is useless in the field or for a more robust usage. Can this be fixed?

I take this guide (and the Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers-- west) on all my field trips to identify wildflowers. Though Peterson has fewer real photos, it does have better aids to identify specific wildflowers, as it is organized by color, as well as number and types of petals. The sketches help me do a preliminary id on the wildflower.

What a lovely book! It is a nice mix of flower arrangements and tips, photos of arrangements in the White House in recent times, and historical survey of flowers and their importance in the President's house. It is interesting to see the floral styles of each first lady. Those women actually exerted a strong hand in the "look" of the florals for their home on Pennsylvania Ave.

What a contrast of the Johnson girl's wedding with that of the Nixon daughter! Wow, talk about different styles, and they were not all that far apart in time!

There are beautiful watercolor illustrations as lead in to each chapter. They seem to be uncredited--at least, I would not find the artist's name after looking carefully. Like any other book these days, there are small factual errors. Tricia Nixon is referred to as the Nixon's youngest daughter (she is their eldest) and Allium Gigantium is called "tropical" (gee, it grows in my midwest garden surviving all winters.)

But those are small quibbles. Really, this is a lovely book and I enjoyed it!

For anyone interested in White House history, this book is a must! I have enjoyed reading it over and over.

I loved this book and even though I am not interested in learning how to arrange "stems" - this book is beautiful to look at and very interesting to read!
Very few folks get to have the job Dottie had and her insights and stories are super!
If you love the White House and it's history...add this book to your library! If you want to learn how to put together some of those famous White House arrangements - this book will show you how!
Much more than a "how to" book...filled with backstage stories and interesting info!
Thanks Dottie!

This is a first novel that presents an interesting look at the Arab-Israeli conflict and how it touches not just Arabs and Palestinians, but people of all nationalities, all over the world. The villians and heroes aren't who you might expect, and one of the key bits of subtext to this book is that the battle over the "Holy Lands" has never really been as holy as we like to believe. The cast of characters is as diverse and motley as the Star Wars cantina theme, with a Portuguese/American CIA operative, a Lebanese/American Navy SEAL, an arrogant Texas oilman, a beautiful Palestinian freedom fighter, and a vicious Texas assassin with strange ties to an eerily familiar first family. If there's a weakness to this book, it's one common to many first novels - too much ambition for the first-time novelist's skill. But the plot is imaginative and will keep you guessing up until the last pages. If you like your heroes and your politics in plain black and white, this one will challenge you. If you like to be educated and entertained at the same time, I think you will really like this one. I guarantee you won't look at the Arab/Israel conflict the same way again!

First published in 1999, well before the September 11 attacks, The Fourth Branch is a suspenseful novel by Josef Wilson that echoes present-day reality. Bobby Rodrigues is a CIA agent with inside information on a terrorist organization that is setting its sights on Washington D.C., and when his own mentor is murdered, Rodrigues must turn to a rogue intelligence organization to unravel the shroud concealing a brutal and demonic conspiracy. The Fourth Branch is a chilling story, adroitly told, and guaranteed to hold the reader's rapt and total attention from first page to last.

This book is on par with ANYTHING Clancy has put out there! After the crisis America has just gone through, this book feels lifted from the headlines. I'm just utterly out of words to explain how hard this book hits and how important a read this book is. Find this book and read it soon!

This book is a about a husband and wife writing team. They work together but definately don't always see eye to eye. I liked it because it showed marriage in a positive light. The couple often talk to God when they are having struggles. This book helped to remind me that when I have struggles I can talk to Him wherever I am whenever I like. You wind up really liking this family. I bought the other two books in the series and am excited to read them.

This was a really refreshing novel written in a light and humorous way, yet dealing with serious relationship issues. Have been to Fox Island and loved the portrayal of that area. Tony & Price Shadowbrook are charming characters and give an intriguing look into a married couple's and writing team's inner life. Was very disappointed to learn there are only three books in this series!

This series is one of the best I've read. The books are easy, quick reading and hold your interest. The stories incorporate intrigue as well humor in the relationship of the husband/wife team characters. I recommend buying all 3 in the series!

This juvenile biography of "George Washington" by Cheryl Harness combined detailed watercolors with a text that emphasizes that nobody really knew how remarkable the man was until events brought him to the forefront of history. The biography begins with young George Washington dreaming of commanding a warship in the Royal Navy and ends with the former President catching a chill after going out on a snowy day for his customary ride through the fields of Mount Vernon. Most of the focus of this book is on General Washington during the American Revolution, which means that his military service in the French & Indian Wars and his presidency become secondary considerations. The latter is reduced to what the new President would be called, the construction of the new capital city, and the political divisions of Washington's cabinet. The artwork is a combination of big pictures of the noble Father of Our Country and smaller maps and scenes representing the life and times in which Washington lived. The images of Washington are probably the best part of the volume since they do a very nice job of making Washington look like a human being rather than a formal portrait or a marble statue. Some of the pages get a bit cluttered with images and sometimes threaten to overwhelm the text, but on balance this is a solid juvenile biography that makes up with spirit what it lacks in detail. Then again, Harness makes a point of identifying all the historical figures when she details the Continental Congress or Washington's cabinet. This is one of several nice looking presidential biographies Harness has put together for the National Geographic Society.

The illustrations in this book are nothing short of amazing. Very powerful. They jump right out at you and each page is loaded with beautiful visuals and text. I lost myself in each page as I read this book to my two daughters. The storyline is definitely geared for the higher primary grade levels (4th/5th Grade and up), but my kids were still mesmerized. Quite frankly, so was I!

I'll add this to our personal library because it is well written and they will appreciate it more in later grades. If you are looking for a terrific book about Washington for younger readers try George Washington: A Picture Book Biography by James Cross Giblin.

But don't neglect the sheer artistry in this book by Harness. It is truly remarkable!

5 Stars...

Enjoy

Harness is a master of the longer picture book biography. While her biographies are heavy with text, they also are heavy with detailed illustrations and little extras! She strikes the balance well! George Washington is no different! Beautiful illustrations jump out! Teachers and kids will love the extra surprises at the end - a "More About George" section and a detailed sketch that identifies everyone at the Constitutional convention in 1787. Buy this book!

Like "Thud Ridge", also by Col. Broughton, "Going Downtown" reflects on the former fighter pilt's experiences driving USAF F-105's through the flack, SAM and MiG infested skies of Vietnam. Readers who missed "Thud Ridge' may remember Broughton's story appearing in the Yeagher biography - a decorated and venerable fighter-pilot, Broughton was loved by the men he led, despite the draconian restrictions placed on them by politicians. During one mission that Broughton didn't even fly on, two of his pilots received fire from a flak gun aboard a Russian freighter, and responded with their own cannon. Jaded by the experience in which his pilots were clearly in the right, Broughton removed the gun camera film from the noses of the involved F-105's, and destroyed them. A board of review composed of such noted officers as Yeager and Robin Olds cleared Broughton's men but did cite Broughton for destruction of the gun camera film, a move that effectively ended his career as a fighter pilot. Broughton hints at the incident - the "Turkestan Affair" in Thud Ridge, but apparently decided against saying any more. Having decided otherwise in "Downtown", Broughton must have decided that he didn't have enough for a new book complimenting the first. Theough "Turkestan" and its consequences take up the latter half of the book, the first part is a mixed gril, offering the USAF's painful transition to the early and crude jets, the complicated underpinnings of the Vietnam war and the cover-up over the Tonkin Gulf incident.

The problem is that much of this seems out of place here - especially the author's anecdotes about the Air Force's experineces with early jets between Korea and Vietnam. The jets, which are underpowered and have over-complicated fire-control systems kill more of their own pilots than the enemy, and some - like the F-103 and the F-107 - never make the cut at all. None of those planes ever appears in Vietnam, and certainly not in Broughton's narrative. So why does he bother here? It's as if he realized that he hadn't enough, apart from "Turkestan" that merited a new book, and quicly decided that, besides some anecdotes about the Veitnam airwar overlooked from the first book, he might as well just keep going back, and toss in soem historical background about vietnam and USAF for good measure. Concluding his survey of the famed "Century Series" fighter jets, Broughton says "something funny was happening in southeast asia." But it was nevr clear why he didn't begin with southeast asia and leave all that other stuff behind. It's important stuff, but would be of better use as something Broughton could reflecton while flying in vietnam - as more of a personal context than an historical one. Actually, Broughton sells himself short - giving equal time to all subjects when I'd prefer a whole book with him in the F-105. Considering that he flew the most pivotal missions of his career in that plane, it's incredible that my knowledge of it seems unchanged from when I first opened "Going Downtown."

This book captures the true spirit of a fighter pilot and why they are such special people. His war on Hanoi, waged with one hand tied behind his back by McNamara and President Johnson needed to be told. And he told it as only a fighter pilot could. You could be reading fiction, but it's real. Where do we get men that court death and face losing friends every day. Colonel Broughton is busy telling us about his fight with Hanoi and Washington. But, what also comes through is the daily struggle of men strapping on an airplane and doing their duty against great odds. The rules of engagement are discussed and how they affected the lives of those charged with enforcing them. Colonel Broughton had over 200 missions. He is a true American hero.

I've read both this book and the predecessor "Thud Ridge" as well as several book written by Vietnam war era pilots. Col Broughton knows his stuff and tells it like it was. If you ever wondered why we failed in Vietnam ,you will understand why after reading this book. Poor leadership by Air Force Generals( one couldn't be sure whether the enemy was the N.V. or the upper level command) from 5000 miles away, telling wing commanders how to do their jobs ( and having no clue as how a tactical fighter wing works), Washington's tying their hands behind their back with target selection and restrictive rules of engagement, micromanagement from above, all added up to a winnable war that they were not allowed win( except the guys risking their butts flying to Hanoi). I heartily recommend reading this book and also Thud Ridge for some fascinating insight of this era. Also I'd recommend Phantom over Vietnam , John Trotti and PAK SIX by G.I. Basel.

My son LOVES this story, in all its many versions. Easy reading
(second grade) and lovely illustrations. A must have for those who love to be "spooked"!

This is a children's version of the Washington Irving ghost story. My 7-year-old son read it in one afternoon and loved it. This will get any child reading who is the least bit interested in scary stories. Especially recommended for kids who are a little too young for Goosebumps but desperately want to read them.

A classic, brilliantly written novel. A schoolmaster, and a little town in colonial New York, create a normal, sometimes humerous beginning to the novel. However, as the tale goes on, you hear of the Ledgend of the Headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow. This mysterious, classic thriller will have you sifting through the pages you'll never be prepared for the unexpected, climacting conclusion! A must read for any Halloween fan! Just a brilliant story, hands down.

The book was well designed and nice to read. The book also included cabins and guard stations. The title should have read "How to rent a fire lookout or cabin in Oregon." Almost all the places were in Oregon. I live in Washington and was dissapointed to only see 8 places in Washington (I'm sure Washington's shortcommings and not the authors). The book is a great reference though and I can't wait to visit Oregon!

How to Rent a Fire Lookout in the Pacific Northwest is a valuable tool for exploring the beautiful backcountry of the Northwest! Authors Tom Foley and Tish Steinfeld have given a great gift to those of us in search of outdoor adventure. As a seeker of Oregon Stories within the landscape, I am enjoying this book immensely. I will include it in preparation of future sauntering and discovery!

Just astounding! I have stayed at three of the lookout featured in the book, and they are every bit as wonderful as the book illustrates. This book is a must for the nature lover. I'm not much of a hiker or skier, so fortunately this book tells you how difficult it is to reach each lookout. And most all the lookouts are a mere $25-$40 a night! My lookout trips have been the best vacations I've ever had. Please, please pick up this book if you plan to be in Oregon for any length of time and love great scenery...

Longtime and now retired Washington Post columnist Colman McCarthy was for many years one of the most prominent voices writing about peace and social justice issues in the mainstream press. In 1982, he was invited to teach a course on writing at a public high school in a poverty-stricken area of Washington D.C. But rather than teach about writing, he responded "I'd rather teach peace." This simple declaration set in motion a series of events that has now led to him teaching over 5000 students about the principles of nonviolence, pacifism and conflict management. This slim volume (140 pages, including an excellent, concise bibliography) recounts several of his experiences in a variety of settings. As word spread of McCarthy's resourceful and engaging teaching, and the positive responses of his students, many other schools and organizations saw an opportunity to have him come to share his insights. Here, McCarthy takes a representative sampling and weaves it together smoothly, demonstrating how practical and applicable a nonviolent ethic is in all walks of life.

The settings that McCarthy taught in run the gamut of contemporary society, and he shows no favoritism as his experiences are recounted with equal compassion and critique of the various audiences with whom he interacts. From prestigious graduate schools (like Georgetown Law) to youth detention centers, private religious academies, alternative high schools, and other settings, McCarthy recognizes that no matter what the circumstances his students may find themselves in, they (and we) all share a common humanity that puts whatever differences may exist among us in perspective. He blends humor, intriguing anecdotes of pacifism in action, and a more than infrequent use of confrontational questions to get students to, as he says, not merely ask questions, but question the answers that they and so many of us have been conditioned to receive about many of the social and cultural dilemmas facing us in today's world. McCarthy is truly a master at getting people to reconsider their old assumptions, and this may be among the most valuable contributions of this book. His confidence in the ultimate value and wisdom of a determinedly non-violent approach is unshakeable, event to the point that I sometimes wonder how he was able to put up with all the examples of people around us who not only are so quick to concede the "necessity" of violence but often seem to prefer it to anything resembling even a mildly pacifistic approach. In the current circumstances of the "war on terrorism" (which McCarthy alludes to in the book's introduction, written in November of 2001), we need voices like his to speak forth in the public arena, as well as to offer us encouragement when it seems like so many around us are all too ready to plunge further into a violent struggle aimed at somehow promoting "peace and security."

Anyone interested in getting some good tips on how to communicate principles of peace to an audience that isn't necessarily already committed to a lifestyle of non-violence will find plenty of helpful material here. But the appeal of the book doesn't stop there. McCarthy also addresses a range of significant socio-political issues including the death penalty and the criminal justice system, the effects of US foreign policy on other nations over the past 55 years, the benefits of a vegetarian diet, racism, substance abuse and its treatment, communication and cooperation skills, and a host of other topics, all delivered in the casual, easily readable style of one who has been studying and living out these values for decades. Never at a loss for an opinion on something, and able to produce the facts to back himself up, Colman McCarthy is a man committed to realizing a vision of a world where peace is taught as the first, best and only justifiable response for young and old alike. His book offers us a needed boost of encouragement that we who share his vision are indeed helping to create a more harmonious and sustainable world.

Get this book and absorb it! I have reviewed it for two publications and still marvel at its contents. This man changed my mind about the subject of peace, so give him a chance to reach you. Even if you are a diehard military person (I'm a former sergeant of the 101st Airborne) you will still see the common sense in what this man is teaching. His solutions will work, but only if enough of us heed his words and apply them. I wish every person in the world would read this book!

Most of us know Colman McCarthy as a perceptive and sensitive journalist and religious commentator. But what we may not know is that he's also a devoted teacher of peace issues and peacemaking--so devoted, in fact, that he gave up his position at the "Washington Post" to devote himself full time to teaching. Moreover, he's taught in an amazing variety of contexts: university law schools, colleges, correctional institutions, inner city schools, suburb schools, alternative schools, public schools.

*I'd Rather Teach Peace* is a running account of some of McCarthy's experiences at the various places he's taught peace. Three features make the book especially worthwhile. The first is McCarthy's wonderfully flowing style. Reading his prose is like having a conversation with a person who loves words and people. The second is McCarthy's reflections on peace and peacemaking, and why so few folks in this country take either very seriously. But the third feature--and, for my money, the heart of the book--is the story of McCarthy's adventures in the classroom, chatting with kids about peace, overcoming their resistance, learning from their experiences, challenging them to think outside the box. McCarthy clearly teaches peacemaking as a way of life, not merely a cessation of war, and one of the first conditions is that his students begin to ask themselves some tough questions about how and why they value what they do. In reading his accounts, we find ourselves in the classroom with him and his students.

Professional teachers (and I'm one of them) will profit from the pedagogical strategies that McCarthy writes about. My favorite one, an exercise for encouraging students to reflect on the meaning of authority, is the "red car, green car game." Excellent!

I cannot believe that this book hasn't gotten the attention that it deserves. A Girl, In Parts is one of the most impressive debuts I've ever read. Jasmine Paul uses (apparently) simple language when she chronicles Dottie's growing pains. The realistic situations Dottie encounters -- sibling rivalry, hatred toward parents, crushes, experimentation -- as she grows from a precocious nine-year-old to an insecure adolescent are beautiful and poignant. I savored the final pages of this novel like fine wine -- I hated to see it end. I cannot recommend this novel enough. Book clubs would marvel at the excellent prose and sharp dialogue. A Girl, In Parts deserves a spot in every reader's library...

Don't let the lame title fool you: amongst more splashy and better-publicized novels about damaged youth ("Twelve," "The Lovely Bones") this is a book that will build with time and wind up outlasting all of them. Since America's newest passtime seems to be kidnapping and murdering young girls of poor or marginalized backgrounds, AGIP offers precious insight into their secret interior lives. This writer has created an indelible character in Dottie: charming, infuriating, hilarious, dreamy, mischevious, just beginning to notice this thing called "sex." There are "Parts" of this book that will take your breath away--especially the terrifying hands-off quality Dottie displays at the train-wreck life the unreliable adults around her have dumped on her. The emotional part of the book is watching Dottie--more creative and smarter than everyone around her--turn her ugly surroundings into magical places armed with only her hyperactive imagination. This writer could do wonderful things with the dying craft of the novel--this is not "confession" but "fiction" and it knows the difference. Forget Jasmine Paul's second novel--I already can't wait for the THIRD.

In the first few paragraphs of A GIRL, IN PARTS, Dottie the narrator describes a fire that she imagines will consume the home in which she lives with her family. It is perhaps one of the most passionately rendered openings of a novel I have read in years. And the voice remains as such to the very end--charged with conviction, anger, humor, but most of all, a mammoth sense of love that is liable to pierce even the hardest coats of cynicism. Amazingly, Jasmine Paul holds true the voice of a nine year old throughout the novel, but manages also to infuse that voice with an irresistable charm and wisdom, and with a knowing that at times radiates from the page like the words of a sage. Dottie speaks like a child, but in the inventive and intense rhythm and tempo of Paul's prose, Dottie transcends her age without ever leaving it. At worst, the prose is fluid, at best, on fire.

The structure of the novel, 97 self-contained vignettes constituting a wickedly florescent whole, is perhaps one of the greatest achievements of A GIRL, IN PARTS. I felt compelled to read the novel slowly, sometimes one or two vignettes at a time, resisting the urge to consume the book at one go. I did so because each vignette stands so resolutely and independently on its own, inviting the reader to savor the parts like beautifully crafted songs. I even went back and reread a number of the vignettes before continuing on to the next. I wanted to extend the experience of reading the book.

What also makes this novel powerful is Paul's uncanny ability to strip memory of nostalgia and evoke an age in a girl's life with such undaunted honesty. Paul's novel thankfully never romanticizes childhood; it opts instead for creating a time that is necessarily and realistically messy, and definitely more dynamic, true, and breathtaking as a result.

I can't recommend this novel enough. I can't wait for Jasmine Paul to write another.