For those who have not witnessed the nairn cooking style on TV, do what you can to see him action. The "island harvest" series showed how simple many of his dishes are, all utilising the freshest local ingredients. None of the generic "here's one I prepared earlier" TV chef cliches. His approach is simple, and nick really stresses how by using the freshest ingredients, the best dishes are (usually) the most basic. How many TV chefs can cook up the fresh caught highland trout on a gas camping stove, on the edge of the loch in which the trout swam minutes before? Nick is an inspirational chef. Watch the series, buy the book, see a real chef in action

Never having read any of William Blake's works, I was entranced by this intriguing edition of his satirical fantasy. I was drawn into the story, not only by the text but by the evocative and inspired illustrations and overall rendering of this unfinished piece. Gavin O'Keefe, an illustrator whose work I admire greatly and am familiar with, adds a new dimension to a strange and wonderful text. The overall presentation, decoration and editing makes An Island in the Moon a pleasurable journey into Blake's imaginary world. Well worth the price and a tastefully done small press publication.

What a job this guy has! He gets to ride around in the Black Hills with a bunch of college professors (I had to pay tuition to hang out with them) and then write what happened. I found the search for the last fossil cycad with Mark Gable particularly fascinating, as well as the study of plants with Audrey Gable (I think she gets off on microspores). The best thing about this book is that Ed has the ability to translate the near-latin-speak of the scientist to plain Kings' English so it actually makes sense. Great Book!!!

Muriel Marshall, long time Colorado Western Slope resident and authoritative author, has done it again. In her incomparable, easy-to-read style, she has written the definitive book about a famous landmark on the Western Slope that the Ute Indians, wise in such matters, called Heaven. Most present day visitors know it a Grand Mesa, reputed to be the world's largest flattop mountain. The book is a well-researched, in-depth look at this 2,000 square mile geological phenomenon. It's all here, the history, the people, the place and events that have made Grand Mesa such a unique place. You will learn there are more than a thousand named places on some 50 U.S. Geological Survey quad maps required to cover its surface. Names such as Condemn It Park, Hell's Kitchen, Dead Man's Gulch and Holy Terror Creek are vividly described and framed in historical perspective. The story of Enos Hotchkiss and his entry into the Uncompahgre Valley is both interesting and factually accurate. The hardships endured by the Utes and early settlers are a reminder of the sometimes unforgiving climate and terrain on this one-of-a-kind treasure. You will visit 300 lakes, walk among the springtime flowers, enjoy summer hiking and fishing, revel in its myriad winter activities, and marvel at its incomparable, colorful autumn. Its all here, the history that is truly sometimes stranger than fiction; the people who struggled to settle, but never really tamed, this formidable obstacle; the vast array of flora and fauna found within its boundaries; and the events that have made Grand Mesa a "heaven" to those fortunate enough to have traversed its terrain. This is destined to be the definitive history of Grand Mesa. It is a comprehensive, well written book that is the hallmark of Marshall. For you readers who have read her earlier works, you know what I mean. For you that have not, well...you are in for a treat. Marshall is as great an asset on the Western Slope as the people and places she writes about. You will never truly know Grand Mesa until you read this book.

British colonialism on the decline and its effect on the inhabitants of a small West Indies paradise is the background for this tale of politics, forbidden love, murder, and redemption. As the sun sets on the british empire the people of this tiny island, both white and black, begin to prepare for free elections and impending independence. In essence the island is a microcosim, all the social and political issues of the time cook in the heat of the West Indian sun. This story is not without its fair share of soap oprah-ish melodrama, but it is extremely entertaining and offers the reader a social commentary on a way of life and a time that has forever passed.

Full of suspense and reader interaction. Kind of like being the author of the book. Some humor and gets you to thinking too.

I devoured these Enid Blyton books when I was a kid, and while I can't say I remember much about them -- or even whether I read this particular one -- I do remember that I loved them. I guess they're eclipsed by Harry Potter these days, but if you have or are a kid in the right age group who loves kids' adventure stories, you may want to give these a try.

The author uses an impressive accumulation of scholarly research--maps, documents, explorers' accounts--to trace the origin and development of the myth that California was an island. Highly readable and very clearly organized and written. Although I found her conclusion that the island myth comes from what people project onto California (from an ecopsychological standpoint, the myth might represent the imaginal presence of the landscape protecting itself) to be reductive, this is an invaluable resource for anyone researching early Californian cartography, especially as a history of errors.

Island of ghosts is not a horror book, but a spectacular book. Eilis Dillion is very descriptive. I enjoyed reading it although the ending gets kind of ironic.

Millions of immigrants traveled by sea to America in search of a better life than the one they left behind in their old country. They were escaping from poverty, famine, persecution, and conscription. They sought jobs, freedom, and adventure. In Island of Hope, Island of Tears by David M. Brownstone, Irene M. Franck, and Douglass Brownstone, the history of Ellis Island comes to life through stories told by immigrants and the workers in their own words. This book explores the reasons why people left their home countries and the special role that Ellis Island played in their journey. The authors attempt to answer many questions that surround the peak years of immigration. They approach the subject with facts and personal anecdotes from interviews with people who passed through Ellis Island. The results present a surprising variation in the recounting of tales. No two immigrants recollect an identical experience, even in the same family. Why did they leave? Stella Jedryka left Poland in fear of the Russian soldiers. "We couldn't stand the Russian people-soldiers. We were running away from them" (28). What countries did they come from? "I was born in what is now Czechoslovakia-it was Bohemia in those days" (34) stated Charles Bartunek about the area near Prague in 1913. What did they expect to find? Esther Almgren from Sweden said, "I figured you're going to be picking gold out of the mountains, everybody thought America had no work..." (102). Was America what they had hoped for? "Between 1908 and 1923, fifty or more people returned for every one hundred immigrants that arrived for many nationalities..." (57/58). Some people left in search of adventure and some out of fear. Most were in third-class steerage accommodations and were seasick after they left they port. Still others loved the trip and the food, mostly pickled herring. Some hauled prized possessions with them, like feather beds, while others wore only the clothes on their backs. Many came bearing gifts for relatives in the United States, anything from sausage to whiskey. There were immigrants who stole across guarded borders at night and a few who went in better accommodations on first or second class. Travelers were often promised a short comfortable trip by shipping lines but often found themselves for "two to four weeks in an unseaworthy bucket" (117). Teenagers fared the best, having an optimistic outlook and fewer family responsibilities to harden them, but the newcomers represented all ages. If you are one of the four out of ten Americans who can trace their family back to Ellis Island, you will enjoy this book and perhaps find a story that sounds like your own heritage. Brownstone and Franck illustrate the rough beginning for these important Americans who took risks and paved the way for many of us who enjoy our lives today.