This is truly a wonderful book. I read books all the time and this one I finished in less than an hour. I think she should start her next one real soon. She is really talented.

This was a very good book for a new author. Can't wait for the next one.

I bought this book for my son. He had to do a book reprt on a mystery. He got an A+. I also rate this book an A+.

Having rafted the Colorado myself 2 years ago, this was a perfect souvenir-reminder of my trip. The photos in particular are exquisite - some I have no idea how he managed to capture without ending up in the river himself. I lost my Pentax to the very first rapid! This book definitely gives a sense of what the Canyon, the river, and the rapids are like. Makes me want to go back!

I have traveled through the Grand Canyon many times, both on the river and on the trails. John Blaustein has not only been able to capture the beauty of the canyon but also the soul of the river it contains. Abbey's journal is a fine compliment to the pulchritude of the pictures.

Any fan of unique photography and wonderful words should buy this reissue. Mr. Blaustein is a gifted photographer and abbey is equally adept in capturing the magic of this river trip. The book is a reminder of what could be lost, if we fail to preserve the glorious heritage of our national parks.

This is a great book for the first time visitor to the Keys. It gives great tips on where to go to see the Keys from the locals veiw. It tells how to avoid the beaten paths (and tourists!) and see more of the history of the Keys. It has great reviews of the restaurants, entertainment, shopping and hotels available in all price ranges. The book gives great tips for any budget for travelling to the Keys. Its a must for any first time Keys visitor. Best book I've read about the travelling to the Keys.

Candace Leslie's Hidden Florida Keys And Everglades is a compact and reliable guide to the unique attractions and outdoor activities of Florida. Complete travel information is provided for sightseeing, lodging, dining, shopping, and urban nightlife. For the outdoor enthusiast there is sound advice and suggestions for camping, hiking, diving, canoeing, horseback riding, biking, and fishing. For the truly adventurous there are "hidden locales" where you can find such time capsules as the Historic Smallwood Store Museum, built in 1906 as a trading post for settlers and Seminole Indians; underwater attractions such as the San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve where an 18th-century galleon went down in a hurricane; and Civil War sites such the Fort Zachary Taylor State Historic Site featuring the remains of an 1845 fort. If you are Florida bound, begin your trip with a copy of Hidden Florida Keys And Everglades.

This book was great bringing us to some of the most interesting spots in Florida. Highly recommended for the person looking to get off the beaten track.

I first read this book in the mid-1980s, and have been a huge fan of it ever since. It was out of print from a long time after the original publisher, North Point Press, went out of business.

This is a wide-ranging book that deals with many aspect of the American West in general and the desert areas in particular. Schultheis is a gifted writer, and has a knack not only for telling a good tale but also for turning a wonderful line. He is highly attuned to the remarkable and the humorous in almost every situation, and the book is a marvelous blend of the unexpected, the reflective, and the funny.

My favorite moment might be an occasion he recounts of visiting a store in Navajo territory. While in the store, an elderly Navajo stumbles up to him and says, apropos of nothing, "Hey, I hear that Elvis died," in a tone that almost suggests the Schultheis and The King were lifelong pals. After replying, that yes, Elvis had died and that he had evidently been pretty sick, the Navajo, ignoring what Schultheis had said, continues, "Yeah, Elvis and Hitler, two of your greatest leaders, dead." (I am quoting this story from memory, so don't call me to task for specific inaccuracies.)

This is a book filled with many wonderful and marvelous moments. I would heartily urge anyone with an interest in literature about the American West or the desert to read it as soon as possible.

A cousin tipped me off to this little known masterpiece, which consists of a short, well-written series of anecdotes and tales about the West. An expert in verbal imagery, Schultheis takes you gambling at Native American pow-wow, canyon ratting in Utah, meeting a jack rabbit who lures motorcyclists to their doom, and other esoteric topics with equal aplomb.

His best tale, and the one you won't forget, is the last in order, a fictional episode during the next great Western drought, when the xerothermic climate brings disaster west of the Mississippi.

Schultheis is very readable, and each essay is thought-provoking. I predict you will enjoy this wonderful book. As the previous reviewer cautions, however, loan it out at your own risk.

Rob's imagery and cutting edge mind put him up there with the best - I like him better than the proverbial Ed Abbey (Rob's a little more cerebral). I'm an avid reader of anything to do with the desert Southwest (and West), as well as a desert rat myself, and I was hard put to find anything I'd read to date that was this good. You won't be disappointed with this book - buy an extra for your friends, because they'll "borrow" it and never return it (I've now bought 3 of them and can't find my latest copy...hmmm, now that I think of it, I suspect it went to Hawaii with a friend...)

Hiking Washington's Geology is a well-written, informative book that describes the geologic evolution of a wide and varied landscape. I especially appreciate the detailed directions on how to get to the trailheads and equally detailed descriptions of things to look for while hiking. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in the geologic natural history of Washington....

This is an excellent read! The book highlighted some outstanding hikes and I learned lots about the interesting geology of the PNW. This book is a must for any hiker in Washington!!

This is a great book outlining interesting geology in Washington State, and offers suggestions of which hikes should be done.

Lewis and Clark's descriptions of their epic overland journey is a deserved American classic. So many students must memorize the Gettysburg Address or the Preamble of the Constitution, but too few are ever introduced to this magnificent trilogy, told in Lewis and Clark's own words. They were the first white men to lay eyes on the interior sections of the Unites States, when the land was unspoiled, unpolluted and obviously quite spectacular. In great detail, they relate their indescribable amazement to see giant Sequoia trees, grizzly bears and endless miles of barren desert.

Lewis and Clark's experiences are the stuff of legend, but the question that begs to be answered is: could they write? The answer is a resounding yes! The narrative flows smoothly, the descriptions of the animals and landscape come alive with their vivid use of language and metaphor. Perhaps the most vivid sections of the book revolve around their numerous encounters with Native Americans. This book should be required reading for anyone with an history in the history and exploration of the United States.

Before breaking camp in Fort Clatsop, the expedition had hoped to encounter British traders who ply the coasts, in order to buy provisions and ammunition with "their ample letters of credit." These were drawn on the Executive office of the United States, in other words Jefferson, who after getting $2,500 from Congress to finance, he seemed prepared to bring them back to Washington at any costs, including circumnavigating taxi if need be (this is no joke).

However, the waiting for the traders delays them from their start, and their hopes of returning to St Louis during the season are as warm and finally decisive as their previous push to the West. They break camp, return up the Columbia River, and with Sacajawea's vital help, find their way over the mountains where the snows are so thick that trails are impossible to discover. Thankfully the expedition resumes the Missouri, and after averaging 20 miles a day on the ascent (using oar and sail), they frequently make 80 miles a day on the descent.

After such a long and harrowing journey, full of hardships and decorated with delights, the men are anxious to press for home, sometimes not landing for rest or game during their earnest advance.

This trio of books is among the best reads I've ever had of men journeying into the unknown, discovering the best in themselves, and holding to the notion that perseverance will ultimately endure.

I loved the book, a satisfying completion to a wonderful tale.

The narrative picks up in June 1805, after a night of rain "but it cleared off and became a fine day." By the end of that year when the expedition next wintered near modern day Astoria, OR, the expedition would face rains almost constantly, having a dozen or so dry days all winter, and of those only half provided sunshine.

This year is the most difficult of the expedition (or rather the period covered by this volume). The team meets its greatest hardships, not least of which is choosing the best overland route when the Missouri is no longer navigable. The correct choice (and the correct choice was made) is vital to preserving the goodwill of the men and the success of the expedition. Grizzly bears continue to harass the men (many hunters are treed), the mosquitoes become horribly bothersome, and when game becomes scarce, they trade for horses, sometimes killing the colts for food; elsewhere they trade to feed upon dogs, at first a meat loathsome to the men, but after adaptation and long usage, it becomes a favorite food, as the expedition trades for that article particularly. Many times plant roots and dried fish served as the only food for days on end, which made the men sick, who were so drenched with rain (they built their winter cabins in the rain), that many were too sick to participate in the necessary subsistence.

Here Sacajawea and her husband are saved from drowning by the vigilance of Captain Clark.

This volume provides many instances of bighorn and behavior, pronghorn antelope and behavior, and of course grizzly bears. This wonderful volume of harrowing escapes, exciting scenes of the endurance of man, and the wonderful rewards from severe hardships ends in March 1806, just before the expedition evacuates Fort Clatsop on the Pacific Coast.

A wonderful read for early American exploration, and an excellent resource for the American wilderness at the beginning of the 19th century.

The greatest thing to come out since the Musical itself, Wonderful, educational, fantastic reproductions of the 19th century musicals!

Richard Fawkes' The History Of The Musical is a flawlessly recorded, 4 cassette, unabridged audiobook showcasing the development of the musical, from its origins in European light opera and operetta to its it's golden age in the American theater. The great song composers and lyricists are presented including Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Lloyd Webber, and Sondheim. The wonderfully narrated text by the award-winning Broadway singer Kim Criswell is enhanced with almost one hundred famous musical extracts. The History Of The Musical is a "must" for personal, academic, and community library music history and audiobook collections.

Surely there must be a medal somewhere out there for Naxos records and for author Richard Fawkes. After two superb sets of tapes and CDs titled "The History of Classical Music" and "The History of Opera," there is now available Mr. Fawkes' "The History of the Musical" (NA422712). Here we have singer/actress Kim Criswell narrating on 4 CDs or tapes just under 320 minutes of exactly what the title promises.

Starting with "The Beggar's Opera" of 1728, the history of the genre is traced up to the time of writing, meaning "Les Miserables." Along the way, we consider operetta, the English Music Hall, American vaudeville, the review, the book show, the familiar, the off-beat, the dead ends, the highly influential. And the London stage gets a good deal of attention also, thereby introducing a lot of material not very well known to those better versed in the American musical.

As with any good effort of this sort, a strong connection is drawn between the changing times and the changing concepts of what a musical should be. The importance of "Show Boat" is not glossed over, for example, nor is the other shock caused by "Pal Joey." The reliance of Lloyd Webber on staging is mentioned but not his lack of more than one fairly memorable melody per show. In general, the tone is upbeat and positive.

But this is a recording. While it could never include all the information found in a book, its dozens of recorded examples are what makes this set priceless. Where possible, the oldest "original cast" recordings are used. On the other hand, there are some strange exceptions such as "Hey there" from "Pajama Game" being sung not by John Raitt but by Ron Raines on the Jay recording. I suspect this is because Criswell is in the cast of that set.

Again, this set is in tape and CD formats. For educational purposes, the CDs offer direct access to any show under discussion--and the CDs are very generously divided into nearly 200 tracks! Very considerate of the producers. The booklet offers a nice little personal essay by Criswell. So if I have any complaint about this set, it is that I wish it were twice as long.

Perhaps the best non-fiction book I've ever read. Scholarly and engaging at the same time, it's more than a history of education-more like a history of Western culture and politics, through the lens of how we raise our children. At the same time, it's also rich with details on education-related ideas and experiments. Truly puts current debates on education in perspective; anyone interested in how children are raised or how society works should read it. Of course, first they have to find it.

This three volume history of Western education, from Ancient Greece until about World War II, is far more carefully researched and explained than any alternative I know of. It provides vital background for anyone struggling with problems of education reform today. Anyone who does not know that John Amos Comenius, in 1630, laid out the concept of a school system with grades and classes and textbooks for each class, cannot understand the problems we are having today; but there is far more to this history than just the segment on Comenius.

It is incomprehensible that this three volume work is out of print. A friend of mine asserts that the purpose of book publishers is to PREVENT the sale of books. Given this example, I must agree.

The depth of research and the clarity of expression makes this work essential reading to anyone who delivers teaching/learning. The work reviews the technology, philosophy and political climate throughout the western world from 2000 b.c.e. to the present. Other works have attempted to sumarise this topic only to fail to explain the background. Why this book (all three volumes) is out of print is incomprehensible. If the publisher re-reads this s/he will discover a lost treasure.

Great somewhat Christian book. Silver is like every 12 year old girl (i know being one myself)except without the makeup and boys outlook (yes finally!). All Silver wants is a dog I remember before I got one wanting one soooo bad!. Won't tell the end but loved it anyway!!!!!!

My daughter Kristen loved reading this book. We even purchased a copy from the publisher to give to Kristen last Christmas. Kristen would love to write to Linda High about Hound Heaven. Does the author have an e-mail address? Or, if Linda High reads this message could you please contact Kristen at mygirlkns@aol.com. Thank you.

I think Rose is like a barbie & as for Dud, he is part of the interesting part of the story. Silver is the one who makes the story seem real. Without Silver I don't think I whould have read the whole story.Linda, you are a excelent writer. I love this book. I am buying this book.I love it. Most books don't seem as real as you make them sound. Jennifer -10

The author is a superb artist. I have been collecting this African artist's one of kind ceramics for a number of years so I was excited to find that he wrote and illustrated a book. My seven year old son loves this book. His first grade teacher read the book in class when they were studying the folk stories of the world. The drawings in the book are worth the price of the book.

I loved this book! One day an author named Baba Wague Diakite came to our school to talk about his book "The Hunterman and the Crocodile." Each classroom got a copy of the book which I read. Soon I discovered that the story was going to be performed as part of the first school play of the year! Even though my class wasn't in it I got to meet Baba-Wague while working on the set since he lives right down the street from my school! And though I had to see it performed four times( because I was asked to do sound) I never got tired of hearing the same same story. I guess seeing "The Hunterman and the Crocodile" come to life gave the meaning of the story even more meaning. I would reccomend this book to anyone of any age.

This is a wonderful children's book. I love it!! We need more authentic authors and illustrators of folk tales from Africa. Where did these drawings come from? They're FABULOUS!!!