This is a wonderful first movel..and I can't wait to read Black Tide, but the author and/or his editors need to be a little more careful. In Dead Sand, the main character seems to be constantly changing his clothes because of copious sweating...enough with the sweat, already. Second, in this novel, the author twice refers to a police parking pass, the second time as if he were telling the reader for the first time. A little more attention to detail, please?

"Dead Sand" is the first book by Dubois that I've read but it won't be the last. What a treat to stumble across a new-to-me mystery writer who is literate & conjures such believable characters, peopling a well-plotted book.

The author creates a real sense of place - a term much bandied about & often not really true. This one 'puts you there'. I highly recommend it.

This is a great book that really makes my camping trips. I have children and with this we are able to find the hikes that we can do with them so that everyone has a great time, a must for the New Mexico Hiker with kids.

My family loves this reference tool! We plan trips for our 5 children using this book as a guide. Even our baby can be included because the book rates the difficulty and distance of the various sites. We wouldn't hike without it!

We are so disappointed that Ms. Fujii has not updated this book, as we had purchased two editions and used them each time we went to Hawaii! Her suggestions were wonderful, and we were able to plan our trips within our budget and interests. We are now planning another trip after several years have passed, and will use the old edition, with hopes, however, that she will write another!!!

We go to Hawaii 5 times a year, and we love this book. A little outdated for the hotels, but food and stores and sights are awesome. A must have. Jocelyn should write an update to this book, instead of writing for Frommer's.

Now in an revised and expanded edition, Karen West's The Best Of Polish Cooking continues to offer the kitchen cook a wealth of authentic, traditional Polish cuisine in an easy-to-use menu format bringing complementary dishes together for memorable dining. From Freshly Baked Potato Bread, Braised Spring Lamb with Cabbage, and Polish Sausage Simmered in Wine, to Tangy Apple and Leek Salad, Eggplant Crisps, and Tangerine Vodka, The Best Of Polish Cooking offers a cornucopia of seasonal delights spanning the entire the year.

I bought this book because of its price. I had no idea how popular it would be with my family. So far, every recipe I've tried has been a big hit. The contents are arranged into seasonal meals, such as "Easter Dinner for 10" and "Winter Brunch for 4." This makes it easy to choose dishes that work well together. In the back are sections on "Vodka Beverages," "Salads," and "Light Polish Fare." The recipes are relatively simple, and full of unexpected, delicious twists. (Who would have thought that horseradish gives just the right punch to carrot & apple salad?) I'm especially impressed by the Walnut Torte and the Cabbage, Leek, and Orange Salad. (My family has actually been taking second helpings of their veggies, thanks to this and other unique salads.) I never knew I could make anything so delicious and different at home. Some of the recipes were a bit time consuming, but most of the labor went into things like peeling potatoes and slicing mushrooms. Once the fruits and veggies are prepared, many recipes are easy and speedy. Just be forewarned that the yields are larger than you might expect. Many dishes for four people could easily feed six or more - and most of the planned meals include more courses than my family can eat in a sitting. However, we've been enjoying choosing a couple of dishes each night, and everything's so delicious that leftovers aren't a problem for long.

This is a terrific book for anyone that enjoys history but is not looking for a detailed, academic analysis. This book lets you learn about the old west from the people that lived there. It contains excerpts from a wide variety of primary sources including newspaper articles, letters, and diaries. You'll recognize the names of many of the people whose stories appear. There is also plenty of material written by people who never became famous, but who do have stories to tell about real life in the west.

This book did what all good books should do - it left me fascinated and wanting to learn more.

Among the history books about the Wild West this is like a siver dollar among paper money: While many of them are just so much rustling paper, unable to wake the spirit of the time or bring the people to life, this one speaks with their own voice, loud and clear. To me, a student from Germany, who knew the West only from Hollywood movies and Karl May (the only author I missed in the anthology, but he is rather a German speciality), the whole time gained flesh and bones while reading the accounts of such divers people as Indian chiefs and Philadelphia ladies turned Cowgirl. The possibilities of a place where conventions didn't count as much as your ability to ride a horse or rope a cow strike one very vivid from these pages. Besides - not all cowboys were white (or male). All the different people that made up the Wild West get to have their say and your can, after reading this anthology, truly say for yourself that you can picture, say Dalton City at it's peak.

Well I really didn't know what a diverse place Phoenix is, until I read this book! Now I know that Phoenix is not just an airport hub for our state, it is a great destination in its own right. This is an excellent and complete guide of all the highlights! I recommend it to all Arizona natives.

...and I needed this book. As an author coming to town for a world-wind 24-hour tour, this guidebook was a gem. Everywhere I needed to go and whatever I needed to have was here. Highly recommended if Phoenix is on your next vacation or even your business trip list.

Chris and his parents moved to Key West. Chris and his father became treasure divers. Chris' Mother was tired of living in Key West so she went back to Flintville where they used to live. She left because she was around at home all day while Chris and his Dad were out looking for treasure. They lived there for 5- years life was very hard for them. But they found some exciting treasure while living in Key West. They found a 17th century anchor and gold and silver coins from a Spanish galleon called the Sevillia. So that forced them to go to Seville, Spain. There they found some more information about the Sevillia in Legajos. Then they came back to Key West and told everyone about the Sevillia. Do I or do I not agree with the author? Well I would say yes I agree with him. Because I like the way he writes his stories. Mr. Strasser makes you feel like you are in the story. It sounds so true. Because when people go look for treasure they sell it rght away. Some people give but they waited for weeks but they still got thier treasure. If I found something special underwater then I would keep it somewhere safe. Would I or would I not recommend this book,and who would I recommend it to? Yes, I would recommend it to people who like underwater adventure.

My teacher just recommended this book to me. I am so glad that she did also. I have really enjoyed this book a lot and I am looking foward to buying it! This is the best book I have read in a long time! This is a great book to read if you like contemporary books.

I have reviewed the 5th Edition of "Bicycle Rides in Orange County," published January 2001, by Don and Sharron Brundidge. I can't think of a better guide for all types of riders. There is a complete description of each ride along with maps and contour plots. Rides are rated by many criteria: difficulty, scenery, distance workout, elevation workout, bike route quality (exclusive bike trail, separated striped bike lane, signed non-separated bike lane, and none of the above), sight-seeing attractions, and nature trails. This guide added 16 rides to the 1988 edition, making a total of 58. The guides also indicate parks, restrooms, water, special points of interest, and occasional eateries. I did all but the Orange County Century in the 1988 edition and so far have done 10 of the 16 new rides in the 2001 edition. Also I noticed that some of the original 42 rides have had revisions that I want to try also.

I have checked the distances and elevation gains with my own GPS and Avocet vertical gain watch and found the guides to be quite accurate. Options are described for shortening certain rides. Another feature I liked was the description of the connectivity between near-by rides for those riders who want to do multiple rides in a day's outing. I can't think of a more complete guide. When I finish the 16 added rides in Orange County, I want to start on the additional rides in the latest revision to "Bicycle Rides in Los Angeles County."

The book provides 51 on-road trip descriptions (58 total rides) in Orange County. Rides vary from those for short-length family trips on separated bike paths, many longer exploratory and workout trips for more experienced riders on various quality bike routes, and a few "gut-buster" tours for the most physically fit and motivated bikers. There are over 800 one-way miles of biking described. Included are the Orange County "Grandaddy" and a county century ride. Trip domains include cities, beaches, parks, canyons, valleys, mountains, rivers, harbors and lakes.
Included is a master map to show ride locations within the county and a master matrix that identifies ride location, level of difficulty, route composition (percentage of route on bike trail, signed bike lanes or open roadway) and a general trip characterization (i.e., Is the trip scenic? Is it in a natural setting? Are there landmarks and/or sightseeing attractions along the way? Is this a mileage and/or elevation workout?).
Each trip description contains a detailed trip map and elevation-distance profile and scenic or character-interest photographs are scattered throughout the book. The route maps note the location of water sources, landmarks, sightseeing attractions and campsites among other points of interest.
Condensed Table of Contents:
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Trip Organization
Trip Description/Terminology
General Biking Considerations
Orange County Trips
-- The Coast (16 trips)

-- River Trails (Rivers/Creeks) (4 trips)
-- Inland (12 trips)
-- The "Big Guys" (Long-distance Rides) (3 trips)
-- New Trips (16 Trips)
Index

My sister and I read this book in preparation for a four month trip to africa, of which two months was spent on bikes. This book was the single most useful, common-sense guide we read in all of our preparation - both for biking, and just generally getting by in Africa. Really - read this!

This is the best handy-dandy guide to tour preparation that I have ever read (and I have probably read most of them). It is written with a wealth of experience behind the pearls of wisdom and that experience comes shining through on each section.

Concentrating on Africa, Mozer has outlined all of the things that have to be considered when preparing oneself and one's bicycle for a trip to a foreign country. In addition to covering the general prep, visas, inoculations, currency, etc., the author outlines how much one can benefit from experiencing the country on its terms rather than yours. I think he sums it up perfectly, with respect to Africa, when he says "...the essential difference between western and African culture is that Africans are concerned with the form of life and westerns dwell on the content."

Mozer uses a perfect blend of sensible advice and anecdotes in this easy to read manual. Whether or not you are planning an African tour, I think this manual is worth a read.

The review by Mr. Fowler pretty much sums up the book. For me there isn't anyone who can capture images of Big Bend quite like James Evans. I have long been a fan of his work and have waited for this book for many years. For those who have never been to the Big Bend region this book offers a chance to be introduced to what makes it so special. It isn't just the landscapes, it is the people. Big Bend Pictures communicates to me what makes west Texas so special. To stare into these pictures allows me to travel back to the region and experience again the heat, the dry air, the clouds(good lord the clouds, just look at how he captures the clouds) and the people. Gaze into the eyes of his subjects and know what it means to live life. Big Bend is like no other place on earth and James' photographs are like no others.

The Big Bend area of West Texas is both seductive and elusive to visitors. The immense scale, loneliness and beauty of the desert scenery can immediately charm any visitor to this remote borderland, and many books have succeeded in extolling these virtues. However, the human denizens of the Big Bend can be quirky lot, with a big dose of individuality an apparent requirement for remaining in these parts for very long.
In this new large-format book, James Evans has succeeded admirably in capturing for the viewer the essence of the human dimension of this vast land. Yes there are panoramas and thunderstorms on these pages, but it's the direct and intimate portraits of the people that will capture your attention. Elderly ranchers (and ranch women), young children, Anglos, Hispanics, funerals, dances, homes, animals - all powerful and direct visual statements. Many of these scenes aren't pretty. There's grit and violence, poverty, sadness; but it's all real. Evans has spent the past 15 years living in the Big Bend (he has a studio and gallery in tiny Marathon, TX), taking time to really know his subjects, gaining their trust, opening a window of truth before his lens. As a regular visitor to these parts, I feel Evans has finally captured the real essence of this amazing region for all of us Big Bend lovers to enjoy.
There are 102 duotone photographs, most are full or double page. A real bonus is James' comments about each photograph in the rear appendix. It is there we come to understand a little more about each of his subjects, and ultimately a bit about Evans as well. And good value, too; lots of book here for the quite reasonable price. And I like the horned lizard endpapers.