Good book to have, but ratings are way too high for one thing (allowing one to commonly employ the phrase..."dude, Monte's an open boater!").

Second there are a few examples of lines that have changed considerably, and where it would be dangerous to follow his advice. The example that comes to mind most prominently is on Section IV, where in the Five Falls he has "Crack-in-the-rock" all wrong.

If the book was updated for "today's" levels, the bad/changed lines corrected, and somewhat more humility delivered from Monte, this'd be the killer book it tries to approach being.

Yes, it still is the best thing going. For now....

If you are going whitewater boating in the Southeast and you want to buy just one book, then this is it. Monte Smith describes all the best whitewater in the southern Appalachians and he soe a great job of it. The descriptions are both amusing and informative. His TRIP scale is extremely useful, although it defies any brief description here.

I do have a criticism or two. First, Monte makes too many references to his other books. Second, Monte is a little full of himself. The envelope has been pushed far since his hey (sp?) day, and there are many more skilled and significant paddlers out there today. Despite those criticisms, the fact is that Southeastern Whitewater is now THE definitive regional whitewater guidebook for the southeast. There are more comprehensive state guidebooks (Benner's Carolina Whitewater or Corbett's Virginia White Water) but Monte Smith's book covers all the best whitewater in the whole region.

As an intermediate paddler I consider this book almost my bible. The TRIP scale is immensely useful for selecting trips and pre-evaluating what are suitable trips depending on my skills and that of the company I am with. I have found Monte's characterization and ratings of the rapids right on which is rare (example. Benner's Carolina book is excellent but the Tuckaseegee gorge is no class 2/3 river like the Nantahala is). The writing is superb and amusing, each section contains a wealth of information on nearby alternate trips, gradient statistics, length, gauge, etc. along with Monte's comments and injected personality which I found entertaining. The book has a wealth of rapid pictures too which I usually can't find with the exception of W. Nealy's maps and cartoons. Using this book I have been able to plot which rivers I need to become proficient on first. Next to checking the water levels, this is my primary source for plotting an itinerary up to Appalachia.

As a tightly woven collection of thought provoking short stories, this book is a miserable failure. However, as a showcase for flaccid verbiage, trite characterization, and themes so worn as to be almost pitiably jejune, it is a success on a scale unparallelled since the publication of C. S. Lewis's "Boxen," which the author wrote between the ages of 7 to 12. Since Jayne Ann Phillips is well in her forties, she cannot be granted the benefit of the doubt granted to Lewis. Phillips's characters were so undeveloped as to resemble pencil sketches rather than portraits; her sex scenes were almost comical, seeming to lack any real feeling or even anatomical knowledge; and her plots seem to alternate between contrived and derivative. One of the characters in "No Left Turn" seems to be the prototype for "Friends'" Chandler, and her story "Daddy's Farm" bears a plot so reminiscent of "Starship Troopers" that it borders on plagiarism. There are redeeming qualities Ms. Phillip's magnum opus. It deals with themes such as incest and botulism which are inherently fascinating. One only wishes that a more masterful hand had taken up these most serious of themes. It has one final redeeming quality, one shared with all other books, it ends... eventually...

I have absolutely NO idea what book duneguy thought he was reviewing, but Amazon.com might want to think about removing his review. No incest or botulism in any of the stories in FAST LANES, and none of the story titles he mentions appear in the book. Hmmmm. This, for me, still stands as the author's finest and most accomplished achievement. Ravishing use of language which never loses sight of the essential humanity of her characters. Not to play favorites, but the two that speak most eloquently to me are the two chapters that were excised from her novel MACHINE DREAMS and reworked -- BLUE MOON and BESS. Exquisite.

As I was checking to see if Fast Lanes was still in print (I've had scored of copies over the years since it's release in hard cover and I've passed them along to friends) I was jolted (by the one HORRIBLE and misinformed Amazon reader comment) that I couldn't let that stand by itself. One, it is almost criminal that this book is out of print. WHY?? And two, from this collection of short stories, to her other works (Shelter, Black Tickets) Phillips is a master poet who ties together magical language, a connection to her West Virginia roots and a her unique skill to write from a woman's viewpoint. This collection is filled with a voice like no other and I'm off to the British version of Amazon.com to see if the Brits are a little hipper than American pubishers. A wonderful collection!!

If I were to choose one word to sum up this book, it would be "quantity." Allen states that he describes over 500 trails, and though I did not count them, that number sounds about right. Trail length ranges from about 1 mile to overnight backpack trips. Some background information is provided for each area, and a brief trail description (usually one paragraph) is provided. Maps are provided for the national forest lands (about half the hikes) but not for state parks or other land. The book is pocket-sized so that it can be carried easily on hikes. No matter how much hiking you have done in West Virginia, you will certainly find some destination in here you have not been.

Unfortunately, to fit 500 trails into 350 pages, something has to be omitted, and in this case what is omitted is details. I already mentioned the lack of maps, but many of the trail descriptions are nothing more than directions for walking. Few insights are given as to what will be seen on the trail. This lack of detail combined with a lack of trail summary (a table listing all the trails in the book) make it very hard to choose a trail to hike.

In summary, if you are looking for a comprehensive trail guide to the state of West Virginia, this is definitely the book for you. If you are looking for the best hiking West Virginia has to offer, this guide will help only slightly. Despite its shortcomings, this is still the best guide to West Virginia hiking on the market. It should be considered by those planning a hiking trip to the Mountain state.

This book has excellent information on a large number of trails in the Mountain State. The descriptions are detailed and, on the trails I followed, are very accurate. However, little attention is paid to summit data such as elevations, directions for side trips to reach summits, etc. As a person who is interested in "peak bagging", I was somewhat disappointed. There are about 173 summits in West Virginia over 4,000 feet and there is almost no reference to this attribute. This book is essential and has a tremendous amount of useful information, but does not go far enough.

Incredibly handy for those times when you decide on Saturday that you want to do "something different" this weekend, but have not a clue what are your options. Divided into activities appropriate for each season, the book suggests a wide range of trips around the area, from historic exploring to art appreciation to communing with nature. I had an old version of this book that I lent out and lost, and I loved it so much I'm buying another copy!

I'm not a fan of amnesia stories. However, this case was of short duration. And it helped to bring the characters closer together. The idea behind the amnesia, I'm sure. I would like to have gotten to know Connor's father and brothers a bit. But most of the Born in the USA series are a bit short of secondary relationships of the main characters. Not enough room to develop them, I suspect. A nice beach read.

I serve as the Chief of Resource Education at Badlands National Park, one of the few sites in North America that has had black-footed ferrets reintroduced. This book has good information and provides children between the ages of 8 and 12 with a good introduction to this extremely rare mammal species. It is a bit dated as the black-footed ferret recovery program continues; however, it is still a good reference.

Author Anna Lee Robe-Terry is a distant cousin of mine, who has written not just a book of recipes, but an evocation of the atmosphere of our northern West Virginia roots. Disabled by a chronic disease, she lost home, job and possessions until she moved onto the old Robe homestead in Marion County determined to survive. "If life gives you wild grapes, then make jelly" is her philosophy. She began investigating the wild plants that she had grown up with and educating herself in botany and the ways of the old settlers. Her recipes are wonderful just to read. I have tried the Snapping Turtle soup recipe myself and can recommend it as a definite change of pace from clam chowder. She also has a recipe for skunk (!) that resulted from a hilarious end to a hunting trip. I would recommend this book not only to people in the area, but those interested in its pioneer culture and folklore.

This guide to the entire 184 mile C&O canal is wonderful, with nice cutaway illustrations of locks, boats, the gatekeeper's house; well-written accounts and vintage photos of life on barge boats, current information on the park's amenities. It's small enough to be portable. Very useful and enjoyable guide. I would have liked more information on the possibility of canoeing the entire length of the river, thus my 4 star rating. A great little book, and quite affordable.

I loved this book. A lot of my family lives in W.V. but this book allowed me to explore a part of the State that relatives never show you! It's as if they don't want to because it's their best kept secret.

A trip to W.V. with this book in the Fall is the perfect weekend getaway!

This is a wonderful story of a young man's journey into manhood. The need for his father's love and approval propels Erik on a lifelong mission to fulfill this need. If you are looking for a feel-good read, look no further. I am looking forward to the next installment of young Erik's life, "The Absurdities of War".