5 comments about The Outermost House: A Year of Life On The Great Beach of Cape Cod.

1. I particularly enjoyed this book as it is set in an area that has a large simularity to where I grew up and I particularly liked the lonliness and bleakness that I identified with.



2. Note: I made some Mormon reader angry over my negative reviews of books written by Mormons out to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews.
   
   Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks.
   
   This wonderful book doesn't need a long review. "The Outermost House" is Henry Beston's account of his year on Cape Code in the 1920s. It's a classic of nature writing and worth reading just for the poetic lines. Here is an example:
   
   "For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world islanded in its stream of stars--pilgrims of mortality, voyaging between horizons across eternal seas of space and time."
   
   I hope you agree that this wonderful line makes my short review worth reading.
   
   Highly recommended!



3. The Outermost House is a marvelous book; one of my all-time absolute favorites in the whole world. It's not, by the way, about outhouses, as one of my children wondered aloud upon hearing the title. Monsieur Beston has a terrific eye and an interesting style; his affection and respect for the interrelatedness of the natural world and concern that we humans forget our connection to it is akin to Thoreau's.
   
   This edition has a lengthy introduction by Robert Finch. Highly recommend skipping the intro until AFTER you read the book. Mr. Finch probably meant well, but he quotes extensively from the book - thereby spoiling some of the best parts - instead of giving us just enough to further pique our curiosity about the book or limiting himself to biographical information about Monsieur Beston.



4. This was one of my winter reading books. I enjoyed it very much because the writing was very clear and vivid. Henry spent a year on Cape Cod writing about the nature and how the season changes the land and his surroundings. He writes about a lot of the birds that migrate in and out of the region and raises some important environmental concerns about the delicate nature of our actions on the wildlife. I appreciated the light hearted feel of the writing and it stuck to the middle of the road as far as imposing any of his personal opinions about all and any subjects, which I thought was safe and perhaps is the one of the negatives I feel for the writing. It was written with a modest sense of pleasure and feeling. It was in any sense, a very nice read and very indicative of the northeastern way of life.



5. After another family trip to Chatham I desperately wanted to bring Cape Cod home and preserve the atmosphere that takes residence in your soul when you give yourself fully to its powerful coastal calling. As daily obligations put a layer of fog over my memories it was very cathartic to end the day reading Henry Beston's observations in an Eastham cottage in the 1920's.
   
   Beston is an able writer with a poetic style who is able to capture the allure of Cape Cod. He effectively brings the reader onto the beaches with all the animal and plant life that breathes life into this region. However, he has a tendency to write lengthy musings about specific birds or plant life that can get very tedious. Portions of his observations seem to be nothing more than the ramblings of someone who is bored and in need of companionship other than a group of flittering birds searching for food in the dunes.
   
   In the end, Beston was able to evoke a powerful longing that provided the soothing and comforting effect I was looking for. Recommended for anyone who wants to bring a "peace" of the Cape home, and for anyone interested in solitary observations of nature along the beaches of one of the best places on earth.

5 comments about Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.

1. This book is exceptionally rich in spiritual understanding, easy to follow and written from the heart of the author. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones knows how to bring out the truth of God's scripture. The book is actually two volumes in one, comprised of 60 sermons from Matthew 5, 6 and 7. The sermons will challenge you to review your Christian walk in contrast to the Word of God. Every sermon presented in this book brings the reader back to the foot of the Cross of Christ for self examination. It is a very humbling book, written to the heart of those that love God and his Son, Jesus Christ. This book will spiritually enrich your walk and strengthen your relationship with Christ. If you are searching for an in-depth study of The Sermon on the Mount you will not find a better book than this one. This is not a book you will read only once.



2. Through forceful, powerful, blatant, bold Calvinistic and evangelistic sermons, Pastor Jones did a marathon preaching on one of, if not the most controversial and heavily debated Sermon on the Mount; shattering other man-centered, self-centered, legalistic, antinomian, perfectionist interpretations. I have to admit before I read these sermons, I had most of my interpretations wrong. Here are some observations from what I took in. First, the Sermon on the Mount is not a social gospel where all it cares about is the actions, ethics and morale of the story. Though important, they are neither the meat nor the center of it; Christ the Preacher is. Not only is this so, but as Pastor Jones remarked in the concluding sermon, that throughout the course of it, Christ declares, I would say, both implicitly and explicitly, that he is the true giver, interpreter and center of the law. Second, no one can rightly live out the principles taught in it unaided unless one is a believer relying on the grace and power of God who enables him to do so. Third, it is not something one has to do to become a Christian. Instead, it shows what Christians should become as a result of a new gracious ruling principle in their hearts. Fourth, in some cases like turning to the other cheek, going extra miles, giving away both the cloak and the coat, loaning to those in need, not committing adultery, it is the general bigger-picture principles behind the detailed examples that was to be conveyed, not the actions themselves that are the most important. I wouldn't write what they are here, but let the readers discover on their own. Fifth; on the other hand, it involves some details which Pastor Jones beautifully expounds within the general description or principles, for example, on what the Lord's prayer means and how it is to be prayed properly with the right heart and attitude, how to determine the characteristics and signs of false prophets and professors, what it means to enter through the straight gate and going through the narrow way, what building house on sands and rock by the foolish and wise man signify and how we know which one of these categories we fall into. These are stunningly soul-searching; something critical that those of us who confess to be Christians should test ourselves with. Here is one of his quotes worth musing on what it urges us to do in regard to entering the strait gate,
   
   "You have to go out of your way to find this gate. You will have to analyze yourself and be very honest with yourself, and having refused to hold back, say, `I am going on with this until I discover exactly what I have to do'. Here are so many who do not find this way of life because they have never sought the gate and entered in.... [it involves] fasting, sweating and praying... we must give ourselves no rest or peace until we know for certain that we are on this way."
   
   And lastly, without trying to be simplistic, the underlying principle of it all is that it is the spirit, not the letters that matters. It is the heart, the desire, the attitude, the character and the outlook on one's life, not the actions, that Christ is concerned the most and therefore focuses his sermons on to graciously rebuke, correct and encourage. Despite his sober and frightening warnings, we should not lose heart but continue to persevere to the end to follow him for he who has began a good work in us will never leave us nor forsake us and will carry it on to completion.



3. This book on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is one of the best books ever produced by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. If you have never encountered Lloyd-Jones then you will be blessed as you read this book and discover a man with a passion for both the Word of God and the God of the Word.
   
   Lloyd-Jones, according to John Piper, is one of the last true Calvinistic Methodist from the days of George Whitefield. Here was a man who not only embraced Reformed Calvinism but also embraced a passion for God from the likes of Whitefield and John Wesley. He not only wanted to study the Bible and teach it clearly but he wanted to give people a hunger for Jesus that would become evident in holiness in life and character.
   
   In this book, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explores the implications of the Sermon on the Mount for the Christian. He works his way slowly through each passage giving not only the content of the passage but many points of application for your life. I would encourage you to have your Bible open to Matthew 5-7 as you read this book and even more to memorize the passage (Psalm 119:11). This is a solid book well worth the price and its also a book you will refer to again and again.



4. This is a wonderful book and well worth the time to invest in reading it. I would urge you to buy this timely book.



5. This is a wonderful book that does not hide nor apologize for the fact that it is really a compilation of 60 sermons delivered by the author. Each chapter is one complete sermon. This will be helpful and instructive to some and confusing and frustrating to others. I, for one, love it. The illustrations he uses are very good but the questions he uses to cause one to search their own heart in light of the scripture are fantastic. He applies the passages being studied to real life in meaningful ways inviting the reader to interact with the passage and allow it to have its work on their heart.
   
   This is NOT a preachy book but is it a book full of preaching...many a pastor would do well to study this book for its instruction on how to put a sermon together.
   
   BTW, if you wish to purchase the electronic version of this two-volume-in-one-book BE AWARE that only Volume one is included in the electronic version.

1 comments about Introductory Algebra (Bittinger Developmental Mathematics Series).

1. I bought This book for a Math Class, I highly disagree with the Previous reviewer, Math is an important subject, (how else could this other person know how much they spent on there credit card each month?) If you don't know math, then you are at a disadvantage to everyone else. Math Is Not dead, like latin, It is just as alive as American English. It is just not understood, Please let me tell you I am no math Major, I am a dislexic who has worked hard to over come my mental mix-ups. So in regards to this particular Math book? It is very detailed and informative, So I am very pleased with it.

5 comments about Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea.

1. Spellbinding! An amazing true story of a fishing trip that turned into a disaster. Excellent writing and the author weaves multi-tales of many people caught in this non-forcasted storm. Very readable, the book you can't put down!



2. If you liked "The Perfect Storm," you'll love "Fatal Forecast."
   
   Michael J. Tougias' book is a gripping page-turner about fisherman fighting for their lives amid a severe storm off the New England coast.
   
   Tougias' taut storytelling puts the reader in the middle of the action. Like the best survival stories, you can feel yourself in the characters' place, trying to figure what to do next.
   
   I also like that Tougias includes related stories of fishing boat disasters (and near-disasters).
   
   I do have one small complaint. This book, like many of this type, includes a batch of pictures in the middle. I suppose it's cheaper to print the photos altogether like this rather than insert them at the appropriate place in the story. But in this case, if you look at the pictures (and what reader wouldn't?), some of them give away the ending of the book.
   
   That said, it's still a great story. Allow yourself plenty of time when you pick up "Fatal Forecast" -- it's hard to put down.



3. Well written, gripping account of tragedy at sea. Worth reading if you like the "disaster book" genre, but not quite as good as The Perfect Storm.



4. Probably my favorite catastrophe book yet! Very well written, making it so hard to put down once you start reading. I got this for Christmas and finished it within 3 days! Tougias not only rendered an awesome account of a real life dramatic fight for survival but also relayed vividly the other events that occurred in the lives of the men and families affected by the disaster at sea. A must read for those who enjoy seeing man triumph over the most trying adventure.



5. The Georges Bank lies about 120 miles east of Cape Cod. It is no place to be in a small boat; especially when the weather turns bad. Wind-driven waves building from the fetch of the Atlantic collide with the shallows beyond the continental shelf and can build to frightening proportions. And weather in the month of November on the Georges Bank can be extreme. Ordinarily, automated buoy data provide the National Weather Service with information that enables relatively accurate forcasting. But in November 1980 the National Data Center's Georges Bank Buoy, located 170 nM east of Hyannis, MA, was not functioning. It had not been for some time. With inadequate data, the National Weather Service issued a benign forecast. Based on this forecast, four deep sea lobster boats headed for the Georges Bank. They did not expect a killer storm packing 100 knot winds and 50-60 foot seas. One boat pitch-poled; it's lone survivor spent 50 frightening and misearable hours in a rubber raft before rescue. Another boat badly damaged by a rogue wave and leaking badly fought on and eventually limped back to port. Brave men and women of the U.S Coastguard, in spite of fatique and grave danger to themselves, doggedly attempted to rescue the crews of these vessels. Fatal Forecast is a story of survival, duty and triumph of the human spirit. The book is well-written and grabs you from the Prologue and does not let go. In fact, I read this book at a single sitting. I could not put it down. When I got to the end I read the Epilogue and even the author's notes. I did not want it to end.

5 comments about Ox-Cart Man.

1. This picture book superbly illustrated by Barbara Cooney is 37 pages, of which 22 are illustrations with or without text. The text is provided by Donald Hall and teaches the law of the harvest by showing how a New Englander filled a cart with surplus harvest and handmade items to sell at Portsmouth market, which was a ten-day journey. The reader learns that in March the maples were tapped for their syrup and that in April the sheep were sheared. Their fields and gardens yielded potatoes, turnips, and cabbages, while their orchard gave apples. All these things were put into the ox-cart and taken to market. At market, everything was sold including the cart and the ox.
   
   Then the New Englander went shopping for manufactured goods, some imported from England, as well as for sweets. Carrying everything in a newly-purchased kettle tied to a pole slung over his shoulder, he trekked back to his farm. The family received their practical gifts and went right to work with their new tools by sewing, whittling, cooking, stitching, carving, sawing, splitting, weaving, embroidering, tapping, shearing, and knitting all of winter. When Spring arrived, they planted their fields. By caring for their tools and fields with diligence, the result will no doubt be another bountiful harvest.



2. Gave this account of a year in the life of a farm family to my 2-1/2 year old grandson. Worked, because the first time he asked his father to "read it again." Appealed to me, since it shows a natural cycle of growing/making things, selling them, and starting over. We may not operate quite this way, but it may still provide understanding of the world to a youngster. Appealing pictures, peaceful telling - perhaps the most "exciting" event is the farmer kissing his ox good-bye at market. Maybe a good bedtime story.



3. This is one of my family's all-time favorite children's books, with lovely, quiet pictures and a calm tone in the text. We love the feeling of the "circle of seasons" that it gives, as well as a glimpse back into a simpler era. The story also portrays the ethic of working hard and being rewarded for it. I read it to all five of our children as they were growing up. This Christmas I bought it for our 23 year-old daughter, who had asked for it. She doesn't have children yet; she just loves the book and wanted it for her own library. I was pleased to see Donald Hall's poem, "Ox-Cart Man"-- almost identical to the words in the children's book-- in Garrison Keillor's book called Good Poems, an anthology of poems he selected and arranged.



4. This is a wonderful book about earlier and simpler days when a family wasted nothing and supported themselves off the land. Each member of the family contributes and their activities change as the seasons do. It's wonderful!



5. I loved this book the first time I read it to my three year old son. It is a quality story and the language is wonderful.
   
   It is one we purchased in hardcover because I wanted it to be more durable since we read it several times per week.

3 comments about Streetwise Boston Map - Laminated City Street Map of Boston, Massachusetts - with integrated trolley lines & MBTA subway map.

1. Admittedly, that's all these maps are supposed to be for, but still, given the importance of Cambridge to the greater Boston area, a bit more effort might have been made to squeeze in more of it - at least up to Harvard Square. That's a fairly minor quibble, though, and this map shows the usual Streetwise quality in all other respects. The colors of the MBTA subway lines on the map aren't quite right, but they're close enough for government work, and the street index is its usual indispensible self. If you're coming to Boston, snag one of these - they're much hardier than paper maps, and very clear.



2. The print on this map is just way too small for over-40 eyes! So if you're in that age group...forget this map.



3. I have several of these maps. They are great, laminated. I like them because you can use a laundry crayon to write on them, easily wiping clean when done. However this map is a few inches smaller than what you buy in a Borders or Barnes and Noble bookstore. It is difficult to read. Manageable but difficult. Buy it elsewhere.

5 comments about Frommer's New England's Best-Loved Driving Tours (Best Loved Driving Tours).

1. I found this book, quite by accident, in my local bookstore. I was in the process of planning a trip through Connecticut late this summer. This book proved invaluable. Not only are the directions clear and precise, but the recommendations as to what to see along the drive are first-rate. I would recommend this book to anyone planning such a trip. It certainly helped make my trip through Connecticut very memorable.



2. Very practical for people planning a trip to New England for the first time.



3. Our family used this guide on a recent vacation to New England, particularly at Lakes Squam and Winnipesaukee. The guide gave wonderful suggestions and directions. We stopped at some places that we would not otherwise had taken notice of and we were able to form a more complete 'picture' of the area. The maps and written description were accurate and we felt we could rely on the book. There are many more tours for us to take and we are looking forward to doing so!



4. We loved this book! It has a number of driving tours that take you to highlights in each state. It has a couple of really nice features. The first, although we didn't stick to it very much, is the time suggested for the trip. They did suggest 2 days for the Southern Vermont tour. We did it in one day but only because we didn't stop in all the little towns suggested by the book. The book does not have much detail on each place so I would suggest a second "guide book" for more details and hotel/restaurant suggestions but the driving tours and directions were accurate and had good 'stop here' suggestions.



5. Excellent book. Allows you to see the highlights whether you have five days or twelve. Great routes and wonderful descriptions.

5 comments about The Douay-Rheims Bible (with book and chapter navigation).

1. This Kindle edition of the Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner Revision, was created to offer the user a bible with easy book and chapter navigation.
   
   The "Table of Contents", on page three of the edition, lists all 73 books of this edition of the bible, and also has quick links to both the New and Old Testaments. Just select the book title you want to go directly to it. Once you are at the top of the book page, you can select the chapter you want in two clicks. You are there! Navigation links at the beginning of each book allow you to select any chapter you want, back up or forward to the previous or next book, respectively, or return "Home" to the "Table of Contents".



2. I was very happy to see this in the Kindle store. This is the Gutenberg Project's Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible, formatted VERY nicely for the Kindle!!! I've been using the version from [...] that is "formatted for Kindle" but isn't really. As another reviewer said, you had to read it straight through, like a novel. These book and chapter navigation links are wonderful and WELL WORTH the price! To the author of this Kindle edition: I see you have formatted a few other public domain books, including the KJV. If you're looking for suggestions about what to do next, please consider formatting the "Lives of the Saints" by Fr. Alban Butler. At the risk of sounding too enthusiastic, you've acquired a very happy customer!



3. 5 stars for formatting, sure, but I had no idea from the product description or reviews that there is commentary embedded directly into the text. I find it distracting and difficult to do a slow meditative reading of the scripture when there is something other than God's word present within the text - sometimes after every verse. At first I was completely taken aback. I probably have a dozen different bibles and translations (non eBook), including Douay-Rheims, and I've never seen such a thing. But yes, the formatting is absolutely vital for the Kindle.



4. This is a well respected Catholic translation that has stood the test of time. The navigation for Kindle is better than any other book I have. The notes included in the text are very good too. It is in "thee, thou, ye" type of English. Some of the sentence structure is awkward at times. Overall I recommend this translation. Being a Catholic Bible in includes all the books of the Bible, just like the original King James did, up until the 19th Century.



5. This version of the Bible is very easy to navigate. The search feature of the Kindle makes it a breeze. My only complaint is that commentary is right there in the text; it's not separated by anything to tell you "Scripture stops, comments begin", so it can sometimes be distracting when just trying to read the Bible. Otherwise, this was a good choice!

5 comments about A Christmas Carol (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. The best of Charles Dickens' work. Ebenezer Scrooge is a bloke that pretty much anybody who came across him would classify as a miserable old coot.
   
   When he is particularly miserable towards an employee at xmas, a few spooky spectral spirits take him to task.



2. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMER i HAVE EVER HEARD. MR. STEWART BRINGS TO LIFE THE COMPLETE STORY. MAKING THE STORY MR. DICKENS INTENDED GO RIGHT TO YOUR SOUL.
   I HAVE PUT IT ON THE LIST OF THINGS WE ARE DOING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AND TO SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO THIS GREAT STORY.
   YOU WILL NOT BE UNHAPPY WHEN YOU BUY THIS CD.
   THE HALLEY FAMILY



3. Everyone has their favorite version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Make this dramatic retelling yours. At about 2 hours, its perfect for listening in the car while running around during the holidays or on your MP3 player while putting up Christmas lights. I plan on listening to it every year from now on. Patrick Stewart gives voice to every character, including the narration, and gives the kind of performance which I have come to expect from an actor of his immense talents.



4. I ordered 30 copies of this Dover Thrift Edition of A Christmas Carol and used them as stocking stuffers at work.
   
   This is a great item for the price, lower than some greeting cards, and I suspect appreciated a tad more than the usual overflow of candy around at holiday time!



5. Cute book to add to my table of Christmas Stories. Will make a cute addition this Christmas.

5 comments about The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home.

1. This book was recommmended to me by someone who had read it, so i knew what to expect, a very well researched history of a family and the intertwined relationship of the family as it grew over the generations to the big house that was their common home away from home. The writing was excelllent which made it very easy to relate to the characters that we met and got to know. The stories of the individuals was realistic and punches were not pulled in several of the histories, which made me at times believe that I was reading fiction. When the time came to part with the old home, I was as devastated as George Colt (author) was, I felt so part of the story. A good read.



2. The Big House and The Hidden House are two summer homes on the Atkinson/Colt ancestral property at Buzzard's Bay on Cape Cod. Similarly, author George Colt Howe offers us two stories within one book: First, a magnificent tale of life at that big family summer retreat on Cape Cod and its evolvement over the last century. Second, a stupefying slog through five generations of Boston Brahmin lore. In a nutshell, great granddad was the nineteenth century patriarch who bankrolled the good life for four generations. Hitting tennis balls and winning sailing pennants preoccupied the lives of his progeny, no one else worked too hard. Fortunately, every other generation, an industrious grandson-in-law shows up to keep the home in the family.
   
   The story of the house, and the author's emotional attachment to it, is colorful and endearing. Howe writes with painstaking love for special nooks and crannies of the Big House, of magical childhood memories, and the traditions he wishes he could afford to pass on to his own children. Readers with a longtime family residence, summer home or other special place held dear in their hearts will connect with this author. His descriptions of 'old Cape Cod' chronicle a bygone pre-fastfood era when the Cape was truly an isolated getaway.
   
   You can't blame Howe for the dullness of reading about rich dead white guys who were his forebears. His editors failed him. Skim the genealogy, don't worry about who was who's granduncle or aunt. We could have had more specifics about the patriarch Ned Atkinson, and far less about his descendants. It's always the relatives who spoil a summer vacation.



3. Lots of padding in this book. Hard to read as it was only mildly interesting. It just scraped in for a 3 star rating.



4. I enjoyed reading "The Big House" and have recomended it to several friends. Anyone in the Boston and Cape Cod area or enjoyed summer vacations on the cape would enjoy the book, I highly recommend. I purchased this book from a review, and because it is a true story about real people and an area I have visited. It covered facets of my life. It told how the family used the house and each generation was interested in the previous generations, from the relative that build the house to the present time. It is a good read.



5. I'm on p. 199, reading this in Tel Aviv while keeping my ill sister-in-law company (I'm from California). I have lived every page, every lush detail, and now it's becoming so heartbreakingly sad. I'm in a foreign culture, reading about another very different foreign culture (Boston Brahmins), and reading this book helps me to understand BOTH better.