2 comments about Runes of the North (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book Series).

1. Olson's use of sensory description is a powerful tool in his writing, particularly Ghost Camps of the North (an essay in Ruins of the North). Olson takes the reader on a fantastic adventure in each and every one of his essays. Not only does he take the reader to various geographical locations, but he also takes the reader back to the days of the French/ Canadian Voyageurs, and trappers. Ruins of the North contains work that traces the path the voyagers took from Montreal to Grand Portage, and into the far North The careful description of the Hunting Moon rising has a majical quality about it. Olson is a master nature/ wilderness interpreter that has given the canoeist/ camper a wealth of stories to tell. Reading an essay from Ruins of the North just before one retires at night insures a night filled with vivid dreams, and sound sleep. This can best be illistrated by the Essay The Dream Net.



2. Olson's use of sensory description is a powerful tool in his writing, particularly Ghost Camps of the North (an essay in Ruins of the North). Olson takes the reader on a fantastic adventure in each and every one of his essays. Not only does he take the reader to various geographical locations, but he also takes the reader back to the days of the French/ Canadian Voyageurs, and trappers. Ruins of the North contains work that traces the path the voyagers took from Montreal to Grand Portage, and into the far North The careful description of the Hunting Moon rising has a majical quality about it. Olson is a master nature/ wilderness interpreter that has given the canoeist/ camper a wealth of stories to tell. Reading an essay from Ruins of the North just before one retires at night insures a night filled with vivid dreams, and sound sleep. This can best be illistrated by the Essay The Dream Net.

1 comments about Alaska: The Cruise Lover's Guide.

1. Now in a newly revised, updated, and expanded third edition, Alaska: The Cruise-Lover's Guide by Paul and Audrey Grescoe continues to be a simply terrific and "user friendly" supplementary resource to enjoying the best that an Alaskan cruise has to offer, from sightseeing wildlife to observing or participating in exciting sports and events. Gorgeous color photographs enhance this exceptionally practical and nicely organized travel guide written for both the casual as well as the enthusiastically active tourist or vacationer.

1 comments about Cruising Guide to the Northern Gulf Coast: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana.

1. You cannot find a better cruising guide. Mr. Young has done great research.

5 comments about National Geographic Guide to Family Adventure Vacations: Wildlife Encounters, Cultural Explorations, and Learning Escapes in the U.S. and Canada.

1. This guide was a wonderful breath of fresh air. As parents of a 14 yr old we were really tired of the same old vacations and really had no idea that exploring North America could be so interesting. Our family used this book as a guide on a recent trip to Montana and South Dakota. It was a terific trip--from the Blackfeet tours to Little Big Horn to Lakota Pony Rides, we truly had a unique experience. Ms. Stapen's guide helped us navigate and explore the most interesting sites these states had to offer. The guide was very informative, especially pointing out those places that are "kid friendly". The book was even helpful in pointing out certain tours not especially suited for kids.---ie. the tour at Little Bighorn. While this did not stop us from going on tour, it did prepare us for the " are we finished yet" complaints of our 14 yr. old. I highly recommend this guide for anyone considering vacationing anywhere in the U.S. From the Pacific Northwest to the East Coast and throughout Canada, this book will help you if you are truly looking for a different type of vacation. I urge anyone to consult this guide---- it will open up a whole new world!



2. This book is a real dissapointment. There is no 'adventure' here. It's just a list of museums from around the country. Now these are nice museums, but perusing the AAA Tourbooks will give you the same information for free. This books is a waste of money.



3. Stapen's book on family adventure travel is one of the best of its kind. Our family was looking for new types of vacations (other than the usual places like DisneyWorld, the beach, etc) that would cater to children of different ages. We are looking forward to trying out several of the recommendations, such as a night at the zoo, space camp, dogsledding, llama trekking and exploring native american culture. The writeups are well done and the book is very enjoyable. A must for families. I am over 50 but could not put that in Box 5 for some reason .



4. As the mother of two active and intellectually curious boys, I was so disappointed with this National Geographic book that I am sorely tempted to return it to the publisher. My aim: to find some suggestions for hikes in the White Mountains and family resorts in New Hampshire for this summer and an exciting, wilderness approach to seeing the West for next summer. The cover: a healthy, athletic father and son, in a kayak on a pristine lake. The subtitle: wildlife encounters, cultural explorations and learning escapes in the US and Canada. The inside: Connecticut's only entry is an Indian museum at the Mohegan Sun gambling casino; four of Massachusett's five entries are museums in downtown Boston and the fifth a small recreation of the Plymouth Colony; New York's six entries include three museums in New York City, two adult continuing education programs in upstate NY and a weekend workshop on Indian culture in the Catskills. I could go on ,but it would only bore you. In short, every entry I read (and I quote only those states I am familiar with) could have been found in literally any run- of -the- mill (free) guidebook found in any hotel loby, restaurant or Chamber of Commerce office. (SeaWorld and Busch Gardens in Florida?? Give me a break!). I implore you to save your money and pass on this book!



5. This book gives you just enough information to help you to plan a great family vacation. They give you places and numbers to call to get more information on some great trips accross the country. For a busy parent who wnats to get more bang out of their short vaction this is a must have. We love the book.

1 comments about Boston Laminated Pocket Map by Pocket-Pilot.

1. This map is of a very convenient size, folds up easily, and, as it's laminated, is unlikely to split at the folds anytime soon.
   Includes useful transit and sightseeing information.
   My only complaint is that, for someone whose eyesight isn't what it used to be, the small print used for street names, etc. can be hard to see in anything but the most ideal lighting.

5 comments about Riding with Rilke: Reflections on Motorcycles and Books.

1. Although there were portions of this book that were good, many of them seemed uninteresting to me. I had hoped it would be a story that provided interesting details of both a bike journey and book collecting. In the end I feel like a got less than I hoped for either. He seems to gloss over many of his actual riding journey but spends a lot of time on details that added nothing to the story for me. Perhaps I am spoiled by Peter Egan.



2. As a reader and rider, I enjoyed this book as a motorcycle travelogue with all its arcane bits of literary data strewn throughout.
   If I have a small complaint it is that Bishop spends too much time in Austin and not exploring more of the places he is terrific at writing about. When we were traveling with him, he made some of those stops come alive and gave the book some fun and substance. When he halted (as he had to in order to do the archive research), so did the cycle action.
   However, with that being said, some of the book's best and most poignant passages are his ruminations on reading and riding - his description on p. 112 about the "readiness of books" has been accurate in my reading life. And the couple of pages (p. 124-6) about silence and listening were memorable.
   So is the line: "I wrote on the bike and I rode in the reading room. I'm sure it's the same in offices everywhere." He's right, of course, as I work while I ride and ride while I work in the form of a quick daydream. Nice to know others have the same feelings.



3. Not a mere travelogue or another bike adventure...Bishop escorts the reader through the very essense of riding in the most spiritual, thoughtful and surprisingly, visceral treat of a book...yes, this little book travels well: I took a ride to New Mexico and there it sat patiently on my nightstands in all the different hotels, motels and inns along the way...then, upon opening the book's pages, it (the book) merrily displayed its well-crafted prose to bring together this joy of riding a motorcycle and the sheer bliss at reading the power and majesty of word after word, woven together into images and concepts of both of these Life-sustaining activities...OK, so it is not for everyone, it is for me and that's what we're talking about here...if you Love either, read it, if you Love both, devour it...if you Love neither, God help you, 'cause you are missing out on Life at its finest and the "Now," the moments...love of riding, love of words, love of Life...another tapestry to bring form and content to our Loves...live on that edge and slip back to write about it...darn, I'm going for a ride now: "four wheel move the body, two wheels move the soul" and I feel the call of the wind...



4. When reading RIDING WITH RILKE it is easy to see that Ted Bishop, a good writer, loves books and Ducati motorcycles but for me this book felt a little flat. There are too many pages about minor characters and minor events that add nothing to the story. The book would be helped if the 261 pages were cut back by a quarter. I too love books and ride a motorcycle, a Harley Road Glide, so it gives me no joy not to rave about the book but still, I would recommend it even if you feel like skipping a few pages.



5. Disclaimer: I have been a librarian for 35 years, and a motorcycle rider for 46 years, so I can hardly claim to be a typical or neutral reviewer of this book. If Amazon permitted 6 stars, I would award them. It is a rare event indeed to find a work that so lovingly deals with both motorcycle riding and books.
   
   Ted Bishop captures vividly the essence of long distance motorcycle riding, including writing in one's head while riding, and the distraction to a writer to riding in one's head while attempting to write (a considerably less dangerous activity). His words took me back to an 11,000-mile ride that I made two years ago, along many of the same roads.
   
   Equally vivid are his characterizations of librarians and archivists who work in special collections, and of the process by which a scholar mines the books and papers in such collections for insights and publications.
   
   Bishop has a keen eye for irony, and I found myself laughing so hard while reading Riding with Rilke on a plane flight that I fear I was creating a disturbance for my fellow passengers.
   
   Riders who aren't especially interested in books may find too little motorcycle content in this book. Scholars and librarians with little interest in motorcycles may find too little about books and literature (and very little, indeed, about Rilke). For those few who are passionate about both motorcycles and books, Riding with Rilke is a rare treat.

1 comments about San Diego (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide).

1. San Diego is one of the best places to visit and this is a great guide for day to day use. The maps are excellent and the restaurant recommendations are top notch. If you are looking for a great getaway San Diego is a wonderful place. This book explains the Zoo, Wild Animal Park, gaslight district and Sea World. It goes into some of the outside areas like La Jolla. Highly recommend.

3 comments about Understanding NAFTA: Mexico, Free Trade, and the New North America.

1. Orme presents a very readable account of the many changes taking place in Mexico as they relate to Nafta and the environment leading up to it. The book mainly discusses how Mexico and the US are integrating and largely ignores Canada, which he feels was taken care of in the FTA.

   Overall, a very good account and introduction.




2. This book is about Mexico - with litte coverage of how NAFTA affects Canada. It presents Mexico and its circumstances in a realistic manner. It is well written and easy to read. We recommend it to our clients interested in learning more about the Mexican people and the national economy. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute.



3. Overall, I think this book is a very good analysis of NAFTA. It highlights the economic history of Mexico and the role of Salinas in getting NAFTA off the ground. Orme presents a wealth of material that has definitely increased my knowledge of the agreement. Orme does an excellent job in elucidating the good facets of NAFTA; however, to get a better viewpoint of what NAFTA has done at the local level, I would encourage someone to read any recent ethnography of rural peoples in Mexico. Particularly those farmers who are eking out a living in the southern parts of Mexico, so they can buy corn grown in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Orme barely mentions the Zapatista uprising, though this is due in part to the publication date of the book. Also, I think much of the optimism surrounding the agreement in the book has been largely muted by the events of 9/11. Issues surrounding tighter border security has, in large part, replaced those surrounding free trade.

4 comments about Indiana Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities, and Other Offbeat Stuff.

1. You'll enjoy this book even if you don't live in Indiana -- and you'll definitely enjoy it if you do. Packed with the odd and unusual, this book was filled with surprises even for me, and I've lived in Indiana for almost 20 years. Strange things you'll see along the road, folks who collect or build wierd stuff, bizarre legends and history... Dick Wolfsie explains them all with both wit and respect, and turns in a first-rate book that you should have with you on any daytrip you take around the Hoosier state.



2. This book is really intersting and funny! It offers so much information about IN--things you never knew that are great trivia! Great for planning day trips in the state, too!



3. This book is amazing! It has many pieces of "useless" trivia - unless you stop and think about the uses of this knowledge. Did you know that a town in the Hoosier state seceded from the Union at the state of the Civil War? I didn't till I read this book - and I'm a major in that field with a wealth of knowledge on Indiana and the Civil War.



4. Indianapolis TV personality Dick Wolfsie is well-known in Central Indiana for finding fun, interesting human-interest segments for his station's morning show. Wolfsie continues this theme by digging up oddities from all over the Hoosier state that would interest any traveler who wants to stray from the beaten path. Wolfsie provides a description of the curiousity, organized by region and alphabetized by the town in which it is located. The book covers five regions and includes a map of that region that labels every town mentioned in that section of the book, no matter how small the town.
   
   Examples include the RV museum in Elkhart, a jar museum in Muncie and the site of John Dillinger's first official crime in Mooresville.
   
   Wolfsie includes addresses, phone mumbers, websites, e-mail addresses and contact names (some are only available through appointments). Rough directions from Indianapolis are included.

2 comments about New Orleans: A Pictorial Souvenir.

1. This book delivers what it promises. I was lucky enough to take a vacation 2 years ago to New Orleans. This book has so many beautiful pictures of New Orleans. It is the best souvenir for me for each picture tells a story about New Orleans. It may be small, but so is the price . Each one of its pictures is truly worth a thousand words.



2. I have always been a fan of New Orleans, rich with culture. I was so sad to see the devasation caused by the recent hurricanes. When I was browsing the amazon site I found this book. It is a beautiful book full of pictures, some full page of the beautiful people and places there. I do not live close to New Orleans and have no idea just how widespread the damage is but I hope that the history of New Orleans can recover. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this city which is unique and unlike any other in our country.