3 comments about Afoot & Afield Reno-Tahoe: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide.

1. Informatively written by Reno local Mike White, Afoot & Afield Reno-Tahoe: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide is a satisfyingly in-depth outdoor hiking guide to the Reno-Tahoe region on the Nevada-California border. Intended for both visitors and residents, Afoot & Afield Reno-Tahoe covers general safety and practical guidelines for hikers plus in-depth examinations of more than 175 mountain hiking and mountain biking trips in the region. Routes vary in length from less than a mile to an 18-mile point-to-point challenge. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this top-quality guide for hikers of all skill and experience levels looking forward to enjoying the Reno-Tahoe wilderness.



2. Mike White has borrowed the very successful book format pioneered by Jerry Schad to produce 'Afoot & Afield Reno-Tahoe.' Like the original books in the Afoot & Afield series, this volume aims to provide a comprehensive listing of all the day hikes over a broad region within California and Nevada. The result is 175 hikes centered around Lake Tahoe but including the northernmost parts of the Sierra near Graeagle and extending south of Carson Pass. The hikes also vary tremendously in length, ranging from 1/2 mile nature walks to 18 mile all day treks along the Tahoe Rim Trail. All of the classic hikes in the region are described, including the climb to the summits of Mt. Tallac and Mt. Rose, the Tahoe Meadows trail, and beautiful Showers Lake. Literally everyone will be able to find something to suit their tastes in this book, but readers should be warned that White does tend to favor longer and more strenuous hikes. The average hike in this guide is about 7 miles long and includes some serious elevation gain. Nonetheless, White often offers shorter options for his routes so more casual day hikers like my wife and myself will still be able to make use of this guide.
   
   Like other books in the 'Afoot and Afield' series by Wilderness Press, this volume includes a nice chapter on the local and natural history of the region. Route descriptions also feature occasional sidebars to highlight areas of local historical interest. Most important, this book includes excellent maps and retains two features that made Jerry Schad's original books in the series so successful. The first is that the broader region is subdivided into smaller areas so that readers can find hikes that are close to their campgrounds, condos, or casinos as the case may be. Second, each description begins with a capsule summary that quickly gives you details about distance, elevation gain, approximate hiking time, and difficulty for each trail. This is invaluable for tourists who have only a few days to spend in the area.
   
   My last visit to Tahoe was primarily for the purpose of backpacking the Tahoe Rim Trail. I never finished the last 60 miles and have intended to return ever since. This book has further whetted my appetite. The Reno-Tahoe area is one of the most spectacular hiking regions in California and Mike White's volume is a fine addition to the books on the area. If you are planning a visit to the area, this book will be an excellent resource.



3. We purchased this book for a vacation in Lake Tahoe, and it provided a wonderfully complete summary of the hikes, organized by region. The summaries at the beginning of each hike give you the mileage, terrain, and difficulty rating and were extremely helpful in selecting hikes for each day. The maps are better than many other hiking guides I've seen, because they show all nearby trails in relation to each other, not jut each individual trail. we purchased a US Forest Service map, which was nice to have, but we could have gotten by just with the maps in the book.

5 comments about Live Your Road Trip Dream: Travel for a Year for the Cost of Staying Home.

1. At its core, Live Your Road Trip Dream is a book about turning a dream into a plan, and turning that plan into reality. If you are considering an extended road trip and are in the process of gathering information about how to do it - this is a good place to start.
   
   The first half of the book focuses heavily on planning. They systematically consider the logistics of financing an extended trip, transferring important responsibilities, constructing a realistic budget, and planning an itinerary. As they dissect these topics, they share their approach and specifics about how they solved each problem.
   
   In addition to discussing things and places, they also spend a fair amount of time exploring the "people" element such as breaking the news to family members, missing important events, and, of course, the obvious issue of getting along with a traveling companion 24-7-365.
   
   One of the most valuable elements of the book, in my opinion, is the detailed planning worksheets in the appendix (and at http://www.roadtripdream.com). These include sample budget worksheets, to-do lists, list of supplies, and even a primer for RV systems.
   
   The White's make a point early in the first chapter that the purpose of the book is to help the reader build a plan for their own adventure. The second half of the book, a journal of the White's trip, is offered as a guide to spark the imagination.
   
   Although I appreciated the planning techniques, it was the journal I enjoyed most.



2. The book is a awe inspiring piece of literature. I enjoyed every single word. The words are perfect. I enjoyed every sentence. There should be more books like this. Cost effective advice



3. "Live Your Road Trip Dream" provides comprehensive, well-rounded coverage of topics that need to be addressed when embarking on such a grand adventure. While the authors' experience was with RVing, the book supplies helpful info to anyone planning a cross-country trek.
   
   The book is part practical how-to, don't-forget-to nitty gritty, and part journal jottings of the travelers' take on one U.S. locale after another; you can feel the curiosity, exhilaration, and even the exhaustion(!) of their undertaking. Their lodging was part RV, part hotel, which illustrates the fact that a person could realize a similar venture with one or the other...or a mixture of both. A long coast-to-coast adventure requires planning as well as money, and the authors don't leave out this fact. You don't just pick up and go. This book will help you plan it all out.
   
   It's fun to read about Phil & Carol's journey; if you haven't been bitten by the travel bug before, you will be once you read this book!



4. Before even finishing "Live Your Road Trip Dream" I had moved to the computer and was making plans for an extended summer trip visiting all the lighthouses standing guard over Lake Michigan's shore line. Phil and Carol White have found the perfect balance in crystallizing the dream, planning the "plot," and journaling the journey.
   
   In this second edition of their award winning, how to - planning guide, the Whites have included new sections with suggestions for taking sabbaticals, working on the road, and ideas for using the trip for teaching your children.
   
   I have often heard that half the fun is in the planning. The White's have divided their book into two parts. "Part One" begins with helps for the reader to determine and put into action the steps for making their own personal dream trip.
   
   Detailed suggestions for financing the trip, provision for your home, cars, and family responsibilities are covered in this section. The pointers on choosing your traveling home, planning your route, nailing down the details, and keeping in touch with the family are comprehensive and practical. Carol offers amazing insight into some decisions that may come up along the way as well as anticipating how to handle possible emergencies.
   
   In "Part Two" Carol shares journals of their journey pointing out the places they visited, highlights of the trip, the ambiance of some of the hotels where they stayed, and items of historical interest. They visited all of the 48 contiguous states, 43 National Parks within these states, and many monuments and museums of historical significance.
   Phil added some "Phil-osophies" regarding the sport halls of fame, including golf, some games they watched, and a man's view of many of their stops along the way.
   
   The resource list, the check off lists worksheets, and sample itineraries in the appendix are invaluable.
   
   Carol's writing is engaging and positive, and resonates with a contagious spirit which instills in the reader the motivation to move from a dream, to a plan, to making that dream become a reality.



5. This is an excellent primer for a very extended road trip, but it's not about being an rv full timer. The authors decribe intending to be "full timers" for a year with only incidental trips home for holidays and emergencies. They describe the evaluation in purchasing an rv and provide plans for living at camp grounds. But they stayed in hotels 4 to 5 nights a week and ate at restaurants even more often.
   So it's really about their road trip to see the contiguous states in a year, how they planned & prepared, where they went, what they saw, and how they dealt with personal and family emergencies.
   There's a good routing plan to see the lower 48 and many sites are described in detail, including many "do"s, "don't"s, and "watch-out-for"s.
   The most valuable sections describe their analysis for dealing with the day-to-day responsibilities they left behind when they're on the road, far away.

5 comments about High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places.

1. I've read several mountain climbing/Everest books lately and this is in the top half of that list. That having been said, as one reviewer noted, it was more interesting than gripping, and for all the ability to give a auto-biographical look at a world class climber, it didn't really capture the drama of the climb. Since reading about it is about as close as I'm ever going to get to doing it, I need something that makes me feel the cold and the wind and the struggle for air. This was more of a narrative retelling, and emotion is overly removed from the story.
   
   Everest is almost as much of a protagonist as Breashears himself, and it was indeed very interesting to read about the history, about the other expeditions, and about the call on the author that brought him to climbing as a life. It was enough, and I recommend the book without reservation, but I would say read "Into Thin Air" if you are looking for a more powerful and exciting retelling of an Everest climb.



2. What an incredible book. Once you start reading it, you won't be able to set it down. I even got yelled at by my boss for reading the book on company time. I've read it 4 times and each time is like the first time. There is alot of information to process so get ready be blown away. It's awsome. Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it.



3. A short, climb-heavy, autobiography about famous filmmaker/climber David Breashears, High Exposure captures the imagination with it's simple, sparse narrative style. The story follows the author from his youth as an army brat traveling from base to base with his mother, siblings, and an abusive father, to his apprenticeships on the rock faces of the American west, where he gradually earned the respect and admiration of his fellow climbers, to his eventual travel to the Himalaya, and his work there as cameraman for numerous expeditions.
   
   Breashears doesn't write with the lyrical style of a Greg Child, or the novelist/journalist style of a Kraukauer, or the heavy human-interest angle of a Jim Curran. Rather, his writing is simple, easy to digest, and paints stark pictures of a life in the mountains. In fact, the climbing descriptions are first-rate, and he discusses pitches he's ascended, their difficulty, the challenges overcome, and the lessons learned. I was struck by the attention-to-detail he reveals in his writing, and this book gives you that 'you are there' feel more than any of the other aforementioned writers - and leaves you hungering for more.
   
   Out of the probable fifty books I've read on mountaineering in the Himalayas, I would rank this as one of the finest. While reading, Breashears does a first-rate job of capturing the exhilaration, fear, sense of accomplishment and dedication that climbing one of these giant peaks brings to those who attempt it.
   
   Highly recommended.



4. As a young man, David Breashears looked at a photo of Tenzing Norgay standing atop Mount Everest. He knew at once that he wanted to pursue mountain climbing. His dedication drew him to hone his skill until climbing became his life and Mt. Everest in particular, "etched itself in the landscape of his soul". I look at a photo of someone standing in -65 degree weather, punishing their bodies to the limits of what a human can endure and think, "Wow, people do the damndest things, don't they?" This book provides insight into a life filled with a passion I will never feel.
   It is not easy to live a life dedicated to mountain climbing and still earn enough money to allow you to follow your dream. David explains how he was able to succeed and live well by discovering he could become a specialist in climbing photography.
   The story of his life is compelling. He grows up with an abusive father, who almost completely disappears from the family's life when the mother divorces him. David swears to never become like his father and sets off to make his way in life driven by his need to climb. He lives rough, works at the most menial jobs, and studies his calling. He totally rejects the cruelty he saw in his father, and totally embraces his love of climbing. His is a most unusual life. As attested to in many other books, there is plenty of drama on a shear face or Himalaya climb. But not every moment of climbing is as fascinating to me as it is to those who love this sport. The proper use of various alpine tools is no doubt a life and death issue, but parts of these discussions failed to hold my interest. Still, it is a fascinating book. There is poignancy in the fact that even though David vows to not become like his father, he distances himself from his wife until the marriage simply melts into nothing. The relationships he likes best are those formed on climbing expeditions; brief, intense, soon over. He is the quintessential "guy's guy". I don't usually look to autobiographies for great writing. And while the writing in this book is competent, it is the story that keeps it compelling. This is a look at a fascinating life, a saga that allows the "rest of us" a glimpse into a life obsessed with mountains.



5. This book is organized such that each chapter is devoted to a single milestone of Breashears' life. In each case he gives a general overview of that milestone, along with a few descriptive details of particular situations. But mostly, it is an OVERVIEW of the experiences that made him the man that he is today. After my initial disappointment that the book wasn't as detailed as I had hoped it would be, I accepted it the way that it was and truly enjoyed the rest of it.

4 comments about Moon West Coast RV Camping: The Complete Guide to More than 1,800 RV Parks and Campgrounds in California, Oregon, and Washington (Moon Outdoors).

1. This book is very organized and easy to use. Each section or chapter of the book explains each regions of the three states with locator maps and road maps. The symbols (a picture of a dog for dog friendly site, a picture of a fish for fishing site, etc.) that are being used to explain key interest of each campground are very useful for quick reference. Moreover, the book also list best of campgrounds such as best fishing and best wildlife viewing. We are a rv camper beginner and I found this book to be very helpful



2. I had previously purchased several editions of Sientra's "Camping in California" which we have used extensively on motorhome expeditions. My favorite was actually the first one I purchased in the mid-nineties. The subsequent editions were never quite as good and more difficult to follow. When I saw that he wrote this guide specifically for RV camping....I was very excited to purchase it....but what a let down. It is very vague and not nearly as helpful as TrailerLife or Goodalls. Consequently, I would not recommend it. However, the aforementioned Foghorn publication of California Camping is much more helpful...even for large RVs.



3. West Coast Camping includes information on more than 1800 RV parks in California, Oregon and Washington. The more I look at it the more I like it. You can find RV parks in several ways:
   
   1. if you know the name, use the index
   
   2. if you are looking for a certain area, use the map at the beginning of each section or look in those pages
   
   3. if you have an interest such as fishing, seeing wildlife or camping along a pretty river, check that listings in that section for ones in your state
   
   Each campground is described according to general location and nearby recreational opportunities, RV sites and facilities, reservations and fees. Directions and contact information are given. Icons give you certain information at a glance, such as whether pets are allowed.
   
   Two things make this book unique:
   
   * One is a scenic rating. The rating is just that and does not take into consideration noise level, facilities, maintenance, recreation options, or management. It is basically rating how picturesque the campground is, not the quality of the experience.
   
   * The other unique feature is listings of his the best parks in several categories: best coastal sites, best fishing, best wildlife-viewing, prettiest lakes, prettiest rivers. For those with a specific interest, this information is quite helpful.
   
   Stienstra does not include all campgrounds, nor those that are in extremely remote locations, very difficult to reach or where the access road is extremely narrow or twisty. Included are many state parks, some national park and other federal campgrounds. He does mention the longest RV the campground can accommodate but not how many sites of each. If you have a rig longer than 35 feet, you may want to verify that there are open sites of the size you need. Also, prices can go up anytime so verify the price if that is a concern.
   
   If you are like most RVers we know, one campground guide is not enough. If you will be spending time in these any of these three states and want to enjoy their beauty, this is one campground guide you must add to your collection.



4. Looking through the pages of this book, I thought it would be helpful to my husband and myself while RVing. We went to two of the sites listed for Tehachapi, California. The listings made the campsites sound clean with many modern amenities. Both sites were neither- they were primitive and run down. This book needs to be updated. I was very disappointed with it. I will definitely cross-check any information from this book with another guide.

5 comments about Take a Hike New York City: Hikes Within Two Hours of Manhattan.

1. This is the must-have book for anyone who loves hiking. It's got the best trails, along with tons of great info. Everything you need if you live in and around New York City and love the outdoors.



2. This book details, in an easy to read fashion, legitmate day hikes (3-9 miles) in the NY/NJ region. If you are looking for hikes that offer the best of what southern NY and northern NJ has to offer, this book is for you.



3. I've lived in New York City for ten years, and just when I thought I'd done/seen it all, along comes this great book! I just completed my first hike outlined in "Take a Hike: New York City" yesterday (in the Ramapo Mountains of New Jersey) and I'm hooked. I carried the guide with me and - being a novice hiker - found that all the detail was perfect and wise. And it's smartly written as well with a bit of humor! I might last another ten years in New York now that I've been introduced to another facet of the city I call home.



4. Easy to use and informative. I look forward to picking hikes for the summer.



5. Saying that I use this book almost every week end should be enough.
   This is the best book to have for one day getaway from New York.
   Reliable and of good advice.
   This is The book I read to chose my week ends hike when I can't leave for more than one day. It has saved my week ends more than once!

5 comments about Georgia Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. I have bought 8 DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer atlases and think they are all superb, the best on the market. I use the co-ordinates to locate pin-point spots on the maps!



2. The Gazeteers are unique and very informative if you understand and can read Topographic maps. This is not the best choice for a road map but might just be the best compromise for any outdoor enthusiast looking for very good details in an easy to read and transport atlas. Great for planning backwoods adventures or finding old road alignments in many instances.



3. This State Map is the best I can find. I have several of these, and use them frequently to choose routes that I want to travel. The Best!



4. ALL DeLORME Atlases & Gazetteers are:
   ULTIMATE (printed) EARTH GUIDES
   
   The DeLORME is a superb visual representation of terrain and every feature of the landscape with a listing of Trails, Fresh Water & Salt Water Fishing Sites; Hunting Areas; Recreation Areas; Historic Sites; Unique Natural Features; Campground and Primitive Sites; Attractions, State Parks, Federal Lands, State & County Lines (borders), power lines (great for traversing areas or following out of wilderness if temporarily lost), private airports as well as large airports, and much more.
   
   This is not a `city map' with every street named and is more for the vacationer or outdoor enthusiast. Every street is shown, with main streets named. This is more for planning a vacation, canoe or kayak trip, hiking, off-roading on Jeep trails (shown), finding boat ramps, trail heads and so on.
   
   GPS (WGS84 datum) tick marks and grid lines are on each page. The terrain is masterfully represented by detailed color-coded shading with elevation lines clearly showing flat areas as well as rises in terrain allowing one to picture the terrain before seeing it.
   
   The pages show boat ramps, lakes, ponds, creeks, streams, water falls, springs, swamps, forests mountains, trails, old abandoned railroad grades (great for hiking), military bases, Indian Reservations, bridges, fire towers, and back country details galore.
   
   SIZE MATTERS: Pages are 11" x 15"; representing approx. 30 miles. X 40 mi. The back outer-cover shows the whole state. Great for quickly estimating mileage & travel time by looking at the page-grids. Forty minutes North-South, 30 minutes E-W in rural areas and more for populated areas or steep mountainous roads.
   
   In summary: A lot of bang for your buck!



5. It is always great to have one of these on hand if you are planning any kind of trip or if someone gets lost. Lifesaver in my opinion. Great!

5 comments about The C&O Canal Companion.

1. I was thrilled to find and read this book, the most complete one about the Canal I've found. As a frequent runner on and veteran of several cycling trips along the entire length of the Canal--as well as a resident of Georgetown--I have long had an interest in and love for the Canal.

   The author, Mike High, uses many interesting and entertaining vignettes to tell the story of the Canal. He divides the book into four parts: "Historical Sketch", "Structures along the Canal", "Visiting the Canal", and "Canal Guide".

   The first two sections put the Canal into a fascinating historical and engineering context, including George Washington's role in the development of the Canal, and the Canal's involvement in the Civil War. The last section is a concise, mile-by-mile guidebook.

   In addition to history, High also presents useful information, including accommodations located nearby the Canal and suggested activities on/near the Canal.

   For $... a "best buy".




2. This summer, I started biking the C&O Trail starting at Cumberland. I wanted a book that would tell some of the history of the trail as well as providing good landmarks for Civil War crossings, etc... This book fit the bill. I looked for several books on Amazon, and I'm happy that I choose this one.
   
   The book is seperated into two parts, a general overview and history, and then a mile-by-mile breakdown of what to expect on the trail. I first read the history section and every night now before I head on the trail, I pull out the book and see what area I will cover the next day. The book has been great for planning with parking spots, etc...
   
   One suggestion that I can think of is to offer a book that starts in Cumberland instead of Georgetown because reading the book backwards is somewhat awkward (I realize that most people start from the Georgetown end, though). Additionally, it would be great to have GPS coordinates posted of the landmarks in addition to the mileage marker. I would love to be able to load the coordinates in my GPS so I know exactly where these landmarks are while biking.



3. I purchased this book to help prepare for a trip my brother and I plan to take next summer. I have only scanned it, but it looks like it will have all the information we need to make our preparations easier and our ride more enjoyable.
   It looks like a very thorough description of the trail, the sights to see along the way, and the amenities available on the trip.



4. I organized and led our high school youth group (23 people) for a week long ride on the trail. This book was invaluable in pulling it off. It has all the info for logistical planning, as well as providing excellent historical context (which the high schoolers loved.)
   
   While we were on the trail, I was tracking our progress via the book at every water stop. Even if you have minimal map reading skills, the maps in the book will allow you to determine your location with great accuracy (again, which the high schoolers loved.)
   
   Finally, the book is organized wonderfully and is an easy and interesting read. It combines information with background and context.
   
   In sum, if you are going to ride the C&O Canal trail, don't leave home without this book in your possession. It is as important as water and a first aid kit.



5. Wonderful guide to the C & O Canal park that includes history and detailed information about the various mile marks. This edition is revised from the original. However, with the make-over of the Monocacy Aqueduct in 2005 and other changes the book should again be updated to include this information.
   
   Still this book covers every aspect of this unique national park that spans almost 185 miles from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland, whether you are a hiker or biker or just a traveler visiting the various sites along the canal.

4 comments about Southern California: An Island on the Land.

1. Originally published in 1946, McWilliams describes the socio-historical and economic formations of Southern California from the "bottom up" in a way uncharacteristic for his time period. He unveils the racist, eurocentric, environmentally devastating, materialistic and otherwise ruthless basis for the area's hegemonic culture, economy, and social relations. Moreover, he adds great insight into the incorporation of California into the world capitalist system. He covers the use, abuse, and devastation of various peoples in the area including Native Americans, Californios, Chinese, Japanese, Oklahomans and Mexicans. He also offers insight into the materialism or 'fake' culture which has emerged from the area only to exploit the cultures it has destroyed. The book is a bit long winded at times, but overall is a must read for anyone intersted in the topics I've described. It would be of interest to anyone who appreciates Almaguer's Racial Faultlines, Pitt's The Californios, or even Montejano's Anglos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas.



2. For all residents of Southern California past, present, or potential, there can be no better book about this unmatchable part of the world. Past residents (like myself) will sigh with fond remembrance, current residents will be amused, and potential future residents will be astonished. All will be entertained. The land, the geography, the history, and the weather. They're all discussed. The social outcasts, the wierd misfits, the kooks, the characters, and their schemes and dreams. It's all here, along with so very much more. Written by a longtime resident in a very entertaining style that combines dinner conversation with classroom lecture, this book will be a joy to anyone who has a love for the irreplacable experience of Living In Southern California. You will truly FEEL as though you are there. This book is one for the heart as well as the mind. Oh Los Angeles, how I miss you. Carey McWilliams, thanks for taking me back.



3. ....California historian known to me, with his pithy style, his endlessly fascinating observations, and his anecdotes, rich in history and amusing in detail, which unlike the rivers of my state flow one after the other without any damming. I'm a native of Southern California, and I have yet to find a better book on this territory even though this one was originally penned in the late 40's.

   The colonizers, the boosters, the flamboyant pillars of society who bamboozled, bulldozed, and boutiqued their way into California: they and other characters appear on the McWilliams stage in a fascinating--and at times disturbing--progression in which the land itself, that most neglected of characters, puts in appearances too. For we Southern Californians live in a land of constant paradoxes; to quote the author ("The Land of Upside Down"):

   "To their amazement"--he means tourists--"they discovered that umbrellas were useless against the drenching rains of Southern California but that they made good shade in the summer; that many of the beautifully colored flowers had no scent; that fruit ripened earlier in the northern than in the southern part of the state; that it was hot in the morning and cool at noon...here, in this paradoxical land, rats lived in the trees and squirrels had their homes in the ground." No wonder we're all a bit topsy-turvy out here.

   My one objection: I disagree with the author's description of the early Missions as "concentration camps." That through disease and, later, a mis-education that left the Native converts vulnerable to ranchero exploitation and settler genocide is beyond question; but however misguided their efforts, those early padres had no conscious agenda of wiping out a people. Nevertheless, McWilliams's detailed accounts of Mission life provide a much-needed antidote to the idealization and denial and Eurocentric bias that saturate most Mission histories.

   If you want to know Southern California better, then of course you must stand on her soil and listen to her voices; but you could do much worse for an intro-at-a-distance than this fine book, which fellow natives will find confirming and eye-opening.




4. Carey McWilliams has been called "the single finest nonfiction writer on California--ever." This book, along with *California: The Great Exception* (1949), helped establish that reputation. Drawing on McWilliams's deep insight and remarkable versatility--he moved easily between the worlds of politics, law, literature, and journalism--this book, even after six decades, still captures the spirit and energy of a region that seems to remake itself continuously. *Southern California* has influenced not only journalists and academics, but also artists. One of its chapters, for example, inspired Robert Towne's Oscar-winning original screenplay for *Chinatown* (1974).
   
   Unlike most historians, McWilliams also made history by serving in state government, arguing against the Japanese internment during World War II, and defending the rights of workers, minorities, and the unjustly accused--frequently in high-profile cases such as the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial and the Hollywood 10. In one critical area after another, McWilliams mapped the social and political territory, raised the main issues, distilled the key facts, and proposed the most practical remedies. He's probably the most versatile American public intellectual of the 20th century, and *Southern California* is one of his masterpieces. Highly recommended.

No comments about Fodor's San Antonio, Austin, & Hill Country, 1st Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

5 comments about Alaska's Wolf Man: The 1915-55 Wilderness Adventures of Frank Glaser.

1. I read these type books on a regular basis & this one is head & shoulders above the rest. Captivating, interesting, & very informative. Well written & a true treasure. This should be included in the required reading for wolf relocation advocates & "Naturalists". Glasser has no axe to grind, simply tells of his adventures & experiences. I assure you, it is time & money well spent !



2. Excellent read ! I read mostly African based books, but put onto this from a friend now living in Juneau; thanks Scott! This is the "Capstick" adventures for Alaska !



3. Frank Glaser's story is a real, first hand look at Alaska in the early days. If you love Alaska and the wilderness, this is the book for you. Frank goes into the back-country and his adventures never cease as he traps, hunts, builds, explores and generally just checks things out. It amazes me that he is always so at ease, even in the most difficult of situations. He is the kind of guy you would just love to tag along with (if you could keep up with him!) His stories and accounts bring Alaska to life at a time when few tourists ventured into the back country. Jim Rearden has done a great job in compiling Frank's stories and amazing life. This book has given me a much greater appreciation of a great state...Wonderful Alaska! I doubt if anyone has ever experienced it like Frank Glaser.



4. A phenomenal book for all outdoors people and Alaska fans. The text flows very naturally. There is a lot of information on Alaskan nature and history.



5. I have lived in Alaska for 10 years and can't believe I just heard about this book. I bought it yesterday and have not been able to put it down since I opened it.
   
   Not only is it an excellent read but I am learning a lot of tips about wilderness survival. It is about the best adventure book I have ever read.