5 comments about Rock, Gem, and Mineral Collecting Sites in Western North Carolina.

1. The info in this book is good. It gives directions and GPS info and other good info. BUT in this day and age there is really no excuse for just having black and white pictures in this kind of book. In black and white all the rocks look very similiar to me. If they would just add color pictures I would rate it 5 stars instead of just 4. I still recommend this book but not as your only one for this area. Get it to compliment others.



2. I purchased this book after having visited a mine or two in the state. It is written in a manner that makes one eager to take a weekend and do nothing but mine. That is what I am going to do soon, with this book in tow.



3. This is a fantastic book but unfortunately, many of the sites are now closed to collecting. I agree with the other reviewer that it needs color photos. I have used to to dig at a couple of sites with good results. Unfortunatley, the success of this book coupled with a few overzealous collectors (out of the thousands that are good and follow rules) are probably whey these sites are now closed. I just wish that I would have found the book a couple of years ago. It's still worth buying, just be sure to check the internet first before travelling or hinking all the way to a site to make sure that it is still open to collecting.



4. Crossing western North Carolina from southwest to northeast are several branches of the Appalachian Mountain chain, including its highest peaks. The Appalachians, of course, are the product of numerous continental collisions and retreats, the latest of which appear to have occurred about a quarter of a billion years ago. Since that time, erosion of all forms has worn those Himalaya-sized peaks into the gentler mountains of today. That process has stripped many miles and layers of rock away, leaving deeper, older rocks now exposed to the surface for the first time.
   
   Because the miles of rock now removed exerted enormous heat and pressure, as did the colliding continental masses themselves, many freakish, beautiful, and frequently valuable gems and minerals may now be found. This book clearly and precisely describes where, how, and when to seek them, and what you can hope to find at each of the 53 sites described. The reader and user should SCRUPULOUSLY OBSERVE the book's recommendations for good manners in dealing with the people who are kind enough to open their property for rockhounding.
   
   The maps and directions are very good, but I was distressed that all photos were in black and white. I know there are limitations, but rock hues may have many nuances that black/white simply cannot capture. Even with this, the book is very good, and it will be glued to my fourth rib the next time I venture down that way. Highly recommended.



5. Lots of good suggestions for future adventures for gem hunting. Love to read and plan before trips

5 comments about Windows into the Earth: The Geologic Story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

1. This treasure will turn "topography" into a household word. Dedicated to a fellow geologist recently killed by an avalance while conducting fieldwork, "Windows" is a slick and dramatic feature presentation of volcanism, earthquakes, and geysers. Superb maps and graphs colorfully illustrate variable stratae formed through the eons. An informal and friendly text is scholarly without being stuffy. The writers establish a tone of substance and humor as they discuss multiple upheavals that created Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. This is the kind of book that will impress early rock-ologists and even be hoarded by their more secretive, sedimental parents. The writing never "dumbs down" but is lucid with factual attention to landscape formation without snubbing the human astonishment that continually witnesses it. Thanks to geologist Smith and naturalist journalist Seigel, the book is threaded with lively accounts from park rangers, tourists, and waitresses at the Old Faithful Inn. Appeals to romantics and literalists alike. Studded with beautiful, full-color photographs. Every page is hefty and sleek to the touch, a feast for the eye as well as the brain. Kind of a wonder-book for anyone who seeks the phenomenal in terra firma.



2. A friend loaned me this book two months ago. I haven't returned it yet. It is simply the best book on these two parks that I have ever read. The authors accurately portray the very considerable geological power present in each park, and yet do not manage to make either park a fearful place to be avoided. Instead, their writing is a persuasive invitation to visit these wonderful manifestations of nature for an extended period. I was particularly impressed by the visitor's tour set out near the end of the book. I took a part of that tour in 1994, and the narrative is very accurate. I will certainly use my OWN copy of the book when I go back again this autumn. (I don't want anyone to think I don't return borrowed books!) This book is an absolute musthave-mustread for anyone going to the parks or interested in the geological processes that have made the West. Enjoy.



3. I chose this book for my final project in geology class because I was interested in Yellowstone National parks though I have never been to, and this book was very good not only to read but also to review my studying in the class. Yellowstone and Grand Teton ground systems such as ground movements and heating systems are covered and also advanced my studying. Actually, I had totally no knowledge about geologic activities before I studied in the class, so this book was also really good to review my studying. In addition, this book introduces these parks view points with beautiful and colored pictures, so this book also can be used for a tourbook. It is no doubt that I will go to these parks with this book!



4. This is an excellent book on the interesting geology of the Yellowstone ecosystem, an area that covers not only the park but a substantial area around it extending to the south to include the Grand Tetons.
   
   The artwork is really excellent: both the photography, which is provided by several local professionals including Tom Mangelson, and the drawings, which make often difficult geologic concepts easily understood.
   
   Yellowstone sits on top of a hotspot very much like the Hawaiian islands except that it's in the middle of a continent instead of the middle of an ocean. This turns out to be an important distinction, one that makes the volcano that created the park one of the largest ever in the history of the planet.
   
   This book is well written and makes the geology accesible and interesting. And at the end, is a stop-by-stop tour of the two parks that will take you face-to-face with all that you have learned.



5. I was looking for a good geologic history book after finishing John McPhee's excellent "Annals of a Former World." Windows into the Earth seemed like a good place to start, but I was very disappointed. It seems as though the authors wrote each chapter (and sometimes even parts of chapters) independently and then slapped them together with little editing. Although the underlying geology is often interesting, there's little flow or logic to the book as a whole. Key concepts are repeated over and over, as though they're being introduced for the first time each time. Analogies used to make the subject matter more accessable often miss the mark and detract from the whole. This book may be worthwhile if you are visiting the region and want to understand more of what you are seeing, but I wouldn't recommend it otherwise.

1 comments about Canyoneering: A Guide to Techniques for Wet and Dry Canyons (How To Climb Series).

1. It's the next best thing to actually taking a class (or two or three) with Dave Black! Great pictures.

5 comments about The Florida Keys Dive Guide, Revised Edition.

1. As a beginning diver, I found this book to be very informative. It lists practically every reef in the Florida Keys. I especially like the reef maps which show what there is to see at what depth. Then after each reef map, there are photos of what there is to see at that site. It is a paperback, but it has glossy pages and great photos. I thought it was an excellent book - at a value price!



2. This is the best diving book about the Keys in this website. It is a fascinating look at many of the bigger reefs in the Keys. We used this book as a reference source for creating our website. It is filled with beautiful photos, all taken on the reefs described therein. It has diveplan maps to follow, history, fish descriptions, and many other helpful facts relevant to divers.



3. I found this book to be an excellent review of diving sites in the Fla. Keys. Not only did it describe sites but the drawings describing dives from boats was excellent! I cannot say enough about how well this book is presented and it should be an invaluable resource for all of us who dive in the Keys



4. This book can please every scuba diver interested on the Florida Keys. Great layout; nice, glossy paper; loads of inspiring pictures; super cool maps of EACH dive site; expert advice from knowledgeable writers who clearly love the Keys.
   For such a beautiful book - though not hard-cased, it can fare well on a diver's coffee-table - this guide is a GREAT value for the money. This book provides substantial help in preparing for your first trips to the only living reef in the continental USA. It can also inspire the seasoned Florida diver to remember the good times underwater and how precious the Keys are.
   A fitting tribute to a nature wonder... a most useful guide for a diving vacation... Highly recommended!



5. I'm a Divemaster and Guide in Key Largo. This book is by far the best written guide I have found for the Keys. Because of who the author is my expectations for the 3D underwater diagrams was unrealistically high. The author does an exceptional job detailing points of interest and highlights you don't want to miss.
   
   Buy this book!

5 comments about Mississippi Solo: A River Quest.

1. A very relaxing read. Never before have I read a book of true life that was so well-paced and soothing. Harris writes as the river flows: gentle to rough, lucid to terse. With a great sense of personal respect to the reader, "Mississippi Solo" is ther perfect read for anyone who wants to take a vacation in the theatre of the mind. An excellent book for travellers and a must have summer read.



2. I bought a copy of this book after my own canoe trip down the Mississippi. It was fascinating to compare the experiences of Mr. Harris to my own.

   The writing is perceptive, insightful, and entertaining. His observations of the people he met along the river, and himself, come across as very honest. He doesn't portray himself as a hero or an expert, but as the person he really is. His dedication to completing the journey is tenuous, but his appreciation for the lasting value of the experience is sincere.

   His perceptions on racial issues were objective and refreshing. Although he had preconceived notions on what he might encounter, (a black man in Nordic northern Minnesota and later in the Deep South) he judged people based on how they treated him, and the vast majority of people treated him with kindness and respect.

   His descriptions of the river, towns, weather and scenery are also enjoyable, and the hardships and joys are described with equal eloquence.

   I was impressed how such a greenhorn of an outdoorsman would have the boldness to tackle such an adventure. My only disappointment with the book is when he skipped some parts of the river. It was his journey to make, however, and he is honest about any shortcuts he took.

   In short, this is a great book. It is worth reading to experience the journey vicariously and for the writing itself. You won't be disappointed.




3. This book is a little tedious. Author seems to be caught up in making himself out to be a hero, whereas there is no deep contact with life; with other people. What strives to be insight seems shallow as the main character has rapid, passing interactions with dozens of people; would have you think that in 5 minutes one is able to sum up the character of a person or place. Reflections about self seem like overly self-focused ramblings.



4. I bought this book to read on a business trip that involved cross country flights. Did not read it on the trip. Started it the night I got back and read half of it when I really should have been sleeping. Finished it the next night. He transforms and you want to see it happen. He has doubts about completing his trip and you want to see if he will finish it. He has his troubles and you want to see if they get worse. You want to know more about the people he meets. Sometimes he says twice things that he could say once, but it's ok because it moves along. There is some historical perspective, some thoughts on racism, not too much. I would have liked to know more about what he brought with him and what he really needed, but he's not that kind of outdoor guy. He says at the end that his back was never the same. Was there something he could have done to avoid that? He does not say. It's ultimately ok because he sticks to the narrative and that holds your interest.



5. An enjoyable read and journey down the river. Thought it was going to be a day to day river trip but was more. Almost put the book away after first few chapters but am glad I didn't . Enjoyed his look at life, himself and people along the river. Race added another dimension to a tough journey. But i was left with a good feeling when done. Nice life lessons scattered thru-out the book.

1 comments about Michelin the Green Guide USA East (Michelin Green Guide: USA East).

1. I have been using green (and often red) Michelin guides for almost 50 years. For any area in the world they cover, they are clearly the best guide books available, with some caveats: one must have a good general education, and one must be able to read a very condensed map--skills many young Americans sadly lack. With those skills, however, as usual this new edition of the USA book is superb. Unlike almost all other travel books, Michelin offers clear value judgments, rankings, of sights. I have found over the years that I almost always agree with Michelin opinions. Because I like the series so much, and this book is very good, I give it 5 stars. Sadly, however, I don't think these books are as good as in past years. They should have more ½ page city maps, and there is no reason in the Green Guides to list hotels and restaurants. I suspect fewer maps and more hotels/restaurants are a sop to modern competitive requirements. For the most part, hotels and restaurants suggested are only the very most expensive--perhaps for those European travelers who have strong Euros to spend! Not much use to ordinary people! Another problem with Michelin Guides is that they are relatively expensive and if one travels widely, the collection of necessary guides (both Green and Red) becomes very large indeed. All that said, as an American I find this and the companion edition (Michelin USA West) wonderful reviews of the entire USA. If one has the time to travel widely in the USA, there is no better place to start vacation planning.

3 comments about The Best in Tent Camping: New York: A Guide for Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best in Tent Camping - Menasha Ridge).

1. Had a book in this series for camping in Virginia, which was very helpful and this New York version hasn't let me down either. We've already tried a few of the sights and the camp site location guide is particularly helpful. A good resoure to have for those who love camping.



2. This is a very good camping book. I like the list of features it has for every campground, including whether dogs are allowed or not (very useful for us, we have 2 dogs). We definitely will try visiting a few of these campgrounds in the future. I also liked the camping packing list in the back of the book, it's a good checklist to check out before any trip to make sure you don't forget anything important.



3. I think this book is great. It has lots of information and I found it to be perfect for my needs. Kudos to the authors!

No comments about The Woman Who Ate Chinatown: A San Francisco Odyssey.

5 comments about And Their Children After Them: The Legacy of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.

1. Unfortunately, the synopsis left out that this book won the Pulitzer for Non-fiction in 1991. Maharidge and Williamson followed the footsteps of James Agee who had profiled sharecroppers during the Depression. They found their decendants, and showed that while cotton and sharecropping had died, rural poverty for these families had been passed down to new generations. The front section of the book is a series of photographs by Williamson, and they are tremendous. Moreover, in their reporting, they filled a gap left by Agee by finding a black family of sharecroppers to add to the others profiled. This is a tremendous book. It works on multiple levels, giving both the sweep of Southern social and economic history and bringing it down to individuals. Beyond that, the book is a metaphor for our own time. "If we understand the death of cotton," Maharidge writes in this book, "we understand many things about modern America." This is a tremendous work, highly readable and moving. The recognition these two craftsmen received for it is well-deserved



2. First introduced to "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" by James Agee and Walker Evans through a PBS Documentary, which inspired a dash to the library to read the book iteself, it wasn't until years later I went back to the library to see if anyone had ever followed up on the story. Confronted with the then new computerized "card catalog" system, I wondered how I might search for any related writings when it dawned on me what a perfect title would naturally evolve from the verse the first book title was taken: ..And Their Children After Them. Imagine my amazement when I tried that title, and there it was! Maharidge and Williamson have followed in Agee and Evans footsteps to give readers "the rest of the story" of the tenant farmers' families and grandchildren, as well as the stories of Agee and Evans themselves. I congratulation them on an excellent book, and offer thanks to the families and their descendants for sharing their lifestories. Their lives did not take the path predicted for them by Agee: life refuses to be harnessed by prediction. Some went farther than anyone could have anticipated, while others came to a place, if possible, even worse than expected. As a second generation American, descended from Polish and Prussian immigrants who lived comparable lives, but who were blessed to own their own land, I identified closely with these stories, from the first page of "Let Us Praise" to the last page of "And Their Children".



3. This book should be read right after reading James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Mem. Unfortuantely I read it over four years before I read Agee's work. When I read this book--in Feb 1996--I wrote to myself: This is a book Newt Gingrich and the crazy House freshmen should read--people who are so intent that those who cannot make it on their own should not make it.



4. While I have Let Us Now Praise Famous Men on deck to read as well, the friend who loaned me the books explained she found And Their Children After Them first, and actually liked reading them in reverse order. So, I chose to follow her lead.
   
   The book, even standing alone, is an intensely personal and touching look into the lives of people who many of us who enjoy the luxury of writing reviews on the Internet can never really understand. The backgrounds, upbringings and challenges were so vastly different, and the book does a good job of showing us something different, something very real.
   
   I can understand the retiscence of some to participate in the book -- while reading passages in this book I often thought to myself what it would feel like to be the person being written about and to see the things about them in print. Like our society, there is a great deal of judgement in the book -- while they try to avoid it, it is there, and it's painful at times.
   
   But it's all worth it, in my opinion, to uncover the many thought provoking things that relate to our world today, and that give me a better understanding of history and people's place within it.



5. For readers of the original Agee/Evans collaboration, "And Their Children" is well worth the time. The reporter and photographer tracked down the 116 living offspring of the pseudonymous Gudger, Ricketts, and Woods families, as well as those who were part of the original book (12 of 22 who appeared in "Let Us Now" were still alive when they began their research in 1986). Not all were willing to be interviewed or photographed, but many were.
   
   As with the first book, the tale here is not a particularly happy one. The author begins by recounting the suicide of Maggie Louise Gudger, age 10 in 1936, a particular favorite of Agee's, and dead at age 45--the same age at which Agee himself died from drink. And yet there are varying degrees of hope in many of the stories, such as that of Maggie Louise's daughter Debbie and her children.
   
   The structure of the book follows each family through different periods: 1936-1940; 1940-1960; and 1960-1986. The author also includes sections on one of the local landowning families (which was far from rich!) and an African-American sharecropping family. Along the way, we learn surprising things about the evil (and Faulknerian) Fred Ricketts, the fate of Clair Bell (she did not die at age 4, as Agee had feared she would), the struggles of George Gudger, and the families' views on Agee, Evans, and the original book. About the children and grandchildren, we find out about those who ran away (and usually came back) and those who stayed; marriages; children; the end of farming; attempts at succeeding at school and at work; closeness and bitterness. It's all grippingly told. And the photographs that allow one to compare the state of things in 1936 and 1986 are excellent. Several photos exactly re-capture the originals.
   
   Quibbles: Naturally, I think, the sections on the two families who did not appear in the first book are less interesting. They could have been abbreviated. Also, the author's (negative) take on the state of America in 1986 is garden-variety journalism for that time. These sections are easily avoided, however, and do not detract from the writing about the original families.
   
   Counter to the author's gloomy opinions, his stories indicate that many of these descendents of share-croppers emerged from the Depression to enjoy a slow but steady material progress. Maggie Louise's grandchildren, now in their thirties, should do even better over the course of their lives. One hopes that another writer-photographer team will venture to Hobe's Hill in 2036 to test that proposition.

5 comments about Narrow Road to the Interior: And Other Writings (Shambhala Classics).

1. Narrow Road to the Interior and other writings
   by Matsuo Basho
   translated by Sam Hamill

   This is the most complete collection of Basho's writings translated into English available in a single volume. Aficionados of Japanese culture keen on exploring the haiku literature would be hard-pressed to find a better book to start with.

   Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) lived during the Genroku period in Japan. The Tokugawa shogunate had unified the country and it was a time of relative peace, which allowed those so inclined a freedom of travel not usual in many periods of Japanese history. Basho was so inclined. At the age of forty his restless feet led him on several walking tours of Japan, and he left behind collected impressions of these journeys in both prose and haiku.

   Thoroughly versed in the Chinese and Japanese poetic traditions prevalent among the literati of his time, Basho was also an ardent disciple of Zen. He devoted his life to refining, clarifying, and simplifying his poetry. In the brief haiku form he found the perfect vehicle through which to realize his poetic ideals, and the poems he wrote have inspired and captivated readers and poets throughout the world with their elegance, insight, and simple brilliance.

   This volume collects together four travelogues (Narrow Road to the Interior, Travelogue of Weather-Beaten Bones, The Knapsack Notebook, and Sarashina Travelogue) and over 250 of Basho's haiku. The translator has provided an introductory essay and an afterward revealing many aspects of Basho's life, work, and the haiku form itself. Also included are a chronology of Basho's life, a map detailing his journeys, and a bibliography.

   Sam Hamill's translation is marvelously clear and uncluttered, and allows the glow of Basho's awareness to somehow peek through the words in his poems. The book itself is a Shambala edition, and so quite beautiful: printed on high-quality paper in a gorgeous typeface with lovely endpapers. This book is a gem.

   Your song caresses
   the depths of loneliness,
   high mountain bird.




2. Perhaps the most brilliant offering of Basho's beloved poetry. Excellent in composition, translation, as well as the breadth of Basho's work presented.



3. There is only one other book where you can find these four of Basho's "travel diaries" in one volume and that is Nobuyuki Yuasa's. This compilation also includes a generous selection of Basho's hokku. These are the book's pluses. Unfortunately though, Hamill is much too intent on presenting you with Basho as a sort of haiku-zen master, an identity that Basho himself created as a voice through which to narrate. Mr Hamill would have us believe that Basho wrote poetry for the sake of zen, but the truth is that Basho studied zen for the sake of poetry. Also, Hamill's insistence upon translating in the 5-7-5 form ruins quite a few poems: you get sort of overexplanatory, prosaic verses much of the time. It is almost as if he were translating the explanations you will find in Japanese collections of Basho's verse. For example:
   
   Hamill translates "fuyu no hi ya bajou ni kooru kageboushi" as
   
   Crossing long fields,
   frozen in its saddle,
   my shadow creeps by
   
   though it should probably (more accurately) be rendered:
   
   winter sun...
   on horse's back
   a frozen shadow
   
   Hamill dropped the phrase "fuyu no hi ya" entirely and replaced it with "Crossing long fields." I don't know why Hamill rids Basho of suggestion and nuance. Maybe he doesn't think the western reader can find poetry in hokku/haiku as they truly are.
   
   The verse quoted by another reviewer
   
   Your song caresses
   the depths of loneliness,
   high mountain bird.
   
   might as well not be considered a translation at all. There is almost nothing of the original poem remaining except for the notion of loneliness and the kankodori, which is translated as "high mountain bird." "uki ware o sabishi-garase yo kankodori" would be translated literally as
   
   make this sorrowful self feel lonely, cuckoo!
   
   sabishi-garase is the imperative form of the verb that means "to cause to feel lonely." As a translator one of the worst things you can do is to try to improve upon a poem, though, personally, I don't think Hamill's versions actually do. If you don't trust the poet you're translating, then why are you doing it at all?
   
   At the moment I am in the middle of translating Basho's "Oi no Kobumi" ("Backpack Notes") into English, and when I get stuck on an obscure phrase it helps to consult other translations to see how that translator interpreted it, but oftentimes Hamill (Yuasa is guilty of this too) just glosses over a phrase, which in the end robs the text of any of the interesting quirks in Basho's prose. I wonder if Hamill hit the same tough spots as I and just decided to gloss rather than really try to understand it.
   
   I do not mean to be overly critical of Hamill. It is obvious that he is a good writer and some of his translations are successful but I wonder how much he really considered his renderings. In the end we are reading Hamill, not Basho.
   
   Unfortunately, there are not many alternative translations of Basho's other haibun, but there are plenty of his "Oku no Hosomichi." Hiroaki Sato's is probably the best, since it is very faithful and it gives the most background info (including linked-verse sequences written during the journey), but Cid Corman's is nice too because he does a pretty good job at reproducing Basho's prose style. Also, if you're looking for a good collection of Basho's hokku, check out Makoto Ueda's work. For a good critical study of Basho look at Haruo Shirane's Traces of Dreams. A good internet analysis of Oku no Hosomichi: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~kohl/basho/



4. 
   Matsuo Basho's "Narrow Road to the Interior" is translated by Sam Hamill, an accomplished poet who also translated the haiku of ISSA in "The Spring of my Life" (isbn # 1570621446) As B. Watson, professor at Columbia University has said, "Hamill achieves a kind of luminosity of language that I find unparalleled in other translations of the work."
   
   Basho lived from 1644-1694 and achieved acclaim as the greatest writer of haiku and.this book of his last travels is a classic in Asian literature. His stature must have made the task of translating more difficult, even intimidating. The title is of course a metaphor for traversing life to find one's spiritual center or soul.
   
   Amateur western writers who become enamored of writing haiku soon realize there are depths to which their studies may never take them. The sounds, the Zen way of thinking --bring much more to the equation than mere playfulness (as in senryu), or a built-in sense of syllables, and fondness for epigrams.
   
   Basho set off on his long journey & early in his travels was loaned a horse because "it is easy to get lost." The horse carried the poet, then stopped, and returned home without the rider but carrying Basho's gift tied to the saddle. The route of Basho's travels is printed inside the covers -- he describes "pines shaped by salty winds, trained into sea-wind bonsai." In other centuries men walked hundreds of miles, giving & receiving haiku as gifts - many about history, and some memorials. His lodgings were often noted, probably because they were more often miserable than not. His writings often included geographical 'markers' -- these speak of much more than PLACE to Japanese readers. One who had been a companion on the road wrote:
   "All night long
   listening to the autumn winds
   wandering in the mountain"
   Basho himself wrote for another companion as he turned back:
   "Written on my summer fan
   torn in half
   in autumn"
   And so he gave his thanks to those who shared his journeys and the quest for answers each of us asks on our own "narrow road."



5. I am not a scholar or a critic, I am just a person who really enjoys haiku and as such am familiar with Basho's poetry. I bought this book because it was cited in so many other books that I have read that I just had to read it for myself. I am very glad I did.
   
   A good portion, but not all, of the haiku contained in this book you have read countless times before, though they are translated slightly differently here. To me the real value of this book is that the poems are put in context of Basho's larger world by the prose that surrounds them. Basho's haibun tells of his various journeys around Japan, the people he meets, the sites he sees and how this all affects him.
   
   I love history as much as haiku, and this book is a real window on the past through the eyes of a man who could relate his world in a way that is both clear and yet filled with beautiful imagery, so that 17th century Japan comes alive for you.
   
   If you like haiku and are interested in what goes into a great poet's creative process, I feel you will enjoy this book, I know I did.