5 comments about Interpreting Our Heritage.

1. It's a decent, reasonable somewhat giddy book on interpreting the natural world. It is also practically required that National Park Service ranger's follow Tilden's principles for interpretation. So if you ever want to be a National Park Service Ranger, it'd be great to have this under your belt!



2. Ok, so in parts you can definitely tell this book was written in the 50's. However most of it is still extremely valid, and extremely useful. I would not hesitate to reccomend it, a very good read for interpreters or interpreters in training.



3. Interpretation is the art of making what is presented meaningful to the audience. This book is useful for anyone who wants to get others interested in a subject, whether it is for a presentation, an art exhibit, or the local park's visitor center. If an exhibit, lecture, presentation, or tour does or does not get you interested in the topic, this book will explain most of the reasons why. This is all sound wisdom, offered in the context of museums and national parks. It's easy to read and engaging, employing the principles within.

   I. Talk about what is being desplayed/described to the personality or experience of the visitor.
   II. Interpretation is revelation based on information.
   III. Interpretation is an art.
   IV. The goal is provocation, not instruction.
   V. Try to present the whole instead of the part.
   VI. Don't just dumb it down for kids.
   Tilden elaborates on these beautifully, with nice examples.

   After reading this book not only do I know how to improve upon my own interpretation, but I can critique other interpretation and at least know when to appreciate a good display when I see one. Just remember that there are more than 6 principles. Use this book to start thinking about interpretation as a skill and an art, instead of the bible of interpretation.

   Interpretation for the 21st Century: Fifteen Guiding Principles for Interpreting Nature and Culture is an updated version recommended to me but I haven't read it yet.




4. This book is a nice BASIC introduction for those who know nothing about what interpretation is in relation to a museum. I found it very dry and outdated. The author tries to spice it up a bit with humor and examples of national parks but all in all, i would not recommend it.



5. When one need to study and learn the basics, this is the original guidebook on guiding! The text is almost quaint (written in the 50's) as are the pictures, but there are still nuggets worth mining.
   
   I found myself highlighting the "do"s and "don't"s that are now features in other fields such as marketing and customer service. There aren't many reference books on the subject of interpretation, so this is a good place to start.

2 comments about South Dakota Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. I've used Delorme atlases without any problem on my excursions through other states, so I bought the South Dakota atlas last summer before my trip last September. As usual, everything in the atlas is clear and easy to read. My trip took me all across the state of South Dakota, including travel on many back roads. Not once did I wonder where I was or feel I was lost. These atlases are remarkable for their accuracy, and they have another winner with this one. Whether you've visiting the Black Hills, heading to Pierre, or want to get to Watertown, you can use any road confidently with this atlas. Highly recommended if you want to see any part of the state off I-90 or I-29!



2. DeLorme has done it again! Stellar mapping and attention to detail make this a grand publication. Two thumbs up!

3 comments about Our National Parks.

1. What a beautiful book! Covering all of our nation's National Parks, David Muench's photography is incredible. From the Great Sand Dunes to Canyonlands, from Carlsbad to Glacier, he's captured our nation's most beautiful land. Great quality book--I immediately wanted to hike up a mountain.



2. After seeing these photos, I'm further inspired to visit all the national parks!
   The essays were unnecessary and took space away from additional photos.



3. Another stunning book of American Landscape!!
   He never cease to amaze me after so many years.
   Bob Kim

5 comments about Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains, 2nd (Scats and Tracks Series).

1. This pocket sized guide helps the reader identify the scats and tracks of 70 of the more commonly encountered animals of the rockies. It gives good informative descriptions for the first time tracker.



2. Winner of a 1999 National Outdoor Book Award, this small guide contains a wealth of information.

   As an environmental educator who has been teaching tracking classes for over 15 years, this is the book I now use for all of my classes. Page for page, "Scats and Tracks" is the most useful and useable resource for track identification in the field that I have found.

   Packed with information that is useful to both the novice and the more experienced tracker, "Scats and Tracks" is the easiest of the various guides for beginners to use, yet contains enough information to remain relevant as one's skills improve.

   The quality of its contents make the book an invaluable resource; its size, format, and organization make it easy to understand and use effectively. If you're going to buy just one of the many books now available on track identification, "Scats and Tracks" should be the one!




3. This small field guide supposedly covers from Colorado/Utah north to the Canadian border, but many of the animals illustrated also range into the Pacific Northwest, western Canada and California, so this book is useful for most of western North America. There are two pages for each of the 70 mammals, birds and reptile/amphibians. Every animal has a small-scale range map, overall sketch, sketch of its droppings, large sketch of forward and rear footprints and a sketch of the pattern left by several footprints. I found the latter especially useful since many times the individual tracks are not too clear, especially in sand or dry snow, but the track pattern provides a positive identification. This lightweight, pocket-sized format makes it convenient to carry. Highly recommended for hikers, campers and nature buffs.



4. This small field guide supposedly covers from Colorado/Utah north to the Canadian border, but many of the animals illustrated also range into the Pacific Northwest, western Canada and California, so this book is useful for most of western North America. There are two pages for each of the 70 mammals, birds and reptile/amphibians. Every animal has a small-scale range map, overall sketch, sketch of its droppings, large sketch of forward and rear footprints and a sketch of the pattern left by several footprints. I found the latter especially useful since many times the individual tracks are not too clear, especially in sand or dry snow, but the track pattern provides a positive identification. This lightweight, pocket-sized format makes it convenient to carry. Highly recommended for hikers, campers and nature buffs.



5. I purchased these books to use in an outdoor field workshop for science teachers in Colorado. The books are great and the teachers really appreciated them.

No comments about DogFriendly.com's East Coast Dog Travel Guide: Includes New England, New York, the Mid-Atlantic States, Florida and the Southeast.

5 comments about Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. This atlas is surprisingly accurate. We purchased it in preparation for our move to Missouri. Since then, we have depended on it dozens of times when the state highway maps just weren't detailed enough. There are hundreds of winding dirt roads and trails in rural Missouri, and this atlas identifies almost all of them. I also appreciate the index of campgrounds, state parks, and fishing locations. The only criticism I can muster is the odd proportion of some of the town place names. There are some tiny towns with huge fonts printed on more than a few of the pages.



2. Hi All I am a disabled traveler and Started out in Missouri and ended up in Arizona.
   I have used many of deLormes Atlas and Gazetteer's, I dont know why this Missouri Atlas does not have the RANGE AND TOWNSHIP MARKINGS ALSO THE ELEVATIONS???? Maybe it cost too much these days to include that. I have a 1999 Arizona Atlas by DeLorme that has all that included I was Disapointed with this book, print is smaller and does not show any of the city streets???
   \ does an OK job for the county roads, that does help..
   
   But GPS tic marks could be bigger or bolder.
   overall it might get you where you want to go.
   
   I guess so I am not lost in the woods or on some old county road..lol
   
   Good luck to all and to DeLorme include these things next time around..ok?



3. We do alot of camping and this book is our bible in helping us locate remote private camping sites and then the back roads to get to them. We also enjoy riding our motorcycle in the more remote and twisty back roads of MO and again this is a good souce to know what surface the roads will be. My only complaint is sometimes the symbols are not differentiated enough from the background so they are difficult to read.



4. We used the Missouri Gazeteer for a spring camping trip to the Ozarks. We wanted to explore out of the way places, and knew that good maps would be invaluable. The date on our Gazeteer was 2002, which might explain some of the incongruencies, but I have to wonder how much back roads change in 5 years. We followed one that took us to where we wanted to go, but it ended another half mile away in a camping spot. We would have LOVED to have known about that, and also to have known that the road did NOT continue through as marked on the map. I guess that they still want you to have a sense of adventure!



5. This is well worth the price. It had all the roads labeled and easy to find. It makes traveling in Mo easy.

4 comments about A Building History of Northern New England.

1. Tremendous amount of scholarly work by Mr Garvin detailing construction of buildings in an important area of New England history and culture. Highly recommended.



2. Finally, a book that focuses on New England building history. This book should be read cover to cover for a complete understanding of the evolution of construction and to understand the important details often overlooked. I thought I had a pretty good knowledge of old house construction, but I learned something on every page. Excellent photos demonstrating the point discussed in the text. Should be on the bookshelf of every old house person.
   
   Chester, Vermont



3. Scholarly and comprehensively researched! The most impressive overview of the cultural landscape of New England yet published. It integrates research from a wide variety of sources and academic fields. A must read for anyone interested in the cultural landscape and material culture of this region.



4. This book is an invaluable resource for understanding and dating early buildings in all of New England.

No comments about Fodor's Arizona and the Grand Canyon 2009 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

5 comments about Weird Georgia (Weird).

1. My wife loves to read about history in States that we have lived in. So this was interesting to her.



2. This is nice to have if you are trying to collect the entire "WEIRD" series but the author severely lacks the enthusiasm and personality many other state writers have shown. I am a big fan of Southern folklore & haunts and I just feel that there was a lot missing with WEIRD GEORGIA, mainly due to the editor of this book.



3. I was born, raised, and still live in Georgia. I have visited some of these places, and I actually live in Rabbittown. I borrowed the book from the local library, and after reading it, wanted a copy for myself. Sure, some of the stories are exaggerated, but this book is still highly entertaining.



4. I think these books are the coolest series of non-fiction out there. I bought Weird Kentucky from a local bookstore here and started reading it. Being originally from Georgia, I knew I had to have the Georgia version of the book. For anyone who's into Paranormal and just weird information for their local area, or anywhere in the country, I recommend these books. I can't wait to collect the entire series, myself.



5. Everyone should have a Weird "whatever state you are from" book. It makes road trips so much fun. Okay some of the stuff is lame but there is a lot of cool stuff listed and you get to check out little corners of your state. Great gift idea!!

3 comments about Rock Climbing Joshua Tree West: Quail Springs to Hidden Valley Campground (Regional Rock Climbing Series).

1. Just got my copy and after spending a couple hours with this guide, all I can say is Wow! Kinda thick, but so much info and really liked the history section. Can't wait to visit some of the new spots...
   
   Only question, when are the other volumes coming out?



2. Got this book this month (December) and have already began picking out new routes I want to do! I definitely am an advocate of his (Randy Vogel's) seeming conviction that his original JTree book needed some updating. This guide gives new route info, as well as more developed topo's, pictures, etc. I will likely get his new book when it comes out in print this January, simply because I am already impressed with this one and his next one will cover the Central (Split Rock, Saddle Rock, etc.) more extensively than his original 1 book volume did.



3. I went to J-Tree for the first time last week. I bought this book at Nomad Adventures in Joshua Tree. Because it's one of three volumes, more detail is given for the routes. There are just too damn many routes in J-tree to try to pack them into one book. This book is a must. I am looking forward to the next two books - and my next trip back.