Deep Water Passage

Customer Reviews:

Depressing.......2007-08-05

I admire this woman for the undertaking, kayaking around Lake Superior. But the descriptions of downpours, thick fog and cold water 24/7 was as depressing as her thoughts of her lost friend. Beautifully written, this book is not for the joyful-at-heart as it touches on a subject we all must face with time: the passing of a loved one and mid-life doubts.

The book worked because as the journey moved on around the lake, Ann described the boulders, the lichen, the flora and the immediate surroundings, all which were backdrops to her thoughts.

There was a distinctive difference in the wilderness between the Canadian and American sides of Lake Superior that she detailed along the way. Fewer but more interesting people were found on the Canadian side and some of the shore descriptions were so detailed I could smell the water and trees.

But there were times I fast-forwarded to get away from the depressing parts (when she talked about old times with her dead friend) and read more of the adventure of the trip, as she and her partner amassed miles, met up with friends or strangers along the shore, built a campsite for the night, etc. That she was able to finish the entire circumference is in itself amazing, not because she did it (she is afterall an endurance athlete) but because of the strong demons she had to fight inside.

I recommend this for people who love the seas, lakes, kayaking and pushing oneself to ones physical limits.

This book took me out on the water with the author!.......2004-09-19

I couldn't put this book down! I was there with every storm, every breathless moment of this incredible journey! I was exhausted when I finished this page-turner strictly from the adventure standpoint, but the emotional journey which parallels the physical is equally compelling and I found the author's honesty to be refreshing and comforting. This is a beautiful book to read and re-read when your own life's journey makes you wonder if you're on the right path and it makes a wonderful gift as well!

big thoughts on a big lake.......2004-09-05

Linnea's book is one of only a handful of kayaking books really worth dipping into. Her prose and purpose are conveyed perfectly to the reader. Both kayakers and students of water will enjoy this work. Only Chris Duff's book comes close to matching it for creating lingering memories. Both works figure strongly in my book which reviews outdoor water recreation - Deep Immersion: The Experience of Water. Linnea writes with passion and enjoys getting wet and immersing herself in Lake Superior's coasts. As Thoreau wrote " That part of you that is wettest is fullest of life" (quoted from Profitably Soaked: Thoreau's Engagement With Water; Green Frigate Books, 2003).

Spirtual: Yes; Kayaking: Maybe.......2003-09-01

I picked up this book expecting it to be a book about not only a woman finding herself and understanding the place where she was in her life better but also a book about kayaking around Lake Superior (a trip I'm about to embark on next spring). I was not disappointed by the Spiritual nature of the book (even if it was a bit too New Agey for me) but I was disappointed by the lack of good kayaking stories (other than the obligatory toughness of the trip type stories). I was also surprised by how "unexpectedly harsh" the author found Lake Superior and the lack of real knowledge of the lake she possessed (especially since she lived on the shores of the lake in Duluth, MN). Anyone preparing to make this trip should have been better prepared for the fickleness of Lake Superior and anyone who actually lives on the lake should have known this wasn't going to be your summer camp paddling trip. Like many other reviewers, I did find her whinning a bit much at times. BUT overall I found this book enjoyable, touching at many points and made me anxious to start my trip at Sault Ste. Marie in June. (Picky-Nicky note here: This town is called "The Soo" by us native Michiganders and not "The Sioux" as the author spells it in the book..it is a local shortening of Sault Ste. Marie pronounced "Soo Saint Marie", not named after the Indian tribe)

A Spiritual Awakening.......2003-07-04

The day after her 43rd birthday Ann Linnea (and her brother-friend, Paul) begin circumnavigating Lake Superior by kayak, a 1200-mile spiritual and physical journey of 65 days. In order to complete this passage, and move onto the next phase of her life (which includes leaving her husband of 21 years), the author struggles to overcome physical and emotional limits while battling raging seas, bitter winds and freezing temperatures. Her desire to understand the changes she needs to make lead her on a search for life-affirming answers, and ultimately allow her to find purpose and meaning in her life. The insights she shares enable the reader to bear witness to her transformation as she faces self-doubt, life-threatening danger and exercises her choice to live. A marathon runner and cross country skier, Linnea is no stranger to the elements, no idle pursuer of physical challenges. Her life lessons are learned through her body. In the summer of 1992, Ann Linnea became the first woman to circumnavigate Lake Superior. Her experience with "She-Who-Is-The-Biggest" changed her life. The telling of that experience is both moving and meaningful.

Deep Descent: Adventure and Death Diving the Andrea Doria

Average customer rating:

Very good diver's book
Gripping and well-written but was too terse at times
Disappointing
Had to finish, wish it had been longer!
McMurray "Descent" Series

Deep Descent: Adventure and Death Diving the Andrea Doria
Kevin F. McMurray
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743400631

Book Description

On a foggy July evening in 1956, the Italian cruise liner Andrea Doria, bound for New York, was struck broadside by another vessel. In eleven hours, she would sink nearly 250 feet to the murky Atlantic Ocean floor. Thanks to a daring rescue operation, only 51 of more than 1,700 people died in the tragedy. But the Andrea Doria is still taking lives.

Considered the Mt. Everest of diving, the Andrea Doria is the ultimate deepwater wreck challenge. Over the years, a small but fanatical group of extreme scuba divers have investigated the Andrea Doria, pushing themselves to the very limits of human endurance to explore her -- and not all have returned. Diver Kevin McMurray takes you inside this elite club with a hard, honest look at those who go deeper, farther, and closer to the edge than others would ever dream.

Deep Descent is the riveting true story of the human spirit overcoming human frailty and of fearsome, mortal risks traded for a hard-core adrenaline rush. Chronicling these adventures in his page-turning narrative and in dozens of dramatic photos, McMurray draws us deeper into the cold heart of the unforgiving sea, giving us a powerful vision of a place to which few will ever have the skills -- or the courage -- to go.

Customer Reviews:

Very good diver's book.......2007-08-23

Kevin McMurray produced an exciting and revealing account of the men and women who dive the Andrea Doria. Its a very good book for people just getting into the sport, because it deals with the pioneers.

Gripping and well-written but was too terse at times.......2007-08-22

This was a great book from two standpoints. As a reader, I appreciated how well-organized the book was. The chapters are not broken down chronologically but rather by weaving important ideas into a coherent story about the history of diving the Doria. McMurray knows exactly how to turn possibly hundreds of hours of interviews into a suspenseful adventure for the reader. As someone who has just started diving, it was a great way to cement some of the lessons taught by my instructors regarding panic under water, narcosis, and equipment malfunctions/hazards. This is also a great book if you want to read about some legendary divers in the 80s and 90s. McMurray paints a detailed and honest picture of the book's characters, allowing the reader to step into their shoes and understand their motivations. Thankfully, he didn't seem to baby the reader when it came to explaining the science behind the risks of diving. As a diver himself, he kept the explanations short and simple for those who are not already familiar with the concepts. The only drawback of the book is McMurray's sometimes sparse recountings. Parts of the book were very matter-of-fact as if it were taken out of a newspaper article when I wished he could provide more detail. However, these parts didn't detract from the overall good quality of the writing.

All in all, a great read for anyone interested in the Andrea Doria, deep wreck diving, or a piece of diving history.

Disappointing.......2007-07-22

I read this book after reading Shadow Divers. Technically, this book cannot even begin to compete. I would not recommend it.

Had to finish, wish it had been longer!.......2007-06-12

I just started diving this year and am reading all I can on this sport. This book was one that I had to finish.I enjoyed it from cover to cover. I know how dangerous scuba can be and this book really pounded that point home. I thought this book was well written and kept me turning the pages.I'm glad it let me know the up to date information on the where and the what, of all the people that were in the main focus of the book. I look forward to reading more of his books.

McMurray "Descent" Series.......2007-03-17

I actually purchased this book after I read McMurray's book on wreck diving the "Empress Of Ireland." I couldn't put that down - what a great book. I'm not a diver, but the reference to the "Empress of Ireland" drew me to it as Clive Cussler's "Night Probe" kicked off with her sinking. I hadn't realized the "Empress" was more deadly than the "Titanic" and, unlike the latter, the "Empress" went down in a mere 14 minutes - REAL bummer! Fascinating reading with the human and political twists that make it more than just an adventure tale; diving such as this puts an entirely different face on what some folks consider a safe sport. Highly recommended, as well as McMurray's other opus, "Dark Descent: Diving and the Deadly Allure of the Empress of Ireland."

Sea Kayaker's Deep Trouble: True Stories and Their Lessons from Sea Kayaker Magazine

Average customer rating:

Great stories with detailed analysis of what went wrong
Good Information, Out of date stories.
Lessons are not hard to learn
A guide of what not to do.
excellent information

Sea Kayaker's Deep Trouble: True Stories and Their Lessons from Sea Kayaker Magazine
Matt Broze , and George Gronseth
Manufacturer: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0070084998

Book Description

This riveting book offers 20 harrowing, real-life tales of sea kayaking accidents that will not only keep readers on the edge of their seats, but also instruct them with potentially life-saving lessons.

Customer Reviews:

Great stories with detailed analysis of what went wrong.......2007-09-13

This book is loaded with well told, detailed stories of paddling gone awry. Each story is followed by an instructive analysis of the situation--how the paddlers misjudged the conditions, how they might have avoided equipment failure, what training might have helped the situation, etc. It's all laid out in very practical terms that you could put to use yourself. Amongst the stories are numerous sidebars with more information on techniques and equipment that are also useful, but much drier. My only criticism is that the book has not been updated. Most of the stories are from the mid-eighties and while the principles of kayaking haven't changed, available equipment continues to evolve. In summary, a fun book to read full of useful information for any sea kayaker.

Good Information, Out of date stories. .......2007-03-17

The stories in this book had some real value to them and any beginner would see the value in reading about the unfortunate disasters of others. However, I was disappointed that most of the recent events talked about happened between 1984 thru 1994, almost 13-23 years ago. Sea Kayaking has come a long way since then, but none the less, the events the book talks about are important valuable lessons to those beginners just starting out in the sport.

Lessons are not hard to learn.......2006-08-08

Deep trouble recounts the stories and reports of 20 kayaking incidents which range from death (often with sketchy information as you would imagine) to mild hypothermia to extraordinary feats of endurance and survival.

Unfortunately I found a majority of the incidents were the result of either total novices `in over their heads' or total stupidity. Kayaking in shorts and a tee shirt in 10degrees water and 20knot winds with no pfd; the lessons are not hard to learn. Also many of the lessons from each incident were the same, how many times should we read to dress for immersion and wear a pfd?

However, of the 20 cases presented, one or two were noteworthy, others included elements of interest, and some of the comments from the `pros' was useful.

The formatting - which includes simultaneous commentary with the incident report - didn't work for me at all (others report here that they like it, go figure).

I expected more from this book (I have always wanted to read 'Total Loss' the equivalent book about sailing) but it just wasn't aimed at me. The target audience must be novice kayakers who don't wear a pfd; if you are in that audience buy this book.

A guide of what not to do........2006-08-05

If you are new to this sport or an experienced paddler, this book can provide valuable insight on how to stay out of trouble and what to do, or not do if you find yourself in trouble.

excellent information.......2006-06-20

As a newby kayaker, I find this book to be highly
useful, if a bit intimidating. Hopefully, by reviewing
these incidents, I can be less of a potential danger
to myself and burden to others.

One negative: the quality of the binding of this book is
truly abysmal. It literally disintegrated in my hands
as I was reading it.

Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man (Picture Puffins)

Average customer rating:

Whales with Band-Aids
Great Book, in the Classic Tradition
Burt Dow fan
Classic
WONDERFUL!

Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man (Picture Puffins)
Robert McCloskey
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014050978X

Customer Reviews:

Whales with Band-Aids.......2005-08-02

My almost 5 year old son LOVES this book! I am not sure what is his favorite part - the colorful boat, the inside of the whale, the bandaids - but we have read this book at least 3 or 4 times a week for the past four weeks.

Great Book, in the Classic Tradition.......2004-07-08

This book was one of my favorites growing up. Unlike other favorites that I found weren't so great anymore, this one has held up. It is much better than either Blueberries for Sal or Make Way for Ducklings because there are more plot turns and the color in the book just pours and splashes out of the book. The illustrations are just fabulous.

The book also uses nice alliteration and allows you to read it straight out or in voice (as a new englander or maybe Arlo Guthrie in Alice's restaurant - a sing-songy cadence -- check back after you read it twice and see what I mean). There are some repeated parts (descriptions of sounds and the leaky parts of the boat) that make the book fun to listen to for pre-readers as well as aurally rocking your child to sleep. My son has liked this since he was about 5 (now 7)

A terrific story with great illustrations.

Burt Dow fan.......2003-02-06

This is one of my very truly most favorite childrens books.
You will never see band aids the same way again.

Classic.......2000-02-11

Classic Book. My son first saw Burt Dow on a videotape of the Robert McCloskey books. At first, I couldn't find Burt Dow in any bookstores, but was glad when I finally did. My son loves the book and loves to play Burt Dow.

WONDERFUL!.......1999-09-01

This has always been one of my favorite books. Burt Dow has so much charracter. This is shown through the wonderful text and insigtfull pictures. Children should relate easily to the simple happy way in which Burt Dow thinks. Besides helping to reveal the wonderful charracter of this man, the pictures are also each a wonderfull piece of artwork in and of themselves. I especially like the ones of his old sea-side house with his garden and his boat. This book is a Classic.

Average customer rating:

Lacking and predictable
another winner
Deep Waters
Another great and fun read from JAK!!
No complaints

Deep Waters
Jayne Ann Krentz
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671524208

Amazon.com

With more bestsellers in the last two years under her various pseudonyms than Michael Crichton and John Grisham combined, there's no denying that Jayne Ann Krentz is one of the reigning queens of romance. In Deep Waters, Krentz demonstrates the quick wit, keen plotting, and expert characterization that took her to the top of her field. Set in the Pacific Northwest, Deep Waters is the story of two powerful corporate players who encounter secrets, lies, and hidden treasure in a quaint coastal town, far from the city lights of Seattle. Charity Truitt can't escape the ever-escalating panic attacks that have plagued her over the last four months. Desperate to escape a loveless engagement and an impending nervous breakdown, Charity flees to Whispering Waters Cove, a tiny seaside community. There Charity meets Elias Winters, a major player in the Pacific Rim trade, a man with a past too painful to forget. When the sleepy town is rocked by a killer on the loose, the two unite to catch the murderer. It's the undeniable connection between the two that runs deep in this passionate tale of intrigue.

Book Description

One kiss and they're in over their heads...

Deep Waters

Charity Truitt and Elias Winter, two of the Pacific Northwest's most powerful corporate figures, are both facing crises of career and the heart. Fate has brought them together in Washington's tiny Whispering Waters Cove. Each is eager to downsize and simplify, so they're both determined to avoid mergers of any kind -- but when they meet, the attraction is nothing short of blue-chip. They definitely have at least one thing in common: a martial arts master, Elias is a novice at relationships; a formidable former CEO, Charity is starting in the mailroom when it comes to love. But behind Whispering Waters Cove's sleepy fa‡ade run currents fed by treacherous secrets -- and when the town is rocked by two shocking murders, Charity and Elias realize that they must join forces to catch a killer.

Customer Reviews:

Lacking and predictable.......2007-05-21

Okay, so maybe it's just me, but I think this author is by far a better writer than this novel shows. First, names like Charity and Elias for the main characters just won't cut it for me. They sound too dull, which is about what I thought of this book. It took me forever to get through this novel and that was simply because I wasn't turned on. I kept reading because I thought it might get better. It didn't. I had the "whodunit" person picked out from the start, so no surprise there either. You know that good writers can't come up with 5-star books all the time, but I suppose one gets to expect it from authors they admire. Like I said, I know Krentz is a better writer than this book shows, so I won't quit reading her work. I own this one, so I'll keep it. But I wouldn't recommend it to an avid Krentz fan either...if that tells you anything.

another winner.......2007-03-24

I really don't get tired of Jayne Ann Krentz and I'm not entirely sure why. Here is yet another Krentz story revolving around a working woman and a mysterious, dark man who is into martial arts. But somehow Krentz spins a tale where the characters are compelling and the mystery is interesting. Ah, what the heck, spend a nice cozy afternoon with this book and consider it a small treat to yourself, like eating a Godiva chocolate.

Deep Waters.......2006-02-25

The Plot: After an emotional burnout, both Elias Winters and Charity Truitt are ready for a change. Each ends up moving to Whispering Waters Cove and operating a shop on Crazy Otis Landing. The two are instantly attracted and end up investigating a murder together.

I've read this book twice. Initially, I was disappointed in this book. I had just finished reading several other JAK novels. Similar plots, similar characters with similar backgrounds . ... Reading this a second time without the JAK marathon, I found it an enjoyable read. The characters are likable and respectable. Good mystery. Amusing read.

Another great and fun read from JAK!!.......2005-04-04

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel with its comic relief, mystery and great two main characters, Charity and Elias. Charity escapes from Seattle and her duties as a CEO of Truitt Departments Stores that she took over while her younger stepsister and stepbrother were still in college. They are out of school and working at Truitt. Charity was about to be engaged to a man she didn't love but was trying to do a business merger with -- panic/anxiety attack ensues so Charity gets some therapy and then move to Whispering Waters Cove to open a small bookstore. Fortunately for the other shopkeepers at Crazy Otis Landing, Charity like to help people and thus uses her corporate experience to organize them, to help each individual improve their business and deal with their new landlord when the old one passes away.

The new landlord is Elias Winters, a real "player" in Pacific Rim business development. He was also a very close friend and student of the former landlord. Of course, he and Charity strike sparks and lots of fun and mayhem and romance ensue along with a murder mystery.

I loved the development of these characters and also enjoyed the secondary characters.

A really fun read!

No complaints.......2004-02-23

I found this book to be very satisfying. It worked for me. One of the things I like about Krentz is that her characters are older and wiser. This story has humor and wit and wisdom. The characters have self-doubt and really seem to question what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Deep Waters is a feel good book that makes you think about your own life. Most romance thrillers do not relate to my life in any way. This book is not only entertaining, it is involving. The murder mystery plot is not nearly as important as the personal struggle Charity and Elias experience in trying to find peace and balance in their lives. It is not surprising that they find it together in the end, they take their time and build a mature relationship with layers (and good sex). Isn't that what romance is all about?

Average customer rating:

Patricia Highsmith at her very best
Typical Highsmith
Never better motives for becoming a murderer
Special
The pages turn very fast indeed....

Deep Water
Patricia Highsmith
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393324559

Book Description

The great revival of interest in Patricia Highsmith continues with this work that reveals the chilling reality behind the idyllic facade of American suburban life.

In Deep Water, set in the small town of Little Wesley, Vic and Melinda Meller's loveless marriage is held together only by a precarious arrangement whereby in order to avoid the messiness of divorce, Melinda is allowed to take any number of lovers as long as she does not desert her family. Eventually, Vic tries to win her back by asserting himself through a tall tale of murder—one that soon comes true.

Customer Reviews:

Patricia Highsmith at her very best.......2006-12-13

This is Patricia Highsmith at her best: a very good page turner, beautifuly written, with great characters and a very good plot. It starts right away and keeps the suspens on until 3 pages before the end of the book. What is not enough said is that Patricia Highsmith was a great writer, and nobody wrote better thrillers in her time. This is a masterpiece outside of the Ripleyiad, but pretty close to it. Enjoy!

Typical Highsmith.......2006-05-19

This book, written in the late 1950's, is about an intelligent, sensitive, and wealthy society man who is married to a nasty stupid alcoholic sl-t who OPENLY cheats on him with a succession of random men. He puts up with it for a long time and then he kills one of her lovers. He "gets away with it" for a while... It's a typical Highsmith theme. But there are some interesting undercurrents. The husband is reluctant to divorce his wife, and yet he admits to himself that he has no desire whatsoever to sleep with her -- or any other woman, for that matter. The implication is that he is gay. This is another typical Highsmith theme. The strangest thing is not her penchant for stories about ordinary people who commit atrocious crimes on a whim -- it's her PACING. Personally, I find it mesmerizing. She just "normalizes" the hell out of everything by taking her protagonist through his day detail by detail -- what he wears, what he cooks for dinner, etc. Then he commits murder, disposes of the body -- and goes back home and makes dessert. She almost never makes any personal judgements about her characters, although her protagonists tend to be highly intelligent and culturally refined men. Their killings tend to appear "justified" in that the victims are stupid and/or smarmy. A lifelong lesbian, HIghsmith can be really unsympathetic to her female characters, especially if they have big behinds. (her male protagonists frequently express disgust with pear-shaped women). Her world view is pretty skewed, messed up even. I mean, she was a MISOGYNIST LESBIAN, for God's sake. But it's so refreshing, especially compared to all the kinetic, wordy, phony, ultra-PC, show-offy new fiction out there today. This is not really one of Highsmith's BEST (that would be, IMO, "Edith's Diary", "This Sweet Sickness", "A Tremor of Forgery" or "The Price of Salt") but it is well worth reading if you love her style as much as I do.

Never better motives for becoming a murderer.......2006-03-30

Another brilliant story of bottled up emotions, of a protagonist who seems to be free of passion, seemingly has no sexual urges, takes insult with apparent lack of interest, and yet slowly builds up the pressure until he erupts.
Vic, the typically Highsmithian hero, is almost too good to be true, as a father, as a friend, as a neigbour, as an employer, as a professional. And then of course he isn't all that good. We might have guessed.
We have a hard time understanding his patience with his wife. We never quite understand how he can play along for years.
The plot starter is quite original: Vic's wife is outrageously unfaithful, but he is not yet known to be in the least jealous; surprisingly, he starts a rumour that he killed a former lover of his wife's. This is for a time quite effective in scaring away new suitors. Then, in a way unfortunately, the real killer gets caught. Vic has lost some of his status in the neighbourhood, and then he crosses the step from fantasy to reality. In order to rebuild the mystery surrounding him?
One wishes him well, hopes he will get away with it. That is the main driver of considerable suspense in this masterpiece.
One of her best.

Special.......2004-06-15

This is a story about the complicated and very obscure structures of social life in the suburbia of New York. It's the story of the quite nice guy who becomes a murderer. The most remarkable thing in my opinion is the fact that you, as the reader, identify yourself with Vic Van Allen, the evil one, the murderer. You can understand him and his acting, you get the feeling that he is the betrayed one, the victim, but in fact he is the bad one, he is a murderer! That's very special.

The pages turn very fast indeed...........2003-11-13

Thirty-six-year-old Victor Van Allen is being cuckolded, quite blatantly. For a number of years his wife Melinda has paraded a succession of lovers around their small town of Little Wesley, Massachusetts, dragging the men along to the Van Allens' dinner engagements with friends, dancing with them provocatively, entertaining them in night-long debauches in the Van Allens' home. Victor's friends shake their heads or offer him extra desserts at parties--pity food--and they marvel at his reaction to the insult: Victor is a paragon of patience. He allows Melinda her lovers, only wishing that she attracted a higher quality paramour. Still, Victor is not as unconcerned about Melinda's behavior as he appears. He regularly forces himself to stay awake and chaperone his wife's "dates" in their living room rather than please the couple by retiring to his separate bedroom. And, near the beginning of the novel, Victor announces to his wife's most recent flame that he once killed a lover of hers, a certain Malcolm McRae. Victor is lying, but McRae *had* been pummeled to death in his New York apartment, and his murderer had not been identified.

This being a Patricia Highsmith novel, it cannot be a good thing for our put-upon protagonist to confess to a murder he did not commit, and the reader begins at once to wonder how this misstep of Victor's will lead to his undoing. But it is unlikely that readers will correctly anticipate precisely how Victor's story plays itself out.

Patricia Highsmith--the author of, among many other novels, Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mister Ripley--is a master of suspense. Deep Water shares with her other books a certain remarkable slowness. Highsmith's characters unhurriedly attend to the minutiae of their lives. They entertain friends and admire artwork and do the gardening, they take drives and prepare supper. Very often it seems that nothing is happening in one of her books, and yet as the pages turn the reader becomes more and more tense, wondering when precisely the axe will fall--for it certainly will fall. By the end of Deep Water the pages turn very fast indeed.

[Deep Water also shares with some of Highsmith's other novels (Found in the Street) a bizarre vision of parenthood. The Van Allens have a highly disposable daughter, perhaps eight years old, who spends her days in other people's homes, or playing contentedly by herself in her own room. She is sometimes left alone in the house. She is abandoned at the movies when her mother forgets to pick her up. Meanwhile the Van Allens' social calendar is chock full of late-night dinner parties and those uncomfortable threesomes in the living room. Part of this abuse of the daughter has to do with the storyline: Melinda is intended to be a very poor mother. But Victor, the "good" parent, leaves the house for those parties just as often as his wife does.]

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

Design and Integration of a Flight Management System for the Unmanned Air Vehicle Frog

Average customer rating:

Design and Integration of a Flight Management System for the Unmanned Air Vehicle Frog

Manufacturer: Storming Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 1423556097

Product Description

This is a NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A275753. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: The purpose of this thesis is to design, integrate and flight test a Flight Management System (FMS) for the computer control of an unmanned air vehicle (UAV). By combining modern control design techniques and the capabilities of a Rapid Prototyping System (RPS), we were able to safely go from concept to flight test in a relatively short amount of time without sacrificing thoroughness in computer simulation, code validation and verification, or hardware-in-the-loop ground testing. This ability to quickly field new or modified flight control systems for UAV's is of ever increasing importance as Department of Defense places greater emphasis on the use of UAV's in widely varying mission areas. The primary focus of this thesis is on the design and testing of a heading controller. However, to fully integrate this into the FMS, the research and testing includes airspeed and altitude controllers designed by previous thesis students. Also included as part of the implementation process, is a thorough sensor evaluation to ensure the controller inputs are adequate to support the FMS. The design and test equipment include a highly modified FROG UAV from the U.S. Army, the MATRIX Product Family of software tools developed by Integrated Systems, Inc., and a Ground Station built at NPS from commercially available computer and communication equipment.

Average customer rating:

Not Enough Mermaid Images
Beautiful book
Ok, I hate giving it just 3 stars, but...
a wonderful coffee table book
From The Deep Waters

From the Deep Waters
Toshiyuki Takamiya
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Mermaids (Magical Beings)
Mermaids: Sirens of the Sea
A Mermaid's Tale: A Personal Search for Love and Lore
J W Waterhouse
J.W. Waterhouse

ASIN: 0811814858

Book Description

The lure of the siren, the comeliness of the mermaid, the elegiac beauty of Ophelia -- in page after page of captivating paintings by such artists as J.W. Waterhouse, Frederick Lord Leighton, Gustav Klimt, Edward Burne-Jones, and other Pre-Raphaelites, this exquisite volume takes a mystical journey into the deep waters where romantic art flows together with female enigma and timeless mystery. These sensuous images -- many inspired by literary scenes from the likes of Homer's Odyssey, Mallory's Morte d'Arthur, and Tennyson's Lady of Shalott --seduce the eye and beguile the mind, making From the Deep Waters a visual delight and a gift to be treasured.

Customer Reviews:

Not Enough Mermaid Images.......2006-06-20

There are only 7 mermaid paintings in this book, given the title I thought there would be many more; the book is nearly 100 pages. You may already have many of the images in books you already own, so I'll list all of the mermaid paintings in this book for you: Hylas and the Nymphs, The Mermaid, The Siren, -J.W. Waterhouse, Calm Sea-Arnold Bocklin, The Depth of the Sea-Edward Burne Jones, Ulysses and the Sirens-Herbert James Draper, The Fisherman and the Siren-Frederick Lord Leighton. If you are expecting lots of mermaids, you'll be disappointed. But there are several beautiful goddess/enchantresses by the sea images. It is a wonderful book as long as you're not expecting it to have lots of mermaids.

Beautiful book.......2005-09-07

If you are a mermaid enthusiast, this is a book to have in your collection. There are a wide assortment of mermaids and the pictures are beautiful.

Elis

Ok, I hate giving it just 3 stars, but..........2004-03-09

I was really under the impression there were more mermaids in this book. There's only a few, really. I just wish I'd known before adding it to my wishlist, that's all.

Other than that small fact/misunderstanding, the book is great, and has some BEAUTFUL artwork, seriously.

a wonderful coffee table book.......2002-06-21

The stories corresponding to the beautiful pictures truely makes this one for the coffee table for anyone to look through.

From The Deep Waters.......2001-01-03

I spent many hours searching in libraries and book stores for just this type of art book. A spectacular collection of paintings from various well-known artists - a 'must have' for any lover of art! I create and weave my own tapestry designs and am always looking for different types of art books. This one will satisfy my needs for years to come. The color reproductions are true - no 'dulling' of colors due to the printing process. The observations and comments at the end of the book are not only worth reading but quite thought provoking. Buy this book!

Average customer rating:

Kurt Cyrus just gets better
Hotel Deep
one of my favorites
ocean adventure

Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Dark Water
Kurt Cyrus
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Oddhopper Opera: A Bug's Garden of Verses
zoo's who
Mammoths on the Move
Fold Me a Poem
Please Bury Me in the Library

ASIN: 0152167714

Book Description

Take a plunge into the strange, surprising depths of this world inside the sea. In twenty-one wet and witty poems, Kurt Cyrus follows a lone sardine in search of its lost school within the dark halls of a great coral reef.

From a devious stonefish and a slippery sea snake to a blowfish with attitude and a line of goose-stepping lobsters, here is a realm awash with the weird and the wondrous, the comical and the spooky. No matter how long your stay, this is one hotel you won't want to leave!

Includes a visual "key" that leads readers to specific fish within the illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Kurt Cyrus just gets better.......2006-06-20

I fell in love with Oddhopper Opera and bought it before my son was even conceived. I recently discovered Hotel Deep and ordered it sight-unseen. It is yet further proof that Kurt Cyrus is a fabulous artist and a brilliant poet. This is now my 2.5-yr-old's favorite book. He asks for it by name ("Read Toe Deep?"), and goes around quoting it. His favorite page is where the lone sardine finally reunites with his school ("Sardines! Sardinessardinessardinessardines...!") But his favorite poem is the one about the stonefish. Apparently he is able to pick up on the idea of the fish pretending to be what it isn't, and he walks around saying, "Not a stonefish, no indeed!"

A young child needs to have his hand held and be shown how to appreciate these Kurt Cyrus books, but there is so much there for both him and us to enjoy. My husband and I don't get tired of reading this one!

Okay, I have to amend this review to say that my son (still 2.5) knows the ENTIRE book by heart. He can recite the whole thing one line ahead of us. He loves to point to the sardine on every page (except the deep-sea page, where he says, "Don't see sardine!" every time), and he can find and identify each of the 28 fish named and pictured on the back page of the book. Parental bragging aside, I consider this a tribute to the book's brilliance. A 2-yr-old can enter into it wholeheartedly, but as an adult I can tell you that there are fresh details that emerge every time through. My children won't outgrow this one.

Oddhopper Opera is a fun romp, but Hotel Deep is just pure art.

Hotel Deep.......2006-04-10

Does anyone know how I can contact the author about buying the artwork for this book? Kurt Cyrus is an outstanding artist and not a bad poet either. Hopefully he will grace us with a full length book at some point. My son and daughter both love his books and often look through them just for the pictures themselves and my son, who is just beginning to read, is able to follow the text. Another excellent book by the author

one of my favorites.......2005-12-04

Hotel Deep is an amazing and beautifully illustrated book. It fun to read and each poem is about the curious deep ocean and the creatures that live in it. My 4 year old loved his other book "odhopper opera" so when I saw this, i bought it. Its style is very similiar to "opera" (which is about a garden and the bugs & creatures in it) I love both books and would give them to every child I know.
sam

ocean adventure.......2005-03-27

Hotel Deep is a book containing 21 poems by Kurt Cyrus. They all have an ocean theme to them. At the end of the book are small picture and titles of under water life to search for in the book.

The illustrations were neat to look at. They made me think of the summers my family and I spent at the beach.

This would be a great book for classroom teachers to share with their student during a unit on ocean life or poetry.

Deep Water: Joseph P. Macheca and the Birth of the American Mafia

Average customer rating:

Deep Water: Deep in history and intrigue
Another Look at Old New Orleans

Deep Water: Joseph P. Macheca and the Birth of the American Mafia
Thomas Hunt , and Martha Sheldon
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Crescent City Lynchings: The Murder of Chief Hennessy, the New Orleans "Mafia" Trials, and the Parish Prison Mob

ASIN: 0595414168

Book Description

Set in the Gilded Age of New Orleans, the historical biography Deep Water: Joseph P. Macheca and the Birth of the American Mafia establishes the factual details of Macheca's epic life story, the assassination of Police Chief David Hennessy and the Crescent City lynchings.

"An excellent, meticulously detailed ... account of the birth of the American Mafia and a wonderful study of New Orleans from the Civil War/Reconstruction periods up through the famous mass lynching. Macheca comes across as a fascinating rogue. Deep Water ... shows a marvelous objectivity."

-Rick Mattix, coauthor, The Complete Public Enemy Almanac

"A memorable reading experience... This book will force a reassessment of a famous event in the history of American organized crime."

-Dr. Peter Dale Scott, author, Deep Politics and the Death of JFK

"Very interesting and informative. I was also happy to see my own prejudice confirmed: the Hennessy murder emerges out of the turbid racial and political situation in the city."

-James Fentress, author, Rebels and Mafiosi

Customer Reviews:

Deep Water: Deep in history and intrigue.......2007-03-31

As I was reading Deep Water, I found the book open up to a time long ago but not so far away. It is an insight into how one family affected it's community politically and financially. It is truly an education in the behind the scenes working of the Mafia. How they come together in secret to control everything from the slave trade to fixing elections. The Mafia formed unions to control the ports bringing in food stuffs and guns. Deep Water doesn't stop there. It covers the daily life of a family dealing with jealousy and vengeance. It is a complete work of a time which has been covered up until now.

Another Look at Old New Orleans.......2007-03-01

Few incidents in American history have inspired more legend and controversy than the so-called "Mafia Incident" of New Orleans in 1891. Following their acquittal on a charge of assassinating Police Chief David Hennessey, eleven men of Italian extraction were shot or hung in possibly America's worst lynching. The episode nearly led to war with Italy and embellished accounts of the story have appeared in countless books and articles, including Herbert Asbury's The French Quarter and the sensationally embroidered Brothers in Blood by David Leon Chandler. Richard Gambino attempted to debunk the "Mafia" aspect in his book Vendetta, a fine work that's almost convincing in its portrayal of the event as merely the result of anti-Italian bigotry. But all is not as it seems and the investigations of Thomas Hunt, a first-rate organized crime historian, and Martha Macheca Sheldon, a relative of the most prominent lynch victim, have uncovered a compelling reassessment of the case. Joseph Macheca, the fruit-shipping magnate, was neither innocent nor a Sicilian Mafioso but a native-born Louisianan and Confederate war veteran active in both New Orleans politics and crime. Both he and Hennessey come across as less than martyrs but both must be considered in the light of their time, when machine politics was the rule, street duels the norm, and New Orleans still very much a gaudy frontier town. But it now appears there was an early-day Mafia at work, and equally sinister forces within the Democratic Ring and the police department, and that the victims--eleven of the nineteen accused--were very selectively chosen in what was more a political conspiracy than the impassioned mob act portrayed in past accounts. This is a well-written and classic re-appraisal of a celebrated case and essential reading for crime historians. And, yes, this was the birth of the American Mafia.

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