Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America's Most Hopeful Landscape:Vermont's Champlain Valley and New York's Adirondacks (Crown Journeys)

Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America's Most Hopeful Landscape:Vermont's Champlain Valley and New York's Adirondacks (Crown Journeys)
Average customer rating:

A Connection to the Land

An Insight into Place and Community.

Review of Bill McKibben's "Wandering Home"

Thin but worth reading

A dangerous book

Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America's Most Hopeful Landscape:Vermont's Champlain Valley and New York's Adirondacks (Crown Journeys)
Bill Mckibben
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Adirondacks | New York | States | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0609610732
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Book Description

The acclaimed author of The End of Nature takes a three-week walk from his current home in Vermont to his former home in the Adirondacks and reflects on the deep hope he finds in the two landscapes.

Bill McKibben begins his journey atop Vermont’s Mt. Abraham, with a stunning view to the west that introduces us to the broad Champlain Valley of Vermont, the expanse of Lake Champlain, and behind it the towering wall of the Adirondacks. “In my experience,” McKibben tells us, “the world contains no finer blend of soil and rock and water and forest than that found in this scene laid out before me—a few just as fine, perhaps, but none finer. And no place where the essential human skills—cooperation, husbandry, restraint—offer more possibility for competent and graceful inhabitation, for working out the answers that the planet is posing in this age of ecological pinch and social fray.”

The region he traverses offers a fine contrast between diverse forms of human habitation and pure wilderness. On the Vermont side, he visits with old friends who are trying to sustain traditional ways of living on the land and to invent new ones, from wineries to biodiesel. After crossing the lake in a rowboat, he backpacks south for ten days through the vast Adirondack woods. As he walks, he contemplates the questions that he first began to raise in his groundbreaking meditation on climate change, The End of Nature: What constitutes the natural? How much human intervention can a place stand before it loses its essence? What does it mean for a place to be truly wild?

Wandering Home is a wise and hopeful book that enables us to better understand these questions and our place in the natural world. It also represents some of the best nature writing McKibben has ever done.

Customer Reviews:

A Connection to the Land.......2007-06-26

I have spent much of my recreational time in the two places Bill McKibben writes about in this book -- The Adirondacks of New York and the Champlain Valley of Vermont. They both offer some of the most beautiful, pastoral scenery in the US. From Lake Champlain itself you can see the Green Mountains of Vermont on one side and the Adirondack Mountains of New York on the other. As Mr. KcKibben points out, while they may look similar and proximate from afar, each is quite different from the other. The Champlain Valley is more pastoral, bucolic and New England-like. The Adirondacks are much more rugged, wilderness-like and rough around the edges. Both can call to you in a way that becomes a lifetime's pursuit.

This book is an easy and short read. It is engaging, paints wonderful pictures with words and gets you to think about the tension between a simpler life closer to the natural world and modern society and progress/development. He is fair in his assessment of the joys and the struggles associated with a simpler life closer to nature. I don't know who would enjoy this book more - the person who has enjoyed this simpler life or one who can only imagine it through books like this one. I highly recommend this book for people who love this part of the world or who have thought about getting closer to the land and living a simpler life.

An Insight into Place and Community........2006-10-17

Bill McKibben describes a walk through place and community. The community is bound by a geographic region but the displaced reader is imperceptibly drawn into the mind-set of McKibben and his guests. You are introduced to a group who love the land on the Vermont/New York border and recognise it as one of the few "wild" places left in America. It is their passion to preserve and conserve that comes through and it is infectious. The book inspires the reader to analyse their relationship to place and modes of behaviour driven by place. The antithesis of economic consumption exists in all of us, however repressed. Bill brings it to the fore. The effect on the distant reader is such that you will join the community despite being so far way. Bravo Bill !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review of Bill McKibben's "Wandering Home".......2006-05-15

Bill McKibben walks for sixteen days through the Adirondack Mountains to share his love of the land with his readers but what makes the book so special are the people Bill introduces, walks with, and talks with (and about...) along his journey. I was a Travel Agent for five years and was lucky enough to be sent to some of the best, first class places in America and this journey that Bill McKibben takes us on with his words is more meaningful than many of those places I went to which include the Grand Canyon & Scottsdale, AZ; the San Francisco Bay Area; Paradise Island & Nassau, Bahamas; Manhattan; the Sierra-Nevada Mountains (by train); and New Orleans & Mississippi River Cruise!

Each authentic and real person that McKibben joins on his trek lends a hand in telling the story. The book is as much about the beauty of the people as it is of the land. I grew up twenty miles away from the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, and presently I am a steward and guardian of 400 acres of land in central PA with my husband, his uncle, and my husband's brother and I share and appreciate Bill McKibben's deep love for the power of nature, the wild, and the people. I found John Davis (owns a bicycle, no car) as one of the most interesting characters in the book. I also like the stories of Chris Shaw, who has the good sense of memorializing the people who have passed on but that once lived in the Adirondacks and give the book historical authenticity. My favorite stories in the book are from Donald Armstrong and especially Armstrong's memory he shares with McKibben (and us) about Don's wife, Velda and a fly-fishing event. I laughed so hard I cried! It is a funny moment, but this husband-wife story is so cute and sweet, and gives one a feeling of nostalgia. (The church steeple is a cool part, too.) This is a gem of a story and Wandering Home is a gem of a book.

I am a people person and for the first few chapters of Wandering Home I'm thinking that it is too bad Bill McKibben spends all this passion on the Adirondacks. I imagine what his passion could do to improve the lives of the infirm or impoverished people. Much to my chagrin, in the last few chapters McKibben admits this deficit with charm and honesty. He admits he should spend more time helping the less fortunate, and then justifies his love and preservation of the Adirondacks as his way of giving something back to people. And, I agree that he has. Furthermore, he explains that he tries not to be a drain on the planet. If only we could all think this way, maybe our global warming and environmental problems would vanish. For the first time in my life, I realize the full extent of the impact that people have had and still have on our surroundings and I am saddened and sickened by it. (I imagine a sunrise or a sunset over a mountain, or an ocean breeze I thank God there are still a few areas left in this world that man / woman hasn't been able to get his / her hands on.)

I do have one eco-criticism of Wandering Home. Bill writes that he and John Davis climb to the top of Owl's Head on page 93 of his book. Owl's Head is a considerable distance away from Bristol, and is not included in the path outlined on the inside covers of his book. But, every author has to create mystery in some way, right? Judging by the description of Owl's Head I can see why McKibben would include it in his "walk" since Owl's Head sounds like a stunning place with it's 390 degree view of the Adirondack mountains. On my map, Owl's Head is about sixty miles north of Lake Placid one way, as the crow flies.

Dr. Robert Bernard Hass (English Professor, poet, writer, and Robert Frost expert at Edinboro University) and I got into a discussion about hyper-individualism in class one day. Dr. Hass told me about his friend named Bill McKibben and how McKibben writes about hyper-individualism and that a good place to start on the subject would be Wandering Home. I am grateful that Hass recommended the book to me. It was a book that I was sad to see end, but a journey I will always remember in more ways than one. I was so inspired that I am planning on a short family vacation to the Adirondacks for this summer. I will do my best to demonstrate a sense of forest preservation and protection while I'm there, visiting the wild of the Adirondacks.

Thin but worth reading.......2006-04-06

This book is thin. I mean literally. It is really just a somewhat longish essay. I was disappointed that there was not more depth, more history, more "more."

This is the story of McKibben's amble from Vermont to the central Adirondacks, with a crossing by row boat of Lake Champlain. McKibben is a good writer and he loves this landscape and is very concerned about it and its place in the global environment, but I could not help comparing him and this book to another Bill-namely Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Bryson is a much more energetic writer. In my opinion, he is funnier and deeper than McKibben. A Walk in the Woods is a great book, Wandering Home is light weight by comparison.

McKibben has some very good thoughts on environmental issues and expresses an admirable moderation in this book. He is especially sensitive to the complexity of many environmental issues and actively criticizes the "knee-jerk" environmentalists for over-simplifying the issues in many cases. On the other hand, McKibben is something of a romantic airhead. Often his ruminations are fatuous and patronizing; for example, his dogma that those simple Vermont farmers and old Adirondack loggers that he's met are more "authentic" than you or I (McKibben makes this claim more than once in Wandering Home).

Nevertheless, I liked this book and enjoyed reading it. McKibben loves the Adirondacks and so do I. In this short book he's managed to capture something of the flavor of the hidden Adirondacks, that fortunately so few people know. The Adirondack Park of New York is the most beautiful sylvan landscape in the world. McKibben's book raises, but barely starts to answer, such questions as why and how to protect and preserve the Adirondacks and other similarly blessed places.

A dangerous book.......2005-10-24

Bill McKibben is a thoughtful writer. Most of all, this book made me wish I could take a hike with him and meet the land he loves so much. Be warned that this book might make you homesick, even if you've never been to Vermont or the Adirondacks. But beyond that, the book has some serious points to make.

I'm a suburbanite trapped in the cycle of debt that has sucked in so many Americans (in my case, student loans and a mortgage). I work for the Department of Commerce. I have a husband. I have a child who is addicted to video games. I don't have the money or the freedom to move to the Adirondacks, or even take a trip there. This book is a reminder that Americans don't have to live the way we do. We might very well be happier if we got rid of a lot of our stuff and lived more lightly on the land. Of course, McKibben punctures that little bubble by pointing out that a lot of people have tried to do that in Vermont, with laughable results.

I believe that once the cheap oil is gone, life in America is going to be very different. Ordinary American life today puts so much emphasis on getting places quickly. In the not-so-distant future we're going to be staying much more in one spot, and only rarely going anywhere we can't reach on foot or bicycle. This book is a reminder that such a stationary life might not be so bad. There's more to a meaningful and happy existence than what cheap gasoline and Wal-Mart can bring. Maybe someday the science of economics will remember that.

The Long Valley (Twentieth Century Classics Series)

Average customer rating:

Lackluster collection of short stories
Of the Doomed and "Virgins By Intent"
Disjointed
The heart and soul of California
Not a stand-alone

The Long Valley (Twentieth Century Classics Series)
John Steinbeck
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Pastures of Heaven (Twentieth-Century Classics)
To a God Unknown (Penguin Classics)
Sweet Thursday (Twentieth-Century Classics)
The Wayward Bus (Penguin Classics)
Tortilla Flat

ASIN: 0140187456

Book Description

Today, nearly forty years after his death, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck remains one of America's greatest writers and cultural figures. We have begun publishing his many works for the first time as blackspine Penguin Classics featuring eye-catching, newly commissioned art. This season we continue with the seven spectacular and influential books East of Eden, Cannery Row, In Dubious Battle, The Long Valley, The Moon Is Down, The Pastures of Heaven, and Tortilla Flat. Penguin Classics is proud to present these seminal works to a new generation of readers—and to the many who revisit them again and again.

Customer Reviews:

Lackluster collection of short stories.......2007-04-11

While John Steinbeck is a master of Literature, The Long Valley's stories are all dull and some don't even feel like stories, but just descriptions of things (the short story "Breakfast" was overly pointless). This collection starts off great, with a couple of wonderful stories, but the second half of the book (along with The Red Pony parts (another of John Steinbeck's drab writings)) is very bad and yawn-inducing.

My favorite story was "The Flight", and that is the only reason I am rating this 2 stars instead of 1. "Johnny Bear" is also a good story in this collection, and a fairly humorous one as well.

Check this out at the library for a couple of good stories, but do not purchase it as it would be a waste of money. If you want to read great works by Steinbeck, check out East Of Eden, The Grapes Of Wrath, and Of Mice And Men.

Of the Doomed and "Virgins By Intent".......2005-11-13

Of Steinbeck's short stories, I wonder if "The Red Pony" is perhaps the best known, or at least the most widely read in high school or college literature survey courses? Or perhaps that distinction belongs to "The Chrysanthemums." In any event, those are the only two stories from this collection that I can recall having read elsewhere, leaving the other eleven to delight me with their novelty. The "delight," however, is that which comes with the discovery of intensely thought-provoking stories, not, with one exception, the delight that comes from encountering light-hearted, uplifting tales of an optimistic bent, for that is far from Steinbeck's style.

For the most part, the short stories reveal the same dark universe in which unenlightened and certainly unsaved men struggle to survive, a struggle that they occasionally lose, spiritually if not physically. A certain hunger, an unfulfilled need, and a pre-ordained suffering doom most of Steinbeck's characters. Existence is filled with cruel ironies that dash hope upon the vicious and inescapable rocks of reality. We see happiness in a vicarious dream of escaping the entrapment of an unchanging existence dashed by a pile of flowers unceremoniously dumped in the road. A youth's attainment of manhood is marked not by joy but by the guilt of a murder, ruthless pursuit, and a hard rifle bullet. We see the cultural anchor of a town destroyed by an unimaginable sin. And so the stories go.

Apropos of Steinbeck's view of the human condition is the title of the collection. While "the long valley" certainly describes California's Salinas River valley, the general setting for many of Steinbeck's stories, it also suggests the spiritual valley in which his characters typically dwell.

One may argue that the people in Steinbeck's stories bring suffering upon themselves through their own ignorance and unthinking acts. Yet, if we look closely at their intents and motivations, we often see situations unfold that seem to force the characters into the acts that in turn become their undoing. It is as if the Fates play with men and rejoice in their destruction.

Earlier, though, I mentioned an exception to this dark, brooding atmosphere and theme. The exceptional story is "Saint Katy the Virgin." This story is not what one expects to find in Steinbeck. It is a wonderful bit of humorous satire, lightheartedly poking a little fun at some of the tenets of Catholicism. Had Steinbeck written his major novels in this vein, his reputation would have been that of a sublime humorist.

I recommend this collection of short stories to two very different groups of readers, those who have never read Steinbeck before and wish to sample several brief selections before investing their interest in a major novel, and those who have enjoyed Steinbeck's other works already and should not neglect his short stories. All will discover that these stories are fast paced, interest holding, and thought provoking. I believe I shall now go light a candle to Saint Katy the Virgin. Won't you come along and join me by enjoying her story also?

Disjointed.......2004-09-03

The Long Valley is a series of short stories that Steinbeck had published in periodicals at varying times in his career. Unlike Pastures of Heaven, there is not an underlying theme to connect the stories. While none of the stories are particularly noteworthy, they do demonstrate the early stages of Steinbeck's development as a writer.

Several of the short stories are just plain strange. In Saint Katy the Virgin, a evil pig is converted to Christianity and sainthood. In The Murder, Steinbeck seems to be encouraging spousal abuse. I am still not entirely clear about the author's point in Johnny Bear. Other stories have similar flaws in being outlandish. The one story that reflects Steinbeck's future brilliance is the three part story (the fourth part is under a different name), The Red Pony. It is the one story that has a sense of purpose. It is a coming of age story, set during Steinbeck trademark time period. In The Red Pony, a young boy accepts responsibility for a two different ponies and gains respect for his elders. I also found The White Quail to be enjoyable.

Fans of Steinbeck's other work may find some measure of disappointment in these stories. While none of the stories seem awful, they do not measure up to the standard one expects of Steinbeck.

The heart and soul of California.......2004-03-08

All of the short stories are unforgettable. My favorite is Johnny Bear, which is almost Hitchcock in its eerieness and structure. Get this in hardback. Definitely a keeper for one's library.

Not a stand-alone.......2003-09-20

I'd have to give this one a slightly lower cheer than the other of the pair if I was forced to see the two as separate works. Pastures of Heaven and The Long Valley are a matched set in the Steinbeck library. The two should probably be included together as a single work. It's difficult to separate the two books because they overlap so. With a writer of the Steinbeck sort a reader might experience difficulty declaring, "This is my favorite." I agree completely. However, if John Steinbeck had never written Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday, and Travels with Charlie, I'd probably have to say Pastures of Heaven and The Long Valley are my favorites.

Historic Houses of the Hudson River Valley

Average customer rating:

TREASURES OF THE HUDSON VALLEY
Nice coffee table book
Pretty disappointing

Historic Houses of the Hudson River Valley
Gregory Long
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0847826562
Release Date: 2004-11-13

Book Description

Overlooking the majestic Hudson River, the Hudson Valley has long been a favored place to live. From the homes of the early settlers of the seventeenth century to the estates of the landed gentry of the eighteenth century and the baronial mansions of the captains of industry of the nineteenth century, the valley boasts some of the finest houses in America. Historic Houses of the Hudson River Valley is a sumptuous presentation of 33 houses in the region, ranging from the earliest Dutch cottages still extant to the grand Gothic and Italianate revival, stately Georgian, Federal, and beaux-arts country homes of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Historic Houses of the Hudson River Valley features a stunning array of newly photographed homes that date from over three centuries and are distinctive examples of the architecture of the region; from the Dutch vernacular cottage to Georgian country homes and later grand estates. Many, also, are open for visits.

Customer Reviews:

TREASURES OF THE HUDSON VALLEY.......2007-07-13

Wow, the reviewer above, Mr. Briss, is harsh on this book. Dude, did the author kick your cat or something, lord. This book is not the second coming, granted, but it is a nice book, with well presented images and interesting, if not scholarly text, I really dont know what Mr. Briss expected, but honestly this is not a bad book for the price, I mean if you are into this sort of thing which frankly, I am. One star for this this book is obtuse and mean spirted, and frankly, just plain nonsensical. It's really a three star book, but i gave it four because, the old queen above gave it such a thrashing.

Nice coffee table book.......2005-08-15

I bought this for my husband (he requested it specifically) as a gift. He is very happy with it. Note that we enjoy it more as a coffee table book than as deep research material!

Pretty disappointing.......2004-11-12

Gregory Long writes in his introduction to this new book that he aims to update the Eberlein & Hubbard classic "Historic Houses of the Hudson River." He misses that mark. He discusses fewer houses than do Eberlein & Hubbard, and substitutes pedantry for insight. A first-time author, his text lurches from the slangy to the stilted. Long does better with the photography. Some of his pictures are very pretty.

John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath and Other Writings 1936-1941: The Grapes of Wrath, The Harvest Gypsies, The Long Valley, The Log from the Sea of Cortez (Library of America)

Average customer rating:

it was great
Steinbeck's Art
A classic that is worth re-reading
The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath and Other Writings 1936-1941: The Grapes of Wrath, The Harvest Gypsies, The Long Valley, The Log from the Sea of Cortez (Library of America)
John Steinbeck
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

John Steinbeck : Novels and Stories, 1932-1937 : The Pastures of Heaven / To a God Unknown / Tortilla Flat / In Dubious Battle / Of Mice and Men (Library of America)
Steinbeck Novels 1942-1952: The Moon Is Down / Cannery Row / The Pearl / East of Eden (Library of America)
John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley and Later Novels 1947-1962: The Wayward Bus / Burning Bright / Sweet Thursday / The Winter of Our Discontent (Library of America)
Mark Twain : Mississippi Writings : Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn, Pudd'nhead Wilson (Library of America)
William Faulkner : Novels 1930-1935 : As I Lay Dying, Sanctuary, Light in August, Pylon (Library of America)

ASIN: 1883011159

Book Description

This second volume in the authoritative edition of John Steinbeck (with "Novels and Stories, 1932-1937") features the Pulitzer-Prize winning masterpiece "The Grapes of Wrath" in a newly corrected text based on the author's manuscript, typescript, and galleys. "The Harvest Gypsies is Steinbeck's investigative report on migrant farm workers which laid the groundwork for the novel. "The Long Valley" displays his brilliance with short stories, including such classics as "The Chrysanthemums," "Flight," and "The Red Pony." "The Log from the Sea of Cortez," about a marine biological expedition, combines science, philosophy, and adventure.

Customer Reviews:

it was great.......1998-07-30

grapes of wrath is a great book. it is about a family that goes through ups and downs every chapter. and a man who wats to get his family back on track, cause his father lost his farm land in Oklahoma. So they head to California to find new jobs but there new jobs arn't the same as having there own land, cause when they had there own land they had no boss but when they head to Cali. they are not happy cause they are bossed around.

Steinbeck's Art.......1998-03-22

It is surely a shame that Mr. Steinbeck forever will be confined to the archipelago of socio-economico-political literature. Too often a smug reviewer writes of Steinbeck's "moving" portrayal of the Joad family and their struggle against a growing America. "Oh, how I can 'identify' with the Preacher!" HUMBUG. Mr. Steinbeck wrote words, not ideas. His art is exquisite and melodious and stock-full of imagery. His structure, even in the volumunious Grapes, is compact and economical. His style, even in the scientific Log, is artistic and exact. And his ideas, even in the idea-ed Harvest, are irrelevant. Buy this book. But don't buy it because the blurb on the back says something about the Joads being an American archetype of the twentieth century; instead, buy it because it is literature - American literature - at its finest. Every sentence. Every word.

A classic that is worth re-reading.......1998-03-21

I, like many, first read this _The Grapes of Wrath_ in high school. Then, it piqued a great curiosity about recent (this century) American history that my teachers could never satisfy. A recent re-reading, however, has shown me the great depth that I missed the first time. Read it slowly, savor the dogged, determined hopelessness that was life for many of our immediate ancestors. From the sad beginning to the desperate ending, it will teach you, and reach you.

The Grapes of Wrath.......1998-03-20

Political statements are always dangerous: one either completely convinces a reader of one's argument or forever alienates them. And, unfortunately, the end result is rarely dependent upon the quality or force of argument made by the author, but rather entirely dependent upon the notions with which the reader entered the "discussion".

Knowing this, it seems that one has to be of a particular mindset in order to enjoy the novels collected in "The Grapes of Wrath and Other Writings 1938-1941". The novels of this compilation attack many of the ideals upon which this country was founded -- and they do so by looking closely at those who have never really benefited from those ideals. This attack is carried out most effectively in the most prominent of the packaged novels: Steinbeck's classic "The Grapes of Wrath."

At an abstract level, this particular novel is an impassioned plea for change ... one that left many readers at the time of its publication both angry and frightened, and resulted in the book being placed on many academic "Banned" lists, and caused Steinbeck himself to be branded by some as anti-American.

That said, it is my opinion that "The Grapes of Wrath" is one of the best novels ever written, because it tells the story of those most affected by the Great Depression - those who never had much in the first place. In particular, it focuses on the Joad family as they are forced to relocate to California, to try to find enough work to put food on the table. Along with thousands of other displaced sharecroppers they are lured by colorful handbills advertising great jobs for all. California becomes Mecca to the families, many of whom have literally been forced out of their homes. Desperate, the families sell all of their belongings, buy cheap cars, and begin the arduous journey. Many do not make it, and those who do find to their dismay that all is not as promised.

This is an extremely powerful novel. The reader comes to know the members of the Joad family and their friends as people, not just as characters in a story. We are able to identify with them as they suffer hardship after hardship. Written in an accessible style, and spellbinding throughout, this novel is certainly a deserving classic, and it dominates this excellent new collection of Steinbeck's fiction.

All Night Long (Sweet Valley High #5)
Average customer rating:

ITS SPOUSED TO BE ABOUT JESSICA BUT ITS REALLY NOT!

An Older college guy

I guess it was good...

Jessica Does it again

ONCE AGAIN. . . . . . .

All Night Long (Sweet Valley High #5)
Francine Pascal
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Pascal, Francine | ( P ) | Authors, A-Z | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0553275682
Release Date: 1984-09-01

Book Description

Has Jessica gone too far?

Elizabeth Wakefield knows her beautiful twin can handle almost any guy--most boys are just no match for Jessica's seductive charms. But Scott Daniels, Jessica's latest love, is more of a man than a boy, much older and much more experienced than anyone Jessica's ever dated.

When Jessica sneaks off to a college beach party with Scott, Elizabeth's afraid of what could happen. And when her twin sister isn't back by morning, Elizabeth's fear turns to alarm. Why has she stayed out all night long?

Customer Reviews:

ITS SPOUSED TO BE ABOUT JESSICA BUT ITS REALLY NOT!.......2005-03-07

Its was kinda good but its spoused to be aobut Jessica and her new college boyfriend. But they only have like one chapter about that. The whole book is mostly about Elizebeth. Like what will she do to help out her sister, her and Todd having some problems. This whole book just revloves around Elizebeth not Jessica. I was very disapointed about this book. Next time they should give a descreption about Elizebeth instead of Jessica!!

An Older college guy.......2005-02-25

Jessica[Typical Jessica] goes out with a college guy named Scott.She sneakes off to a college beach party,and has a little beer. She doesn't come home the next morning for school,Elizabeth does both twins,her and Jessica.Jessica arrives in time for Cheerleading practice,and She said that Scott Daniels did make her sick,While Elizabeth[who pretended to be Jessica] said She threw Scott Daniels in the water because he was being a creep in front of all his friends.She made it all up of course.Elizabeth and Todd have a fight then make up again.

I guess it was good..........2000-03-02

This is good book for great series, but this isn't so very good. I mean that it's okay, but it wasn't so good that I would buy it or something. Jessica was in trouble and Liz was acting Jess. There was happy ending, but they should've write longer book. If they've made other plot too, this could've been better. Borrow it, don't buy it!

I'll rate this with 3 stars! I love the next book of this series - Dangerous Love!

Jessica Does it again.......1999-08-28

I think this book was alright, but it would have been great if that Jssica hadn't gotten away with murder, as usual. And if Elizabeth hadn't let herself get manipulated by Jessica.

ONCE AGAIN. . . . . . ........1999-04-22

Once again, Jessica gets herself into a mess and Elizabeth is left to get her out of it. When Jessica goes to an party with her new boyfriend, Scott Daniels, she doesn't know that this party is an all-nighter. The next morning, Elizabeth wakes up to find Jessica's bed hasn't been slept in (how would she know, since Jessica's bed is never made) A few minutes later, Jessica phones Elizabeth and tearfully announces all that had happened (she deserved everything that happened to her) Unfortunatly, Elizabeth is nw plunged into another one of Jessica's messes, which seems to always happen. Elizabeth vowed not to get herself into one of Jessica's messes, but unfortunatly, Elizabeth is too gullible and weak to keep that up. Now Jessica's mess becomes HER mess as well, as she wouldn't dream of "standing by and watching her own twin sister get into trouble" I seriously doubt that Jessica would all the things that Elizabeth does for her during the school day. The first thing that Elizabeth does is dress up as herself, pretend to leave and then come back into the house and pretend to be Jessica, to fool their mother. The next thing is when Todd and Elizabeth break up because of Jessica and Elizabeth takes a test for her. And then Jessica has the absolute NERVE to blame Elizabeth for the test scores (which were bad) At least she took the test for her. Ungrateful little witch. I can't imagine Jessica doing all that for Elizabeth.

Long River Winding: Life, Love, and Death Along the Connecticut

Average customer rating:

Travel through time and memory
Long River Winding: Life, Love & Death Along the Connecticut
Great fun!

Long River Winding: Life, Love, and Death Along the Connecticut
Jim Bissland
Manufacturer: Berkshire House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Rivers | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

This American River: Five Centuries of Writing about the Connecticut
River Days: Exploring the Connecticut River and it's History from Source to Sea
The Connecticut River Boating Guide, 3rd: Source to Sea (Falcon Guide)

ASIN: 1581570600

Book Description

The Connecticut is New England's longest and most significant river. Author Jim Bissland, moving from Long Island Sound to the New Hampshire hinterlands, explores the river's cities and towns, gathering colorful anecdotes along his serendipitous journey and bringing to life the river's dramatic history and people.

Customer Reviews:

Travel through time and memory.......2005-01-26

This is such an enjoyable read for a history lover. The magical stories and obscure tidbits from the Connecticut River Valleys history come to life in this well written book. The characters are three dimentional and the book makes you want to travel the length of the river just to see what it is like today! Take a trip to Deerfield, Amherst, Windsor and Old Saybrook...meet Mark Twain and others. I recommend it to anyone who has spent some time in this history rich area.

Long River Winding: Life, Love & Death Along the Connecticut.......2003-04-27

Long River Winding is a very interesting, reader friendly book with something for everyone. Anyone who likes history, travel and especially people, should find this a good book. It gives glimpses into people's lives, some famous and others not famous, with humor and sensitivity. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.

Great fun!.......2003-04-23

I loved this book! Highly enjoyable for armchair travellers, history buffs, and lovers of New England lore. I felt as if I were travelling with the author through the Connecticut River Valley, past and present, having experiences like riding with the chief of police in Holyoke, Massachusetts, witnessing family life in Mark Twain's home in Hartford, or meeting "the feisty women of Old Saybrook." Heroes, villains, witches, and geniuses are all here. There are probably 40 or so little-known human stories of "life, love, and death"that took place in New England but are universal in their themes of humor, drama, and poignancy. Travel notes at the end of each chapter help you visit the sites mentioned by the author, making this book a useful travel guide as well as fun to read. I never realized how fascinating the Connecticut River Valley is. It's one of America's great places and best-kept secrets.

Voices From This Long Brown Land: Oral Recollections of Owens Valley Lives and Manzanar Pasts (Palgrave Studies in Oral History)

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Voices From This Long Brown Land: Oral Recollections of Owens Valley Lives and Manzanar Pasts (Palgrave Studies in Oral History)
Jane Wehrey
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

In this engaging oral history, residents of California's scenic, sparsely-populated Owens Valley reflect on their varied experiences with the region's turbulent past. Contested themes of Native American removal, water transfers, and wartime internment are interwoven with remembrances of the valley's multicultural communities, its cattle ranching and agriculture, and its Western filmmaking, railroad, and mining enterprises. Together, author and narrators create an accessible and richly textured work of history, memory, and place.

Los Viejos: Secrets of Long Life from the Sacred Valley

Average customer rating:

Non-fiction is truly more surprising than fiction
The secrets of longevity.
made me feel very young

Los Viejos: Secrets of Long Life from the Sacred Valley
Grace Halsell
Manufacturer: Rodale Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Physiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books
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Dr. McDougall's Digestive Tune-Up

ASIN: 0878571353

Customer Reviews:

Non-fiction is truly more surprising than fiction.......1999-08-31

This book was the most amazing I've read in years. Written better than other books on same topic. While others are trying to convince us that some unknown host of drugs and technologies will make us live longer, there are humble mountain-dwellers who are enjoying life at 120 or more.

The secrets of longevity........1999-04-18

The book explores the lifestyle of thoserare people on earth who enjoy life to its fullest for over 100 years. There are family photos of century old persons. A wonderful book. The men have their hair and libido into old old age. And they survive quite well without ice cream and cars.

made me feel very young.......1998-11-17

to be a young man at 90 years of age must be a truly marvellous thing, and there is more to life than 70 or 80 years

Crafting Tradition: The Making and Marketing of Oaxacan Wood Carvings (Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and Latino Art and Culture)

Average customer rating:

The Story Behind the Story
Making a neat thing very mundane
Art Socioeconomics
Interesting Read (but not much to look at)

Crafting Tradition: The Making and Marketing of Oaxacan Wood Carvings (Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and Latino Art and Culture)
Michael Chibnik
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Business of Art | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Folk Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Oaxacan Woodcarving: The Magic in the Trees
Mexican Folk Art: from Oaxacan Artist Families
Transforming Modernity: Popular Culture in Mexico (LLILAS Translations from Latin America Series)
Zapotec Science: Farming and Food in the Northern Sierra of Oaxaca
Crafts of Mexico

ASIN: 0292712480

Book Description

"It is hard for me to praise this book sufficiently. . . . It is a major contribution to the field of Oaxacan/Mexican studies, as well as economic anthropology and the study of tourism and crafts."

—Arthur Murphy, Georgia State University, coauthor of Social Inequality in Oaxaca: A History of Resistance and Change

Since the mid-1980s, whimsical, brightly colored wood carvings from the Mexican state of Oaxaca have found their way into gift shops and private homes across the United States and Europe, as Western consumers seek to connect with the authenticity and tradition represented by indigenous folk arts. Ironically, however, the Oaxacan wood carvings are not a traditional folk art. Invented in the mid-twentieth century by non-Indian Mexican artisans for the tourist market, their appeal flows as much from intercultural miscommunication as from their intrinsic artistic merit.

In this beautifully illustrated book, Michael Chibnik offers the first in-depth look at the international trade in Oaxacan wood carvings, including their history, production, marketing, and cultural representations. Drawing on interviews he conducted in the carving communities and among wholesalers, retailers, and consumers, he follows the entire production and consumption cycle, from the harvesting of copal wood to the final purchase of the finished piece. Along the way, he describes how and why this "invented tradition" has been promoted as a "Zapotec Indian" craft and explores its similarities with other local crafts with longer histories. He also fully discusses the effects on local communities of participating in the global market, concluding that the trade in Oaxacan wood carvings is an almost paradigmatic case study of globalization.

Customer Reviews:

The Story Behind the Story.......2003-11-16

This book is for everyone whose appreciation for Oaxacan woodcarvings goes beyond the sinewy shapes and pretty colors. If you have ever wished you could go to Oaxaca to meet the carvers in person, this book is for you. If you have ever wondered how your favorite carvers work, wanted to know what their toolkits look like, or wished you could watch them paint, then this book is for you. Yes, this is a serious book written by an anthropology professor for an academic audience. But it also offers the collector a welcome glimpse into the lives of the carvers and their families. No, this book does not romanticize the Oaxacan woodcarvers or the "history" of their craft. But it does describe how a people who lived in poverty were able to improve their lot in life by using their hands to create folk art that is sold to customers in a high-tech world thousands of miles away.

I admit I was almost scared off when in Chapter One the author mentioned Lenin, since I would be more likely to read a book that quotes John Lennon than Vladimir Lenin. Fortunately I read on, for this book took me where I've wanted to go for some time - to Oaxaca. In Chapter Four the author takes you into the woodcarving villages and in Chapter Five he tells you how carving families have benefited financially in varying degrees from their participation in the woodcarving process. Chapter Six is all about how it's done - the nuts and bolts (or branches and sandpaper, so to speak) of how a carving goes from a copal tree to a finished carving in the hands of the carving families. (As a woodcarver myself, this was fascinating.) The chapter on Specialization was very interesting - and the following chapter on How Artisans Attain Success was also intriguing. Again, these chapters offered a look inside the Oaxacan woodcarving craft that most people would never see. The chapters on sales in Oaxaca and the United States were unexpectedly worthwhile reading as well.

One reviewer compared this book to a magician walking onstage and telling you how the trick is done. For me, however, the "magic in the trees" has always been the magical energy that sparked the Oaxacan woodcarvers to use their creativity to make something that can be appreciated for its artistic beauty but that can also bring a better quality of life to the carvers and their families in the woodcarving villages.

Buy the Shepard Barbash book (Oaxacan Woodcarving - the Magic in the Trees) for its pictures and alluring text. Buy this book (Crafting Tradition by Michael Chibnik) for the story behind the story. Both books are indispensable to anyone who has a passion for Oaxacan woodcarvings.

Making a neat thing very mundane.......2003-10-18

This very bland book attempts to apply economic theory to explain the success and failures of the
artisans and the people who sell alebrijes. What Barbash did for Oaxacan woodcarving this
university professor has undone with a book filled with criticism and forced interviews. Imagine a
magician wowing you on stage and then after word a man comes onto the stage and explains
how each trick was done and why you shouldn't be impressed because he certainly wasn't.
Chibnik's odd obsession with the Barbash book is mentioned in every chapter and makes one
question the motivation for this book. Written from 94-99 this collection of notes really sings a
professors justification for vacationing in one part of Mexico and getting his University to pay for it.

The book is devoid of interesting photos. The very few are either pictures of his own pieces or
black and white. The author also chooses a very narrow group of artists for his focus. The ones
he does focus on he mentions as "the best" or "most expensive". He praises the work of Miguel
Santiago as being the most talented and most expensive when there are others like Medina or
Aurelio Zarate that take Migel's stiff looking work up a couple of notches.

The author tries to sound very factual about things he's really only making an observation of. For
instance he mentions Maria Jimenez as the only female carver where in fact Roberta Angeles,
Christina Ibanez, and Bertha Cruz are also well known women artists. The distances he
mentions to get to villages from the city are a bit off. To get to San Pedro Cajonos the author
states it's two hours where in fact it's about eight. These little things add up and about halfway
through they demotivate you from wanting to read further.

The author takes a hard jab at wholesalers and dealers. He describes them as people who could
have easier ways to make a living other than importing folk art. Sad but true. The prices he
assumes these dealers pay for reflect 1994 and certainly not 2003 when the book is published.
He pokes fun of various catalog descriptions and websites for doing the things they naturally do
to make something interesting to buy. Ironically in the Epilogue he alerts the reader that Clive
Kincaid the largest wholesaler in his book will no longer be carrying woodcarvings. Clive is
mentioned as saying "shop owners and museum curators where just walking past our booth".
A hard blow to the hundreds of Oaxacan artists that have grown with him over the years.
Well if Clive read Chibniks book there wouldn't be any surprise as to why.

Art Socioeconomics.......2003-05-20

Anyone interested in Mexican folk art will have noticed the brightly-painted animals, people, and alebrijes (fantastic imaginary critters) featured in many Mexican-oriented gift shops. Michael Chibnik's book is an excellent introduction to the socioeconomics of the craft. These figures are produced in only four villages, all in central Oaxaca. The people who make them have varying degrees of Zapotec heritage, but are mostly Spanish-speaking. They are now used to dealing with international buyers; this is a global age, and the sight of a rich, sophisticated buyer in an adobe-and-pole home in a remote Oaxaca village occasions no surprise. Chibnik follows items on their odyssey from such homes to the elite art stores of Oaxaca and the United States.
Chibnik stresses the newness of the craft. True, but Oaxaca has a very old tradition of superb and imaginative woodcarving, previously applied to shrines, masks, and local utility goods. It not only produced the skills, it provided an existing market structure. This Chibnik fails to address.
Some points in the book deserve expansion. First, aid and development workers interested in small enterprise development should very definitely read it. It chronicles, very thoroughly, a spectacularly successful bit of local initiative and creativity. The villagers not only invented this craft; they have kept improving it steadily. Woodworking expands, diversifies, and gets more creative; meanwhile, the people themselves get rapidly more sophisticated in business. Chibnik provides very detailed accounts of the economics of the craft, from the price of wood (fortunately, a common sort of tree is used) to the markups in Tucson and Los Angeles art galleries.
This sort of value-added bootstrapping is rare in Mexico (and elsewhere). It should be encouraged. Thousands of well-meant development initiatives, pushed by outsiders, have failed; here we have an excellent study of one that was strictly local initiative and that succeeded. Chibnik does not explicitly target small enterprise development experts, but they are the people who really should be reading this book with great care.
Second, this is good art. Chibnik quotes, without much comment, some sadly snobbish statements to the effect that this stuff is "commercial" and thus automatically low. As if Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Monet weren't commercial artists! Come on, scholars--good art is usually made with at least one eye toward an audience willing to pay for it. Chibnik is generally silent on the quality of pieces and why it matters, though he does make some judgements. Yet, discussion of quality--why people really like some pieces and find others dull--should be a natural part of an economic study. Anthropologists and economists tend to be skeptical (or downright cynical) about quality judgements, but such judgements are a fact of life, and do structure the market. They should be directly addressed.

As noted by an earlier reviewer, this book is rather underillustrated. Given that there is only one other book about the craft (and it rather short), one would hope that, some day, a full art-critical study of the carvings will be produced.
The same earlier reviewer found the style dry. I disagree. Maybe I'm just used to academia, but I find this a very well-written and readable book. It is mercifully free from the jargon usual in economic studies and art criticism. I found it engaging and hard to put down. Highly recommended to anyone with a serious interest in the socioeconomic side of folk art.

Interesting Read (but not much to look at).......2003-03-25

Crafting Tradition succeeds in giving a thorough look at the economics, history and marketing of Oaxacan wood carvings. Be forewarned, however, that there are only 16 pages of color reproductions in the book. Those pieces that are shown in color are not necesarily the most exciting Oaxacan carvings I've ever seen so in the "art book" category this book fails to give the reader much to look at. But if you are interesting in learning about how the carving market developed, how the artists and sellers fit into the overall scheme, and how Oaxacan carvings are sold to buyers and collectors, this is an interesting read. It's written in a dry, scholarly tone, and feels like an economics text book. But the "behind-the-scenes" information is something that isn't addressed too often. So while I like the information, I wished the style of writing were livlier and would have liked many more examples (in color) of Oaxacan art. Recommended for those with a deep interest in Oaxacan wood carving tradition, not recommended for those looking for a catalog of Oaxacan art to look at.

All Night Long (Sweet Valley High, No 5)

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All Night Long (Sweet Valley High, No 5)
Francine Pascal
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Power Play (Sweet Valley High, No. 4)
Playing with Fire (Sweet Valley High, No 3)
Double Love (Sweet Valley High #1)
Promises (Sweet Valley High, No. 15)
Say Goodbye (Sweet Valley High, No 23)

ASIN: 0553250434
Release Date: 1984-09-01

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