"Philip Jenks should be feared for what he's yet to write. His first full-length book reads as if Patmos had been an island in West Virginia, and now that Jenks is back among us, all will be converted to 'The New Jesus,' or at least made to look back over our shoulders. These are poems of reckoning, and poems to be reckoned with. Some of what sets Jenks apart from the slew of 'new American voices' is his comfort under a quilt of dialects, and with schools of thought that run the table up through a Foucaultian paranoia (in the foreboding 'Panoptikos') to the domestically ominous eye that his mother paints on the clock: 'His speech is from crevices / running diagonal through the /underneath what was A&P.'"

--Christopher Mattison, Boston Review

Philip Jenks has written one of the first great books of poetry in America in this new century. I can't think of a stranger, more necessary set of poems than those gathered here. Superficially, Jenks appears to have been schooled in some of the tactics of Language poetry, but the disjunctions of these lyrics feel less theorized than Language work and much more embodied, as in a spasm or a psychic hiccup. The "hypothetical antipodes," for example, engages the idea of an upside-down netherworld as a map of perverse inner space perfectly reflecting an injust outer world. It's as if Blake had read Olson or Hannah Arendt. "My mind gleams like the fangs/ of a viper in white heat/ dying to sink my teeth into/ the throat of something wrong." I noticed that Peter O'Leary unpacks some of the poems in this book (already!) in his book on Robert Duncan, Gnostic Contagion: Robert Duncan and the Poetry of Illness. Evidently, Jenks has epilepsy and O'Leary tries to attribute some of the aspects of his poetry to this condition. Whether you buy this connection, you should buy this book regardless. It is unconditionally terrific. Essential.

Philip Jenks has written a poetry of shards and ruins washed up from the Monongahela with Appalachian spirit, linguistic acumen, wit and terror. Some might note a disjuncture of sequencing, I find these disjunctures - the spaces between the poems - like the spaces between image and sound, audience, writer, reception and dictation. What is said and what is unsaid cohere in pithy and vibrant flashes of lyric. For what it's worth, I don't know who to compare Jenks to - all the better.

What an exciting and amazing story this is! Against all odds these very strong and tenacious adventurers have skied across a nearly impassable collection of mobile ocean ice to the North Pole and back under conditions of extreme cold - as cold as -72 degrees! All supplies for 4 months for this completely self-sufficient expedition were carried in backpacks and dragged along in sleds. Their pre-trip planning was so complete they knew in advance when every morsel of food would be consumed! That totaled enough for a daily calorie allotment was 7000 calories. To eat less would incur a dangerous loss of strength.

The book is well written and very exciting. It kept me riveted to my seat until I finished reading it. When I was done, I felt as if I had been part of the adventure - except I was still warm and comfortable, with no aching muscles!

I confess an interest - I have skied to the North Pole with Weber and Malakhov. By contrast with the experience outlined in this book, however, my trip was a walk in the park - plenty of food, fuel and sunlight, temperatures above -25C and only 8 days on the ice. No number of words, or for that matter photographs, can even begin to describe the achievement of these two, or the hardships they endured. Weber described to me his experience on their (failed) 1992 attempt to get to the Pole and back as "being a frozen packhorse". There are no more experienced polar explorers in history than these two; they are surely amongst the most modest. For anyone who has romanticised over Peary, or even merely enjoyed an armchair read of the experiences of expeditioners, this book is mandatory. The prose is not perfect (and in large part translated from Russian), hence I have marked it down to a "9"; but this imperfection gives the tale an added air of authenticit

The North Pole is called "the place that wants you dead" for good reasons. Yet these two men are like the "Energizer Bunny" of Polar trekkers. They continued to walk for weeks, from drifting ice flow to ice flow, during the spring breakup while authorities wanted to declare them insane and force their air rescued. They resisted this by satellite radio, partially because they didn't want to pay the $100,000 cost! I am still stunned at the skill, determination and humor these guys displayed. They did what has always been considered impossible - but went about it like ordinary people who get up everyday and commute to work. They even referred to the ice as their "office" where they went to work every morning from their tent. The writing is very good, the achievmentranks as a worlds record, and the travelers are at peace with themselves and with life itself. They won my heart and sincere admiration

This is a special Thank you to the authors of this book. My 6 yr. old daughter and I have tremendesly enjoyed this book together. She is a great artist and loves to read. The drawing lessons both help to improve on her reading ability, while giving her great tools for drawing the beautiful and fun pictures displyed. We are both looking forward to more great "Draw Write Now" books.

My son (eight years old) (very good artist) ate this book up. He copied every page in just three days then he was mixing scenes. His drawings took on a superb quality that he had not reached before. The bonus is, he practices his handwriting while learning interesting facts that are good to know. We'll be buying each edition for Christmas for him.

This book is brightly illustrated and well priced for the high quality. It is a wonderful resourse for parents as well as children. The subject matter covers a broad range of interesting information. Bravo!

I found Rabbit Boss as an impressionable 16 year old, living in a small town in the English Midlands in the mid-1970s. It's hard to say quite why it made such an unforgettable impression on me, but suffice to say that I logged on to this site to try and find THIS book - I have been searching for years. Now I find it is regarded as a canon of American fiction - and rightly so. Sanchez's brilliant evocation of a state of mind, and of a whole way of being, was entirely new to me and has haunted me ever since. The quality of the writing is simply stupendous.

This novel put the author's name on my must-read list. It is a powerful story of the effect of white culture on the native American. Starting with an encounter with the Donner party, it continues down to the early 30's. Parts of the novel are written in a visionary style similar to "Black Elk Speaks." There are numerous memorable characters, especially Hallelujah Bob and Captain Rex, who loses his thumbs. There is violence and tragedy. Sanchez has an excellent ear for dialogue, especially considering that this book was written when he was only 21. I have read this book three times (at over 500 pages) and recommend it to all my friends.

Yeah, this is the one! Well, at least one of the TOP FIVE BOOKS read this year by me! Honestly, you'll get plenty of honesty in this hear piece of fict'n... purnhaps even mor'n you already know, heh? Wonderfully written, and like Kerouac used to say, it's an "Indian thing". The story follows the natural flow of generations of Washo people try to eek out a meagre existance in the "wild" west; beautifully documenting the collapse of the many layers of native culture since their "discovery".

This is an unusual book. John Elder has written a book that blends the rhythms of life with the rhythms of nature.

Using Robert Frost's poem "Directive" as a springboard, Elder guides the reader through a series of year-long hikes that provide a rare glimpse into the writer soul, family and surroundings. His musings transport the reader from the glaciers that shaped his the plateau for the Village of Bristol, VT., the farmers who struggled and more often than not, failed to scratch a living from the rocky soil that surrounds his adopted home.

He carries us from broken china to Abenaki settlements, meditating on family relationships and deeper relationships with the land.

This is a beautiful example of nature writing, a work that draws a balance between the machinations of civilization and the beauties of wilderness. By inviting the reader to follow the last line of Frost's "Directive," to "Drink and be whole again beyond confusion.", Elder creates a sense of hope that Vermont's balance between nature and culture can speak to the rest of the nation.

I have read many of the reviews of Reading the Mountains of Home--both before and after I studied the book itself--in various magazines and newspapers, and, while many of them summarize accurately and manage to convey fairly clearly its complex and compelling structures, the musical grace of the sentences, the unique of John Elder's vision about the interlinking of language and place and time and family, of Robert Frost's "Directive" and of the concept of wilderness in America. There is a sense also in which he has taken nature writing--a broad genre forever in evolution--and brought it to new heights through this creative interweaving.

But what I notice most is the book's quiet heroism. By this I mean simply that the author exhibits the courage to put all of his deepest convictions, his most strongly held beliefs, the raw stuff of his very life in a place for all to see. One does not see this very often in books. We need more writers like John Elder. We need people like John Elder, people who have the courage to write from the deepest parts of themselves for the greater good of all of us and the larger home we call earth. If there were six stars I would give it six stars.

I learned much about New England from this fine book -- and about Robert Frost.

If you are intrigued by the allure that the Arctic has for some people, or are yourself unable to resist subzero weather at the top of the world, then Ring of Ice is a must. Stark has collected a truly diverse range of stories beginning with the comedy of errors endured by Georg Wilhelm Stellar, the German-born scientist aboard Vitus Bering's 1741 Russian expedition to the North American coast, and ending with the luminous prose of modern Artic explorers such as Barry Lopez.

Stark's informative introductions to each essay are both helpful and amusing. He has also sought to balance the primarily European writers and their points of view with those of the native Inuit people by preceding each essay with an Inuit poem. "The poems emphasize the Inuit ethic of sharing, egalitarianism, and incessant hunting, as well as the simple joys and fears of life." They are, of course, in sharp contrast to the accounts of the European explorers, who sought to conquer rather than work with nature, and usually perished as a result.

The book is divided into 4 sections (called books), but the progression of pieces is linear. The 1998 piece entitled "Tale of a Hunter's Daughter," is so pignantly written and captures the feeling of both the land and the woman struggling to make her way in it, that it is worth the price of the whole book. Of course there are other stand-outs, including "How Dr.Hayes Learned to Love Seal Blubber," "Nansen Strolls Farthest North," and "Cold Oceans: By Sea Kayak to Greenland."

Oddly enough, the poetry, which I thought was an excellent idea, is made inaccessible and difficult to read by the fact that it has been set in a script font that is too small to read comfortably. As a result, your eyes naturally gravitate towards the correctly sized, regular fonts used in the essays. This is really strange, given the time and effort that obviously went into the rest of the book, and I hope that Stark has made a very loud stink. It's hard to make yourself work at reading the poetry, which by its nature takes a little bit of work to appreciate. Otherwise a fine collection.

This is a wonderful book! Peter Stark has selected an extraordinary collection of vignettes from a wide range of original writings about the Arctic and its explorers. I've read many (but certainly not all) of his sources in their entirety, and enjoyed re-reading extracts of those that I have read before as much as I enjoyed reading for the first time those that were new to me. Stark has a fine eye, an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Arctic and a gift for weaving together these many tales into a fine, telling tapestry of Arctic adventure. Terrific!

Over the last two centuries expeditions have penetrated the Arctic and brought back important information - if they returned at all. This provides true stories of Arctic exploration and adventure, presenting the journals, letters and firsthand experiences of the explorers and natives of the region alike. An excellent addition for any collection covering world exploration.

River of Memories: An Appalachian Boyhood by David L. Thompson is an excellent book for all people of all ages. It really allows the reader to understand the way everyday life was in Appalachia. It reminds us of the importance of family, friends, hard work, and God's influence. It brings out the best of a time that has passed, but will never be forgotten.

In order for us to truly understand ourselves, we must look to our heritage. As Mr. Thompson recalls to his readers the vivid memories of an Appalachian childhood, he entangles them with the warmth of a heritage that may someday be forgotten. This work will possibly answer many questions of future generations who may ask "what is Appalachia?"

Mr. Thompson's is a wonderful tale of a young man growing up in rural America. It tells of a wonderful childhood filled with loving memories in a time when a child was still allowed to be a child. It has both good and bad memories that add up to the formation of an interesting individual and family that anyone would enjoy getting to know. If everyone could only be so lucky as to know someone like this it would improve the world as a whole.

A touching tour of both history and an area in Central Pennsylvania that hasn't changed considerably (thankfully) since the 18th century. The people and stories that Gordon brings to life through her travels along Route 45 are touching and allows one to reflect on the more imporant things in life and our often mis-guided priorities. The book is an easy read and interspersed with a wealth of historical references to tie the story together as well as the valleys and towns that Route 45 connects.

Using this book helped us to not only understand the history of the area when we did a three day weekend on PA Rt 45 but also helped us to find places off the beaten path.

Joan Morse Gordon's The Road Taken: A Journey In Time Down Pennsylvania Route 45 is the story of one woman's journey that began with an Interstate drive, and which led to her fascinating survey of regional Pennsylvania, its history, and the people who call the land home. Picturesque black-and-white photographs, soulful observations and colorful local personalities make The Road Taken a genuine treat for the armchair traveler and/or the Pennsylvania history buff.

I really wish more scientist and environmentalist were in politics. Maybe then there wouldn't be a need for books such as this.

Mowat is a wonderful writer. He uses his writing talent to tell a horrifying tale, sadly, about the overkilling of sea life and the pollution of the oceans. It's a real wake-up call.

Since reading Mowat's "Sea of Slaughter," I can't get a certain picture out of my mind. It is of a sandy ocean beach, miles and miles long, where tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of morse came to socialize every summer until the middle of last century. The morse, or northern walrus, was a stupendous animal, of impressive bearing: a veritable lion of the sea. Yet it comes no more to those grounds, once the largest colony of its kind, out on Canada's Magdalene Islands, off the coast of Québec.

To think that the morse were just a side-show to it all. To think that eventually, with the same energy and relentless mechanical force, we would come to decimate the northern fishery more or less entirely, leaving thousands of perplexed fisher folk stranded in coastal villages, wondering perhaps, just where that many fish could possibly have gone.

On land, as in the water, nature's bounty was scarcely less prolific, the European's first reaction, scarcely less horrendous. Could this be the true, unknown history of North America, lying behind and directly concerning those early pilots and navigators like Cabot and Columbus. 400 or more years of unbelievably short-sighted culling of mighty herds, whether they were whales or bison or a hundred other species of birds and mammals known to have been hunted to the last. This is Mowat's sad chronicle. This is his portrait of what one day perhaps, will generally be known and accepted as history. And the only thing that may stop us is that we find we really don't want to ever learn this sort of truth.

Besides being a remarkable contribution to the literature of ecology and environment, this is also one of Mowat's finest personal efforts. You can see by the very nature of the material that it took a being of remarkable strength just to tackle a project like this, let alone bring it to a conclusion. It's probably true that one can prepare all one's life for just one event. In Mowat's case, without negating any other part of his remarkable œuvre, this may just be it.

Mowat wanted to write about life, humanity, and extinction. Obviously the topic was too broad, so he narrowed himself down to just discussing the North Atlantic and parts of the New World. I finished this book and was stunned by how much life there USED to be around here. Polar bears in Massachusetts? 12-foot sturgeon in the Chesapeake? Birds flocking in the millions that I had never even heard of? WE NEED MORE BOOKS LIKE THIS AND WE ALL NEED TO READ THEM!

Paul Nicklen was raised in the Arctic. (on Baffin Island) perhaps that is why he understands the special beauty of the Arctic and was able to capture it in his photographs.

This is an incredible collection of photos. I relived my Arctic experiences and could feel the cold and hear the quiet. This collection will remain with me forever and my compliments go out to the artist. I look forward to another publication in the near future.

Received the book as a gift and thought that the photos were absolutely incredible. These pictures have made me want me to visit the Arctic. I think this is one of the finest publications for coffee table books and have put it on my Christmas list.