Now in a thoroughly updated and revised sixth edition, Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Western Region continues to be the definitive guide for outdoor enthusiasts seeking to enjoy a land of beautiful landscapes and wildlife. Veteran travel writer and outdoorsman Robert Beymer provides details on 27 entry points in the western part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and includes important information on the length of time needed to complete each trip, distances and difficulty of each trip, number of lakes, rivers and portages encountered; and the maps required. Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Western Region is enhanced with a four-color pullout map and is a "must" for canoeists, anglers, vacationers, and hunters seeking to enjoy what this unique and remarkable country have to offer.

This is a great book to start your plans for a trip into the Boundary Waters. There are suggested routes for every entry point in the western region and whether you use the suggested route or not it's a great place to start!

I have canoe camped in the BWCA since 1971 and have found previous editions of this guide essential for my trip planning. This well-written, newly-revised edition is even better. It contains the latest information on obtaining a permit for entry into the area as well as general information regarding the destructive storm that swept through the BWCA on July 4, 1999. The 2000 edition is slightly larger in size and with bigger print is easier to read. It is also about 70 pages longer than the previous book. The author has changed the format of the route numbers to better correspond to the entry points, making it easier to relate the two. There are updated photos throughout the book and some route recommendations have been changed. This edition is full of information to make your trip planning into the western region of the BWCA easy. It allows you to choose routes based on your physical ability (easy to rugged), fishing desires (it lists type of fish in 185 western region lakes), scenery (waterfalls, pictographs), time constraints (suggested routes for over 50 2-8 day trips), etc. It tells you how to reach each entry point and one of my favorite statistics, the popularity rank of each entry point (I like to find solitude as quickly as possible). This is trip planning guide, and does not provide detailed camping "how to" information, although the author refers you to reliable books on this subject. I recommend it and am planning to purchase the revised eastern region edition as soon as it is available.

I loved the continuing story of Tuesday and Jacob. The author captures the evil and control Jacob had over the women and children on the mountain. He took everything away from them so he could control them and when he wasn't around Aunt Aggie took on the role as tyrant. You want to dislike Aunt Aggie and Big Bessie, but then again you must remember they were controled as much as the others.
The author offers twist and turns throughout the story. I can't hard wait to read the next book of this series.

I am addicted to The Cabin Series! I cannot wait for the 4th novel to come out. I met the author, C.J. Henderson, and she is a wonderful compliment to her books. A lovely lady.

My husband bought me "Cabin II" for my
birthday. I was happy, but his ulterior
motive was obvious when I caught him reading
"The Cabin Misery on the Mountain!"

Sandy

I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth and her life with Roy Freeman. I live in Richmod Kentucky close to the areas described in this book. I enjoyed reading about familiar places. This book made me think about life and all that I hold dear family, children, education etc. I recommend this book to everyone. Don't miss it!

I, Aunt Nanciana, am reading DETOUR for the third time.

It's beautifully written. Each time I read DETOUR I learn something new about life, love, and religion.

Nothing negative; all true and beautiful for all readers to consume and try to live by.

I, Nanciana Wallick Bonebrake, am ever so proud of my dear neice, Debra Wallick Stone.

Thanks for this opportunity to let my family and friends know about her book: DETOUR.

DETOUR is one in a line of many books I have read in the last year, and I enjoyed each and every minute of it. It gets to what I believe to be at the heart of every human being,...the desire to get back to the basics of life.

It tells of the lives of two people deeply in love with each other, each on two totally opposite fields of life when reunited. When "The Operation" decides the detours they must each take from their familiar lifestyles leads them to an Amish community, both find out that the things that matter most in life are the things that money cannot buy.

Very educating on the Amish lifestyle. Very respectfully written, informational, and enlightening.

I loved it !!!!!!!!!!

This is a wonderful book. I constantly use it as a reference and keep meaning to bring it with me when I go to the nursery. (Otherwise I come home with plants like Larkspur, which look beautiful now, but might not make it through the winter.) It is divided into three sections. The first, Portfolios of Designs is full of plans for every location, sun or shade. The Guide to Installaton shows you how to do everything from making wooden planters, building a retaining wall, creating paths and walkways, to installing a pond. The third section, Plant Profiles, gives descriptions and care information for all of the plants in the designs.

I have only one criticism. Cost doesn't appear to be a factor in any of these designs, most call for dozens of plants. It would be nice if they had a few designs for those on a smaller budget.

I have purchased a great many books on this subject and this is far and away the best. Helpful tips on what plants to put in different conditions, settings and combinations, as well as plans to help get you started. I've used it over and over and have given copies to numerous friends.

This book offers everything a gardener in the northeast needs to easily plan, design, plant, and maintain wonderful landscaping.

The bulk of the book offers design plans--photos & drawings of landscaped areas, together with a description of each of the plants shown and a mapped-out grid to assist you in recreating the design in your own garden. Substitute plantings are suggested, and in most places the design is shown as it appears in different seasons. And the designs are DEFINITELY not difficult to follow! So many gardening books offer plans that I couldn't hope to recreate--this book stands out for its ease of use.

Examples of the twenty-three different designs: 1) Enclosing a patio with foliage & flowers; 2) creating a welcoming walkway to your front door; 3) enhancing your curbside strip; 4) using a two-tier garden to replace a short slope; 5) creating a no-mow slope; 6) creating a shady hideaway; and 7) fitting a formal garden into your backyard.

I planted one of their designs myself--"A Neighborly Corner." I was worried about how to define the corner lot line of my odd-shaped lot, especially since I live in a neighborhood with few fences and no obvious divisions between properties. My next-door neighbors love what I did, and several others have stopped to ask what the various plants are so they can try them in their own gardens.

Even if you don't have large areas to plant, but merely want to fill in holes in your garden or improve the overall look of your property, this book is wonderful. The last 25 pages of the book consist of plant profiles, all of which work wonderfully in the chilly northeast. And there are several sections on designing walkways, building trellises, planting basics, etc.

I found this book to be well worth the price, and several of my neighbors have gone out to buy their own copies after borrowing mine. I've used it over and over and recommend it without hesitation.

See synopsis above.

After I read 'Amazonia' I put James Rollins on my must read list. I am so glad I did. In 'Ice Hunt' he takes adventure to a new level. The book's intense, the main subject very interesting (cryopreservation), and it reads like a combination of 007, Indiana Jones, and Dirk Pitt. A well rounded--and researched--adventure sure to please anyone with a taste for quality adventure.
I have to agree with the Amazon reviewer, though. The cover art gives it a somewhat hokey look (mass market?).

Most highly recommended.

I have just finished reading Ice Hunt and it was as exciting as all his previous ones. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants a good action packed adventure. Now only if Hollywood would take an interest in this or any of his previous novels; it would be great to see them on TV as a mini series.

More adventure from James Rollins! This time at the top of the world! Russians, Black ops teams, carnivorous predators, ex-wives...everything that sends a chill down the spine then freezes it in place in the lonely wilds of Alaska and the Polar Ice Cap. Fun from the opening line in chapter one ("Always respect Mother Nature...especially when she weighs four hundred pounds and is guarding her baby.") to the chilling final lines of the novel (and no, I'm NOT going to write it down here). Go buy the book! Really, I mean it! Click the "buy it now" feature! I dare ya!

It would be hard not to like Chamalu! Although his material is consistent with that of others (e.g., John Perkins), it is refreshing in it's simplicity. Although at times the concepts seem too general to be applied in a practical sense, it is certainly worthy of a quick read and a possible re-read.

This book truly captures the essence of Shamanism. A must read!

I loved this book! To use almost as a guidebook for everyday life. What an eye opener, life looks so good after this book.

As one of the Friday Riders listed in this book, I have known and ridden with Bob Sobie, the author of the Elroy Sparta Trail Guidebook, for a number of years. As a matter of fact it was my Bachelor bike ride that Bob mentions in the book. As an author and a psychologist I believe I have a unique perspective of Bob and the words he wrote in this book. If the famous analyst C.G. Jung were to meet Bob he would probably call him a "sensing" person. Let me tell you why I believe that's important for an author of a guidebook. Being a sensing person Bob writes what he gets through his senses. He writes about what sights you will see. He describes the sounds you'll hear. He includes how much the trail will incline or decline. He even includes what you should expect from sleeping and eating at various places along the trail. Though his own passion about the trail definitely does leak out, he leaves whether you ride or how much you ride up to you, as he does with all the other attractions in the area.

As one of the Friday riders listed in this book, I have known and ridden with Bob Sobie, the author of the Elroy Sparta Trail Guidebook, for a number of years. As a matter of fact it was my Bachelor bike ride that Bob mentions in the book. As an author and a psychologist I believe I have a unique perspective of Bob and the words he wrote in this book. If the famous analyst C.G. Jung were to meet Bob he would probably call him a "sensing" person. Let me tell you why I believe that's important for an author of a guidebook. Being a sensing person Bob writes what he gets through his senses. He writes about what sights you will see. He describes the sounds you'll hear. He includes how much the trail will incline or decline. He even includes what you should expect from sleeping and eating at various places along the trail. Though his own passion about the trail definitely does leak out, he leaves whether you ride or how much you ride up to you, as he does with all the other attractions in the area.

Finally....the essential trail guide worthy of the scenic Elroy Sparta Trail----America's first rails-to-trails bikeway. From tunnels to trails to history to tourist attractions to accommodations, the Sobie Guide is a celebration of cycling and the natural beauty of the unglaciated regions of southwest Wisconsin.

I bought this book a few years ago based on the reviews. When I got it I tore into it and was sorely disappointed. That's the reason for 4 instead of 5 stars.

Why even 4 stars you ask? Well, about a month ago, for whatever reason, I picked it up again and now I LOVE IT!

Henry Mitchell is dry - like the soil under an oak. But he's terribly warm and fuzzy once you get to know him. I write a newsletter for my local garden club and have found quote after quote that I want to use for future issues. They're not la-dee-dah quotes that speak vaguely about the lovely joys of gardening. BLAH! Rather, they're jewels that point fingers at snobby gardeners and kill-joys who scold children for picking crocuses.

This is not a "pretty picture" book. It's sort of a how-to in an essay form. But more than that, it's great writing by a wonderful author on a topic I am crazy for.

The two books I have read cover to cover as gardening advice and as literature are this book and Christopher Lloyd's Adventurous Gardener. I have shelves of gardening and horticultural books.
It gives you more each time you read it.

I first read Henry Mitchell in the Washington Post when my husband was receiving cancer treatment at NIH in 1982, and when I realized that his columns were collected in The Essential Earthman I immediately bought a copy. I have subsequently owned (and loaned out and thus lost) two or three more copies. As each planting season arrives I remember how much I've missed reading Henry's wisdom, and I berate myself for having loaned out (and lost) those books. So for the sake of upcoming generations of gardeners (and the old hands among us), would someone please reprint this valuable book? It's a book to read in the depth of winter and the heat of summer, in a spacious country garden or a tiny city yard, for beginning gardeners and old timers with permanently-stained hands. There never has been anyone quite like Henry Mitchell on gardening, or on life, for that matter. Grouchy, opinionated, funny, informative, brutally honest--his words will never go out of style.

Tayler's ability to capture the full flavor of Africa while giving the reader room to make an assesment of this often violent culture attests to his flare and careful attention to the human experience. Tayler never forgets that he is traveling this river looking at its inhabitants with Western lenses. For the reader looking for adventure, this book is full-flavored. For a fellow and perhaps struggling writer, Tayler's words speak a priceless and empathetic language. But what makes the book most successful is that it speaks to anyone who has lived, loved, and searched for that missing piece, realizing it can always be found in the journey. It is travel writing at its best, full of observations and rhetorical questions presented to the reader as writing's greatest gift.

A great read for anyone interested in adventure travel or Central Africa. Tayler chronicles his travels along the 1,100 plus mile Congo river in Zaire, and his personal journey to find meaning in his existence.

Demonstrating laudatory courage, Tayler navigates the dangers of the Congo (e.g., weather, disease, beasts, banditry, corruption, etc.), first up-river as passenger on a barge, and then down-river along with two Zairean companions in his pirogue (a small wooden canoe) - a trip no mondele (i.e., white man) may have completed since the explorer Stanley (many of the several who have tried did not survive). The result is a compelling tale that provides a glimpse into Tayler's inner soul and the people of Central Africa, while also indirectly shedding light on political, economic and social issues regarding the developed and undeveloped world.

An eminently enjoyable read that you are not likely to be able to put down, and one which may cause you to contemplate planning your own existential journey.

Part travelogue, part memoir, Jeffrey Tayler's Facing The Congo takes the reader on a memorable and fascinating journey into sub-Saharan Africa's crocodile waters and lush jungles, lush jungles, and a spectacular variety of merchants, deckhands, prostitutes, mothers, spiritual followers, fishermen, children, and many other assorted charecters. From lively marketplace banter to cramped, mosquito infested sleeping spaces, Facing The Congo is the story of Tayler's trip up and down the legendary Congo River complete with fog covered backwaters, hostile tribes, and true-life high adventure. Facing The Congo is thoroughly satisfying, enthusiastically recommended reading for the armchair traveler.

Kentuckiana is a brilliant novel, and I urge everyone to read it. Payne presents the Miles--a suburban family forced to exist solely for the whims of his metafictional narrator--in an enrapturing, entertaining, and challenging manner, and by doing so, offers a provacative glimpse into the basic yearnings and darkness of the human heart. We are given well-crafted characters existing within the same collective conscious as the reader and, remarkably, in such an intricate and detailed manner that one can't help but empathize with the characters who face some of the most dreadful events life can throw at them, and with the narrator whose own bleak life compels him to create them. The dark appeal of this novel resides in the somewhat naive hope that they will eventually escape their dysfunction and, if not exist in happiness, at least not cause any more suffering, either to themselves or to each other. The comic undertones are bleak and disturbing--this is N OT a novel for the faint of heart (In one episode, a live cat is incinerated--ghastly and sickening, and one of the most brilliant bits in the novel). Nor is this book an easy read; it requires concentration, a suspension of disbelief, and the willingness to identify with and care about a set of characters incapable of caring about themselves. If you're up to the challenge, this novel will be a wonderful literary event for you.

Not since reading styron's Lie Down in Darkness years ago have I had such an emotional response to the power and absoluteness of someone's writing as I felt upon reading Payne's Kentuckiana. From the first page, I was absorbed and caught dead center by the honesty that resonated for me in the words I read. What the author gives readers here is a staggering, intensely persuasive, and haunting perspective of a flesh-and-blood American family. Despite the "metaphysical" premise of the opening chapter that we are to meet and interact with the smoke and mirrors of fiction, the characters proceed instantly to create their own dynamics and come alive in the mind of the reader. It doesn't matter who they are, but that they are. Alive, real, in the complexity of their relationships with one another in the settings that enclose/thwart/sustain/catalyze/compel them. Their immediacies, attitudes and behaviors are made compelling by the articulateness, the lyrical intelligence, the richness of their thoughts and words, so that their tragedy lies not in their disability (as distinct from inability) to communicate emotional pain, protest, anguish or joy within the family framework or the confines of other relationships. It is, rather, a sense of the inchoate, the unspokenness underlying the whole fabric of the straightforward context of the "ordinary" family unit from which they spring (and with which they are irrevocably enmeshed) that comprises the tragedy here--a bright sadness or gap of silence that remains mysterious, haunting to the mind and heart, even as their words flow on and on, over and through the misactions, the skewed attempts, the growths, acceptances, failures, compromises and intractabilities. I heartily recommend this novel for the insights it offers into the failures and successes of modern families.

If folks didn't catch the hyperbolic comedy of Payne's novel, then people are as humorous as the skiffy people that Harlan Ellison disdains. Kentuckiana creates wonderful personalities; often disturbing, but more often exposed with comic anecdotes that struck me with familiarity and resourceful curiosity. Johnny Payne is one of the finest storytellers in the field today; he cuts into the deep pathos of the Miles family with remarkable precision and insight. I high recommend this book.