This collection of short stories is absolutely perfect. They are all classics by well-known writers. I enjoyed reading each and every one of them.

All Gold Canyon is a story of a man's journey in pursuit of gold. We travel with him through his everyday explorations and realize the depth of his greed and the effects this has on the earth.
This story provides an important message to people worldwide regarding human greed and the effects on natures well being. As the human race expands, we pay less attention to our destruction of mother nature. It also can lead the reader to an insight into their own life and the ways that we destroy things without even realizing it, only to fulfull our self pleasures.
In other ways, the story is interesting because the reader follows this man's pursuit towards happiness. Both the journey and the reward get the reader involved with their own fantasy of pursuing the dream of mining for gold, unfortunately, disregarding the effects our fantasy may have on our much needed surroundings.

Has some hard to find stories that I like.

As I am not a fan of this journalist, I must admit I was a bit prejudiced when it came to reading this book. Credit where credit is due though, this book is very good. It reveals an insight into the world as it was in the early part of the 20th Century and especially Australia, the scene of the Burns - Johnson World Heavyweight title fight in 1908. The author brings to light the personalities of these two boxers and how the public reacted to these personalities at varying times. Overall it is a well-balanced and entertaining read.

Can a lazy southern dog survive in the cold and brutal wilderness? Buck has to soon learn the harsh law of the north "kill or be killed," which is what most of "Call of the wild" is based on. Jack London describes in depth the horrible life Buck is soon to live.Buck has to quickly learn how to survive. The scary part about this is that this happens all around the world seperating bright, spunky families and turning them dull and boring. This was not what happened to Buck, who began to like the dry wind in his face, and running with his team mates. Buck, his master, and his master's friends went on a search North for gold in the 1800's. Buck explores the woods while he leaves his family at camp to dig bags and bags of gold. He finds arrows from indians through the sled dogs, and his masters friends. Will he find his master dead or alive? Read and find out. One can conclude that this is a outstanding book, everyone should read it, but there are some violent parts. The lesson that I learned is never lose hope and spirit. Buck never would have made it through without his spirit. I hope you read this great book!

In 1897, when gold was discovered in the Yukon Territory, Jack London traveled to the northwest to strike it rich. Upon his return, he wrote The Call of the Wild, his famous classic that critics consider the best dog story every told. I loved reading this sad, yet gripping story about the sled dog named Buck and his strong will to survive under the harsh conditions of the Canadian wilderness. I highly recommend that everyone read this popular classic to experience life during the Klondike as both dog and man struggled to survive in the quest for gold. Throughout the story, you will probably be inspired by Buck's fighting spirit and strong will to live as he faces brutality, neglect, love, loyalty, and even his own wolf instincts.

Few books offer an emotional rush of adrenalin as this book is wont to do. The tale of a pampered South dog, Buck, who is stolen from his beloved home and carried into the icy cold inhospitable regions of the North, where the Gold Rush is at its peak for those willing to brave the deadly frost. Here Buck is introduced to the traces and is made to pull the sleds of many masters. Written from Buck's perspective, the book offers a unique yet human view of the humbling experience felt by an animal as he goes along his journey. Even so, it offers the aura of the mystic as Buck realises that this cold land - where survival is only done by fang and wit - may be the place where he is as close to his spirit as he will ever be.

Readers will love the characteristics that are seen in the relationships between Buck and his co-workers in the traces - competetion, revenge and mastery. And then, too, is the emotional climax between a man and his dog, found in the unlikeliest of places.

This is one of Jack London's most famous works and one can see why after reading the first page. A guaranteed pleasure trip.

If you just want a copy of _The Call of the Wild_, to give to a friend, say, this is the one to get.

The elegant Library of America edition of "London: Novels and Stories" has three complete novels _The Call of the Wild_, _White Fang_, _The Sea-Wolf_, and a very well chosen selection of stories. It's great. Viking's _The Portable Jack London_, is cheap and excellent; it's edited by Earle Labor, has _The Call of the Wild_, and an excellent selection of short stories, nonfiction, and letters. If you want copies of _The Call of the Wild_ to give to LOTS of friends, the Dover Thrift Edition is just a buck.

But if you want _just_ The Call of the Wild, this edition is nice enough to give as a gift, is clear and legible, and has just the right amount of pictures and annotations. Not a scholarly work, but every time you get to one of those places where you have a question--where was Dyea? What was the "Chinese lottery?" Could a dog really pull a thousand pound sled? there's Dyer with the answer.

If you're interested in Jack London, take a look at the alt.books.jack-london Internet discussion group--see "about me" for details.

This collection of stories, though set in the frozen wastes of the Yukon during the "Gold Rush", is timeless. As man and his technologies advance and his search for wealth continues, time-honored and primitive ways are pushed aside. London expertly illustrates this same experience through the indigenous peoples of the north and the "white" man. He makes it easy for the reader to identify with the native's point of view, and to understand the perplexity they experienced dealing with these strange new men with "fire in their blood". London puts the reader at the council fire of great chiefs, in the canoes of warriors, and in the lodges of mysterious shamans and "medicine" men. These stories are not only about man's struggle with nature, but with other men and perhaps the most difficult...himself. After reading these stories, I felt myself wanting to up and leave all traces of modern civilization behind. I wanted to build an igloo, put on a sealskin coat, and carve things on ivory tusks in front of a roaring fire!

Jack London has for sometime been a favorite author of mine, mostly because of his easy and clever style of laying out a tale. The naturalist slant to his works leaves the reader plenty of thought-provoking moments at the end of each reading.

Jack's reputation of setting many of his stories in the harsh northland is overcome with the diversity of his writings in this collection of short stories.

I use a pocket pc to read e-books. When I have an open spot in my day, I quite enjoy proping my feet up near a fireplace and get a little injection of one of Jack London's tales.