If you appreciate old fashioned values and true Americana, get this book. Truly unique and is capturing a part of our histroy that is being lost to development.

This book has won a Southern Books Competition Award of Merit in Book Design from the Southeastern Library Association. This award is given in recognition of the book's aesthetic appeal and design and for fine craftsmanship in its printing and binding. Congratulations to authors Joe Cook and Monica Cook, designer John Langston, printer Pacifica Communications, and the University of Alabama Press.

This is an excellent book which covers its subject more thoroughly and beautifully than any book I have ever seen about this part of the country. It is extremely well written, and the photography is outstanding. Anyone who is interested in the preservation of our enviroment, especially our valuable waterways, should read this book.

The Wind River Range is spectacular and lonely, and this book takes you there -- nature, history, glorious photographs. I can't recommend it enough, both for the arm chair traveler and for the visitor to Wyoming.

Joe Kelsey's love letter to Wyoming's Wind River Range finally brings pictures to match the mountains. An acknowleged expert on the peaks and valleys of the Winds, his selection of photographs is perfect counterpoint to the crisp, slightly awestruck descriptions of the range. This is the perfect book for those long winter nights spent waiting for the mountains to open up again.

If you want to know what an authentic Montanan is like, read this book. Having lived in Montana for 7 1/2 years and experiencing firsthand the Montana mindset it was refreshing to read about how it developed in one Montanan's life.

Montanans are tough, physically and mentally. They are proud and self-sufficient. As you read this story of a young boy growing up without a father or mother, in the care of his Old West Grandpa and Grandma, you will gain a new appreciation for the folks we call Montanans.

Montana is a great state and Montanans are great people. Read this book for an authentic Montana viewpoint.

I saw this play in Lexington, Ky. The Actor's Guild there did a fine job with the production, and the play itself is so funny and touching that I just knew I could use it in my classroom. I could identify with the main character, Nicolas, who is lucky enough to still have all 4 of his grandparents around him, even though he is nearly 30. The rest of the family has moved away, but Nicky stays behind, coming to dinner every Sunday with his wacky grandparents. Eventually Nicky tells them that he is taking a job on the other side of the country, and they all try to make him stay in their own way. It's a play about family, TENGO FAMILIGIA! It's also a play about losing the ones you love. I teach at an inner city high school. Everyone thought I was nuts, that the kids would never relate to a white advertising exec in his 30's. But the play isn't really about him. The play is about the sacrifices the previous generations have made for us, and whether or not those sacrifices were worth it. It's about how much you expect out of life, and about discovering what makes you happy. And all of us, Bosnian immigrants and troubled black teens, can relate to that.

This book outlines hundreds of different routes up all of the Wind's well-known peaks (as well as several not-so-well-know ones). He did a phenomenal job amassing all of this information. There is enough here for a short lifetime of awesome mountain trekking.

Kelsey held no punches with this one. The information Kelsey gives is mean, lean, and straight to the point. Novices beware, this book makes no attempts to come down to anyone's level. This is both its virtue and its vice. Be forewarned, this book is written for those grounded in that arts of route-finding, technical climbing, and alpine survival. It is not a hiking book. If you are uncomfortable with this, either buy a more toned-down Wind River guide, or pick up a book to build your skills like "Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills" and start psyching yourself up for some world class backcountry.

Joe Kelsey has taken the old trail book of Finis Mitchell's and turned it into a Trail and Mountain Guide that leads you to every nook and crany, you would want to go.

Many years before Joe's book, I would hike the Winds with Mitchells book in hand as if I was following an old adventurers pencil notebook. Today, Joe Kelsey's "Wind River Hiking/Climbing Guide" is as necessary as the matches.

In 1985 Joe Kane, a writer from San Franciso, along with about ten other individuals from several other countries set out to travel the entire length of the world's longest river. They started at the trickling headwaters of the Amazon in the Peruvian Andes. Nearly seven months and 4,200 miles later, as the river flows into the Atlantic, the group was down to four. Along the way, the group encountered killer rapids, narcotics smugglers, Shining Path geurillas, raging floods and more. This is a readable, exciting book about an epic adventure not likely to be repeated soon. Unfortunately, Kane's account gives short shrift to the latter part of the journey. Roughly two thirds of the narrative describes the first third of the adventure. What is there, however, takes the reader right there, as though along for the journey--from the raging rapids waiting to drown the inexperienced, timorous river runner, to the steaming jungle, to the bugs and snakes, to the almost monotonous routine day after day after day, to the meager existence of those who live along the river. This book is also an interesting case study in leadership and teamwork (or lack thereof) in an epic adventure.

This is a story about 10 people who set out to run the Amazon River from the headwaters to the Atlantic Ocean (only 4 of them complete the entire trip). The author does a good job at describing the environment, interactions with the local people, and the adventures they encountered on the trip.

The first 177 pages describe the initial 700 miles of the journey; the other 100 pages describe the remaining 3500 miles of the expedition. When I was about 2/3 of the way through the book and learned that they had 3500 miles left to go, I wondered how the author could do justice to this large segment of travel in only 100 pages. I felt shortchanged. I'm not saying that the book had to be 1000 pages long, but I think that more should have been said about the 3500 miles.

The most exciting part was the whitewater rafting/kayaking through the Acobamba Abyss. Having rafted and kayaked before, I could really identify with their struggles. The author wrote in such a way that I could easily picture what was happening (there were some very intense moments). Being that a number of the team members had very little or no whitewater experience, I'm surprised that they survived this trip.

The author did a good job at describing the interaction among the expedition team members (this really added to the story). However, he was too lenient toward Francois Odendaal. Odendaal did not belong on the river at all and made for a very poor expedition leader.

I'm glad I bought the book. In my opinion, the writing style is good but not great. I did learn a lot about the countries and the people that border the river.

I heard Joe Kane describe his trip on NPR's "Fresh Air" by Terry Gross. Joe Kane was so engaging that I immediately ordered the book. Joe Kane originally signed up with the expedition to chronicle the trip. The expedition planning can be described as haphazard and due to a shortage of people, Joe Kane ended up on the river. Joe Kane and Piotr Chmielinski, the famous Polish kayaker known as "El Polacko" in the South American countries, were the only two members of the expedition to paddle the whole river. Jerome Truran and Kate Durrant supported the two after they all finished the severe whitewater. The story is so intense that I could only read one chapter at a sitting. I wanted to take the time to reflect on the action and the events. The story is amazing. The whitewater, the expedition members, the Sendero Luminiso revolutionaries, the weather, and the natives are all part of the trip. It is important to remember that Joe Kane had very little river experience and he had no idea that he would be on the river at the start of the trip. You will understand the river experience from an author who was truly awed.

I first read this book about two years ago and have since given copies as gifts to friends and have passed my own copy about to many colleagues. I work in the oil industry and I believe that this book is a MUST READ for all foreign workers in the Amazon region. My field of work involves protecting the interests of the local people and the health of the environment and I can assure the previous reviewer that while the oil companies have much to answer for historically that there is a small army of us working on the inside and who have found Savages to be one of the best books around. Joe Kane writes in journalistic style presenting events as they unfolded and he sheds light on several issues relating to foreign activity in developing countries that are seldom thought about by those who participate in the "invasion". Mr Kane's writing had me in fits of laughter at times and at other times I was in tears. By the end of the book I felt that I almost knew the people whose lives were discussed and I certainly closed the cover with a new understanding and questions that I had not asked myself before. Anyone contemplating a trip to the jungle of Ecuador, or other Amazonian nation, should make a point of reading this book. It is factual, interesting and tells a real life drama that describes the beginning of what will probably be the final days of the isolated people of the Amazon. It will be up to you as the reader to form an opinion on the situation as Kane doesn't do it for you. He does however raise the interesting question that may not be answered easily - what rights do isolated people have to remain isolated and completely unaffected by the development of the world? Read Savages for yourself and see if you can answer that question.

In Savages, Kane conveys the dire importance of understanding and respecting the traditional practices of the Huaorani Indians of Ecuador. Kane examines through personal experience their struggle to maintain identity, land, and dignity in the face of oil companies, missionaries, and economic progress. The author demonstrates journalistic reporting at its very best and assures the reader a sincere and responsible account of the matters at hand. This book should be read by anyone interested in the future of humankind

Before reading this book, I knew nothing about the Amazon and wasn't that interested. Now, even though it's been half a year since I finished the book, I find myself thinking about Moi, Enquiri, Judith, and the rest. Joe Kane also did a good job explaining the very complicated situation with the oil companies. I was inspired to hit the library for more books on the Amazon and the people there. It's also inspired me to check in with Rainforest Action Network and write a few letters. One of my favorite books ever.

"Blind Faith" is a good true crime book and an interesting read. Nothing outstanding or spectacular, though.

But there is something rather strange at the biginning of this book that people seem not to notice. Author Joe McGinniss put an "Explanatory Note" at the beginning of the book. It basically states that most of the names and identies have been changed for privacy sake. Ok that no big deal. But this note also states, " . . . certain scenes have been dramatically re-created . . . " The passage explains that this was done to better portray the people and atmosphere of the scenes on which the story is based. I found this rather odd. To me this seems to say that certain parts of the story were fictionalized. So this book may not be 100% accurate to what actually happened.

And by the way, one reviewer asked about what happened to the Marshall boys. I have no idea about Chris and John. But I know that Roby Marshall married and had a child with actress Tracy Gold, who used to be on the sitcom "Growing Pains". He was working in Hollywood for awhile in some kind of behind the cameras job. I do not know if they are still together or if he still works in Hollywood.

I found this book inferior to Fatal Vision (which I read with much appreciation on 5 Jan 1985) and to Cruel Doubt (which I read 11 Nov 2002). Many of the names of the people involved in this case have been changed. One can get the actual names of the people, including the girlfriend, by reading the legal opinions concerning the case. The conviction was affirmed in a 175-page opinion by the New Jersey Supreme Court in State v. Marshall, 586 A. 2nd 85 (1991). The most recent decision in the case is Marshall v. Hendricks, 307 F. 3rd 36, decided Sept 11, 2002, which ordered a further hearing in regard to effectiveness of counsel in the penalty phase of the trial, which readers will remember was handled somewhat lackadaisically according to the book. The book spends a lot of time repeating the whining of the murderer, which surely grew old and tiresome. I think the book deviated too much from the truth and made up a lot of stuff and I prefer true crime accounts to be as accurate and factual as possible. This one flunks the veracity test.

Joe McGinniss's excellent follow up to "Fatal Vision" is one of his best yet. "Blind Faith" takes us into the home of Rob and Maria Marshall and their 3 sons, a family in the "Leave It To Beaver" mould whose idyllic life was the envy of all who knew them. But the tragic murder of Maria in September 1984 revealed a twisted underbelly of asociality where the life of a beloved daughter and loving mother could be traded for a sum as measly and paltry as 1.5 million dollars. Joe McGinniss slowly draws the reader in to the complicated investigation which is littered with people who seem to be direct from the central casting of an Alfred Hitchcock film as the police and the district attorney quietly and resolutely hunt down their quarry - Maria's "loving" husband, Rob Marshall, who in court was finally revealed for the avaricious and cunning sociopath that he is. Although this tragic, cautionary tale transports the reader on a journey into the dark side of the American dream which will haunt us long after the last page is finished, the true success of this book lies with McGinniss's depiction of 3 grieving boys who went from initially believing totally in their father's innocence to finally angrily acknowledging his guilt.

Salmon , as a species , are no where near to being extinct, as this book would lead one to believe. Can we improve on the way we as U.S. Citizens treat our Environment? Certainly!!! Do we have the will to do it? Who Knows???

Joseph Cone's book, "A Common Fate: Endangered Salmon and the People of the Pacific Northwest," tells a story that combines over two hundred years of U.S. history with the prurient facts of salmon and political science. Cone, in unflinching detail, and with a flair for dramatic storytelling, chronicles the ins and outs of the on-going battle to save the Pacific Northwest salmon runs and their surrounding watersheds. The overview of the salmon issue this book provides is astounding. From all sides' viewpoints, from Gordon Reeves, a fish researcher and ecologist with the Pacific Northwest Research Station of the U.S. Forestry Service in 1988, to people like Mike Draper, spokesperson for The Western Council of Industrial Workers and Antone Minthorn, council chairman of the General Council of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Cone weaves a tale that can be described as nothing short of sordid. Elucidating the deceptions, feints and dodges of bureaucratic interests and what motivates them as well as he does the struggles, fears, and hopes of the environmental activists, Cone shows an in depth knowledge of both salmon biology and political policy, all the while moving his story throughout Pacific Northwest and salmon history. Flashback narratives back to the very beginning of Pacific Northwest history with the arrival of James Cook, Robert Grey, on through Lewis and Clark and John Jacob Astor provide a sense of historic perspective on the abundance and exploitation of this incredible fish. Cone chronicles the wasteful days of the Hapgood & Hume canneries, where, after a day's work, if the canners couldn't keep up with supply, hundreds of fish would be shoveled back into the water, wasted. He describes the migrant cannery fishermen and the disputes between gill-netters, those who used fish traps, and the canneries themselves, the strikes and violence associated with them as everyone struggles to take all they can in a living description of human economist Garrett Hardin's essay, "The Tragedy of the Commons." He describes with harrowing precision the two steps forward, one step back dance of environmental policy, as environmentalist minded scientists cross swords with policy makers and industrial advocates, as treaties and alliances are formed and broken again and again over the same ground year after year, decade after decade. He shows again and again the complexity of the issues, the difference between conservation and preservation, and the fact that thus far, in the struggle between fish and man, man has won time and time again, and that time for the Pacific Northwest salmon is running out. Though one review on the back of the book suggests that Cone offers up cooperation as the solution to the salmon crisis, in truth, "A Common Fate" illustrates the fallacy of cooperation between the two sides of industry and environment. The evidence he presents illustrates clearly that, as the industrialists call for a "balance" to be struck, in truth, the salmon are systematically being balanced out of existence. For anyone looking for a clear, concise overview of the issues surrounding the salmon crisis in an easy to read format, this book comes highly recommended.

This book covers many of the studies done on the salmon populations here in the Pacific Northwest. The information comes from many experts, who do not have a political or business agenda...people who truly care about the survival of all the ecosystems involved.

This is one of the best location guides for fishing I have ever read. They list the Tackle shop and resturants for the fisherman, plus things for the rest of the family to do, to make a fishers trip a family vacation. If you are going to fish the Delaware valley this book is a must.