Over the last several years, I've hiked most of the trails described in "100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon." Sullivan's diving directions, trail descriptions and maps have always been perfect and immensely helpful.

The trail descriptions are both concise and crystal clear. Sullivan does not meticulously describe each detail, which leaves much to discover on your own and allows for a more personal hiking experience. He writes eloquently, and often includes great tidbits of scientific and historical information that add context to your hike. For example, he might briefly describe how a specific area was geologically formed, and point out some evidence that you'll find along trail.

Sullivan's practical advice is invaluable. If he tells you that a trail passes poison oak, you better wear long pants! If he tells you that a trail is open from July to October, don't show up without snowshoes in March! Clearly, he knows these trails well. Readers should not overlook the preface, where he provides an equipment checklist, low impact camping guidelines, contacts for trail conditions, and other useful information.

The one downside of this guide is that so many people use it. If a hike is within an hour of Portland, and is featured in this book, you can count on a crowded trailhead on a nice weekend. Plenty of the featured hikes are off the beaten path, and still consistently provide solitude. Just plan on driving for awhile.

Anybody who hikes in Oregon should consult "100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon," or one of Sullivan's other books. I also frequently use his Oregon Coast and Central Oregon guides, and they too are first rate.

Just a quick additional note: When you do hike, always leave no trace! If you see trash, pick it up! Always be respectful of our Earth, and all of its creatures.

I bought this book two years ago to add to the many guide books in my library. After two years of hiking many weekends in northwestern OR and southwestern WA, it's become clear that this is the book that get's used the most. Most of the trails are suitable for the whole family. We've hiked into the crater of Mount St. Helens, eaten wild huckle berries in Indian Heaven Wilderness, hiked every slope of Mt. Hood, visited water falls in the Columbia river Gorge that we didn't know existed and more.

Many of the trails are suitable for the occasional dry weekend in the winter months as well. Sullivan provides many low elevation trails which extend the hiking season year round.

If you live in southwestern Washington or northwestern Oregon, you should own this book.

I bought this book prior to a trip to Oregon in hopes of finding some beautiful hikes. This book was a valuable tool in my search. Every hike was accurately described from details on finding the trailhead to distances traveled including the level of difficulty and points of interest along the way.

I've recently moved to Southern Oregon and this guide has been an invaluable introduction to the hikes in the area. The book is well organized, and does a good job of ranking hikes according to difficulty and seasonality. One failing, however, is the large number of factual errors such as confusing north for south, or mis-stating the number of road miles to the trailhead. These sorts of errors had the positive value of making one more self-sufficient.

Hi, this is Bill Sullivan, the author of this book. Because of the large fires in Southern Oregon this past summer, I've decided to completely update this book. I've rehiked the trails and discovered some interesting new paths. The old edition is now out of print, but I'll have the new second edition available April 1, 2003 -- at the same price. I think it will be worth the wait!

I'm a bit puzzled by the previous review, because Sullivan'sbooks really do have fewer factual errors than most. In fact, he claims to offer a reward to anyone who reports an actual error -- this info is on page 2 of the book -- and he updates the book often, as you can tell by the copyright dates. If the reviewer above really has found a glitch, I'd suggest he report it to Sullivan (the address listed on Sullivan's Website). Maybe the reviewer has an old edition of the book?

William L. Masterton has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and retired as a full Professor from the University of Connecticut in 1987. He had a long standing interest in this case, and began research after he retired (p.8). Chapters 1 to 8 give his short history of this crime, chapters 9 to 16 give his "solution". Many books have been written on the Borden Murders; the Sources on page 7 do not list those by E. Pearson and F. Spiering. Only two people were alive in that house after 11am. Lizzie was the likeliest suspect, but she couldn't have done it, and the jury agreed.

"Early accounts of the crime were loaded with factual errors" (p.18). This is a warning against using unverified newspaper records (p.8). Did Andrew Borden prosper handsomely (p.24)? The truth is that Andrew induced grieving customers to sign up for loans, then called these loans to foreclose on the homes. Andrew got rich by swindling widows and orphans! He became richer by buying into banks and factories, and real estate in growing Fall River. If one of his tenants received a higher salary, Andrew raised his rent. Andrew sold products from his home (p.25); he bought spoiled apple cider and sold it as vinegar. Page 34 quotes Bridget on the murders: "I'd be afraid to say anything at all. If I did, that terrible man that killed poor Mrs Borden might come back and kill me too." What did she know and when did she know it?

Page 94 asks why Lizzie didn't burn that dress before the police searched the house. That would have left a residue in the stove. Page 107 talks about the three doors, but says nothing about cellar windows being used to get into the house. Page 124 says the assassin could go upstairs to the guest room to hide, but be discovered by Abby. The jury found Lizzie not guilty. The same lack of evidence also applies to Bridget, and Lizzie said "it wasn't Bridget ...." Robert Pinkerton says "an innocent person is more likely to make conflicting statements than is a guilty on." (His firm was hired by Lizzie.)

Chapter 21 discusses the missing note. Could this explain why Abby went to the second floor guest room? AR Brown has a better explanation for this note. Her discovery of "Nemesis" led to her unplanned murder. Then this rage must have been directed to Andrew after he turned over that white box. The opinion of Dr Abbot (pp.200-1) seems to be political, not medical. JV Morse's answer (p.202) seems like a way to answer without saying anything. Chapter 14 questions the time of death for Abby. The fact is that Abby was last seen alive about 9:15am, her body was discovered around noon. Since she had been killed earlier than Andrew, the 90 minute estimate is dead accurate. The charts on page 205 are meaningless without indexes for time and temperature. The unscientific studies on page 206 are contradicted by Dr. Dolan's tests on the bodies. The trial testimony quoted on page 210 really means that if a stomach empties between "two or three hours" there is no estimate possible after this time. Nicole's empty stomach would put her death 3 hours after her 8pm supper. Ron's stomach should show eating between 10:30pm and 11pm (my estimate).

Chapter 16 has one of his solutions: an embezzling bank clerk who played the stock market But a white collar crime like this rules out a double murder? Was it JW Carpenter, who embezzled from Andrew's funeral business? Or maybe J Clegg? Masterton didn't solve the crime! Arnold R Brown's book provided the final solution in theory, because no one has come up with a better one.

I thought that this was a very interesting book. At first, I was put off by the cover, which has the title smeared in blood-covered ink. (They could've been a little more subtle.) I also thought the book could've used tighter editing. Nonetheless, the further I got into the book, the more intrigued I got. The writer brings out certain information -- regarding the note that Lizzie claimed was delivered that morning, and the possible purchase of prussic acid -- that I'd never come across before (and I've read a lot about this case). He also mentions other suspects that people haven't considered. At the very least, he makes it less likely that indeed Lizzie did it.

Central to his thesis, though, is the belief that the Bordens were actually killed at about the same time and Mr. Borden first. This goes against a hundred years of tradition. I've actually wondered myself whether the doctors may have been wrong at the time -- but it still seems to me that the likelihood is that they were killed some time apart, with Mrs. Borden having been killed first.

It's interesting that practically all the books that have come out in the past ten years about the case have pointed at people other than Lizzie. That may be a good thing. Despite the legend about the case, there were plenty of people at the time of the trial who thought Lizzie was innocent. Her notoriety may not be deserved.

Of all the books on this case, the one I've thought best-written (though not without its flaws) is Edward Radin's 1961 book Lizzie Borden: The Untold Story. Radin's theory is that the maid, Bridget Sullivan, did it. Radin points out that there have been many cases when servants killed employers, and Bridget did have opportunity. (She also may have had it in for Mrs. Borden.) Masterson doesn't buy into this theory. But I've always wondered why people have not considered Bridget more seriously as a suspect. The fact that we don't know a motive may just be a red herring that people have been staring at for a hundred years.

This was an excellent book! I have always been interested in this case and it was thorough in examining all of the evidence and testimony presented at the inquest and trial. The books leaves you with several suspects to choose from that could have committed the crime, none of them Lizzie or her immediate family members. There are plenty of newspaper clippings and excerpts from historical documents to substantiate Masterston's findings. Definitely an enjoyable read.