If you've bought a house before, some parts of this book may seem somewhat elementary. And, admittedly, a lot of the information about how much you can afford is available on the web on various home-buying sites. On the other hand, I found the location-specific information very helpful, and the advice in the book is solid and reliable.

The real winners are those who are preparing to buy a house for the first time. This book will take you through pretty much all the steps, from thinking about what you want in a house and finding good neighborhoods, through figuring out how much you can afford. It's an excellent reference guide for somebody who's just starting to think about buying, and will be useful all the way through closing. IIf I had to choose just one book on buying a house, it would be this one.

I used the Nolo Press tenants' rights book in the past to (successfully) sue my deposit-greedy/law-breaking landlords. I just used this book to buy my first home in the competitive Bay Area (yes, it's still highly competitive even in these "tough times"). Nolo's book is accurate and insightful, written in a voice that's accessible and, at times, fun and tongue-in-cheek. The organization of information, as usual, is right on. And the links and helpful sidebars are fantastic! Don't waste your money on other books. I swear this one is the only book you'll need.

This book was recommended to us by a friend who bought a home in California. Since then, we've bought it for other friends and family. Nolo Press publishes excellent books, and this is no exception. If you only read one book on buying a home (in California), this should be it.

Letter received from Msgr. Sears

April 6, 1996 From; Monsignor W. M. (Padre) Sears Englewood, Fl. 34295

I have just finished reading George Stewart's three volume set of books, The Circle, We Three, and There is The EGG- There is The SEED- Then LIFE gets Complicated. As he states in several places and in several different ways, He is writing about his thoughts on many very important issues which face us all on a daily basis, morality, politics, economics, respect for life (all forms), self respect, and human dignity. He feels that many of his readers have thought and felt about those things as he does. I know I do.

As a former teaching monk of the Merist Brothers and now a priest (R.C.) for nearly forty years, I hold steadfastly to many of Mr. Stewart's thoughts which are based on the basics, or good, sound, reasoned, common sense.

Though he claims no religious affiliation and considers himself a naturist. I find him to be Catholic (large C) in many of his thoughts and definitely very catholic (small c) because of his world wide experiences which have helped form and formulate his thoughts and ideas.

I highly recommend his books to anyone who is interested in finding reasonable solutions for the serious problems we have faced and continue to face in our society. Mr. Stewart's books help us to identify the core problems and then he offers reasonable and well reasoned solutions to those problems. Mr. Stewart goes beyond the symptoms to find the root. He does not say tsk-tsk and stick his head in the sand as many of us have. He will make you think.

Msgr. Bill Sears

Englewood, Fl.

Thoughts About Life...A Common Sense Approach to LIFE Penned by George J. Stewart

With a voice that rumbles like honey coated thunder, George J. Stewart, offers his thoughts and insight to younger generations. This booklet and tape are geared for the 16 and up age groups. George is what people call "a people person". He loves being and talking with other people regardless of their age or walk of life. He has always felt that you can learn something from everyone. I know this because I know George and we've had plenty of lively little discussions ourselves. Although we may not always agree on the subject matter, we still respect each other's opinions and thoughts. I'm 35 and George is about 60, so there is at least one if not two generations between us, but by talking with each other we have learned through each other. This is one of the most valuable gifts you could give anyone and one of the most important points in this booklet. Since my folks divorced when I was young, I wasn't really fortunate enough to have a grandfather of my own, someone who could pass on what they learned in life; their values, morals and principles, to me or my children, something which seems to be lacking in today's society. People are struggling to find these things in life. Like George, I believe that there are a number of people who also grew up without this input or influence in their lives, especially in the last 20 years.

In this booklet/tape combination, George tries to bridge this gap, by giving the reader/listener so called "food for thought". He feeds our minds scraps and tidbits of information, trying to fill the need to understand or make sense of what is really going on out there in the world. He wants to open the minds of the reader/listener and let them realize that there are alternate ways to look at or approach an issue. He questions what we all accept now as commonplace behavior and causes the reader/listener to wonder how or why we are where we are today as people. George points out the little things in life that maybe we all might take for granted and allows us to reexamine and think about these things.

One of my favorite lines in the book is when George is telling about the birth of his twins and the cost difference between 1962 and now. He says, "as far as know--the way to give birth hasn't changed, I wonder what has." He has a valid point there. Have greed and the need for the mighty dollar clouded everyone's good sense? George places a lot of emphasis on the importance of nature in our lives, from water and earth to sexuality and childbirth, adulthood and death. He questions and ponders the "political correctness" phase we seem to be going through as a country. He wonders about the condition of our government and if America is going through her "mid-life crisis".

George reminds us that we should not go through life with blinders on, but look at it from all angles and contemplate all aspects of an issue before planting our mental butts on one side of the fence or another. George also knows like a sponge absorbing water, people will absorb what they will and the rest will run off. This booklet is meant in that same respect. Use what you can, learn what you can, make the most of what you can, try to learn a little something from everyone, and most importantly try to give what you can. If just a little of what George wrote about sticks in our sponge like brains then George has accomplished what he has set out to do. This booklet/tape may not be for everyone, be forewarned, if you don't want to think or expand on your mental horizons then this booklet probably isn't for you, but if you want to open your mind and look at something through different eyes, you'll enjoy it.

Grandpa Stewart:. "Thoughts about life"

Stewart ties past to future

By MIKE JORDAN Staff Writer for The Spirit Lake Beacon

Raised during the great depression in Norfolk, Neb., George Stewart has lived a different life than most from the very beginning. He is the son of a doctor. Only when growing up in The Depression doctors got paid a little differently than they do now. If they got paid at all. Stewart said, "Our family ate a lot of vegetables back then because that is what dad brought home. Food was an acceptable payment for his services. It was something we could certainly use." Stewart joined the U.S. Navy Sea Bees in 1951, working eight years in the service as a heavy equipment operator. After the service he worked mostly in feed and fertilizer sales in the Midwest. By the early seventies Stewart had his own feed business in Storm Lake, IA. During the eighties and the farm crisis his business ended in bankruptcy. He and his wife raised five children. However after 30 years of marriage they were divorced. "Those were tough times for me but things have worked out for the best." The Peace Corp followed. Stewart spent five years, from 1987 to 1992 in Sri Lanka and Thailand with the corp. He worked in agronomy and marketing during that time. Many of his writings are from those experiences. Stewart said, "I could always write my thoughts better than I could verbally express them." His first book" There is the Egg,--There is the Seed,-- Then Life gets Complicated" is about his life and travels and the people he has encountered along the way. Much of what he relates in this book is drawn from his peace Corp experiences. Stewart's book "We Three" is a fictional piece about a family living in a country in revolution 20 years after a failed democracy. The people in the story are attempting to re-establish a democracy against the power of a high tech. army. "The Circle" a philosophical look at humanity in the 1990's gives Stewart's perspective on life gained from being away from America for five years. It speaks to such hot topics as global warming and our educational and political systems. It also talks about the dignity of man, humility, and happiness. This book contains some of Stewart's poetry as well. Most recently Stewart has turned to books on tape as a change in delivery of his experiences and ideas. "Thoughts About Life" his first tape, describes a common sense approach to life. This tape draws upon the wisdom of those who have gone on before. The times of sharing at Sunday dinners, church events, picnics, or drives in the country, bring out the experiences of his elders. The tape relates to a drawing upon the past, while getting to know ourselves and learning to like who we are. Stewart's latest offering "Solutions" is a tape that touches on the frustrations Stewart sees in our country of not knowing what is wrong. Not knowing what is wrong makes it very difficult to know what to do that is right. Billed as "Solutions for the next millennium We Can DO" it is presented as a can do attitude to life's problems. The message is not one of change for change sake but a fixing of what we have in place. The focus is on the processes of change. Stewart has drawn on his experiences of living in several different countries as well as those he served with in the Peace Corp. He says that learning to communicate in another language was the most challenging and the most rewarding. Being able to learn about the culture was the main benefit of being able to speak in their language. He also writes poetry, some of which appears in his books and on his tapes. He has started his own publishing company and is about to embark on a new phase in his life. Stewart said, "I have looked back on my life and it seems I have lived it in seven year segments. I'm embarking on what I call my marketing phase now. Ending my writing phase for a while." "It is attitude that makes the difference. We can all choose our attitude. It is what we think that matters. We have to be aware of our attitude and make good choices." Hoping to be a teacher-mentor inspiring people to learn Stewart said, "I want to give others a way to find their own path. Their own way to live and think. As writing has grabbed me, people need to find out whatever grabs them and do that thing." Stewart's works do bring a part of the past right into the future allowing the reader to draw upon the part that has meaning for them.

Letter received from Msgr. Sears

April 6, 1996 From; Monsignor W. M. (Padre) Sears Englewood, Fl. 34295

I have just finished reading George Stewart's books, and books on tape,`` The Circle, We Three, and There is The EGG- There is The SEED- Then LIFE gets Complicated, Solutions, and Thoughts about Life. As he states in several places and in several different ways, He is writing about his thoughts on many very important issues which face us all on a daily basis, morality, politics, economics, respect for life (all forms), self respect, and human dignity. He feels that many of his readers have thought and felt about those things as he does. I know I do.

As a former teaching monk of the Merist Brothers and now a priest (R.C.) for nearly forty years, I hold steadfastly to many of Mr. Stewart's thoughts which are based on the basics, or good, sound, reasoned, common sense.

Though he claims no religious affiliation and considers himself a naturist. I find him to be Catholic (large C) in many of his thoughts and definitely very catholic (small c) because of his world wide experiences which have helped form and formulate his thoughts and ideas.

I highly recommend his books to anyone who is interested in finding reasonable solutions for the serious problems we have faced and continue to face in our society. Mr. Stewart's books help us to identify the core problems and then he offers reasonable and well reasoned solutions to those problems. Mr. Stewart goes beyond the symptoms to find the root. He does not say tsk-tsk and stick his head in the sand as many of us have. He will make you think.

Msgr. Bill Sears

Englewood, Fl.

Thoughts About Life...A Common Sense Approach to LIFE Penned by George J. Stewart

With a voice that rumbles like honey coated thunder, George J. Stewart, offers his thoughts and insight to younger generations. This booklet and tape are geared for the 16 and up age groups. George is what people call "a people person". He loves being and talking with other people regardless of their age or walk of life. He has always felt that you can learn something from everyone. I know this because I know George and we've had plenty of lively little discussions ourselves. Although we may not always agree on the subject matter, we still respect each other's opinions and thoughts. I'm 35 and George is about 60, so there is at least one if not two generations between us, but by talking with each other we have learned through each other. This is one of the most valuable gifts you could give anyone and one of the most important points in this booklet. Since my folks divorced when I was young, I wasn't really fortunate enough to have a grandfather of my own, someone who could pass on what they learned in life; their values, morals and principles, to me or my children, something which seems to be lacking in today's society. People are struggling to find these things in life. Like George, I believe that there are a number of people who also grew up without this input or influence in their lives, especially in the last 20 years.

In this booklet/tape combination, George tries to bridge this gap, by giving the reader/listener so called "food for thought". He feeds our minds scraps and tidbits of information, trying to fill the need to understand or make sense of what is really going on out there in the world. He wants to open the minds of the reader/listener and let them realize that there are alternate ways to look at or approach an issue. He questions what we all accept now as commonplace behavior and causes the reader/listener to wonder how or why we are where we are today as people. George points out the little things in life that maybe we all might take for granted and allows us to reexamine and think about these things.

One of my favorite lines in the book is when George is telling about the birth of his twins and the cost difference between 1962 and now. He says, "as far as know--the way to give birth hasn't changed, I wonder what has." He has a valid point there. Have greed and the need for the mighty dollar clouded everyone's good sense? George places a lot of emphasis on the importance of nature in our lives, from water and earth to sexuality and childbirth, adulthood and death. He questions and ponders the "political correctness" phase we seem to be going through as a country. He wonders about the condition of our government and if America is going through her "mid-life crisis".

George reminds us that we should not go through life with blinders on, but look at it from all angles and contemplate all aspects of an issue before planting our mental butts on one side of the fence or another. George also knows like a sponge absorbing water, people will absorb what they will and the rest will run off. This booklet is meant in that same respect. Use what you can, learn what you can, make the most of what you can, try to learn a little something from everyone, and most importantly try to give what you can. If just a little of what George wrote about sticks in our sponge like brains then George has accomplished what he has set out to do. This booklet/tape may not be for everyone, be forewarned, if you don't want to think or expand on your mental horizons then this booklet probably isn't for you, but if you want to open your mind and look at something through different eyes, you'll enjoy it.

Grandpa Stewart:. "Thoughts about life"

Stewart ties past to future

By MIKE JORDAN Staff Writer for The Spirit Lake Beacon

Raised during the great depression in Norfolk, Neb., George Stewart has lived a different life than most from the very beginning. He is the son of a doctor. Only when growing up in The Depression doctors got paid a little differently than they do now. If they got paid at all. Stewart said, "Our family ate a lot of vegetables back then because that is what dad brought home. Food was an acceptable payment for his services. It was something we could certainly use." Stewart joined the U.S. Navy Sea Bees in 1951, working eight years in the service as a heavy equipment operator. After the service he worked mostly in feed and fertilizer sales in the Midwest. By the early seventies Stewart had his own feed business in Storm Lake, IA. During the eighties and the farm crisis his business ended in bankruptcy. He and his wife raised five children. However after 30 years of marriage they were divorced. "Those were tough times for me but things have worked out for the best." The Peace Corp followed. Stewart spent five years, from 1987 to 1992 in Sri Lanka and Thailand with the corp. He worked in agronomy and marketing during that time. Many of his writings are from those experiences. Stewart said, "I could always write my thoughts better than I could verbally express them." His first book" There is the Egg,--There is the Seed,-- Then Life gets Complicated" is about his life and travels and the people he has encountered along the way. Much of what he relates in this book is drawn from his peace Corp experiences. Stewart's book "We Three" is a fictional piece about a family living in a country in revolution 20 years after a failed democracy. The people in the story are attempting to re-establish a democracy against the power of a high tech. army. "The Circle" a philosophical look at humanity in the 1990's gives Stewart's perspective on life gained from being away from America for five years. It speaks to such hot topics as global warming and our educational and political systems. It also talks about the dignity of man, humility, and happiness. This book contains some of Stewart's poetry as well. Most recently Stewart has turned to books on tape as a change in delivery of his experiences and ideas. "Thoughts About Life" his first tape, describes a common sense approach to life. This tape draws upon the wisdom of those who have gone on before. The times of sharing at Sunday dinners, church events, picnics, or drives in the country, bring out the experiences of his elders. The tape relates to a drawing upon the past, while getting to know ourselves and learning to like who we are. Stewart's latest offering "Solutions" is a tape that touches on the frustrations Stewart sees in our country of not knowing what is wrong. Not knowing what is wrong makes it very difficult to know what to do that is right. Billed as "Solutions for the next millennium We Can DO" it is presented as a can do attitude to life's problems. The message is not one of change for change sake but a fixing of what we have in place. The focus is on the processes of change. Stewart has drawn on his experiences of living in several different countries as well as those he served with in the Peace Corp. He says that learning to communicate in another language was the most challenging and the most rewarding. Being able to learn about the culture was the main benefit of being able to speak in their language. He also writes poetry, some of which appears in his books and on his tapes. He has started his own publishing company and is about to embark on a new phase in his life. Stewart said, "I have looked back on my life and it seems I have lived it in seven year segments. I'm embarking on what I call my marketing phase now. Ending my writing phase for a while." "It is attitude that makes the difference. We can all choose our attitude. It is what we think that matters. We have to be aware of our attitude and make good choices." Hoping to be a teacher-mentor inspiring people to learn Stewart said, "I want to give others a way to find their own path. Their own way to live and think. As writing has grabbed me, people need to find out whatever grabs them and do that thing." Stewart's works do bring a part of the past right into the future allowing the reader to draw upon the part that has meaning for them.

Stewart tells us a splendid story. In 1840, California was there to be settled, but how to cross the deserts and mountains to reach it? Beginning with the Bartelson Party in 1841, pioneers blazed ever-better trails that avoided deserts, followed water, and crossed the mountains, especially the forbidding peaks of the Sierras. But even though trails improved, they were still treacherous, as shown by the doomed Donner Party in 1846. We get a fascinating picture of the West, and Stewart even takes on a trip along the California Trail, from Independence, Missouri to Sacramento via Fort Laramie, Wyoming's South Pass, Nevada's Humboldt River, and over Donner Pass. If you enjoy travel or American history, you can spend many, pleasant hours with this book.

Because my family also migrated to California (albiet in 1993) I have been interested in the history of the settling of the American west. This book was wonderfully informative but also very compelling reading. It chronicles the annual human migrations from the Missouri to California, including the ill-fated Donner party (in 1845)and the famous "49ers". The author did a very good job comparing the immigrants mode of travel, unique difficulties faced during each of these migration years, route finding and heroes and villans, and the sweat and tears progress which lead to the wider opening and settlement of the west.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the settlement of the west or anyone who just wants to read a good old-fashioned adventure story based in historical fact.

Letter received from Msgr. Sears

April 6, 1996 From; Monsignor W. M. (Padre) Sears Englewood, Fl. 34295

I have just finished reading George Stewart's books, and books on tape,`` The Circle, We Three, and There is The EGG- There is The SEED- Then LIFE gets Complicated, Solutions, and Thoughts about Life. As he states in several places and in several different ways, He is writing about his thoughts on many very important issues which face us all on a daily basis, morality, politics, economics, respect for life (all forms), self respect, and human dignity. He feels that many of his readers have thought and felt about those things as he does. I know I do.

As a former teaching monk of the Merist Brothers and now a priest (R.C.) for nearly forty years, I hold steadfastly to many of Mr. Stewart's thoughts which are based on the basics, or good, sound, reasoned, common sense.

Though he claims no religious affiliation and considers himself a naturist. I find him to be Catholic (large C) in many of his thoughts and definitely very catholic (small c) because of his world wide experiences which have helped form and formulate his thoughts and ideas.

I highly recommend his books to anyone who is interested in finding reasonable solutions for the serious problems we have faced and continue to face in our society. Mr. Stewart's books help us to identify the core problems and then he offers reasonable and well reasoned solutions to those problems. Mr. Stewart goes beyond the symptoms to find the root. He does not say tsk-tsk and stick his head in the sand as many of us have. He will make you think.

Msgr. Bill Sears

Englewood, Fl.

Grandpa Stewart:. "Thoughts about life"

Stewart ties past to future

By MIKE JORDAN Staff Writer for The Spirit Lake Beacon

Raised during the great depression in Norfolk, Neb., George Stewart has lived a different life than most from the very beginning. He is the son of a doctor. Only when growing up in The Depression doctors got paid a little differently than they do now. If they got paid at all. Stewart said, "Our family ate a lot of vegetables back then because that is what dad brought home. Food was an acceptable payment for his services. It was something we could certainly use." Stewart joined the U.S. Navy Sea Bees in 1951, working eight years in the service as a heavy equipment operator. After the service he worked mostly in feed and fertilizer sales in the Midwest. By the early seventies Stewart had his own feed business in Storm Lake, IA. During the eighties and the farm crisis his business ended in bankruptcy. He and his wife raised five children. However after 30 years of marriage they were divorced. "Those were tough times for me but things have worked out for the best." The Peace Corp followed. Stewart spent five years, from 1987 to 1992 in Sri Lanka and Thailand with the corp. He worked in agronomy and marketing during that time. Many of his writings are from those experiences. Stewart said, "I could always write my thoughts better than I could verbally express them." His first book" There is the Egg,--There is the Seed,-- Then Life gets Complicated" is about his life and travels and the people he has encountered along the way. Much of what he relates in this book is drawn from his peace Corp experiences. Stewart's book "We Three" is a fictional piece about a family living in a country in revolution 20 years after a failed democracy. The people in the story are attempting to re-establish a democracy against the power of a high tech. army. "The Circle" a philosophical look at humanity in the 1990's gives Stewart's perspective on life gained from being away from America for five years. It speaks to such hot topics as global warming and our educational and political systems. It also talks about the dignity of man, humility, and happiness. This book contains some of Stewart's poetry as well. Most recently Stewart has turned to books on tape as a change in delivery of his experiences and ideas. "Thoughts About Life" his first tape, describes a common sense approach to life. This tape draws upon the wisdom of those who have gone on before. The times of sharing at Sunday dinners, church events, picnics, or drives in the country, bring out the experiences of his elders. The tape relates to a drawing upon the past, while getting to know ourselves and learning to like who we are. Stewart's latest offering "Solutions" is a tape that touches on the frustrations Stewart sees in our country of not knowing what is wrong. Not knowing what is wrong makes it very difficult to know what to do that is right. Billed as "Solutions for the next millennium We Can DO" it is presented as a can do attitude to life's problems. The message is not one of change for change sake but a fixing of what we have in place. The focus is on the processes of change. Stewart has drawn on his experiences of living in several different countries as well as those he served with in the Peace Corp. He says that learning to communicate in another language was the most challenging and the most rewarding. Being able to learn about the culture was the main benefit of being able to speak in their language. He also writes poetry, some of which appears in his books and on his tapes. He has started his own publishing company and is about to embark on a new phase in his life. Stewart said, "I have looked back on my life and it seems I have lived it in seven year segments. I'm embarking on what I call my marketing phase now. Ending my writing phase for a while." "It is attitude that makes the difference. We can all choose our attitude. It is what we think that matters. We have to be aware of our attitude and make good choices." Hoping to be a teacher-mentor inspiring people to learn Stewart said, "I want to give others a way to find their own path. Their own way to live and think. As writing has grabbed me, people need to find out whatever grabs them and do that thing." Stewart's works do bring a part of the past right into the future allowing the reader to draw upon the part that has meaning for them.

My group of friends, who had all travelled Greece in our backpacking days, benefited greatly from this book. As our trip in July 2002 progressed, we relied more and more heavily on the book. The recommendations from sites to food to hotels proved to be excellent every time. I particularly liked that the lodging and restaurant recommendations had inexpensive through expensive listings, which we used as our budget-mindedness changed during the trip. For anyone beyond backpacking and Lonely Planet, this book is a must.

I found this book very useful. I used it mostly as a guide on a walking tour of Athens. I only had three days in Athens and wanted to see as much as possible. I spent a few hours browsing through the pertinent section and made my plan of action. Everything was as described. I also referred to it when making my hotel reservation and when looking for good restaurants. I stayed at the Hotel Philippos near the Acropolis - a great little place. Eating I went through great troubles one night to find the Taverna Sigalas in the Monasteraki area (because of subway construction,) but it was well worth the effort. I still drool at the thought of the wonderful Greek salad I had and the very best moussaka I've ever eaten. Going to Rome this year and I plan to buy a Frommer's for Rome because I only have three days there and I know I can depend on this book.

My dad read all of Thornton W. Burgess books to me as a child and now I read them to my daughter she loves them and I still love them myself. You cant go wrong reading any of his work. Wish there were more books like this today.

After 40 year, I just reread the series. By todays standards, the books are a little old fashioned, but manners & obedience never go out of style. Besides, kids learn alot about how different wild animals live.

In this unusual little book, George R. Stewart has compiled an endlessly intriguing account of the whys and wherefores of American place-names. The book as a whole provides a haunting, curiously oblique perspective on American history, as he delves into the cultural, historic, and (sometimes) military themes behind the names we use every day. The book goes into the names of cities, states, rivers, mountains, streets, and more.

I think you might get more out of this volume if you are aware of the way it is organized. I myself half-expected this book to be organized by state, perhaps in alphabetical order. This is not the case. Stewart has organized his data by THEMES in naming, and how these themes have emerged in our history. Therefore, the book (very roughly) follows our history chronologically, as various naming trends have come and gone, in the context of various cultural waves. This pattern tends to approximately follow the "peopling" of the continent (by descendants of Europeans) from east to west. Some chapters are mostly devoted to single states, but this is the exception, rather than the rule.

The chapter titles are not necessarily always very helpful, which is the closest thing I have to a caveat about this book. I'm telling you right now that the chapters roughly follow the settling of our continent, from east to west (and from south to north in the far western states). So, this should help you get oriented if you are browsing around... You might want to think of each chapter as a little independent essay. That might help you break the whole text down into digestible parts.

Some themes in naming include: the popularity of the name "Columbus," during and shortly after the Revolution; the tendency to adapt feminine names for the Southern plantations; Greek or Latin names; ancient indian names; English town names given new life on our shores; and many, many more.

One interesting fact I learned, reading this book, is that five of the six states in my native New England should, technically, probably be considered to be spelled wrong. (New Hampshire is the lone, proud exception). Stewart tells the tale of how each state was named, although he doesn't clump the five stories all together. You have to do saome digging... If you happen to harbor an inner, pedantic curmudgeon, who sometimes likes to rail against the stupidity of all humanity apart from him- (your-)self, this is the kind of thing that could give you great, and prolonged, delight. Also, you might be surprised at how many place-names have warm, human stories behind them. This can foster a real sense of human connection to our nation's past -- a connection that is not necessarily to participants in our nation's huge struggles, but simply to quiet, thoughtful people who tried to come up with words that just sounded right.

I would like to post here a private theory I have about George R. Stewart, which may be of interest to you in this context. Professor Stewart taught English at Berkeley, for much of the twentieth century. Concurrently on the faculty at that institution was the great American anthropologist Alfred Kroeber, who today is perhaps best remembered for his work with the last Yahi indian, Ishi, and also for his status as the father of acclaimed science fiction author Ursula Kroeber LeGuin. This last-named person, Ursula K. LeGuin, would have grown up hearing about Professor Stewart, and his odd hobby of place-names. If you read her young adult fantasy trilogy, the Earthsea Trilogy, you will find there a character called the Master Namer, who is a sort of professor in a school for young wizards. He and his classes exhibit many of the traits that we find in evidence within "Names on the Land." I believe that Ursula K. LeGuin probably based this character upon the fascinating George R. Stewart, and his hobby. Therefore, if you enjoy this book, you may wish to read Ursula LeGuin's "A Wizard of Earthsea," to encounter there a thinly disguised fictional version of Professor Stewart.

At any rate, this book is really something special. I recommend that you seek out a copy, and if you know a local history teacher, maybe you could lend it to him and suggest that he fashion some lesson plans from its singularly neato contents. Two thumbs up!

Names On The Land is narrative almost to a fault but it is a FASCINATING exploration into how and why we name the landscape, and how as we name the land, we give it meaning, just as the landscape give meaning to us.

Anyone that is interested or works with geography (especially historians or natural scientists) will find this book a very powerful perspective.

A very cool book. I think it is a shame it is out of print!

This book gives quite a bit of history as far as religious orders in the U.S. and the kind of work that they have done over the years. I also enjoyed the photos because I feel that they helped me to understand the history better. And it's interesting to see how the nuns and sisters have dressed over the years.

This book has excellent pictures on the nuns in the full traditional habit thru out the book, with quick accounts of the various religious orders. In the back of the book is a dateline of all the religious orders of Sisters and the institutions they founded in the United States such as catholic hospitals, and colleges. Its an wonderful resource on any person researching the history and traditions of the Catholic Sisters (nuns) who have served our country as educators and health care professionals.

A few years ago I took a college course on the history of health care in the US. I noticed that there was a strange neglect to mention all the work that sisters have done in hospital/nursing. It is good to see a book that gives us a good description of this and other work. It is amazing to see these women working against such adversity, and achieving so much. Our usual image of 19th century women does not include administrators and CEOs, but that is what these women were. They served God and their fellow humans in remarkable ways. It made me nastalgic for the days of plentiful vocations.

The book was written in 1940. I read it in February 1943 at the U. of Wisconsin. Unaware that I needed glasses, I had been rejected by the Army Air Corps as a possible fighter pilot. I stumbled into weather forecasting as a bad second choice, having no interest at all in weather. This small book, given to me by the Army, instantly converted me into an avid, aspiring meteorologist. I am so glad Amazon.com recently found a used copy for me.

The novel is unusual in its construction. The storm called Maria (this book started the custom of giving storms feminine names) is the all imposing, domineering character in the story. There are 12 chapters, one for each day in the life of the storm. Each chapter has 6-12 subchapters that tell of the two or three dozen human characters who are in the plot. We know most of them by job title, not by name. Maria connects them all together in an ever rising crescendo that reminds me of Ravel's Bolero.

For most, weather happens! It affects our lives in countless ways and sometimes wreaks havoc on them. Unless one personally experiences the sheer violence of weather like a tornado or a hurricane, we go along just being inconvenienced by it and muttering how it forced cancellation of the picnic or the golf game. Stewart's novel is a wonderful story of the seeming innocence of an obscure storm system developing far, far away that eventually will dramatically impact men's and women's lives in western United States. The people stories are poignant and suspensful as each is tied to this relentless and powerful storm as it develops and makes it's way to our shores. One gains tremendous appreciation and respect for the patterns, intensity and often times the unpredictable nature of weather -

A must read for anyone who knows and loves the big california storms- you know who you are. For the rest of you, it chronicles the lifespan of one of the big pacific storms.