We have another hiking book for Oahu but found many of the hikes to be too long and too challenging to do with young children so I bought this one. I am very happy with it. All of the hikes/walks are pretty short. Long enough to get out and get some exercise but not too long. The book lists hikes throughout the entire island-I think there is good variety. Some of them are just simple beach walks that you may not have thought of on your own. There are a few serious hikes but if you are a serious hiker I'd get a different book. It has great directions and explanations for the hikes. This would be a great book if you are planning on traveling to Oahu and don't want to hang out on the beach all day, every day. The two very small negatives are it doesn't have the difficulty rating for each hike, but I imagine they are almost all beginning to intermediate. The other is it lists a hike that has been closed by the government for over a year now and it doesn't look like it will open any time soon. I would prefer the author replace that with another hike. Enjoy!

This is a well organized guide for the traveler who wants to step away from the sand and crowds of Waikiki. The author gives you vital information on 22 different hikes around the island including Diamond Head. All of the hikes are easy to moderate, even for a 75 year old grandmother. One trail described has been closed indefinitely since the book was published (Sacred Falls) due to several deaths caused by flash flooding--therefore readers and hikers should exercise due caution when hiking on Oahu. Each description covers the hiking distance, hiking time, elevation gain, and appropriate topographic map (although you won't need it). There are paragraph hike summaries and directions for getting to the trailhead and navigating the trail itself. In some cases there are maps too, but these are useless without scale or compass orientation. If you want to hike on Oahu this is the guide for you!

This is a good book for what it is: a collection of 16, mostly short, hikes in and around Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It is great for someone who intends to vacation in lovely Steamboat, or who is new to the town and/or hiking. The directions are clear, and the maps are quite good (accurate and simple enough to orient you well for the hike). As an added bonus, there are quite a few full-color pictures of the area.

This is NOT for someone who wants difficult hikes and/or who is already somewhat familiar with hiking at Steamboat. However, it is a great "starter" which will familiarize you to the hiking alternatives in the area.

My husband and I just moved to Colorado and enjoy hiking. This book helped us find many new and beautiful places in Summit County. We think the directions and maps of the hikes are very helpful however, a warning to those not accustomed to hiking in the mountains may find that the distances and times are sometimes a little off.

This is useful book but it could have been a lot better. It includes a good selection of short hikes and the maps are adequate but given the size of the book it could have included a lot more detail. The trail descriptions are brief and dry and don't tell you much about the areas you will be going through or what you are likly to see. Contrast this with Day Hiking Yellowstone by Tom Carter which includes much more interesting detail about plants, animals, geology and history in a much smaller book. Still, Stone's book is well worth getting because it includes a few hikes I haven't seen elsewhere. Example: A trail with a good chance of seeing Moose in the wild within easy walking distance of the motels of West Yellowstone.

This is a good follow up book to "The Chalk Box Kid". The main character bravely works to help his uncle by using his artistic skills. If you like art, you will really like this book!

It does look like this is a good time for Robert B. Parker to come up with a new character, and judging from this first book, Jesse Stone could be a winner. He's certainly different from Spenser. While he shows some wit, he's of a darker and brooding nature, having messed up his professional and personal lives by hitting the bottle too heavily. In fact, he even goes to a job interview after drinking and surprisingly gets hired as police chief in Paradise, Mass. He figures that he was hired in spite of his condition when the truth is he was hired because of his drinking...he appeared to be far easier managed than he turned out to be.

Obviously, Parker intends to have the two series interrelate to a degree. Vinnie Morris and Gino Fish appear in the story, although interestingly, they never interrelate with Stone. Somehow, I suspect that might change in future novels.

Like the Spenser novels, this is a fast and easy read. It's not quite as much a fun read maybe, but what the hey, it's good and satisfying light reading.

Robert B. Parker returns with his alcoholic chief of police - Jesse Stone. This is the third book in a series, starting with Night Passage, succeeded by Trouble in Paradise. Once again, he's written a winner, a great book that flies along at the speed of light, with witty, engaging characters. If you are new to Robert B parker, you might want to start with the first books in this series, or start with his Spenser novels. But, even if you read this without prior knowledge, you won't be too lost.

The best part about Parkers' writing style is that he doesn't add a lot of unneccesary description, and the dialogue is straight to the point. It's a thrill to read!!

Robert B. Parker once again scores a winning run with his third novel in the Jesse Stone series. Former L.A. homicide detective Jesse Stone is now Chief of Police in Paradise, Massachusetts after alcohol ruined both his detective job and his marriage. When the body of a young girl is found in a lake during one of Jesse's softball games, Chief Stone must use his well-honed investigative skills to find the killer.

Just as Jesse feels the need to lead his softball team (he once played in the minors), he must lead his police force in his quest to find the killer of the unidentified girl. Just to name a few on the force, there is Molly, with her Irish-Catholic sense of humor, a perfect combination with Jesse's dry wit. And Suitcase Simpson is only too eager to please his Chief though his experience with surveillance is nil.

As Jesse follows the trail of clues to discover the murderer's identity, his personal life is carefully revealed. His dependent relationship with his ex-wife, Jenn, is inextricably intertwined with his alcohol problem. And there is Lilly, the high school principal he is seeing seemingly to avoid loneliness.

Mr. Parker has penned another sure success, one of his best yet. The mystery is nothing short of excellent, as previously unrelated characters become suspects caught in a web that begins to unravel as their connection to each other is exposed. And Jesse is portrayed as a very real hero, a man who seems rather sure of himself to his peers and to women, but a man who battles quite a few demons in private.

It is hard to feel sorry for Maxx Robinson who, along with his wife, were run out of the island of Dominica. It seems he never relates well with the island people. They are merely cogs in his machine. He is even arrogant enough to want to change the name of the island to one of his own choosing. When building a business one must be sure of the building blocks and Mr. Robinson was woefully undereducated about one of the most important resources of any company--the people. I found the part about the restoration of the ship Picket more enjoyable. I wish he would of kept sailing instead of trying to build an empire.

Here's a successful 45-year-old guy, bored with selling spot TV commercials for NBC' THODAY and TONIGHT shows in NYC. He talks his wife into sailing around the world in his rebuilt 11898 yha yacht. They get as far as the Island of Dominica in the Caribbean; rent a huge old plantation and fall in love with the scenery, climate and lifestyle. The offer to build a deepwater harbor, tourist hotels, casino, roads &schools for the incredibly impoverished island to the British Colonial Office in London, in exchange for a thirty-year tax-free, duty-free contract. The Brits go for it. They begin selling the idea to investors and raise lots of money. Six months later,England give "Internal Self-Rule" to the local govenment. Corrupt politicans covet the plan. They call a special session in the legislative assembly and cancel the contract! What happens next gave the title to this book its true name: This You Won't Believe! The thrilling climax comes when the corrupt government hires thugs who threaten to kill the author if he doesn't leave. Back in the US, they file the loss of $500,00 with IRS

Maxx Robinson is married to my Aunt and his book is about a period in his life that is similar to the movie "Forest Gump". The providence, the inrigue, the people and the humor are captivating to the mind and stir the spirit. Follow him as he rides 20 ft swells off the coast of Haiti, makes deals with the crown, and evades hostiles on a once friendly island. Hats off to you Maxx on a great true story that is still being written!

The last fifteen or so pages of this fine novel dissapointed me to such a degree that I had to sit back and analyse why. One reason is that the ending is simply trite compared to the rest of the book in my opinion. Another is that it may not have been able to end in a way that would have pleased me no matter how it ended. But yet another, and perhaps the most important: I was enjoying it, and ending the book meant that the journey I also took with the characters came to an end, like a good party. This book rates three and a half stars for me, but closer to a full four than three.

I found this book by chance at a discount book store in the mid west and truly enjoyed it for one overarching reason: few times have I read a book by an author who made one profound gift so palpable in his creation of despair driven characters. And that gift of craft is simple: Robert Stone has a beautiful way of displaying, without judgement, the near transcendental lucidity that exists in madness. At so many times you knew exactly what his characters were going to do, but you knew it the same way you knew the plot of THE GODFATHER before you popped it in the VCR for the upteenth time. It was the dance of his characters in the context of their love affair with everything damaging within the world and themselves; their multi-layered wheel-within-a-wheel dance of insanity on top of artistry on top of genius on top of lonliness on top of despair, on top of anger, on top of rage, on top of beauty, on top of addiction, and codependency, on top of modern and Hollywood society, on top of true love, ON TOP OF INSANITY... At its lowest moments, the book is a soap opera with an ending seemingly designed to be followed by commercials. At its highest moments however, the book is a spellbinding maze that I would gladly walk through again, as knowing where it begins and where it ends has no bearing on the journey on which it takes you in between.

Defintiely a good weekend summer read.

This was the first book by Robert Stone I read. Damscus Gate was the second, though I prefer Children of Light.

Stone's mind, his craft as a writer and a narrator, drew me into the story from the outset. In spite of the bleak, unrelenting theme, it is the writing above all-- the quality of the insights, the invention, and the prose, so economical and searing in its images -- that left me inspired.

Some memorable moments were the letter Gordon receives from his son and his interpretation of it; the scene on the mountaintop with Lee Verger -- Malcolm Lowry and Stone would have gotten along well.The scene with the doctor in Mexico, when Gordon seeks drugs, was also well depicted -- the doctor's observations of his screen world patients, etc. Irony is everywhere in this book.

The film people, the Drogues were a brilliant, seedy lot: the driven son and the father who made him looking on with "gypsy eyes, passive and watchful."

I would agree that the ending was a bit tacked on. Lee must go down, but Gordon escapes too easily -- though it happens in life. I've known some incredible human wrecks who've turned on a dime and ended up leading AA meetings, etc. Still in a novel we need more.

All in all, you are spending time with Stone the fine writer in this tale of Hollywood and the savagery of the image world: light that reveals, images that devour.

This was a great book for me.

(Damascus Gate was so different, more erudite in its approach to a very different story.)

Robert Stone has written so many GREAT novels (Hall of Mirrors, Dog Soldiers, Flag for Sunrise) that his true followers -- I consider myself one -- expect brilliance every time. Children of light is good, but not great. Perhaps its the Hollywood subject matter; it's much less compelling than Vietnam or Central America. Although beautifully written, as is everything by Stone, the characters are so wan and unaware of themselves that the book is unrelentingly depressing. Still, despite the drawbacks, its still Robert Stone. This will be one of the best books you read this year.

As luck would have it it appears that I'm reading Mr. Parker's books in reverse order, but I'm finding it doesn't much matter. So far I've only read two, and each had a different leading chracter, but the writing style is very similar and very easy to read. The chapters are short, some might think a bit too short, but I was always driven to read "just one more." :D

In my opinion the writing is simple, but I haven't found the character development "one dimensional" as some have observed. I feel that I know the characters pretty well even though they're introduced in relatively few words. For me, it makes the book that much more entertaining, and certainly less work.

This really isn't a murder mystery, but rather it's a "who's doing it" - the story unfolds before your eyes, and even when you think you know what's going to happen, you'll still find plenty of surprises along the way.

I truly recommend this book, and I already have another Jesse Stone book on order:D

This book is Parker-paced, with all of the stoicism we've come to love in spenser and hawk. Jesse Stone seems to be Spenser in his "Wonder Years", and the new villain, Crow, is a poor-man's Hawk. Bet we'll be seeing him again! But you know what? I like the book! Stone isn't as perfect as Spenser, and he actually makes mistakes, and dubious moral choices. His main squeeze also seems to be an intelligent, independant woman, not a neurotic, paralysis-by-analysis that Susan Silverman is. The plot is easy to figure, and the main villain somewhat simplistic. But the villain's girlfriend is another great character! richly drawn, and compelling (hope she shows up again too!). It's also great to hear from Frank Belson in the story, as it was to hear from State Cop Healy in the first Jesse Stone novel. The story is fun, without being preachy, and does have some tense moments. Jesse's sidekick, Suitcase, seems like a heckuva guy--hope he gets some real play soon. Definately buy this book, if you need a good book for a weekend. Get into this series from the beginning, so that 5-10 years from now, when Spenser is retired, Jesse Stone will seem like an old friend.

This is the second of Parker's new series, and Jesse Stone is being well developed. He definitely isn't a Spenser clone. He's more serious and more fallible. Actually, he's more human and easier to identify with.

This particular book pits him against a gang of five, two of which are indeed formidable, along with a woman who's formidable because of her love for one of the bad guys. The 3rd person narrative allows us to get a better picture of the bad guys and exactly what they're doing than we get in Spenser's 1st person narratives.

Jesse Stone isn't as fast with the wise cracks and snappy dialogue as Spenser is, but the two main crooks give us a lot of snappy dialogue. In fact, one restaurant conversation between Macklin and Crow could've easily been between Spenser and Hawk.

Lots to notice in the book. Jenn is going to a Cambridge shrink. Could that shrink be somebody we Spenser fans know well? A base of characters is being built up here, and I'm sure we'll see some of them in future books. Tony Marcus shows up, but notice that Stone doesn't meet him, so they're unaware of each other. A lot of readers are concerned about Sloan's drinking and his sex habits. It seems to me that he's not truly an alcoholic and is keeping his drinking under control. As far as whether he's practicing safe sex or not...well, Parker doesn't really tell us whether he's taking precautions or not.

Important thing is that this is a fun read. The short chapters are hooks though...like salted peanuts, one always needs one more. And I disagree with anyone who implies these books are quickly forgotten. I'm surprised when I come across references to the previous book as to how much I do remember.

If Parker is indeed easing Spenser out the door, Sloan may well be the more interesting of Parker's new series heroes.

We thought we were going on an easy, 1.5 hr hike. 3 hrs later, we got back to the car. Problem was that the hike wasn't quite described as accurately as it could have been and there was no warning that we should ignore the trail markers. We got very turned around and had to ignore the map provided in the book and use our common sense to find our way back. (This was the hike at Fallen Leaf Lake)

This guide should be renamed "Day Hikes Around South Lake Tahoe." Out of the 21 hikes, only 5 of them are around the North Shore and 3 on the Nevada side of the lake. The rest are all around Emerald Bay and South Lake Tahoe. Aside from this disappointment, each day hike has easy to follow directions and maps.

Tired of guides that list "easy" hikes that turn out to be 8 miles and take 5 hours? Then this book is for you. Most of the hikes listed are 1-3 miles long and can be easily finished by most everyone. Designed for the non-serious hiker who enjoys nature and desires a scenic but not exhausting walk through the woods. This book was designed to be easy to read. It includes large diagrams, elevation changes, trail descriptions, and driving directions. A section of color pictures displays the best vista of each hike. The guide is a good glove compartment companion for any family outing to the Lake Tahoe area.