Over the past 25 years I've bought dozens of Pacific Northwest hiking guides and this is just about the most enjoyable one I've ever owned. It is about the only hiking guide I've ever sat down and systematically read from cover to cover, simply because it was such a joy to read and because it contained so many treasures. The author isn't merely interested in telling you how to get there and how not to miss a turn in the trail, but he shows a genuine love for each of these hikes, pointing out what is amazing about each of them, often giving a little history about the trail or other anecdotes associated with a hike, including personal experiences which are genuinely amusing or informative. I especially enjoy his appreciation of trails through old growth forests, something you don't often see in hiking guides. Most hiking guides seem to get worked up only by big, expansive views, but this author sees beauty and magnificence on all scales. Although I was familiar with at least half of these hikes, I learned about a lot of new ones that I've already started exploring. For example, check out the old growth noble firs along the PCT from Barlow Pass to the overlooks at White River Canyon. These trees are absolutely mind-boggling, not because they're big around but because they grow so amazingly tall and straight. It stimulated me to read more about these trees and I learned that they can soar into such heights with so little girth because the wood is hard and light. No Douglas Fir could get this tall without putting six feet of girth on themselves. Here you see flawless, branchless trunks as straight as nature can make them, no more than three to four feet in diameter with no perceptible taper rising two hundred feet like the pillars in a cathedral before finally displaying a puff of foliage at the top no more than 15 feet wide and 30 feet tall. And then the emerald forest of moss-infested silver firs and mountain hemlocks that follow closer to timberline have the head shaking in wonder over such stunning beauty. Thanks to this author, I discovered this incredibly beautiful section of trail after hiking all over Mt. Hood for 25 years without having discovered it. There are lots of other new possibilities of this magnitude for me that I am eager to try out, thanks to the enthusiasm and attention to detail of this author.

An excellent guide for day trips around Portland. The author is an acqaintance of mine and on several occasions I witnessed the care with which he took in making book an accurate guide to Portland-area hiking. Gerald is a great writer and he not only gives you the details of the hike (like clear directions on how to get there, an art all too often lost in Portland hiking books), but puts the hike in a brief desciptive context of history, forestry and asthetics that is rare in a hiking book. The book helps the hiker know more about Oregon and its natural treasures.

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles : Portland (60 Hikes Within 60 Miles)
by Paul Gerald is incredibly well written and includes great maps and a rating system that is very useful. I just love my copy and strongly recomend this book to those looking to get out into the great outdoors.

I could go and repeat what other reviewers have said before me, but I won't, although this book more than deserves the praise it has received.

I will say, though, that this story has remained in my memory for over a year now (6/2003). I had gone looking through my Super Romance collection to re-read this book, and discovered it perched on the top of my head-of-the-bed bookshelf, where it was easy to locate. {What librarian and self-proclaimed "bookaholic" would settle for a bed frame without attached bookshelves?)

Ms. Nichols first time published novel is so good, had me in the snow along with Rebecca and her dogs, that I had to warm up with hot chocolate and my toastiest woolly slippers! If you haven't read it, find it in the used book section of Amazon. It is well worth your search!

No need to elaborate on the previous review.
Just know that this is a GREAT book.

The tale of Rebecca Reed and her dogs and William "Mac" MacKenzie and his team of dogs leaves you breathless.
[grin] and COLD!

We have another hero in Merlin, Mac's lead dog, in the Alaskan tradition of excellent sled dogs. You actually feel like you are traveling along the race trail with them.

Wish Brian wasn't such a grumpy younger brother but he was there for Mac.
Loved the trials and tribulations -- couldn't put the book down -- hope these characters show up in another book, Ms. Nichols!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- this is a keeper for any library!

Author Nadia Nichols pits her heroine and hero against the elements and each other in ACROSS A THOUSAND MILES. Based on the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race run each year in February, Rebecca Reed and Bill (Mac) Mackenzie challenge over a 1,000 miles of grueling terrain between Whitehorse, Yukon and Fairbanks, Alaska. The race takes place each year in mid February when the weather conditions can be the coldest and most unpredictable of the year. More than the unpredictable terrain and weather, however, are two unpredictable hearts drawn irresistibly to one another even as they race against each other.

Rebecca feels guilty for her feelings regarding Mac. She has grieved a long time, and it feels wrong to abandon the memory of her husband for someone new. Falling in love with Mac, to Rebecca, is like a betrayal of her late husband's memory. She had loved her husband deeply, and loved this life they built together in the harsh elements of the Yukon. His loss left her days lonely and bleak and while things are improving, the harshness of her days is making her hard in ways Rebecca doesn't like. Yet when she meets Mac, Rebecca can't help being drawn to a man with a soft spot so big he can't even kill the animals his brother asks him to trap.

Mac has hit rock bottom. A failed marriage, a failed career, and the feelings of a failed life led him to the wilderness to care for his brother's dog team while his brother returns to college. Although his failed marriage has convinced him to swear off women, Rebecca quickly captures his heart. Unfortunately, he can't compete with a dead man. Further, the harshness of the Yukon at times leaves him wondering what made him think he could challenge this hostile land and survive. Despite the odds, however, Mac bends a few rules and signs up for the race, determined to win, even if he has to beat Rebecca.

Nichols portrays the Yukon with a savage beauty, describing Rebecca's life almost poetically: "She had come to love this little place on the edge of the wilderness, the timeless cycle of the seasons, the ebb and flow of life, and the harsh, harsh laws of the wild." Outhouses, wood stoves, hand carried water become a part of daily life, reminding readers of conditions typical of a hundred years ago. With such descriptive word pictures, Nichols creates a tale of danger, of love, of challenges and of the triumph of the human spirit. As the hero of this tale goes above and beyond what seems endurable, the rewards at the end make for a happy ending that will leave the reader with tears and rejoicing. Indeed, no reader can read the concluding chapters without a racing heart and a smile. It's a remarkable achievement indeed to perfectly capture such an extraordinary tale and compact perfectly into series romance. ACROSS A THOUSAND MILES is a winner of the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

I am a big fan of Craig Miles Miller's CHESTER STUBBS. In Chester he has created one of the most infuriating and lovable screw-ups of all time. Rude, clumsy, perhaps, even misbegotten, yet imbued with the true spirit from beginning to end, it doesn't matter, Chester's our man. Miller's style is deceptively simple, it just flows and flows, taking us from laughter, to heartbreak, to understanding, to, in fact, just about wherever you'd like a novel to take you. CHESTER STUBBS is a book that gave me a lot of hope and even more laughs. What more could a reader ask for?

Really an amazing book. To create such a character and such a "voice" AND have him delve into a real literary plot--this is the mark of a true writer. It may offend some, but it should delight most. Chester is one of the most original characters ever to appear on the page, and the tale of his reconnection to humanity and community is priceless. A great start for a career of writing!

Craig Miles Miller writes like a hurricane -- his prose is forceful, turbulent, unpredictable, and at times deceptively calm. Miller reminds me of Larry Brown at his grittiest and of T.C. Boyle at his wittiest. After reading "Chester Stubbs" you'll walk away a little shaken and little wiser. Buy it today.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It's hard to pull off social and cultural criticism without stepping on a few toes along the way, but Miles injects his writing with the right mix of humor and satire to make for a thoroughly enjoyable romp through today's society. Actually, "thoroughly enjoyable" is just a pleasant side affect. After turning the last page, I can honestly say this book has influenced me and the way I see things more than anything I've read in the past 20 years. What a "sleeper"! I highly recommend it to anyone.

If you enjoy satire, don't miss this one. Incredibly clever and insightful, this book will have you reading and laughing and reading and laughing some more. But the book is good for more than it's many laughs. It is a compendium of satire of society's traditions, habits and belief systems. There is a serious message; and that message is what on this earth makes sense and what doesn't. It makes you wonder, will our planet ever get any better. Oh, if your legislators would only read this book. Highly recommended.

A refreshing look at the American way of life by an entity from another planet. The writing style is refreshingly thought-provoking and humorous. It covered all our human bases.

I'm not sure what I expected when my wife brought home this cookbook (not much though). We must have 30 cookbooks... but we keep coming back to this book for quick and easy recipes that are quite wholesome. I can't vouch for the Feng Shui aspects--I guess it's cool that the dishes have a purpose. But every recipe we've tried has been great. We also like the Moosewood series of books--but find those recipes often take way longer than estimated (the ones in this book are very fast).

From the Feng Shui book we regularly make the peanut noodle vegetables; the chickpea curry (mentioned in another review), and the grape gazpacho. There are a couple other stand-bys... but we're also up to try new ones all the time.

There are some pretty goofy "theme" cookbooks out there... and, on the surface, this may seem like one too. But don't be left out--it really is good.

Having never been a person to play close attention to my yin, let alone my yang, I was understandably frazzled when my wife announced that our day guest had turned into a dinner guest. With two young children, dinner is on a set time-table. Now I pride myself on having dinner guests. Cooking is my hobby. (My wife told me I needed a hobby and her genius suggested cooking.)

So there I was with a few cans and a little over a pound of ground turkey meat. I rifled through my recipe books and came across one that I wasn't even aware of: Elizabeth Miles' The Feng Shui Cookbook. And there on pg. 167 was a recipe for Quick Chickpea Curry (containing the ground turkey). While the recipe promised to warm my qi and creative energy, I was glued to word quick.

Well in less than 20 minutes I had achieved both. The curry was fab, sprinkled with yogurt and cilantro. Our dinner guest went back for seconds and then thirds. And the conversation was robust. The Feng Shui part achieved its goal in spite of my cynicism.

Since I have enjoyed a number of the other dishes with other guests. Miles' text is as strong as her recipes. She has carefully crafted a book which tells you how certain food can feed certain moods and inspire different reactions. And this makes for immensely edible thoughts and results and of course, food.

I've heartily recommended this book to friends who are interested in Taoism and those who love to cook, and both groups seem pleased. I've cooked a dozen or so of the main dish recipes; none required cooking skills beyond the average meal-a-day home cook, and all the ingredients have been readily available at a well-stocked grocery. And every one has been a hit!

I saw High Endeavors first recommended by a couple of sailing magazines and picked up a copy.

The book goes far beyond a sailing adventure, which is a component of this couple's lives but by no means the whole story.

Miles Clark, the author, is the stepson of Miles and Beryl Smeeton, the subjects of the book. He has told this story with as much accuracy as records and personal experience would provide, along with the affection of a loving son who knew this story had to be told.

It's really about Beryl. She walks/trains/hitches across India, through the Middle East, Europe and back t the UK. In the 30's!

Later she decides that she has to ride horseback through Patagonia, by herself.

During WW II they served separately in Asia, ending up together in Burhma.

It is only after Miles retires from the Army that they bought a sailboat and set out for British Columbia.

Just an amazing story and it's true!

The book describes the interesting lives of Miles and Beryl Smeeton who spent their lives travelling across several continents, fighting in wars, sailing around the world and protecting endangered species in Canada. This is not a book to be missed. The biggest problem with the book is that you will begin to feel that you haven't really lived a full existence!

Highly recommended- I wasn't sure this book would take my fancy, I had read travelogues before, but this novel and the adventures of the principal characters are so awe-inspiring and humor filled that the book is a must read. The quality of the travels, combined with the history that was being made during this period make the book informative and gripping. As amazing as it is- along with the 2nd world war, circumnavigation, and treks through all of the worlds continents, there is a lovely romance that is not contrived or annoying in the slighest. "Joie de Vivre!"

This is one entralling book! I knew there were meat eating plants, but I never thought of them as "passive" and "active". The book is broken up in cute sections, "Gulp!" and "Slurp!" being my favorite, but the entire book keeps your interest. The drawings are quite excellent and you learn a lot just by looking at the pictures. I really enjoyed it and my little brother just loves it. A hit.

Great subject, and wonderfully presented with interesting scientific facts and beautiful illustrations. This book made learning about insect eating plants a treat.

This is a book for young readers to test their skills but it isa book for all readers to enjoy - fascinating science about insecteating plants, a subject about which we generally know little. No matter what your age, you'll love it and great illustrations, too.

this cookbook has a wonderful variety of great, elegant, and easy recipes for casual entertaining with friends and families. i happen to love cookbooks, and this is a wonderful addition to my collection.

As a collector of cookbooks (more than 600 titles) with an emphasis on the "Junior League" books, this is one of my all-time favorites. I have tried many, many recipes and they are all great. I found lots of "different" recipes that were simple to make and tasted great. Definitely add this one to your collection.

The cookbook has never failed me. I have given it to several people as a gift and they also raved about it. Has both simple and complex recipes. Also need tidbits about Cincinnati in the margins.

In this little charmer the beautiful illustrations and the spritely lyrics that form the text share in the making of magic in equal proportion. Go along with Jennifer as she and her rabbit, a turtle, a kangaroo and seventeen monkeys from the city zoo take a wonderful journey o'er land and sea along the mysterious coasts of dreamland. The jaunty rhythm of the lyrics builds an atmosphere of adventure and fun while the pure poetry of the dreamy words sweeps us along with the action. The pictures are filled with waves, sea spray, pearly foam, glittering stars, castles and sailing ships with red sails. Tucked under cozy covers with this lovely story dancing in their hearts, little sleepy-heads will be off to dreamland themselves in no time! I love this book!

Jennifer's rabbit runs away one night and she chases after it with the help of her other stuffed animals. They follow the rabbit through the woods and on to a moonlit beach where they all stop long enough to build a beautiful sand castle. Next it's off to sail on a red sailed ship with a crew of friendly pirates. This is a gentle story told in verse. The BEAUTIFUL watercolor paintings of the very talented Elizabeth Miles, alone, make this book worth the price you pay for it. It will delight every child and make grown- ups wish they were children again!

This is one of my favorite books, i recived it when i was a little girl, and loved it ever since. It was the first book i learned to read and brightened my imagination. If this book is ever reprinted i would do anything to get it again!

I normally don't write reviews on books. But this on is worth the exception. I first read this book back in the mid to late 80's., when I first started to become interested in caving. I found this book to be both informative as well as entertaining. I've done cave exploration in Minnesota Wisconsin Iowa and South Dakota. In 1988 I attended the annual convention of the National Speleological Society. It took place that Black Hills of South Dakota that year. I then had a chance to do some spelunking in Jewel Cave. This is by far on of the most exciting caves I have ever explored. While in the cave our group crossed paths with Dwight Deal. He caved with the Conn's during the time period written about in this book. He regaled us with some amusing stories about Jewel Cave.(Quite a interesting person.) As one of the evenings line up for the convention we had a presentation from Herb and Jan. They talk about there adventures in Jewel Cave. And pulled out there personal map from their exploration over the years. Then Jan gave a demonstration on filling and lighting a carbide lamp blindfolded. Herb and Jan are truly amazing. If your interested in caves, this is one you'll not want to put down. This one lives up to its name. It's quite an adventure.

Herb and Jan Conn were amateur climbers in the 1930s who fell in love with the Black Hills of South Dakota. At a friend's suggestion, the Conns began moonlighting as spelunkers in winter. When they first visited Jewel Cave, it was a tiny cavern with an intriguing unexplored passage. Luckily for the Conns, that passage led to a mile of unexplored cave passages, then two miles... and exploring Jewel Cave became the Conns' life's work. They describe the exciting exploration (which is still ongoing, with more than 100 miles of passages mapped) with just the right balance of action/adventure, science, and humor. This book is a pioneer of the outdoor/geography genre and is readable, fun and fascinating.

-Review by David Bezanson

Almost fifty years ago, two rock climbers entered a 'nice little cave' to survey it. They had never gone caving before, and wanted to try it out. Because of their efforts, that cave, Jewel Cave, is today the second longest cave in the US. This book tells the tale in a fluent, easy style that is sure to delight and enjoy. Next to 'The Longest Cave' it is possibly the most enjoyable exploration story about caving around. you will be amazed at the amount of work a small group of people was able to do, from the sometimes tortuous mapping of the cave, to the hard backbreaking labor involved in making a portion of their discovery open for public viewing, as part of Jewel Cave Natl. Monument. A large map comes with the book so you can follow them as they explore the ever expanding labyrynth. The 'Jewel Cave Adventure' is a great book for everyone, whether you are seriously interested in the undergorund or just looking for a darn good read.