Book Description

The New York Times said that Mary Cantwell, in telling the story of her life, "Makes you discover yourself." Now, gathered in a single volume, are her three beautifully etched, unflinchingly honest memoirs. Cantwell's first book, American Girl, evoked the delights of her youth in a small New England town; her second, Manhattan, When I Was Young, told of her blossoming career in New York, her marriage and her children, and that marriage's decline. Speaking with Strangers finds Cantwell alone, a single mother struggling in the big city, bereft of her husband but bolstered by friends, thriving in her career yet personally troubled. With a sensibility as distinct as the city she calls home, Cantwell's autobiographical trilogy brilliantly captures her struggle to forge a life with one foot in her past and the other, warily, in her present.

"Cantwell writes with breathless intensity." --People

"As in the best of memoirs, the place is a character in the play, and Cantwell's courage as a wife and working mother also has a life and inspiration of its own."--Los Angeles Times ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful prose and a fascinating story
The other reviews told what the book was about. I just wanted to add to their comments by saying that I couldn't put the book down and was sad when it ended. Her words flowed so beautifully.

Delightful, Engaging and Unflinchingly Honest
Mary Cantwell bares her triumphs and joys as well as her shortcomings and insecurities in this collection of three memoirs that span her childhood, early adulthood, and middle- to late-adulthood respectively. Cantwell lead a wonderful, if unremarkable, childhood in an enviably Rockwell-esque seaside town - her depiction of her life through high-school is a real joy to read. Upon graduation from college, Cantwell hits the "Big City" appears to have forgotten some of the lessons learned in her idyllic childhood, however, she still manages to snag a plumb job with Mademoiselle Magazine and occasionally interacts with literary legends with her ambitious young husband. In her later life she is given interesting writing assignments and carves out a life for herself in Lower Manhattan, however, I found it discouraging that she wallows in the collapse of her marriage (which never appeared to be very strong), often to the detriment of her two daughters. I kept wondering how a woman with such a strong background could have allowed herself to sink to the depths Cantwell periodically allowed herself to hit. Regardless, she is not ashamed to remember less-than-glamorous moments in her life (which also include being jeered by fellow classmates as an elementary school student and suffering from paralyzing fits of self-doubt as a young career woman) - these are the events that have made her what she is.

It must have been incredibly therapeutic for Cantwell to write these memoirs. All three books can be seen as a view of the author's life from within her own head. Her message is simple: accept me for what I am. "Manhattan Memoir," in addition to being the story of Mary Cantwell's life, it also about trying to be true to oneself when one isn't always sure what that means. By writing her story, Cantwell examines her life and tries to learn from her experiences - and it can make the reader start to think about his/her own life as well.

While Cantwell's life is not particularly fascinating or different in itself, her writing style and manner of portraying her experiences are magical and riveting. She describes the joyous and painful events of her life in an easy, engaging manner - it is as if she is talking about the past with old friends. She manages to make the mundane fascinating. She also has a real gift for engaging the reader. I wasn't sure if I liked her writing style at first - Cantwell writes almost as one speaks - but within pages of beginning the book I became used to her rambling style and truly enjoyed it.

This book provides an added plus for those from or familiar with Rhode Island and/or New York City. It was fun for me to recognize the addresses of Cantwell's Manhattan apartments and know that the places she frequented, I often go to today.

A delightful walk through time
The late Mary Cantwell charmingly recounts, in this 3 books in one volume paperback, her years growing up in a small New England seaport town and her youthful foray into the 'glamourous' magazine world of New York City in the 'fities. Sane, sensible and warm nostalgia--without being saccharine. Beautifully written. A must for the literate and for New York lovers-- especially those who remember the days! ... Read more

Book Description

Continuing where he left off in Longrider, Tiger Edmonds again mixes philosophy, travel, psychology, and politically incorrect political wit (wisdom? rants?) into a humorous and hearty hunter’s stew. And in this recounting, Tiger introduces his grandfather—"the marriage counselor," "the metaphysician," "the jockey," "the alchemist," "the teamster" (‘it’s an ill wind that blows your ass off the road,’)—as a counterpoint to Tiger’s own observations. The grandfather? Who can’t help loving a man who from his deathbed tells his grandson, "Hell, boy, I’m just dyin’. I ain’t goin’ to quit lovin’ you." The writer? Who can’t help but loving a writer who, despite curmudgeonly looks and attitude, gives this advice to young riders: "Don’t never cross the border holding. Neither one. Either direction. Clean your mirrors often. Don’t go where you ain’t been invited. Change your socks often. Carry extra light bulbs. Blow your nose often. Don’t climb on anything you can’t ride." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A thoroughly attention engaging read
The Ghost Of Scootertrash Past: Memories & Rants Of A Longrider is the personal testimony, stories, rants, and insights of Mark Tiger Edmonds, a motorcycling professor who cruises the road with a Scrabble game and Oreo cookies in his motorcycle's saddle bags. A flavorful, unique, and often surprising memoir of dirt roads, Zen and the art of motorcycle riding, the hazards of camping, and so much more, The Ghost Of Scootertrash Past is a thoroughly attention engaging read and recommended for motorcycle buffs and Americana enthusiasts. ... Read more

Book Description

What could possibly impel a relatively privileged twenty-four-year-old American—serving in the U.S. Army in Germany in 1952—to swim across the Danube River to what was then referred to as the Soviet Zone? How are we to understand his decision to forsake the land of his birth and build a new life in the still young German Democratic Republic? These are the questions at the core of this memoir by Victor Grossman, who was born Stephen Wechsler but changed his name after defecting to the GDR.

A child of the Depression, Grossman witnessed firsthand the dislocations wrought by the collapse of the U.S. economy during the 1930s. Widespread unemployment and poverty, CIO sit-down strikes, and the fight to save Republican Spain from fascism—all made an indelible impression as he grew up in an environment that nurtured a commitment to left-wing causes. He continued his involvement with communist activities as a student at Harvard in the late 1940s and after graduation, when he took jobs in two factories in Buffalo, New York, and tried to organize their workers.

Fleeing McCarthyite America and potential prosecution, Grossman worked in the GDR with other Western defectors and eventually became, as he notes, the "only person in the world to attend Harvard and Karl Marx universities." Later, he was able to establish himself as a freelance journalist, lecturer, and author. Traveling throughout East Germany, he evaluated the failures as well as the successes of the GDR's "socialist experiment." He also recorded his experiences, observations, and judgments of life in East Berlin after reunification, which failed to bring about the post-Communist paradise so many had expected.

Written with humor as well as candor, "Crossing the River" provides a rare look at the Cold War from the other side of the ideological divide.

Mark Solomon, a distinguished historian of the American left, provides a historical afterword that places Grossman's experiences in a larger Cold War context. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An excellent and objective read
I was very impressed by this book.Very easy to read,a real page turner.This guy takes a mostly pro gdr stance,but he is still very objective as he was not a Socialist unity Party member.This book tells you what life in the East Bloc was really like.Reject the western lies about socialism!

Fills a historical void
This engrossing autobiography relates, first hand, what happened post WWII with the diehard leftists in the eastern blocs when their dreams of socialism came crushing down around them .

The author fled his native USA while in the army and swam the Danube to seek a better world.

An honest insight that has not previously been told. ... Read more

Book Description

A delightfully idiosyncratic assemblage of stories about encounters with simple people in the most ordinary places made extraordinary by its impasto-like imagery - intense, intimate, and heartfelt. In 1975 the author became the first female student from the Philippines to study in Romania. She spent almost three years at the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (Transylvania) and the University of Bucharest. In addition to traveling around Romania extensively during her student days, she also explored as extensively both sides of the Iron Curtain long before the collapse of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the then-Soviet Union. After finishing her course in Romania, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked and lived for many years.During those years, travel continued to be an important part of her life personally and professionally. This collection of personal observations from her travels covers both her Romanian and Washington years.

Reviews (1)

A must read for the adventureers
Six Camels for Your Daughter makes for fascinating reading.The short essays capture vividly the imagination of any traveler.The experiences seem so real and something I could relate to. One is also left with the deep impressions about the similarity of experiences in vastly different cultures.Nona Ponferrada conveys powerfully how similar the experiences can be in as far flung places as Romania, India, Israel and China!

The writing style of the author is most appealing.Each of theshort essays conveys a real sense of people and the way they relate.The kindness that the author experiences in strange places awakens one's urge to wander and explore.

The book has a very easy and friendly style. Esch story, though on the surface unconnected, leaves a vivid image of not only each place but of this interconnected world. A must read for adventurers.

Inder Sud, Reston, VA ... Read more

Book Description

The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine, a grueling 2,000-mile journey doggedly leading to the summit of every mountain in its path. For hikers, it represents a pilgrimage to the very heart of outdoor culture. For Kelly Winters, it was that and more. Winters's account, in the tradition of our best outdoor chroniclers from John Muir to Jon Krakauer, is an exceptionally truthful, often funny, exciting account of an emotional and spiritual journey filled with courage, healing, developing trust, unexpected strength, and most surprisingly, lasting love. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Interesting, but she is not quite a thru hiker
I read this book in one afternoon and was thoroughly satisfied with it. Winters writes well and her narrative flows smoothly. However, I bought this book believing that she had completed the thru hike from Springer Mtn. to Maine. Actually she quit the hike 300 miles short of her goal, while she was approaching the dreaded White Mountains of New Hampshire.

My greatest criticism of the book is that the author simply didn't explain *why* she quit, and it was a sudden, abrupt decision. Yes, her knees were aching, she was (justifiably) anxious about the vicious weather in the White Mountains, but as a reader, I was horribly let down that her journey just suddenly ends. She writes casually, "I am done" and thus ends the book. A tremendous disappointment.

On the positive side, there are great descriptions of shelter life on the trail, the boorish, sexist behavior of the many of the men on the trail and also being chased by some Rednecks in the deep South; "she's little," they squeal, "let's catch her!" This was perhaps the most gripping segment of the book, as she outraces these fat slobs trying to harm her.

I am still in the dreaming-planning stages of doing an AT thru hike and must admit this book did little to encourage me. My belief is that Winters needed to go into towns more frequently, sleep in the shelters less frequently and not hike alone, but as she stresses again and again: "hike your own hike."

While I admire her tremendous nerve and dedication, any solo woman hiker is courting disaster. That's an ugly reality.

Some readers will probably be put off by the stories of Wade, Winters obsessive-compulsive weirdo ex-boyfriend. If she thinks all men are as pathetically warped as he was, think again. The inclusion of her bisexuality and discovery of her partner on the trail might also bug some people. I found it all interesting and would recommend this book. Just don't expect an account of an actual thru hike, since she doesn't quite make it.

Complaining and Whining
I have read many books on the AT and have actually section-hiked portions of it. With that said, I am always eager to read other's accounts of their own journeys on the trail. This one was a bitter disappointment. Winters has an interesting story to tell but seems to do so only by focusing on the negative. Page after page, I kept waiting for her outlook to improve only to realize half way through the book that it never would. She seemed to be a loner, selfish, unsociable, angry at times, even hostile toward fellow hikers. Then she complains about how she doesn't seem to be forging any bonds with other Thru-Hikers. Well DUH!!! Thankfully I never encountered anyone like her during my time on the Trail! Her constant whining and complaining had me feeling like she missed so much of what the trail has to offer. On top of all this, some of her "story" seemed a bit hyped up for maximum reading excitement (i.e. a little hard to believe). I'm not saying it didn't happen, I obviously don't know, but the part where she claims to be chased by Deliverance-style rednecks up a mountain just seemed a bit too farfetched for this reader. I couldn't help but feel it was embellished (perhaps?) for the sake of urban, crime-wary readers. In all my reading and experiences on the AT, occurrences of this sort are rare at best. If you've read other books on the AT, then read this one for contrast. But the best and most inspirational story I have read so far was "There are Mountains to Climb". Get that one first.

Terrific Tale of Trail Travel.
I picked this book up at the library, expecting another mediocre hiking story akin to Bryson's book. To my delight, I found it to be a compelling read on several levels. The hiking minded will enjoy the details of life on the trail, but there is more to this book than a simple description of Point A to Point B. Winters is a helluva writer and presents a compelling portrait of her inner struggles. The best book on the AT I've read.

Pilgrimage Story Only
If you want to inspire you in your thoughts about hiking the Appalachian Trail, this is not the book for you. Kelly Winters whines about rain and pain on the trail and that is about all. It is a pilgrimage story, so if that is what you are looking for, you might enjoy it. But if you want a story about the trail try reading "A Walk for Sunshine" by Jeff Alt for a fun and inspiring tale of life on the trail.

Both my wife and I liked this book! :-)
My wife and I share a lot in common, but we rarely enjoy the same kind of book. This book is one of the few.

I've dreamed of hiking the AT for years. Most books I've read about the AT are about the technical aspects, which is helpful, but falls somewhat short. This book is a wonderful read by an author who seems willing to be honest about her journey and her process.

This book is as much about personal growth and development as it is about hiking. Kelly's advice on the last page is worth the read alone.

I read this book while I was in the middle of a very intensive, personally challenging training program. I found that Kelly's journey had a great deal in common with the journey I was experiencing in my training program (and I wish that my training was more outdoors! :-)

I would highly recommend this book to any interested reader.

Many thanks, Kelly! I hope things are working out with you and your partner and I'll look forward to your next book. ... Read more

Book Description

"Reefer Charlie" Fox rode the rails from 1928 to 1939; from 1939 to 1965 he hitched rides in automobiles and traveled by foot. From Indiana to British Columbia, from Arkansas to Texas, from Utah to Mexico, he was part of the grand hobo tradition that has all but passed away from American life.

He camped in hobo jungles, slept under bridges and in sand houses at railroad yards, ate rattlesnake meat, fresh California grapes, and fish speared by the Indians of the Northwest. He quickly learned both the beauty and the dangers of his chosen way of life. One lesson learned early on was that there are distinct differences among hoboes, tramps, and bums. As the all-time king of hoboes, Jeff Davis, used to say, "Hoboes will work, tramps won't, and bums can't."

Tales of an American Hobo is a lasting legacy to conventional society, teaching about a bygone era of American history and a rare breed of humanity who chose to live by the rails and on the road. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Tales of An American Hobo review
Tales of an American Hobo was a collection of short stories about the life of a Hobo.This book taught me a lot of lessons in life one being, "Treat everyone with the respect that you would liked to be treated with."The hobo in this book was always disrespected and discriminated against in his life.The cops in the towns that he traveled to would tell him to leave and never come back. They didn't even give him a chance to start over and get his life going.He meet some nice people on his journey.He was as kind as possible to them and never took more than he would need to survive.There were the other people who tricked him into thinking that they where nice and gave him water that was bad and made him sick. ... Read more

Book Description

When Ved Mehta was first invited to Islesboro, a narrow, thirteen-mile-long island off the coast of Maine, he could not have imagined the far-reaching consequences of his visit.

Seduced by a dream of putting down roots in the New World, he finds himself buying a fifteen-acre parcel of land in the rugged terrain of Dark Harbor. To build his house, Mehta hires the architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, famous for designing the IBM Building in New York, the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, on Deer Isle in Maine, and museums that include the Walker Art Center in Minnesota.

In sparse and evocative prose, Mehta describes the follies of constructing a house on an island far removed from that other island, Manhattan, where he lives, and where "sound-shadows" effectively allow him to live as if he were not blind. In Dark Harbor, sound disappears into the brush, banks, and woods like a stone tossed into the ocean.With devastating honesty and poignant humor, Mehta details the many dilemmas he encounters during the construction of his remarkable house, from ever-climbing costs to a recurrent infestation of potato bugs in the newbuilt basement.

Underlying this narrative is a richly allegorical tale about Mehta’s own struggles as a writer and as a man. Even while constructing the house, he finds himself building another edifice—helping to bring into being an enchantment he had thought might elude him. For the house in Dark Harbor is destined to become a home for the woman he falls in love with and marries and, over the years, the children they have together. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Travails and Tantrums of Building a (blind man's) House
Why should you read a book about building a house? Aren't millions of them built in the US every year? What's special about them?

Well, the author (who is building the house) is blind for one. Add to it the fact that, he couldn't afford it when he started building. And then he was building it on a remote island in Maine. If you thought that this is a recipe for disaster, you are correct. But he seems to persevere through the whole thing and builds a fabulous house in the end.

Two of the reviewers (I couldn't help notice both are from New England) seem to think that the book is about the beauty of Maine. And therefore conclude that the book is not a good book. So what is the book about? .. it is about a blind mans life, his aspirations and desperations; about how a house project always costs much more than is budgeted; about how a house is a never ending project; about architecture; and of course about the beauty of an island in Maine (but not just that).

All in all a very interesting read.

A Disappointment
I found this book to be tedious and far too concerned with the parochial, and frankly dull, details of Mr. Mehta's feelings about having a house built on an island off the coast of Maine. Not enough about Maine. Too much about Mehta. Too bad.

the man is interesting, not the house
Forget the other Great Autobiographies like Paustowsky and Proust. Ved Mehta and his Continents of exile is far better then anything in this field of writing. In very elegant, humorous English he gives you the story of his life, and the angle differs a bit each time. That counts for the disappointed readers that expect a book about The New Yorker or A House On A Maine Island. What you get is the fascinating story of a blind Indian man that grew up in India, came to America, went to England and back to America, and combines all these influences and continents with humor and an intelligent attitude.
A great series and another great book.

"Dark Harbor" filled with insight and wit
I'm not sure what the reviewer from Marblehead's beef with Mehta's book is. It seems unfair to knock "Dark Harbor" just because it doesn't portray the stereotypical "Down East" Maine preciousness he or she holds as inviolate.

In fact, to think Mehta's book is or should be solely about rocky beaches and pine trees and lobster boats is missing the larger and much more subtle and poignant points this memoir seeks to make. I found it fascinating to read Mehta's account of building a dream home in spite of his blindness. Think of the central ironies at play here--a blind man obsessed with visual and spatial architectural details he cannot detect or enjoy the same way sighted people can, and yet driven to build a state-of-the-art home for the enjoyment of those around him. It is at once an act of tremendous generosity, considerable hubris, and deep-seated insecurity and sensitivity to the opinion and approval of others.

Mehta is not the first writer to describe his descent into a house-building money pit, but he is no doubt the first to describe the experience from this unique perspective. This material is rich with psychological complexity, as well as humor and wit, and Mehta invites us along on his bricks-and-mortar journey of self-discovery. If that trip takes us from Islesboro to Manhattan to his ancestral home in India, or from the isolation of his blindess to the social swirl of New York literati and high society, so much the better. Those intertwining worlds (the "Continents of Exile" after which he named his autobiographical series) only make for more fascinating reading. And his clear and lucid prose style--an elegant, charmingly antiquated type of writing one rarely finds published anymore--enhances the experience. There is much to enjoy and savor in this book.

Quirky, Equivocal Man Builds Ugly House on Beautiful Island
Mr Mehta has a gift for writing much about nothing. To put it simply, the reader is left feeling like his psychotherapist.

Here is a man who's building a house on the coast of Maine yet wants the walls to be utterly soundproof--to lock out the slurping and crashing of the coastal waters. Sheetrock is a recurring demon that plagues his adult life. Throughout the book, Mr Mehta gives up and decides to sell off his investment. In fact, this theme is so frequent, you begin to wonder if he wrote the book to simply help market the house.

While the book holds some undoubtedly poignant memories for Mr Mehta; for the reader, it lacks any sense of coastal Maine. There is no feel of wind or fog; there is no smell of salty pine; and you certainly don't hear the crunch of sticks and rocks beneath your feet. You spend most of the book stifling in his New York apartment while he argues with himself, his architect, and his builder. ... Read more

Book Description

The legendary Appalachian Trail, stretching from Georgia to Maine, attracts millions of hikers every year. The International AT, opened in 2000, has added 1,073 km from Maine to Quebec. This addition to Raincoast's popular Journeys series is the tale of writer and photographer Monique Dykstra's adventures while hiking the brand new International Appalachian Trail. She's a city girl who thought hiking was "simply a matter of throwing some clothes and a few granola bars into a pack and heading for the hills." Two months, 1,073 km, and countless blisters later, she wasn't so sure. This extremely funny narrative includes Dykstra's descriptions of the characters she meets along the trail as well as 50 of her fascinating photographs. ... Read more

Book Description

“I have always chased my father, chased after his love, chased him through his many changes.

I chased him even when I thought I was running in the other direction.

Today, even though he is gone, I chase him still.

I know he is the key to my freedom.”

To runners around the world, Dr. George Sheehan, author of the landmark New York Times bestseller Running and Being, was nothing short of a guru — the country’s “greatest philosopher of sport.”

But to his son Andrew, who had spent his entire boyhood longing for the attention and approval of an emotionally distant father, he was an incomprehensible paradox: a lifelong loner, who was now sunning himself in the spotlight of the nation’s press; a hero to millions, who seemed to have no time for his own son.

The events that transformed George Sheehan from doctor to family man to bestselling author and media magnet began at the depths of what we would now call a midlife crisis, when he rediscovered an old love — running.

Twenty-five years after his days on a high school cross-country team, he remembered how running made him feel free, and began beating a solitary path down his suburban streets. With running as his new religion, the formerly quiet, withdrawn man became an unlikely evangelist, converting a sedentary nation to the theology of fitness, and in the process becoming an internationally known figure.

But the freedom he found in running was not enough, and one day he left his family, having decided that life was “an experiment of one,” and it was time for him to start living it.

Angry and disillusioned after years of enduring his father’s self-absorption, and hurt by his apparent indifference, Andrew had long since begun the search for his own version of freedom, looking first to drugs and later to alcohol. By his twenties he was a confirmed alcoholic. By his thirties his marriage had fallen apart and he was drinking more heavily than ever.

It was at that moment that his father threw him a lifeline. Although he was struggling with the cancer that would eventually end his life, Dr. Sheehan was the first to notice his son’s pain, and to reach out to him.

In this stunningly candid book, Andrew Sheehan describes the process through which these two men carefully and lovingly rebuilt their relationship. And in the effort to understand and forgive the dark side of his father’s psyche, Andrew shows how he came to understand, and to transcend, his own.

A gracefully written paean to the healing power of forgiveness, a memoir that will resonate with any “fallible” parent or child, Chasing the Hawk traces the arduous steps that carry father and son down the hard road to resolution, healing, and love.
... Read more

Reviews (10)

the examined life
Andrew Sheehan writes well this rite-of-passage story of an alienated son making peace with his aging father. He also unblinkingly chronicles his own descent into drink as a young man, and the trail of broken relationships he left behind. At the close of the book, we are cheering for both Andrew and his father, "Dr. Runner" George, as they find peace and a measure of happiness with each other.

Both men are seekers; for a large part of his life, George combed through the works of the philosophers, and left and later returned to, the Catholic faith of his youth. As one of 12 children (what a brood, even for the post-WW II era!),George seeks love and attention which he felt lacking in his childhood,
as he was crowded in the late-middle of the group of children.

"The unexamined life is not worth living," one of the Greeks
tells us, and both men tend to examine their lives in great detail. Indeed, they both stop just short of navel gazing, an activity to which this reviewer is opposed. Too much examining can block one from living, I would put forward as a corollary to the philosopher.

That said, this worthwhile book is an addition to the literature of father-son conflicts. Its upbeat conclusion which surprise and warm you.

Surprisingly well written and an excellent story
I picked up this book inclined to not like it as another celebrity book, and a minor celebrity at that. I feared it would just be a son picking nits and blaming his father for the bad turn his life had taken. However, this book is an excellent story of a father-son relationship, personal redemption and the search for meaning in life. It is far easier to appreciate this book's excellence if you have no prior involvement with the father's work.

A Nice Surprise
This is a wonderful story, marvelously written. I didn't expect much when I first picked it up - - another child of the famous capitalizing on their parent's fame - - but after a few pages I simply couldn't put it down. The book is captivating, and I hope we hear more from its talented author in the future. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Andrew!

memories
If... you are a babyboomer If... you are a runner.. and if your life was complicated by a fathers dominance and isolation then this book is for you!
ANDREW SHEEHAN tells the story of his famous father the late GEORGE SHEEHAN a doctor who's passion for running consumed not only a country but himself ,hes family and everyone around him.
THE authors eloquent discription of growing up in a large irish-catholic family,his long battle with alcohol,the abandment of a father.The nostalgia was at times so overwhelming it brought me to tears...because my life so closely mirrored that of andy sheehan
the church the rejection the Kennedys growing up in the 60's the BEATLES the war the drugs.this book will take you back to a place and time in our lives that made our generation so special

Wonderful and moving
I really enjoyed this book on many levels...father and son...running... relationships etc. Wonderfully written. ... Read more

Book Description

During the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, Dutch artist Willem van der Does talked his way aboard a Norwegian whaler and made a daring, often dangerous voyage to Antarctica in 1923. "Storms, Ice, and Whales" is the riveting eyewitness account of his nine-month ocean journey, including 141 original illustrations by Van der Does.

At once adventure story and natural history, Van der Does's tale is alive with the sights and sounds of his exploits, also revealing the many powerful emotions that he experienced during this epic trip. The first Dutchman ever to set foot in Antarctica, Van der Does grippingly captures the excitement, fascination, and fear generated by life in the coldest place on earth. His travelogue chronicles an amazing range of adventures, from the harpooning and processing of whales at sea to a ski trip atop the forbidding Ross Ice Shelf, and he renders much of what he saw in distinctive pen-and-ink illustrations that enliven every chapter.

First published in the Dutch East Indies in 1934 and later in the Netherlands, this historical gem is now available in English for the first time. The book has been expertly translated by Ruth van Baak Griffioen, who also contributes a preface containing firsthand anecdotes about Van der Does the man and highlighting the fascinating story of how she came to know and translate this book of his.

An entertaining, vividly realistic memoir and visual journal of whaling life, "Storms, Ice, and Whales" will appeal to a wide range of readers. ... Read more

Book Description

A real "Boy's Own" adventure - but Barefoot over the Serengeti is factual, not fiction. It is a unique and evocative tale of childhood adventure in a world that very few Europeans have experienced. Barefoot is a "must read" for anyone even remotely interested in Africa! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Barefoot White Masai Boy's story
This is the autobiography of an English boy brought up by his farming family in Tanganyika (Tanzania), living in the middle of what is now the Serengeti National Park. The time of the story was the 1920s and 1930s, hard times in a very hard country, long before the arrival of any infrastructure to speak of; roughly contemporaneous with Karen Blixen of "Out of Africa" fame. David Read was mostly left to his own devices as a youngster and his best friend was a Masai boy. Together, they hunted and otherwise lived in the wilds of the East African savannah and lived together among the Masai.

In those days the Masai lived very much as they had done for the two hundred years or so since they arrived on the Serengeti, migrating down the Rift Valley from Ethiopia, conquering all the tribes they encountered along the way. This book is really a recounting of the traditional Masai way of life, much changed in these days when the Masai have been driven from the Serengeti to live exclusively in the Ngorongoro Crater, a lifestyle increasingly eroded by the inevitable encroachment of modernity.

Both the recounting and the way of life are intriguing. The Masai, for a fierce warrior people, were remarkably hospitable both to the young white boy and to all of his kin. And yet the Masai retained their warlike ways and their other habits, including sexual abandon and the single-handed killing of lions with spears by the young warriors - the Moran - all recounted faithfully by Read as seen though his young eyes. The book provides a very interesting insight into a very unusual people. ... Read more

Book Description

The Youth for Understanding volunteer said that Americans wear a pair of blue sunglasses that represent the way we see the world given our cultural background. People in a foreign country wear yellow sunglasses that represent their cultural background.
—Eating Soup with Chopsticks

Ruth Pennington PagetÂ’s amusing tale of trying not to see green delves into food, fine art, and first love as a sixteen-year-old exchange student in Japan. Her funny escapades remind us that many paths lead to the same mountain top. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

By Wendy Witt
If you added what you know now to a diary you wrote 20 years ago without changing the original script, it would read like "Eating Soup With Chopsticks." This charming memoir of a life-defining experience captures the innocence and youthful enthusiasm of an adventurous spirit learning to see the world. The lessons of language, history, and cultural perspective are more important than ever as we evolve toward a global society.

Required reading!
At the age of sixteen, Ruth Paget traveled to Japan as an exchange student. Although she had traveled internationally before, she had never had such an intense immersion into a foreign culture. And Japan was very very foreign. "Eating Soup with Chopsticks" shows the remarkable poise with which this sixteen-year-old faced what many people would consider a challenge. In her search to understand her host family and culture, she jumped in with both feet. She did so by immediately identifying what she and her hosts had in common, which was a sense of respect that quickly developed into a sense of affection. It shows the growth that can occur when you appreciate and accept differences between people.

Ms. Paget's account of her summer abroad lovingly recounts scenes of daily life in Japan, and amuses with anecdotes of a Midwestern girl's first encounters with raw fish and wasabi. But the overriding lesson of this book is that wonderful things happen when you take off your blue glasses - and open yourself up to discovery. It should be required reading for every American teenager.

Fun and though-provoking read!
Through her new book, Ruth Pennington Paget takes us on a summer-long journey into a new culture (Japan) through the eyes of an adventurous and curious teenager. Twenty years after her exchange to Japan, the author recounts her time abroad and her vivid memories of the many experiences she encountered. The book is not a travel book as much as a book about dealing with differences, communication and human connection.

It teaches us that at the heart of understanding a different culture, we learn most about our own self and come to understand better our own values.

This book is a fun read! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent "Report" on Life in Rural Spain as a Transplant
I'm not much of a book reviewer, but I picked up this book recently, merely on the attraction of the title "How NOT To Live Abroad". Hmm, I tought that looked pretty interesting. I was not disappointed, it was a compelling read all around.

The basic premise of the book is that Shaun Briley (the son of Jon Briley, who scripted the "Gandhi" movie blockbuster) and his girlfriend are living uncomfortably with her mom in the UK, and so decide to go on vacation to Spain to escape the mom. Totally unplanned they end up buying a rural farm house in deep Spain, thinking this would be eternal bliss of sun and coctails. The book cronicles the pair's misadventures in adjusting to that rural life (no modern amenities we take for granted such as electricity, bathroom, etc.), while at the same time describing the ups and downs, and ultimate demise, of the couple's relationship.

Briley writes with a great sense of humor, and the pages fly by. As a transplant myself (but not to a rural setting), I took an immediate liking to the book, and found it hard to put down. I highly recommend as perfect beach reading for the coming summer! ... Read more

Book Description

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh made his historic solo flight across the Atlantic; Amelia Earhart became the first woman to do so in 1932. And so was born the golden age of flying. Aviators became the era's new heroes and the airplane its icon. In early 1930s Chicago, a German-born graduate student became fascinated by the airplane and its usefulness as a great geographic and sociological tool. Wolfgang Langewiesche sold his car and used his meager salary to pay for flying lessons at 25 cents a minute.

With the same passion America had taken to the road a decade earlier, Langewiesche took to the air. He eagerly inhaled the landscape and breathed observations about the country, writing a series of books that describe the heady excitement and freedom of flight and the stunning views of his adopted country from an entirely new vantage point—the sky. This new edited volume revives the writings from two of his now out-of-print books. America from the Air draws from Langewiesche's classic account of his early experiences as a pilot, I'll Take the High Road (first published in 1939 and praised by the New York Times as "a stirring and revealing story, told with sensitiveness and lucidity and with the warmth of a modest personal charm"), and selections from his 1951 memoir, A Flier's World, to create a distinctive book that provides a pioneering look at the American landscape as seen from the cockpit of a light plane. Langewiesche's photographs from his cross-country flights circa 1939 evoke the era.

Wolfgang Langewiesche is revered among pilots for his 1944 flying primer, Stick and Rudder, currently in its seventieth printing. Considered the bible of aviation, it tells us the "how" of flying; America from the Air tells us the "why." Here his descriptions of the country offer unique perspectives on New England, the Midwest, and the Atlantic Coast from Virginia to Key West, at a time before the country was paved over by multilane expressways, suburban tract housing, and strip malls. His bird's-eye view of America takes in small farms, deserted seashores, busy railway lines, and cities in which skyscrapers were still engineering marvels. With the keen eye of a surveyor and an uncommon talent for conveying the physical sensation of flying, he describes landscape in all its beauty and detail as it rolls out beneath him, unveiling its mysteries. Langewiesche is revealed here as an infectiously enthusiastic aviator and an unrivaled observer of the American landscape. In a new foreword, Langewiesche's son, writer William Langewiesche, describes his father's love of the view from above. Hokanson and Kratz's introduction and biography update the reader, incorporating stories gleaned from recent interviews with the author. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For anyone truly curious about what it feels like to fly
Collaboratively edited and with introductions by Drake Hokanson and Carol Kratz, America From The Air: An Aviator's Story is the memoir of Wolfgang Langewiesche, a German-born test pilot, writer, and editor famous for his series of classic books that describe his adopted home of America from the sky. America From The Air collects selections from his classic accounts, "I'll Take The High Road" and "A Flier's World", first published in 1939 and 1951 respectively. Both give a talented perception of the physical sensation of flying, seeing small farms, deserted seashores, busy railway lines, and the general awe and wonder of lookind down from on high. An engrossing read for anyone truly curious about what it feels like to fly, encompassing memories of America through time and the author's own true passion for aviation. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Inspiring story, even if you don't know about Bowles
Reading books like this makes me wonder why I have a day job. Bowles weaves an intricate yet breakneck-speed bio of his life, starting with childhood and racing to his life in Tangiers in the early 70's. The biggest shock to me was the amount of work this guy got done. He was writing ballets, scores, soundtracks, books, poetry, newspapers, pamphlets, and orchestra pieces almost nonstop. Even as a kid, he'd write pages and pages a day, and later, he'd type for hours without stopping, hence the title of the book. His travels are also amazing; in an age with little air travel he zips to France, Morocco, India, Panama, Cuba, the Bahamas, all over the US, and dozens of other places too numerous to count. Plus he's met and had long friendships with scores of famous people: Salvador Dali, Bela Bartok, Aaron Copeland, Gertrude Stein, Arthur C. Clarke, Bill Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams, and many others. The book is thick and takes time to crawl through, but every time I set it down, I wanted to either start writing a book or a play or take off for a distant region. My only complaint is that sometimes Bowles like to insert a random line of French or Spanish, which annoys me because I know either. And he tends to drop names rapidly, making you wish you had a score card or a flowchart or something. But Bowles is definitely an interesting guy, and his life story is worth reading.

A must-read for insight into Bowles' other writing.
Well worth reading if you're a fan of Bowles. Slow and mysteriously vaporous, like much of his fiction. Full of subtle insights (both intended and unintended) into his mind and his writing. ... Read more

Book Description

In these journals, writer and performer Stephen Clorfeine brings an experienced eye and heart-felt insight to daily life in Nepal, which reveals the rich complexity of its people and culture. Here is a place where ordinary reality is interlaced with peaceful and wrathful deities, with sacred caves, and with the mingled devotion of Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In the Valley of the Gods reflects the mindfulness, immediacy and compassion of the author’s spiritual commitment and the directness and humor of both Nepalese and Tibetan communities. The beautiful prose is amply supported by lively photographs from the author’s extended journeys to Nepal. ... Read more