Book Description

Newly revised and updated, the third edition of The Whitewater Sourcebook continues to be the paddler's best companion to U.S. Rivers. This reference and planning tool tells you how and where to obtain information on streams throughout the country. Every step of planning a whitewater trip is given in this extensive volume, including telephone numbers, optimal water levels, access points, and listings of the best guide books available. A new section on web addresses helps you get connected to all the current river information on the internet. Entries are alphabetical for easy reference, with the choice streams listed for each state. So grab your paddle and grab The Whitewater Sourcebook, the most complete whitewater directory coast to coast. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ultimate Sourcebook for American Whitewater Rivers
This is one of the most comprehensive coast to coast whitewater reference books available. This extensive volume contains info on planning a whitewater trip on virtually every continental US whitewater river and stream. It's organized by state and also contains maps, hydrologic & gauge info, telephone numbers, access info, best guidebooks for each river, permit requirements and contacts for additional information. There's special sections on the Wild & Scenic River System, whitewater schools, organizations, festivals and a listing of books & periodicals with first aid & safety info and boating techniques. Appendices also include AWA Safety Code and Permit & Reservation Application forms.

So many rivers.....so little time. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Long River Winding: Life, Love & Death Along the Connecticut
Long River Winding is a very interesting, reader friendly book with something for everyone. Anyone who likes history, travel and especially people, should find this a good book. It gives glimpses into people's lives, some famous and others not famous, with humor and sensitivity. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.

Great fun!
I loved this book! Highly enjoyable for armchair travellers, history buffs, and lovers of New England lore. I felt as if I were travelling with the author through the Connecticut River Valley, past and present, having experiences like riding with the chief of police in Holyoke, Massachusetts, witnessing family life in Mark Twain's home in Hartford, or meeting "the feisty women of Old Saybrook." Heroes, villains, witches, and geniuses are all here. There are probably 40 or so little-known human stories of "life, love, and death"that took place in New England but are universal in their themes of humor, drama, and poignancy. Travel notes at the end of each chapter help you visit the sites mentioned by the author, making this book a useful travel guide as well as fun to read. I never realized how fascinating the Connecticut River Valley is. It's one of America's great places and best-kept secrets. ... Read more

Book Description

For 60 million years, the Gila River, longer than the Hudson and the Delaware combined, has shaped the ecology of the Southwest from its source in New Mexico to its confluence with the Colorado River in Arizona. This richly documented history of the Gila from its geological origins to the present was first published in 1994 and is now available only from UNM Press. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wide ranging historical survey -- intense final chapters
As a recent arrival in Southwest New Mexico and an occasional hiker along the Gila River and its watershed, I had high hopes for this book. Seeking it out (it's out of print) also provided a chance to discover all the used book stores in a 150 mile radius. But here the river is, at first, only an organizing principle. Ancient geology, Native American history, early European exploration and settlement, the rise and ebb of mining, wild west tales - all merit more than peripheral mention in this slim volume. If a concise, somewhat arbitrary visiting of all these topics in a readable style is what you're looking for, this book will satisfy. The title makes clear the author's environmental concerns, but these dominate only in the final chapters.

Those final chapters make up a damning indictment of those who have caused and/or contributed to the drying up of the lower Gila. Blame is laid at the foot of personalities from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles Keating. The writing picks up steam and has visceral impact. A series of paragraphs dealing with government subsidies to ranching interests packs the greatest punch.

I had already made myself somewhat conversant in Southwest history. So I found the reexamination of the related topics unnecessary, even if well-done. I would have liked one summary chapter on the more distant history, then more details and evaluation of the environmental impact wrought by 20th century development. Whether you will agree depends of course entirely on your own expectations and prior knowledge of the background.

The book is well-illustrated and has a comprehensive (if now somewhat out-of-date) bibliographical essay. Perhaps his publisher will allow McNamee to reissue this volume with an updating of the Gila's fortunes and outlook. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful book
This book sits proudly on our coffee table and is often admired. The photography is stunning and the explanations of the photos very interesting. I highly recommend the book.

The unexpected journeys are always the best.
I had absolutely no desire to tramp from the source of the Thames to the sea. But I'm so glad these two did.

The book is simply but elegantly designed, filled with gorgeous photography and wonderful words. It's the perfect book to pick up anytime and browse through the stunning landscape and history of England. It's always interesting to find out how the landscape affects people and vice versa. And the photography is awesome.

It's a beautiful book! ... Read more

Book Description

The Murray River is in crisis and faces an uncertain future. This evocative book explores the reasons why the river has become degraded and what these changes have meant to the Australians. This in-depth study of the Murray River examines the changing cultural meanings of the river, the practical forgetfulness that has eroded the Aboriginal presence, the triumphant narratives in which a supposedly empty land is made purposeful by the life-giving powers of the Murray, and the passion to make the river's flow predictable and to replace primitive forces with a domesticated and balanced landscape. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A wonderful Book
If you appreciate old fashioned values and true Americana, get this book. Truly unique and is capturing a part of our histroy that is being lost to development.

Award Winner for Book Design
This book has won a Southern Books Competition Award of Merit in Book Design from the Southeastern Library Association. This award is given in recognition of the book's aesthetic appeal and design and for fine craftsmanship in its printing and binding. Congratulations to authors Joe Cook and Monica Cook, designer John Langston, printer Pacifica Communications, and the University of Alabama Press.

It doesn't get much better!
This is an excellent book which covers its subject more thoroughly and beautifully than any book I have ever seen about this part of the country. It is extremely well written, and the photography is outstanding. Anyone who is interested in the preservation of our enviroment, especially our valuable waterways, should read this book.

The "Hooch"
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I live in Franklin, a small town on the Chattahoochee. This river is a big part of our local history and it is nice to see it get some worthwhile attention.

A must for everyone!
This book is amazing and has absolutely beautiful pictures! Anyone who enjoys the outdoors and the beauty of nature needs to have this book for their coffee table! ... Read more

Book Description

Touching all parts of the natural environment and nearly all aspects of human culture, streams and rivers act as centers of organization within landscapes. They provide natural resources such as fish and clean water, transportation, energy, diffusion of wastes, and recreation. Today, with unprecedented demands on streams and rivers by an exponentially increasing human population, a basic ecological understanding of the structure and dynamics of running waters is essential for formulating sound management and policy decisions.

The vast Pacific coastal ecoregion of the United States contains an extraordinary array of physical settings and examples of the range of dynamics associated with rivers and their management. The interface between the science and policy of natural resource management is illustrated by examples from this ecoregion, including the protection of riparian forest, the marbled murrelet, salmon, and amphibians.

River Ecology and Management: Lessons from the Pacific Coastal Ecoregion includes sections on the Physical Environment, the Biotic Environment, Ecosystem Processes, Management, and Recommendations for the Future. Specific topics include channel dynamics, hydrology, water quality, microbial processes, primary production, fish and wildlife, riparian forest dynamics, organic matter and trophic dynamics, biogeochemical cycling, maintaining biodiversity, monitoring and assessment, economic perspectives, legal considerations, and the role of non-governmental organizations in river management. ... Read more

Book Description

The Chattooga River has long been recognized as the crown jewel of southeastern rivers. Because of its inclusion under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, this pristine stream and watershed have been established as a legacy for ourselves and for future generations. If you have hiked, camped, or floated on the river, you already understand its special nature. If you haven't, there is much to experience.

Naturalist and author Butch Clay has spent most of his adult life on or near this unique resource. In this book he details the geology, natural and human history, and the flora and fauna found in the river corridor. Clay reveals significant places, rare and endangered species, and provides a wealth of useful information about hiking, camping and paddling the Chattooga. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sometimes a place can be as good a subject for a "biography" as a person--and Niagara Falls turns out to be such a place. Fortunately, it found its ideal biographer in Canadian historian Pierre Berton, who chronicles its colorful history with a storyteller's verve. Niagara Falls was a sort of laboratory and breeding ground for a wide variety of American phenomena: carnivals and theme parks, destination tourism, industrialization based on cheap hydroelectric power, and the conservation movement, among others. Berton weaves all this together in a readable, well-paced book rich with anecdotes, memorable characters, and nicely crafted language. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

An excelent Read
Books gives a good detail about the long and rich history of the Falls. It was interesting to learn how the formed, were discovered and later developed. The first few chapters were good, as were the chapters regarding the personal stories of those people who challenged and who changed the niagara. The story slows down in the middle a little with the description of the explotation of the falls in the late 1800's to early1900's, but still none the less an excelent look at the history of Niagara Falls.

Came for the Daredevils and Got an Education
The subtitle here says it all -- this is truly a history of the Falls, beginning back with the Ice Age, although that pre-history is dispensed with quickly. Berton is an easy, if not compelling read. I learned a whole lot more than necessary about the machinations of the power players in the early hydroelectric industry in Niagara. Amidst all that detail, however, Berton properly highlights the importance of the Falls to industrial development in both the United States and Canada, a fact easily overlooked in the popular image of Niagara. My own Falls memories include being thirteen and reading in 1960 the next day's Buffalo newspapers about the boy who accidentally went over the Falls in his bathing suit and survived, the only person ever to do so. The history Berton draws of the man's life after that miracle made interesting reading, as did the reasons the first person to survive going over in a barrel had for doing so. There is a full panoply here of fools, stoic rescuers (and body retrievers), and shysters, but I found Berton's efforts to be exhaustive sometimes obscured the lure and power that makes Niagara the popular fascination it has always been. That said, I know much more about Niagara than I did before and would recommend this as a quick summer read to anyone with curiosity about this natural, and -- Berton makes clear -- ever-changing wonder.

The Rise and Falls of Niagara
"Niagara" is a nice little book, stringing together a series of anecdotes about Niagara Falls and its immediate region, especially from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century. As histories go, it is fairly light (the author does not cite his facts, although he does include an extensive bibliography), but Pierre Berton is adept at telling stories, especially human stories.

The stories mostly develop along one of two themes - daredevil encounters with the Falls, and human manipulation, either for the purpose of exploitation or protection of the Falls. Berton is best with the small stories of explorers, tightrope walkers, barrel riders, a family of "rivermen" (the Hills), and their ilk. The small becomes large with what is perhaps the best-crafted story, that of Lois Gibbs and the toxic tragedy of Love Canal, with which Berton ends the book.

Although the story of the Falls did not end in 1980, Love Canal is a fitting final story. Despite the occasional preservationist triumphs, the story of the Falls really culminates in Love Canal. The natural wonder of the Falls became framed by hucksters, factories, power stations, tacky museums, homes, roads, manicured parks and everything else unnatural. Engineers even managed to stop the falls in an attempt to clear out fallen rocks (they wisely chose not to once they realized that the rocks propped up the rock face behind the falls). A visit to the Falls today is a jarring reminder of what a mess we humans have made of the natural world. It is an obscene juxtaposition of nature's best and humanity's chintziest.

Berton is less skilled at relaying scientific stories about the formation of the falls, and the energy and chemical industries. He also seems less than passionate when writing about big business deals - his treatment of power-mavens Adam Beck and Robert Moses palls beside his treatment of activist Lois Gibbs or "riverman" Red Hill. As a result, the book is somewhat inconsistent and (ironically, considering the subject matter) does not always flow.

Conspicuously missing from "Niagara" is ancient Native American history and the eventful history of the last 20 years. The former may not be possible to write for lack of information, but the latter (which includes the establishment of a gambling casino overlooking the Falls) warrants an update. Also lacking is some of the political history surrounding the Falls. For all these reasons, this is more a three-and-a-half star book than a full four star book. But I'm givivng it four because it was fun to read and provided me, as a native of Western New York, with some history of my home region. I'm not sure how interesting all this will be for those with no personal experience of the Falls, but for those of us who do, its worth reading.

Excellent anecdotal history of Niagara Falls
If you're curious about Niagara Falls, and want to know more about its geological and social history told in an highly engaging narrative style, this book is highly recommended. All aspects of the area and the natural phenomenon known as Niagara Falls is covered, with detailed stories about both the New York and Canadian sides. Interesting illustrations complement the text. Included are a wide range of topics, including the stories of the daredevils who tried to conquer the Falls to the more serious subject of Love Canal.

Fun, lively history of the Falls
This is an easy to read, quick paced history of Niagara Falls. The book's pictures are not great, and the paperback print quality of the pictures is second rate, but the text is fun and easy to read, very enjoyable. ... Read more

Book Description

Waterfalls of Massachusetts features 55 great locations for viewing waterfalls: all of them chosen for their beauty and easy accessibility. Each waterfall site described here includes driving directions, detailed topographic map, trail notes, and an attractive photograph. The waterfalls are arranged by region--the Berkshires, Connecticut River Valley, central Massachusetts, and the greater Boston metro area. Within each region, they are arranged in groups near to each other so that the reader can more easily plan to visit several waterfalls during one trip.

Also included in this useful guide is advice on hiking safety, equipment, and photography, along with geological and historical information that provides the background necessary for a better appreciation of these natural scenic wonders. In addition, there is a detailed list of hiking organizations, land trusts, and sources for maps. ... Read more

Book Description

Warblers, wolves, and whirligig beetles-the creatures of the canoe country come alive in Canoe Country Wildlife. In this read-aloud-treasure, "Sparky" Stensaas, naturalist and storyteller, intrigues readers with his tales of meeting the forest inhabitants-from tiny toads to majestic moose. Each page describes these creatures and their habits accurately so you'll know where and when to look for them. Detailed line drawings illustrate each animal clearly so you'll recognize what you're seeing.

Written for the curious naturalist in each of us, Canoe Country Wildlife takes readers a giant step beyond field guides. It's good reading before, during, and after a trip through canoe country. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A superb book, essential on any canoe trip.
This is a great field guide to all the creatures you might encounter on a canoe trip in the North Woods. It is very succinct, yet written in an interesting prose, with about 2 to 3 pages dedicated to each animal, fish, or insect it describes. We consider it an essential part of the gear we take on all our canoe trips up North. You will not be disappointed in this book. Great for all ages.

Excellent!
An excellent overview of wildlife of the Northern Minnesota area. There are interesting and informative descriptions of everything from birds to insects to fish. The scope of the book is so broad that only a few of each type of creature can be listed, but he has chosen the ones, such as loons, herons, and otters, that are so special to the North woods. Highly recommended.

This Book Description Leaves A Lot To Be Desired
'Nuff said. The rating-stars do not apply, as I have not seen the book, and am not likely to until I can find out more on its content. *-( ... Read more

Book Description

After a two-decade absence, Washington Post journalist Blaine Harden returned to his small-town birthplace in the Pacific Northwest to follow the rise and fall of the West's most thoroughly conquered river. Harden's hometown, Moses Lake, Washington, could not have existed without massive irrigation schemes. His father, a Depression migrant trained as a welder, helped build dams and later worked at the secret Hanford plutonium plant. Now he and his neighbors, once considered patriots, stand accused of killing the river. As Blaine Harden traveled the Columbia--by barge, car, and sometimes on foot--his past seemed both foreign and familiar. A personal narrative of rediscovery joined a narrative of exploitation: of Native Americans, of endangered salmon, of nuclear waste, and of a once-wild river now tamed to puddled remains. Part history, part memoir, part lament, "this is a brave and precise book," according to the New York Times Book Review. "It must not have been easy for Blaine Harden to find himself turning his journalistic weapons against his own heritage, but he has done the conscience of his homeland a great service." ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great book, great insight
Living just 80 miles south of the Columbia, Harden's book gave me an easy, detailed account of the history of the Columbia and the effects of electricity v. the life of beautiful salmon. Although Harden often blames locals for the decline in salmon, and at other times, the government, I found it to be a fair look at both sides of the story. Harden's forte is taking a Paul Harvey approach, telling the rest of the story behind the Columbia River. A great review of the pros and cons of hydroelectrics and the effects it has on not just the West Coast, but the whole nation. I learned that there is a hell of a lot of politics being played on the water. By the way, don't eat salmon, it tastes disgusting.

Readable and thought-provoking
Although the author probably is personally opposed to the dams on the Columbia, his vivid and respectful profiles of the different users of the river (the slackwater barge operator, the Indian tribe that lost its source of food when the river was dammed, the irrigation farmer, the windsurfing yuppie, the father and son who work on the Hanford cleanup) make us understand that no matter how this tricky issue is resolved, there will be a human cost. His recollection of growing up in Moses Lake, a town which owes its prosperity to the dams, adds even more credibility to his account.

Harden's device of telling the story in stages, as a trip down the river, is unobtrusive and keeps things interesting. This book will make you think and it will also treat you to some gorgeous descriptions of the Columbia.

So much good information
A full and complete modern history of the Columbia River. At times sad, always intriging. Harden has done an excellent job of combining interviews with research that makes an excellent read.

Highly recommmended.

Wonderful writing. Interesting points of view.
Once in a great while a book comes along that is so beautifully written, with stories so well told, that the subject matter seems secondary to the writer's ability to sustain interest. For me, with little interest in the northwest (I've been there twice), this was such a book. It is from Harden's exceptional skill as a writer and narrator of stories that the Columbia River suddenly became of great interest as I turned his pages.

"A River Lost" tells the story and history of the Columbia River and the environmental, economic and aesthetic impact of daming that river in the first half of the last century. Especially interesting are the stories and points of view of those who work and live on its shores, the fate of the native indians who have lived in the region for hundreds of years and the differences in culture between the Starbucks yuppies east of the Cascades and the blue collar workers so dependant on the water and its billions in federally subsidized benefits to the west.

Highly praised in reviews by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, the Village Voice, The Seattle Times and Publishers Weekly, it is a great read for the information, for the writing, for a piece of American history.

An eye opener.
I grew up in the Tri-Cities and spent the first 19 years of my life living just blocks away from the Columbia River and there was a lot of information told in this book that I never knew. Harden does a wonderful job of relating the history of the Columbia River and the effects that the many dams built on the river had on the land, the people, the nation, and the economy. I thoroughly enjoyed his story and felt he handled well the many issues important to preservationists, politicians, and farmers.

I recommend this to anyone who lives in the state of Washington and is interested in man's permanent effects on this land. ... Read more

Book Description

Idaho's Salmon River flows through the largest primitive region in the lower 48 states-- and area almost the size of the state of Ohio.Much of Salmon River country is a primitive as it was 200 years ago when Lewis and Clark explored the river's headwaters and concluded there had to be an easier route to the Pacific Ocean.Today, however, the "River of No Return" draws visitors and thrill seekers from all over the world to experience its natural beauty and its raging whitewater rapids.

Award-winning photographer Mark Lisk and writer Stephen Stuebner team up to present a colorful view of Salmon River Country and some of the hardy people who live and work along this famous waterway. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

With more than 100 superbly presented full color photographs
Flowing through the largest wilderness region in the lower 48 states, Idaho's Salmon River courses through an area almost the size of the state of Ohio. This region popularly called the "Salmon River Country" is pretty much the same as it was 200 years ago when Lewis and Clark explored the river's headwaters. Now photographer Mark Lisk has showcased the wild beauty of the river and some of the hardy people who live and work along this spectacular waterway in Salmon River Country. Enhanced with an informed and informative wilderness essay by Stephen Stuebner, Salmon River Country's more than 100 superbly presented full color photographs make paging through this coffeetable book a true and highly recommended treat for the armchair traveler and an inspiration for anyone to make their own excursion along one of the loveliest wilderness rivers America has to offer. ... Read more

Book Description

"A little river hiding itself among the hills," as Thomas Jefferson saw it from Monticello, the Rivanna flows along the base of Jefferson's "little mountain" on its way from the Blue Ridge to the James. What it may lack in length, volume, or majesty, the Rivanna makes up in its historic relationship to Jefferson, its vital role in the development of central Virginia, and its growing importance as nature's lifeline through one of North America's most beautiful regions. Mr. Jefferson's River, an authoritative history, tells the Rivanna's story from the earliest colonial commerce in dugout canoes, to the unique Virginia invention of the watercraft called "batteaux"-and the building of locks and dams-to the height of canal-building. The book relates the events it describes to fascinating ruins that can still be found along the Rivanna today, as told by authors who have walked and canoed the river's every mile. Part history and part survey, the book includes more than 100 full-color photographs. For the Virginian or the visitor who wishes to explore the first of the commonwealth's Scenic Rivers, and the first river to be named an American Treasure, Mr. Jefferson's River offers a truly comprehensive account. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Finding your way along the Mississippi
I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was easy to follow and kept my attention. The characters were beleivable and easy to relate to. I liked the fact that I was following the author along the Missippi and felt like I was actually there experiencing the events and learning about the river too. The book was funny at times and I found myself chuckling. The author has a nack for writing. I enjoyed this book immensely. It is a MUST READ. ... Read more

Book Description

The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is one of the most important natural areas protection programs ever established at the federal level. It has resulted in the creation of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System - a rich American legacy that includes many of our finest waterways. Written by one of the nation's leading river experts, this book is the definitive resource on the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Topics covered include:

• the importance of protecting river ecosystems
• state and local protection systems
• the history of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
• descriptions of each of the major rivers in the system
• how and why rivers are chosen for inclusion
• river management
• continuing threats to rivers
• what can be done to make the system more effective and more inclusive

"Invaluable information on river recreation and resource conservation." -Library Journal ... Read more