Book Description
For years Suzy Becker, author of The New York Times bestseller All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat, literally lived by her wits--her imagination, intelligence, ideas, passion. During much of that time she was also suffering seizures. But they came secretly in the middle of the night, and were probably stress-related, or so one doctor said. Then a seizure (and a second opinion) led to a round of specialists, Cat scans, MRIs, and-Suzy's worst fears come true--brain surgery.
An inspiring memoir, I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse? is a story of identity told with wise, surprising humor. It takes readers on a journey that's both metaphysical and whimsical; one that is by turns rivetingly dramatic and unexpectedly light. Illustrated with drawings, charts, newspaper clippings, silly graphs, and real EEGs and MRIs, I Had Brain Surgery . . . turns one artist's story into a universal book about creativity, family, healing, love, commitment, and that intangible something that gives each of us our spark.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read For The Patient, Friends, and Family.......2007-05-13
I bought this book for my best friend who has undergone both open cranium and Gamma Knife surgery for brain tumors and it was the best gift I could have given her. The book is a wonderfully crafted journey of the author's battle with not just a tumor but more importantly the journey of maintaining her identity as a writer, an artist, a daughter, a friend and not the pitiful person with a tumor growing inside her head. I gave this book to my friend only days after her first surgery, and though she struggled somewhat with her sight, she finished the book in only a few days. She brought it with her to her next visit with the neurosurgeon to make sure that he would recommend the book to the rest of his patients. What makes this book so remarkable is the craftmanship of the writing. Ms Becker weaves personal narrative with expository prose and punctuates the text with her brilliant cartoons and drawings. This book is a must read for anyone who is facing a difficult physical challenge and for those of us who stand beside our loved one along the journey.
Brain surgery book.......2007-05-09
My niece had brain surgery a year ago. We had a "brain" party on the one-year anniversary of her surgery. I gave her this book and she got a big kick out of it.
Funny and enlightening.......2007-04-11
I laughed out loud several times while reading this book. However, I was also intrigued by the medical story and the first-hand account of recovering from brain surgery - physically and emotionally. Becker's book should be read by people headed to brain surgery and their friends and families.
To the reviewer below - different surgeries result in different side effects.......2007-03-10
I haven't even read this book, but my sister has gone through 2 brain surgeries so far and her memory about them is WAY better then mine! It depends on where the tumor is and how much of the brain is involved. Don't judge the author - please review the book as that why I read the reviews!
Read like fiction.......2007-02-18
I had brain surgery and my short-term memory is gone. For Ms. Backer to remember all the things that she says she does is impossible. Anybody who reads this book and thinks they'll have a memory like her's after the operation, I can tell you now, that it will not happen.
One thing you will hear often from family and friends when having conversations about events that happened after the surgery is, "don't you remember".
To recall conversations word for word, it's not going to happen. She remembers to much.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2005. The length of the article is 2242 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Becker, S. (2004). I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse?: An Illustrated Memoir.(Book Review)
Author: Henry McCarthy
Publication:
Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 48
Issue: 4
Page: 245(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Did Ajax and Achilles ever suffer from Post-traumatic stress syndrome?
In this absorbing account, Vietnam veteran and classics scholar Lawrence A Tritle offers an incisive analysis of war and its impact upon the soldier and civilian from the classical age to the present day.
Tritle discusses the links between battlefield experiences that affect the participants and victims of war in every age, drawing examples from sources as diverse as the Iliad, Michael Herr's Dispatches, Thucydides' account of the Pelopenesian Wars, and the Oliver Stone film Platoon. Each instance sheds light on some of the most puzzling phemonena of war and shows how the heroes of epic responded to battle with their own forms of "shellshock," battle-madness and bonding. Tritle examines such issues as:
How can ordinarily decent men can commit acts of extraordinary savagery?
Attitudes toward the "enemy"
The impact of war on waiting wives, lovers and civilian bystanders
Remembering the fallen soldier: from the classic Athenian funeral speech to the Vietnam Wall
How veterans live with physical and psychological injury
This memorable book is for readers who wonder about the meaning and experience of battle, about the impact of war and violence on our culture, and for anyone interested in the culture of ancient Greece.
Customer Reviews:
A Much Needed Connection.......2002-02-01
With impeccable scholarship and remarkable insight, Lawrence Tritle has unearthed and exposed the history of the ordinarily unremarked trauma of war. While deaths are faithfully recorded and wounds usually obvious, the lasting effect of war on the remaining warriors and those close to them has only recently been examined. Shay's "Achilles in Vietnam" was the first to look back at the Illiad and draw a parallel between the "post traumatic stress disorder" found in Vietnam vets and the descriptions of the effect of the Trojan war on Achilles.
Lawrence Tritle has used the juxtaposition of a remote massacre in the Peloponnesian War and the massacre at My Lai some 2500 years later to connect the experience of Greek warriors such as the Spartan general Clearchus with Vietnam veterans to demonstrate that the emotional damage of war, while sometimes recognized, but usually quickly forgotten between wars, is universal.
This book is a great service to Vietnam veterans who can take some comfort that the battles they have fought within themselves have been fought by a long line of others before them, almost always in darkness and silence. For the historian this is a fresh view of war,well researched and analyzed An impressive achievement.
A failed attempt to compare two historical periods.......2001-06-26
I felt rather disappointed reading this book. I seems to me that the author failed in giving a convincing picture. His comparisons of the Vietmam experience and classical or Homeric Greece are either superficial or forced. I suppose that the book may attract persons more involved in the Vietnam affair than I but I am convinced that this is caused by the Vietnam experience and not by the comparisons with classical Greece.
"The Truth of War Shines a Blinding Light".......2001-06-23
"From Melos To My Lai: Violence, Culture and Survival" explores the relationship between combat experiences recorded from antiquity to the present day, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of the ancient Greeks during their various conquests and those of Americans during the Vietnam War. Through his comprehensive research, Dr. Lawrence A. Tritle provides compelling evidence confirming that "shell shock" and "combat fatigue" were present in ancient civilization and long before the condition was recognized as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Because I am a veteran myself, and have worked professionally in the field of Trauma and PTSD for most of my adult life, I am often puzzled at the claims of those disputing the authenticity of war's psychological effects. What does not surprise me is that the majority of these claims are frequently made by individuals who are neither combat veterans nor mental health professionals. Even more disturbing is the idea that somehow our veterans suffering from PTSD warrant less recognition for their combat induced psychological wounds then those that received a battle related physical injury. In "Melos to My Lai," Tritle works valiantly to dispel any myth that PTSD is somehow a fabrication of sympathy seeking Vietnam veterans.
Although it has been called by many other names throughout the ages (Combat Fatigue, War Neurosis, Delayed Stress, etc.), there is no doubt that PTSD is indeed an ugly reality of war. The following information on PTSD among Vietnam War veterans is taken from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Survey (NVVRS, 1990) report and provided by the National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD): "The estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD among American Vietnam theater veterans is 30.9% for men and 26.9% for women. An additional 22.5% of men and 21.2% of women have had partial PTSD at some point in their lives. Thus more than half of all male Vietnam veterans and almost half of all female Vietnam veterans - About 1,700,000 Vietnam veterans in all - have experienced "clinically serious stress reaction symptoms." 15.2% of all male Vietnam theater veterans (479,000 out of 3,140,000 men who served in Vietnam) and 8.1% of all female Vietnam theater veterans (610 out of 7,200 women who served in Vietnam) are current cases of PTSD (Current means 1986-88 when the Survey was conducted)."
The NVVRS report also contains these figures on other PTSD related (or comorbidity) problems of Vietnam veterans: 40% of Vietnam theater veteran men have been divorced at least once (10% had two or more divorces), 14.1% report high levels of martial problems, and 23.1% have high levels of parental problems. Almost half [of male Vietnam theater veterans currently suffering from PTSD] had been arrested or in jail at least once - 34.2% more than once - and 11.5% had been convicted of a felony. The estimated lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse or dependence among male theater veterans is 39.2%. Keeping this, and numerous other comparable studies in mind, it is not hard to correlate the experience of war to the behavioral reactions of our returning veterans.
As for the question of cross-cultural diagnostic validity with regards to PTSD, I believe the author makes clear parallels between the two cultures examined in the text. Tritle successfully shows how timeless human adaptation to extreme stress really is. Although the diagnostic criteria for PTSD listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) needs to be continuously and carefully weighed against cultural considerations, we know that there are no doubt certain elements innate to human behavior.
If you recall, Shakespeare eluded to human behavioral syncronicity when in his work, "The Merchant of Venice," the character Shylock explains: "If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that." If Shakespeare and Shylock are correct in saying that we as humans do share these seemingly cross-cultural indubitable characteristics, why then is it difficult to suppose that like other mental disorders such as schizophrenia or depression, that PTSD could not have existed in the ancient world as well?
From Melos to My Lai, is an intimate look at war and its timeless affect on human nature. Drawing from sources like those of the Athenian historian Thucydides to Homer's,Iliad, Michael Herr's, Dispatches and films like Platoon, Tritle has afforded the reader with a remarkably accurate glimpse into the mind of the combatant, as well as the many innocent victims of war over the centuries. Tritle provides a unique approach to the study of war focusing little on the history of tactics, battles and campaigns. Instead, the principle concern of the book is to show "how societies sustain conflict and violence for prolonged periods, and how the experience of surviving that violence ripples through societies and cultures from one generation to the next."
From the impact of war on waiting wives, lovers and civilian bystanders, to how ordinarily decent men commit acts of extraordinary savagery, Tritle discusses the human response to extreme stress (PTSD) and violence in every age. From Melos to My Lai is a must read for anyone interested in the impact of emotional and physical trauma on the human mind, or for those merely curious about the plain truth regarding the costs of war. Most importantly, the work is an essential resource for the professional working to treat those that suffer with the consequences of violence.
A compelling look at the experience of war.......2000-09-05
I recently read a book review in a liberal magazine that suggested that "heroism" in future wars would be displayed by "soldiers" typing away at keyboards, protected by distance from physical harm. Naturally, that magazine did not publish my letter disputing its view. That someone could publish such stupidity suggests that the truth about the nature of state-organized military violence has disappeared from the consciousness of certain sections of the American public in the 3 decades since the end of American participation in the Vietnam War.
Of course, "the truth", whatever it is, may have already been hidden from Americans during the Vietnam War. Or, it may be hidden from protected "civilians" - like me - for all time. Which is why I found this book, which examines parallels in personal experience in the Vietnam War and Classical and Homeric Greek soldiers fighting over 2 thousand years ago, so interesting.
The author's stated purpose for writing this book is "to show how the experience of surviving [sustained conflict and violence] for prolonged periods, and how the experience of surviving that violence ripples through societies and cultures from one generation to the next". Most of the book consists of comparisons between the military and civilian experience of war as revealed in historical writing and plays produced by Homeric and Classical Greeks, and history books, novels, and movies about Vietnam. The comparisons are intermixed with some of the author's own combat experiences in Vietnam. Using this material the author attempts to show that the secret life of those who have been exposed to violence is very similar through the ages. Certainly anyone with an interest in warfare in ancient Greece and modern military history will find this interesting material. I think the author makes his case, at least as far as the existence of strong parallels between Classical Greek and American experiences of war. But possibly he overstates his case when he argues for the ubiquitous of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among both Greek and American war veterans.
One problem is that the author appears too willing to accept what appear to me to be exaggerated claims about the post-war toll of the Vietnam War on American servicemen. For example, he writes that suicide has claimed "from ten to one hundred thousand Vietnam veterans" and cites without criticism a newspaper story that 300,000 veterans became hobos. The later number is especially suspect, since less than 4 million Americans actually served in Vietnam, most in non-combat roles. Another problem is that the nature of PTSD itself is a poorly defined psychological condition, the nature and even existence of which is still subject to considerable argument. A third problem is that even if the PTSD occurred frequently in Vietnam and existed in ancient Greece, that doesn't mean it would necessarily exist across all cultures.
So, having just complained about the book in the last paragraph, why do I give it a 4 star rating? Because the historical parallels the author cites are compelling evidence for the existence of similar responses to war over thousands of years. And because the book made me think about the Vietnam War experience, something I have avoided for 30 years. (While I was in the US Army during the war, I never served overseas.) After reading Dr. Tritle's book, I have purchased several other books relating to aspects of the post Vietnam War experience, including "Stolen Valor", and "Trauma; a Genealogy", and pulled out my copy of "Achilles in Vietnam" for re-reading. Any book which makes you want to read more books on the same topic is a good book.
Amazon.com
This is a first-rate detective story--and all true. It's the story of a seemingly invincible electronic thief, con man, and stalker--and the people who tracked him down. Jonathan Littman brings his readers straight into the world of cyberpunk crime as he shows the origins, development, and climax of the wildest and most audacious known crime spree in cyberspace. Hundreds of hours of interviews allow Littman to tell much of the story through the eyes of those who lived it, and his own edgy style and excellent pacing make for a thriller that's hard to put down.
Book Description
This is a first-rate detective story--and all true. It's the story of a seemingly invincible electronic thief, con man, and stalker--and the people who tracked him down. Jonathan Littman brings his readers straight into the world of cyberpunk crime as he shows the origins, development, and climax of the wildest and most audacious known crime spree in cyberspace. Hundreds of hours of interviews allow Littman to tell much of the story through the eyes of those who lived it, and his own edgy style and excellent pacing make for a thriller that's hard to put down.
Customer Reviews:
Great read!.......2007-07-25
Computer security is not only part of my job, but a bit of a hobby of mine, so I love reading books like this. This book was fun to read and I read it in pretty much one night. This is a rare feat for me... I barely ever read books in one night, much less a few nights. So that should tell you how much fun the book was to read.
The reason for 4 stars instead of 5? 1) It only comes in a hard cover instead of a paper back? At least, I couldn't find a paper back anywhere! 2) It's obvious (and Poulsen has commented on this) that the author has made up some things that Kevin said or did. However, this is obviously to keep the book interesting and make for a better read... So, don't take everything that the author says to heart, but the underlying story is still pretty much what happened from what I understand and have found to be true, anyway.
Great read, thrilling, exciting and fun. If you like stories about computers, security and hackers.
a decent read but woefully inaccurate.......2006-11-09
I had Kevin for dinner on 1 July 1999. It seems he was about to marry my wife's first cousin, who--at the time--was an attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Neither was I impressed by Kevin's putative depth of knowledge, nor did he indicate that this book bore the least relationship to his exploits. I was just disappointed all around. I believe my wife made her Polynesian meatballs.
An absorbing story..........2006-10-19
Jonathan Littman's The Watchman is well written and engaged me enough to read it in one sitting. I wanted for some time to learn more about Kevin Poulsen having heard about some of the exploits attributed to him. This story accomplishes that in a compelling way and manages to be pertinent years later. This is required reading for anyone wishing to know the darker side of the hacker sub-culture, about Kevin Poulsen, Ron Austin or Justin Petersen and some of their creative mischief and crimes.
The ultimate hacker - a true crime story.......2006-07-22
If you like true crime stories, this one is for you. I wont try and debate the truth of the book, (it's a controversial subject)because I dont know the truth. But I know this is a good story, even if there are a few fabrications here and there.
I am a computer geek at heart, so I especially loved this book. But even my non-technical girlfriend loved it, it's a great story.
The storytelling in this book is magnificent, you really get a feel for his personality right off the bat, and the story is filled with excitement and suspense, and pardon the cliche, is impossible to put down. The first time I picked up the book, I sat and read it to the end, despite my best efforts to walk away from it.
The imagery is great, and you start to feel a closeness and sympathy for Kevin, and you forget at the time he was a criminal. You hope he doesn't get caught, and cringe when he does. You watch him do well, and slip, like an addict who can't take control, and you start to feel an understanding of what it was like for him.
Overall, I would say from a technical standpoint, it's a great read. From a true crime perspective, great read as well. Good all around book that's entertaining from start to finish.
An inside look at hacker culture.......2005-04-25
I had no idea who Kevin Poulson was when I picked up this book. All I knew was that I wanted to read a book which dealt with computer hackers and this book had been recommended to me by a friend of mine. Suffice to say I was not disappointed.
Littman writes a compelling story about Kevin Poulson, who is perhaps the second best known hacker in North America best Kevin Mitnick. And what makes this book such an interesting read is that it is a modern day, and real life, version of the Fugitive. But unlike the Fugitive, Kevin is hunted to tapping in to phone systems and learning much more about the telephone networks than the average, non-telco employee, should be allowed to.
The book is filled with first hand accounts and funny anecdotes of the escapades that Kevin and some of his company managed to pull off. After reading the book, I was left scratching my head in disbelief. It was almost as if the feats Kevin was able to accomplish were too good to be true. But in the end, that's what makes this book so great.
Customer Reviews:
I am a Marine Biologist and this is the best book for the West Coast - Period!!.......2007-02-23
This is a timeless classic, very readable as the author puts you in a place (rocky intertidal or a mudflat) and then describes the animals you will see. It is written with a wise eye and wry humor. The long lived sea anemone in Scotland that was done in after 80 some years by the "ineptitude of (we suspect) a botanist".
It is more specific to central California, but still useful in Southern Calif and the northern coast as well.
A timeless classic.......2005-11-27
This is an amazing book. It was a landmark in its time, and is still useful today.
A Slightly Defaced Masterpiece.......2004-08-18
This book, as it was written, is a masterpiece of natural history. It is a contribution to humanistic biology that has style and description that is uncrippled by the invidious academic flatulence of the professional "scientist". It makes no pretensions. It was written by a man fascinated by the tidal seashore and the animals found therein. Read it and read it well.
Then read "Beyond the Outer Shores" by Eric Enno Tamm an unconventional biography of Ricketts that does full justice to the man and the myths.
Having gone through these impressive volumes I hope you will join me in despising Stanford University Press for what they did to Ricketts before his death and for allowing David Phillips to desecrate his memory in Edition Five.
Still & always the classic.......2003-07-13
This is probably THE serious book to have if one is going to immerse oneself in the California intertidal. Originally produced by Ed Ricketts (of Steinbeck/Cannery Row/Log From The Sea Of Cortez fame) the book has been upgraded, revised, re-edited by a plethora of "co-authors" since Ricketts' untimely death. It still retains much of Ricketts' then-revolutionary Habitat focus, which will either work for you (it does for me) or annoy the hard-core systematists out there. This ISN'T a light book to lug into the field or a light book to read -if you are just day-tripping The UC Press has a number of smaller & more accessibly illustrated field guides that I would reccomend, But if you are seriously into mmarine Bio and have some time on your hands along the California Coastline, you owe it to yourself to get this book. Even here on the Coast of Maine and twenty years removed from the West I still fid myself referring to it...
The standard field guide for the Pacific Coast of the USA.......1999-05-19
I can't believe that someone else has not reviewed this excellent guide to the intertidal biota of the Pacific Coast. This book has set the standard for reference guides to marine life along the Pacific Coast, as well as other locations. It is much more than a field guide -- though it also serves that role. This book describes the intertidal zonation patterns of the Pacific Coast as well as the ecology and aspects of the natural history of the organisms that live there. The book contains good taxonomic references as well. This is the book that many of the country's marine scientists cut their professional teeth on. If you are interested in marine biology, the diversity of life, or the ecology of nearshore habitats, this book is definitely for you. The main strength of the book is the logical organization by type of habitat and vertical elevation on the intertidal zone. The main challenge of a book like this is to remain up to date, which the publisher has managed by producing revised editions on regular basis. This book is a must for any field or arm chair marine naturalist!
Book Description
A fascinating world, filled with mystifying colors, textures, and hundreds of exotic life forms, exists practically in the shadows of the skyscrapers of coastal cities. Hidden and seemingly unknown, this intertidal marine world is inhabited by some of nature's most beautiful and interesting creatures. All of this is easily accessible to anyone interested in learning about this special environment, even beginning explorers and young children. Life Between The Tides can be the key to opening this world, even from the comfort of home.
Life Between The Tides is not only an excellent full color tidepool field guide, it is also a resource for students and anyone interested in marine life. In addition to descriptions and color photos of the intertidal marine inhabitants in their natural habitats, sections also describe the intertidal environment, scientific nomenclature, and species interrelations. A special section describes how the reader, with no special equipment, can "explore the intertidal" and experience firsthand the remarkable array of colors, shapes, sizes, and activities of the life forms. The purpose of the book is to help satisfy the curiosity of those interested in the marine animals and plants living "between the tides." All of the photos are with the relevant text, so the reader does not have to flip back and forth between descriptions and color photos. Life Between The Tides is currently being used extensively as a text in Marine Biology and Marine Ecology courses in colleges throughout California.
Customer Reviews:
I Love It, I Love It, I Love It, I Love It, I Love It,.......2004-02-17
This book is great. Take it to the tide pools with you and look up the sea creatures you see. It will tell you what the animal is called and tell you about it. This is a great book for presents for people who love sea creatures. Jeff Brandon worked hard finding the creatures in their natural habitat, to take pictures of that sea creature. You will love this book. It is great to use for learning about the sea creatures in the ocean and at the tide pools. You will have a great time learning about the sea creatures. You will defiantly love this book.
Book Description
Maybe you simply enjoy walking along the beach, searching the wrack line and exploring tidepools. Or you fish or hunt in salt marshes and estuaries and are interested in all that surrounds you. Perhaps you're involved in a closer look as an educator or volunteer along the coast.
Here's a beautifully illustrated little field guide that will help you identify and learn about the plants and animals of the intertidal zone. Written for the University of Maine's Sea Grant program by Jill Fegley, John Moring, and Les Watling, it's a fact-filled resource, arranged for easy identification, covering habitats, invertebrates, fishes, and marine plants. Andrea Sultzer's pen-and-ink drawings, carefully done from live specimens, are finely detailed works of art!
Book Description
The scene of a childhood tragedy that forced her family to move, Seaboro, South Carolina, is the last place Catherine Leary wants to see again. But her father's last wish to have his ashes scattered there, and his young colleague's desire to write an article about him, conspire against Catherine. Hoping to stop her family's secrets from being exposed, she travels to her once-beloved Lowcountry town-and embarks on a poignant trip into the past...a journey that might lead her into a new life of love, forgiveness, and self-discovery.
Customer Reviews:
Love finding this new author.......2007-07-20
Between the Tides is my first novel by Patti Callahan Henry--and it won't be the last. I intend to devour them all. Her novels are `real life' stories with fully developed characters with problems experienced by many of us at one time or another. Her prose is lyrical and so vivid you actually visualize her settings and can smell the air and sea of the low country of South Carolina. I found myself rereading passages because they were so beautiful or because I found them profound in their simplicity.
Catherine Leary's father died and his last request was that his ashes be scattered in the Seaboro River in South Carolina. The last place Catherine wants to visit is her hometown and the Seaboro River. At age twelve her life changed following an accident she has always felt responsible for--and she doesn't want to revisit the intense pain.
Forrest Anderson, Catherine's former boyfriend and friend of her professor father, is writing a tribute to Catherine's father. To get a better feel of him and his life, Forrest intends to travel to Seaboro. Catherine doesn't want Forrest to expose her personal tragedy and accompanies him to her hometown in order to control his information.
The journey becomes more than Catherine anticipated as she learns things about her family, their friends and herself that she never knew. And along the way she reconnects with the life she loved and left and learns to love and forgive herself and others.
Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended!
warm character study .......2007-06-11
In Seaboro, South Carolina twelve year old Catherine "Cappy" Leary plays with the neighbors especially thirteen year old Boyd Loughlin. That is until Boyd's two year old brother Sam accidentally dies. Cappy blames herself after overhearing Boyd tells his mother she was watching Sam. At that time she did not know it, but her childhood ended; she did believe no good thing will come her way for the negligence death of little Sam.
Nine months have passed since her father died, but Catherine has failed to complete his final request. However, her father's protégé Forrest Anderson informs her he plans to honor her father in a memorial article he is writing. Catherine fears what he will learn in Seaboro so on her thirtieth birthday she returns to Seaboro for the first time since the tragedy that traumatized her. Her goals are to honor her late father by scattering his ashes as he requested and to prevent Forrest from revealing Leary family secrets though deep down in her soul she would not mind making new secrets with him.
BETWEEN THE TIDES is a warm character study of a woman that has spent two-thirds of her life believing her negligence led to the tragic death of infant Sam. and that led her to conclude that she is worthless. Her return to Seaboro to accomplish her two missions provides Cappy with an opportunity for a renewal of her spirit and a second chance to live life to the fullest and not in the shadows. Readers will enjoy this fine tale as the lead protagonist after eighteen years at ebb tide is relearning to enjoy the waves.
Harriet Klausner
Average customer rating:
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Porcher's Creek: Lives Between the Tides
John Leland
Manufacturer: University of South Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Rural Life
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Rivers
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ASIN: 1570034575 |
Book Description
"Columbus knew no greater thrill than I, a ten-year-old discovering new creeks and branches and islands and mainland hideaways. . . . I resolved to make my living as an explorer and said so in school when we were all asked what we planned to do upon our growing up."
John Leland lived a Huckleberry Finn sort of boyhood that most children would envy. A fifth-generation lowcountry native, he grew up fishing, swimming, and hunting arrowheads on a tidal creek just north of Charleston, South Carolina. With admirable freedom, he poled his bateau through the maze of oyster banks and the tangle of salt waterways known as Porcher's Creek. He spent years learning where the conchs congregated, where the clams kept secret rendezvous, and which hole hid the sweetest crabs. He became a naturalist by studying heron, frogs, and porpoises. Leland's existence was so intertwined with Porcher's Creek that he lived, slept, and ate by its tides and seasons--until exiled by family misfortune and suburban encroachment.
Leland combines nature writing and reminiscence with a heartfelt examination of change along the South Carolina coast. He celebrates Porcher's Creek as a watery refuge that links him to his childhood and ancestry, weaving together his family's story with that of the creek. He chronicles both the geographic dispersal of his family and the abandonment of traditional lowcountry ways of life.
Leland takes his readers back to a time not so long ago, before golf courses, concrete, and speedboats transformed Porcher's Creek. With eloquence and humor, he dissects the life histories of its creatures--fiddler crabs, alligators, marsh hens, and more--and threads through the narrative of his own life history as he grew up in the shadow of a father who was larger than life. On the surface a nature-lover's elegy, Porcher's Creek is in fact Leland's treatise on mankind's ambiguous place in the natural world.
Average customer rating:
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Between the Tides
Fran Hodgkins
Manufacturer: Down East Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0892727276 |
Book Description
What happens to the denizens of the tidal zone when the sea recedes? This is the question that award-winning author Fran Hodgkins answers in a playful yet instructive way. Children are introduced to crabs, sea urchins, mussels, starfish, lobsters, periwinkles, and other creatures that must adapt to constantly changing conditions. Using vibrant colors and true-to-life detail, illustrator Jim Sollers documents the survival techniques used by these varied citizens of the shoreline.
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Seashore Life Between the Tides
William Crowder
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0486268179 |
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