First Light: Acadia National Park and Maine's Mount Desert Island

First Light: Acadia National Park and Maine's Mount Desert Island
Average customer rating:

Great book for the photographer visiting Maine

Beautiful!

First Light: Acadia National Park and Maine's Mount Desert Island
Charles R. Tyson Jr.
Manufacturer: Westcliffe Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
New England | United States | Travel | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Nature Writing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Park Loop Road

The Photographer's Guide to the Maine Coast: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them

Acadia: The Complete Guide: Mt. Desert Island & Acadia National Park

Seasons of Maine

Maine: The Seasons

ASIN: 1565794729

Customer Reviews:

Great book for the photographer visiting Maine.......2006-02-25

I took this book with me last month when our camera club went on a January trip to Acadia National Park. The photography is outstanding and inspirational to say the least! We visited many of the places shown in this book and were able to take wonderful pictures ourselves. This book inspires one to visit Acadia at any time of the year and I highly recommend it to any photographer or persons who are planning a visit to Mount Dessert Island.

Beautiful!.......2003-06-20

This book is superb. Packed with spectacular photography and interesting essays regarding Mount Desert Island's history, geography, and ecology. The print quality is first rate; kudos to the publisher. A very inspiring volume which reminds us how important it is to have places like Mount Desert Island and Acadia. Highly recommended from a resident of Maine.

The Photographer's Guide to the Maine Coast: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them

Average customer rating:

We'll See...
This book was the BEST!
Good guidebook
You'll come home with prize winning photos!

The Photographer's Guide to the Maine Coast: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them
David Middleton , Bruce H. Morrison , and Bruce Morrison
Manufacturer: Countryman Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Reference | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Still Life | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Maine Lighthouses Map & Guide
The Photographer's Guide to Vermont: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them
The Park Loop Road
Maine's Most Scenic Roads (Traveler's Guides)
Acadia: The Complete Guide: Mt. Desert Island & Acadia National Park

ASIN: 0881505358

Book Description

A comprehensive how-to/where-to guide to photographing more than 100 sites along the coast of Maine.

From dramatic rocky beaches and austere lighthouses to quiet harbors filled with lobster boats, tourists flock from around the world to photograph Maine's coastline. This book, written by two veteran photographers, tells you exactly where to go and how to go about shooting these "picture-perfect" places.

Directions to each site (including detailed maps), seasonal timing, places to eat and stay, and photographic tips accompany each site location, in addition to appendices featuring the authors' favorite places to photograph and tips on digital photography. Whether you want to capture close-up images of seaside flora and fauna or an old lobster boat to create your own postcard, this book will take you where you need to go. 60 full-color Photos, 15 maps, appendices.

Customer Reviews:

We'll See..........2006-03-16

My wife and I are planning our vacation to Maine for late Summer '06. We enjoyed the book, pictures, and suggestions for "great pictures."
We'll see how it goes!

This book was the BEST!.......2005-09-27

We followed his book to the letter and a great book with valuable infomation. Would recommend this book for anyone traveling to Maine and who likes Lighthouses. Wonderful and helpful tips.

Good guidebook.......2005-09-07

This is a good guidebook. It has enough detail/description to allow one to rationally select "likely sites" without being overpowering. However, there are an number of annoying editing errors present. (For example, every time the text reads "this place is 0.05 mile beyond that place", what's really meant is "0.5 mile". This is wrong in every place it's mentioned!)

You'll come home with prize winning photos!.......2004-05-30

David Middleton and Bruce Morrison have created a very insightful guide to coastal Maine photographic "hot spots". I am a professional photographer based in Maine, and while I am quite familiar with most of the places mentioned in this book I was pleasantly surprised to find out about others I had overlooked or was not aware of. (I also have a few secret spots of my own that did not crop up in the book..thankfully... but that's what makes this fun - a guidebook is best put to use as a springboard for further exploration.)

Photographers who live in Maine or are planning to visit coastal Maine will find much to enjoy here. You couldn't ask for a better resource. Even non-photographer types would do well to mine the gems of this book for general sightseeing and hiking tips.
Middleton and Morrison put you smack dab in the middle of great photo opportunities. A bit of a warning here: after you get a copy of this book you will feel a sudden and intense urge to be out on the Maine coast with your camera.

Amazon.com

History forgets the small and powerless. It is to South African historian and journalist Charles Van Onselen's credit that he has remembered one of them in a sprawling biography: an illiterate black South African tenant farmer who lived out his days under apartheid. The existence of Kas Maine (1894-1985) had hitherto been formally acknowledged only in official state records, and then only once, for having been arrested in 1931 for not having a license for his pet dog. From that sketchy base Van Onselen creates a powerful life study of a man who lived as best as he could under the most trying circumstances. But he does much more than that: he reinforces Maine's story with a long and fluent account of South African history in the last century.

Book Description

Winner of the Sunday Times (South Africa) Alan Paton Award for Nonfiction
Winner of the Herskovitz Award from the African Studies Association.

'The seed is mine. The ploughshares are mine. The span of oxen is mine. Everything is mine. Only the land is their's.'--Kas Maine

A bold and innovative social history, The Seed Is Mine concerns the disenfranchised blacks who did so much to shape the destiny of South Africa. After years of interviews with Kas Maine and his neighbors, employers, friends, and family--a rare triumph of collaborative courage and dedication--Charles van Onselen has re-created the entire life of a man who struggled to maintain his family in a world dedicated to enriching whites and impoverishing blacks, while South Africa was tearing them apart.

Customer Reviews:

Learn more from one man's life than from any history book.......1998-09-02

The daily life of Kas Maine over 90 odd years on the high veldt of South Africa says more about the history of that part of the world than all the history books and newspaper articles and military actions that could ever be recounted. I felt as though I myself had lived those same 90 years, breathed the dust, lost my crops, driven my livestock from farm to farm trying to find sharecropping work, put up and taken down my corregated metal shack, been hounded by bureaucrats, maintained my dignity and kept my family together against incredible odds. Although the place names and indigenous family names were difficult and their abundance presumed some familiarity with South Africa, I learned to visualize rather than pronounce them, and they became like one of Kas's stony fields in the story and I liked the "rough footing." A unique experience in book form.

A gripping look at an ordinary man........1997-11-07

I have been taking my time with this book, savouring it while I can. The rhythms of the prose and the world it describes are so seductive, that I have often found myself reading "just a few more pages" at 3AM despite having to get up for work the next day. If you wish to have a sense of what life in rural South Africa was like over the past century, I can't think of a better book (or any other book for that matter). Kas was an exceptionally gifted farmer, a traditional herbalist and healer, and a patriarch who struggled against the almost impossible odds of being a black man in South Africa. As the insanity of apartheid took hold, he and his family were forced to move from place to place, his dreams of agricultural success and land ownership gradually eroding. Yet the book also portrays the rich, multicultural environment of the Transvaal, the varied relationships between Blacks, Boers, Englishmen, Jews and Asians; the shift from a paternalistic but, in many ways more egalitarian society to a racist police state. Kas is a complex man: wise, cruel, patient, tender, pragmatic, apolitical, opportunist, and honourable. The portrayals of his relationships with his ever expanding family are as complex and engaging as one could wish from a fine novel. Van Onselen makes no apologies for him: he simply gives us the man and, above all his humanity. Perhaps his greatest achievement with this book is in bridging the gap between the Western reader and an illiterate African farmer, in underlining our human commonalities rather than our differences. Despite occasional passages that are a tad purple, the author's prose is clear and flowing. He manages to make the ebb and flow of the seasons with their triumphs, tragedies, and ignominies absolutely gripping. I never thought that I could be enthralled by descriptions of the complexities of plowing and harvesting, or the purchase of agricultural equipment, but I was. No it's not too long as the reviewer in the New York Times claimed. In fact one often wishes that one could know more about this extraordinary yet very ordinary man.

A celebration of a "real" life.......1997-06-18

I was fascinated throughout. Sounds and looks "dry" when you see it on the shelf, but so full of juicy bits that make his life very real. You cheer for him when he manages to think his way around the obstacles that apartheid and his own nature put in his way and you are continually forced to confront the "What would I have done here?" question.

Yes, it is long. But when you are through you want to know still more. What has happened to the rest of the family since the book was published? What was the effect of those years of scrutiny on their "real" lives?

I stared at the pictures and studied the faces. I have been selectively pushing the book on all the thoughtful people I know. It wakes up your brain.

Average customer rating:

Great Family Night Reading for all ages!
VERY funny and entertaining read-aloud!!
VERY funny and entertaining read-aloud!!
Great read for kids and parents alike.

Stories from the Old Squire's Farm
C. A. Stephens
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Sailing on the Ice: And Other Stories from the Old Squire's Farm

ASIN: 1558533346

Book Description

Written one hundred years ago, this collection of rich tales follows the lives of six young children living in rural Maine after the Civil War. "Some of the very best stories of New England life and character that have ever been written." -- Hartford Daily Courant

Customer Reviews:

Great Family Night Reading for all ages!.......2003-06-19

My family has read these stories aloud to our children for three generations. Since the 1st edition of these stories is long ago out of print, it was great to see that a new compilation of these stories was published. Now we all can have a copy of these wonderfully funny stories to give to our children, instead of fighting over the scarce old copies!

VERY funny and entertaining read-aloud!!.......2003-01-08

I had never heard of C. A. Stephens until this book was given to me (thanks, Stuart!). I suspect the book is best consumed as a read-aloud. The book is packed with stories, and much to my surprise, almost every one of them is quite funny! After reading this book, two new entities were permanantly added to our family culture: "Vermifuge" and "Master Lurvey".

VERY funny and entertaining read-aloud!!.......2003-01-08

I had never heard of C. A. Stephens until this was given to me (thanks, Stuart!). I suspect the book is best consumed as a read-aloud. It is packed with stories, and much to my surprise, almost every one of them is quite funny! After reading this, two new entities were permanantly added to our family culture: "Vermifuge" and "Master Lurvey".

Great read for kids and parents alike........1999-11-21

This notable book is a compilation of stories based on the life of an extended family living on a Maine farm in the mid 19th century. It gives a rare glimpse into life at that time. Our family felt that it was in the same league as the Little Britches and Little House series. It's a great book for outloud family reading.

While You're Here Doc: Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian

Average customer rating:

Animal Lovers Are In For A Treat
Wonderful, a great addition to my collection!
Wonderful Book!
While You're Here Doc: Farmyard Adventure of a Maine Veternarian

While You're Here Doc: Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian
Bradford B. Brown
Manufacturer: Tilbury House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Just One More Thing, Doc
No Dogs in Heaven? Scenes from the Life of a Country Veterinarian
True Confessions of a Veterinarian: An Unconditional Love Story
Fields and Pastures New: My First Year as a Country Vet
A Country Practice : Scenes from the Veterinary Life

ASIN: 0884482790

Book Description

Veterinarian Brad Brown never knew what to expect when he was called out to a farm to deal with a sick cow or an injured horse. Invariably the cash-strapped farmer would say, "While you're here, Doc" and rattle off a list of surprise medical chores that weren't part of the original call. But whether he was trying to geld a spooked stallion in a blizzard or found himself in the middle of an all-out fracas involving a monkey's abscessed tooth and a shotgun, Dr. Brown took it in stride, with great affection for his four-legged patients as well as his two-legged clients. James Herriot, Baxter Black, and E. B. White rolled into one and wearing rubber boots, Brad Brown gives us a wonderful set of stories from the life of a country vet.

Customer Reviews:

Animal Lovers Are In For A Treat.......2006-08-21

I discovered this book from a review in the Maine Sunday Telegram. "Small farms and their close, personal way of living... come alive for us in Brown's humorous, compassionate stories of struggling farm life."
You get first-hand accounts of the doc trying to save an ox that's choking on a too large potato or rescuing a cow from a love-struck moose. It's all told with enthusiasm and wry humor.

Wonderful, a great addition to my collection!.......2006-07-15

I highly recommend this book. It belongs in my collection along with all my James Herriot books! It is heartwarming and very funny. Also, Dr. Brown explains certain animal diseases and conditions in an down to earth, easy to understand way. I am a farmer and I found that I understand several diseases of our animals even better now. I only wish the book was longer. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it and I was very sorry to get to the last page. I wanted to read more of those wonderful animal stories. I would like to thank Dr. Brown for writing such a great book, and I sure hope he considers writing another one.

Wonderful Book!.......2006-07-06

I'm so glad I bought this book! I have read it twice...bet you can't read it just once. Get a copy it is great for all ages!

While You're Here Doc: Farmyard Adventure of a Maine Veternarian.......2006-03-21

This book is such a great read, full of humor and amazing life experience! Doctor Brown has a genius sense of humor and a wonderful heart. This book will have you laughing out loud but it is also an intelligent peek at the life of a very gifted man. Don't pass this book up, get a copy for everyone you know and get it in your libraries!

Average customer rating:

That Yankee Cat:: The Maine Coon
Excellent book-excellent cats
Miss the mark
Great Photos
That Yankee Cat: The Maine Coon

That Yankee Cat: The Maine Coon
Marilis Hornidge
Manufacturer: Tilbury House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Maine Coon Cats (Complete Pet Owner's Manual)
Main Coon Cat (Pet Love)
This Is the Maine Coon Cat
How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want
The Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook

ASIN: 088448243X

Book Description

"Do Maine Coon cats have snowshoe feet?"
"What ever happened to rust-colored Coon cats?"
"Are Coon cats related to raccoons?"
"But really, what is a Maine Coon cat?"

With humor and wisdom, Marilis Hornidge has answered these and other oddly difficult questions in That Yankee Cat, the best reference guide to the first truly American breed--the Maine Coon cat. This newest revised edition includes up-to-date breeding facts, new stories, old legends, color photos, and other information essential to anyone who has fawned over a cat with ear tufts, a neck ruff, "britches," or a glorious banner-like tail. You'll also find an updated appendix listing a variety of additional resources about the Maine Coon, and a comprehensive manual of cat care helpful to any cat owner, no matter what breed they fancy.

Customer Reviews:

That Yankee Cat:: The Maine Coon.......2007-07-04

We recently purchased a Maine Coon kitten and found this book to be very informative. It has given us not only information for the care of our kitten, but gave us background info and info on what to expect as our kitten grows. I highly recommend this book to anyone who owns or is considering getting a Maine Coon.

Excellent book-excellent cats.......2007-03-11

This book was very informative for Maine Coon owners and lovers. The history and background of this breed was informative and impressive in detail. Maine Coon owners will learn a lot and give them more to admire in their very special cats. A winner of a book.

Miss the mark.......2006-03-06

I bought this book due to the great reviews given by readers, but I cannot see what they are so excited about (Maybe they were the author's friends). The photographs are really poor (blurred, poorly lit) and only a few are in colour. I would have expected at least a clear description (with images) of the different colours Maine Coons available, but again here were only written descriptions. The text runs on an on with no apparent point to make. This was clearly written for purple haired ladies who attend cat shows and go on and on about standards, not a cat enthusiast who would like to learn and appreciate a specific breed.

Great Photos.......2005-08-28

A wonderful reference book on Maine Coon cats. I loved learning so much about this breed.

That Yankee Cat: The Maine Coon.......2003-08-10

A thorough definition of this spectacular breed, is brilliantly explained by this author. This book confirms for me, what I already believed. The Maine Coon breed is SMART SMART SMART (but not snobbish)!

Average customer rating:

excellent
This book changed my yard
great trivia
I Thoroughly Enjoyed This FUN, Backyard Ecology Book!
Extremely Interesting!

Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn
Hannah Holmes
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Pets | Home & Garden | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Secret Life of Dust: From the Cosmos to the Kitchen Counter, the Big Consequences of Little Things
The Hopes of Snakes: And Other Tales from the Urban Landscape
The Hedonism Handbook: Mastering the Lost Arts of Leisure and Pleasure
Nature Noir: A Park Ranger's Patrol in the Sierra
Global Climate Change

ASIN: B000MV8HUM
Release Date: 2005-02-10

Amazon.com

When science writer Hannah Holmes decided to spend a year studying the inhabitants of her 0.2-acre patch of ground in suburban Portland, Maine, she went about the task with an ecologist's enthusiasm and a scientist's compulsive eye for detail. The result is an entertaining and effortlessly compelling examination of nature's stubborn (and successful) struggle to exist in the face of daunting manmade challenges. Holmes's lawn, unfertilized and rarely mowed, turns out to be a surprisingly diverse ecosystem of bird, mammal, and insect life--a self-perpetuating, constantly evolving community of chipmunks, ladybugs, spiders, slugs, and crows. These creatures, and the complex relationships between them, are the raw material for Holmes's incisive reflections on natural history, urban ecology, and the ignominious story of the over-irrigated, pesticide-laced American lawn--rolling out, Holmes notes, at a rate of one million acres per year. What drives Holmes is not just concern for the natural environment but a ravenous curiosity about every aspect of the world around her, from the sex lives of dragonflies and squirrels, to the murderous tendencies of the English sparrows that have colonized her land, to the survival strategies of the mosquitoes, sow bugs, and slugs that inhabit her yard by the hundreds. Holmes is an environmentalist to the core, but she never sermonizes. With Suburban Safari, an intimate, wry, and often challenging look at a world most of us never bother to notice, she ably demonstrates humanity's responsibility to a natural world that exists all around us--even in our own backyards. --Erica C. Barnett

Book Description

Who knew that an investigation into that patch of grass in our backyards could be so fruitful-and so funny?

More than 550 square miles of new lawns unfold each year in the U.S. alone. Although new research shows that these lawns aren't nearly as "unnatural" as ecologists once thought, no one has offered an accessible exploration of this novel habitat. Until now...

Equipped with a lawn chair and her infectious curiosity, science writer Hannah Holmes spends a year on her lawn hoping to discover exactly what's going on out there. Under her examination, the lawn teems with life, populated by a bewilderment of birds, a mess of mammals, and a range of plants that record the history of this little piece of ground. As the seasons progress, she guides us through this bustling community, inviting over biologists, ecologists, botanists, entomologists, and energy experts to further unveil the complexities of life in the 'burbs. Through this investigation, we encounter life-and-death dramas and mysteries that would make a rainforest blush-everything from the behavior of suburban crows and raccoons, to the way plants wage war, to the puzzle of baby pigeons (where are they?).

Funny, smart, and refreshing, Suburban Safari introduces us to a world so extraordinary it's hard to believe it's been right in front of us all along.

Customer Reviews:

excellent.......2007-09-27

It couldn't be better---funny, informative, clever. Hannah Holmes is a great observer, a great writer.

This book changed my yard.......2007-07-02

I look at my yard in a completely different way after reading this book. I learned a lot, laughed a lot, and shared many portions of this book with my family (my 9 year old loved it, and the phrase "in my backyard..." has a whole new meaning). I no longer resent my weeds in the same way, appreciate my crows, and am trying to plant more native plants with an eye toward the other creatures that share my space. As a scientist, I'm thrilled that so much information is present in clear, personal, and entertaining writing. This book has changed my life - corny but true...

great trivia.......2007-01-08

I really enjoyed the gentle and thoughtful tone of the author and the research regarding our animal neighbors was very interesting

I Thoroughly Enjoyed This FUN, Backyard Ecology Book!.......2006-11-14

Ms. Holmes conveys the spirit and joy of the true scientist in writing about her backyard biosphere. Carefully researched and referenced, this fascinating story is sure to inspire the reader to examine and appreciate their own surroundings.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone even slightly interested in ecology, the environment or science.

K. Reed

Extremely Interesting!.......2006-08-12

I must admit I picked up this book because of the cover. However it was a fun read. I am currently taking an ecology class and this book made such an interesting companion. Holmes writes about seemingly boring topics (at least to the type that don't really enjoy science) and make it interesting. My friends are probably slightly annoyed about hearing the fascinating details of pill bugs and crows. It's a fun read, though at times it can be a bit slow, pefect for nice summer days outside.

Average customer rating:

Just one more thing, Doc

Just One More Thing, Doc
Bradford B. Brown
Manufacturer: Tilbury House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Medical | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

While You're Here Doc: Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian
No Dogs in Heaven? Scenes from the Life of a Country Veterinarian
Fields and Pastures New: My First Year as a Country Vet
Up To My Armpits: Adventures Of A West Texas Veterinarian
Santa Makes Housecalls

ASIN: 0884482898

Book Description

Brad Brown is back with a second set of stories just as entertaining and fascinating as his first book. Whether he's escaping the personal vendetta of a bull named Killer ("I was a matador without a cape"), entangled with a rabid cow, chasing a stallion (well, not quite, anymore...) through downtown Bangor, performing heart surgery in an arena, or having a close encounter--while airborne--with a B-52 bomber, this vet regards it all as part of a (long) working day.

Customer Reviews:

Just one more thing, Doc .......2007-07-13

This is truly a hilarious book about the experiences of a maine vet. Dr Brown is a dedicated veterinarian and a credit To his profession.

Average customer rating:

Adventures of Maynard a Maine Moose
Marybeth Baker
Manufacturer: G. Gannett Pub. Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

The Preservationist - a new perspective
Opens up the theological imagination as well as a great piece of fiction.
Highly entertaining, stylistically admirable
You thought you knew this story
Horrible

The Preservationist
David Maine
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Biblical | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Popular Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Book Clubs | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Fallen
The Book of Samson
Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt: A Novel
The Flood
The World to Come: A Novel

ASIN: 0312328478

Book Description

n The Preservationist, Noe's family-his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law-tell what it's like to live with a man touched by the hand of God, while struggling against events they cannot control or explain. When Noe orders his sons to build an ark, he can't tell them where the wood or other materials will come from, just that God will provide. When Noe orders his daughters-in-law to gather the animals, they set off on their difficult journeys with no specifics, no money, and no protection, just Noe's faith that God will make it work. And once the rain starts, the family is trapped on the ark with no experience in feeding or caring for the animals, and no idea when the endless waters will recede. What emerges is a family caught in the midst of an extraordinary Biblical event-and all the tension, humanity, and even humor, that implies. The Preservationist is a new take on a story readers might think they know-but it turns the conventions and preconceived notions upside down, and the result is a debut novel that is original, captivating, and utterly unforgettable.

Customer Reviews:

The Preservationist - a new perspective.......2007-10-14

My background is this: for many years an intense faith in the story told in the bible's pages, then a total loss of faith & belief, and now a solid un-knowing. I hold no belief but I don't rule out the possibility of believing.

THE PRESERVATIONIST is an entertaining, interesting, thought-provoking story and suitable for persons of (biblical) faith as well as persons without faith. Regardless of your spiritual status or belief, the story told here is worth reading - as is the story in it's original form as found in the book of GENESIS.

The bible account is fairly straightforward. Reading it first or having a prior knowledge of it will make the genius of THE PRESERVATIONIST much more apparent. It takes a well known story of mankind's past and transforms the faceless, colorless, personality-free characters & events into something easy to identify with.

The characters are very diverse in their personalities. The characters are marked by equal parts of reverence & irreverence, grit, flaws & strengths. They are real. Anytime a story of the past is retold with characters WE can identify with it takes the story from a cold distant telling and makes it OUR OWN. One we could visualize struggling through and getting past. THAT is what this book does so well.

If you are a person without faith in the bible account, you will be entertained. If you are a person WITH faith in the biblical account you may be surprised to find your faith & appreciation strengthened.

Opens up the theological imagination as well as a great piece of fiction........2006-11-04

I just got finished reading The Preservationist by David Maine. It's a creative re-telling of the story of Noah from the time of God's call to build an ark to when he and his family went their seperate ways to go and re-populate the Earth.

I think what I like about the book so much is how the author uses his imagination to fill in the gaps in the story of Noah.

Moses gave his best attempt at the re-telling of the story of Noah and the flood. A man who lived to be 950 years old and yet Moses only tells the story in a few pages. Hitting the high and low points rather casually.

As I'm learning to approach Scripture in a non-traditional way, one of the thing that most excites me is the possibility of using imagination to fill in the gaps. Not that it makes it true. Or real. But when the imagination is brought into the gaps and spaces of Scripture that remain silent, it opens up a place of creativity. If nothing else it's a great creative exercise.

Taking us outside the world of blacks and whites . . . scientific, analytical words. And into the realm of real lives.

What was the rest of Noah's life like? What was his family like? Did they believe Noah and God? Did they think it was fake? Were they resentful? Were they mad at God? What did their wives think? What did they experience? The animals? What conversations were had between Noah and his children . . . his skeptics . . . his attackers?

David Maine does this with his book. Using his imagination to craft the story of Noah around what has been shared with us in Scripture. Filling in the gaps with missing pieces of the story. He mixes the spirituality and agnosticism of the family with the faith and call of Noah. The consequent tension that this creates and how it turns everyone's life upside down.

The end result is an excellent piece of fiction that was not only excellent literary entertainment . . . but a new theological possibility for approaching Scripture.

Highly entertaining, stylistically admirable.......2006-07-12

In this retelling of the familiar Genesis story of Noah and the Great Flood, Maine's use of multiple narrators gives supernatural material very human dimensions. The biblical "details" of the ark, the deluge, and the gathering of the animals are kept and enlarged upon right along with each human's story (each human in Noe's (Noah's) family, that is.)

The women in the story are particularly strong characters--a pleasant surprise considering the patriarchal resource from which it's drawn. They become the true human instruments of Noah's successful voyage. The supernatural aspects are nicely juxtaposed with the mundane aspects of cramped quarters, human appetites, unpleasant smells, filth, and toil. I highly recommend this novel.

You thought you knew this story.......2006-05-15

Noe and the Flood retold in a completely refreshing way. Powerful language. Short, well-crafted sentences. Gentle humor. Characters you come to know and love. All in a slim book for a long weekend. Enjoy!

Horrible.......2006-04-26

This is honestly one of the worst books I've read all year. You can tell the author probably isn't Jewish OR Christian just by the messed up theology in this book. He also potrays Noah as a abusive husband, Shem as a son who blindly follows his father's faith. He also doesn't understand that God would have kept the animals on the ark alive (he has several animals dying, including a rabbit [which means there would be no rabbits in the world. Rabbits are unclean, therefore there would have been 2 of them. Kill one, there are no rabbits.])

It also gets sexually graphic at points, which really doesn't have a place in this book.

Overall, if you must read this book, borrow it from a library. It's not worth the paper it's printed on.

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