The Shadow of Kilimanjaro: On Foot Across East Africa

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Known for such feats as being the first climber to reach the summit of K2 without bottled oxygen, climbing Antarctica's highest mountain, and leading a team to the top of a formidable 2,000-foot granite tower in the most remote corner of the Amazon's Orinoco jungle, Rick Ridgeway, in his latest book, takes a walk. Of course, it's no ordinary stroll. Accompanied by park officers, Ridgeway treks unprotected among lions and elephants, rhinos and oryxes.

The Shadow of Kilimanjaro is as much a search for answers to an adventurer's most soul-searching questions as an account of a thrilling journey. In the introduction Ridgeway writes,

Henry David Thoreau did not write that in wilderness is the preservation of the world, as he is oft misquoted, but that "In wildness is the preservation of the world." There is a difference, and it is significant. A wildness is intact. In wildness, all the original pieces are there. My own backyard mountains in California, from the Coastal Range through the Sierras, are in many places wilderness, but none of it is wildness because the grizzly is gone. We may have the grizzly on the state flag; having it there, however, is not a celebration of our heritage but a burlesque of what we have done to the most noble patriarch ever to walk the land.

Starting at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and ending at the Indian Ocean, Ridgeway's aim during this adventure is less to get there and more to be there. During his weeks on foot, he thoughtfully considers the effects of colonial expansion on Africa's indigenous peoples, its landscape, and its awe-inspiring animals--all the while contemplating with a conservationist's heart Africa's uncertain future. --Kathryn True

Book Description

A trek in the company of the great predators. Tim Cahill once wrote that "there was a time for all of us when we wanted to be Rick Ridgeway." Explorer, adventurer, entrepreneur, Ridgeway takes readers on an incredible journey. On foot for a month, from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, through the plains of Tsavo, to the sea, he offers a rare ground's-eye view of east Africa as it is today and how it once was before the incursion of European civilization. Ridgeway takes a hard look at the possible future facing this once-pristine landscape, its magnificent animals, and its indigenous inhabitants. Accompanied by memorable characters, such as Danny and Bongo Woodley, sons of the legary Tsavo warden Bill Woodley; renowned elephant biologist Joyce Poole; and the descants of the Waliangulu--the "People of the Long Bow"--the last great hunters of the region, Ridgeway encounters lions, rhinos, and elephants in this wonderful adventure on the trail, and through interviews with luminaries such as Richard Leakey, comes face-to-face with the legacy of colonialism, in both cultural and ecological terms, here in the cradle of life.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Book on East Africa.......2007-06-08

Let me first of all say that Rick Ridgeway is one of my favorite adventure writers. This book is focused on the area around Kilimanjaro and the current state of the conservation movement. Rick does a wonderful job of describing the area as he makes his way on foot from Kilimanjaro to the East coast of Africa.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is that Rick includes all the books he has used in his research to gain a better understanding of the history of East Africa.

If you love a well written adventure, with enough meat to make you want to dig deeper in understanding Africa - this is your book.

Travel, Nature, Adventure, and History all in one package.......2006-02-07

Author Ridgeway writes a well-paced narrative that smoothly ties together his personal adventure in eastern Africa with the area's history and culture, particularly in terms of its ecology, with focus on elephants as the defining megafauna of the area.

Ridgeway provokes thought on the future of Africa's large animals, the past fate of those large mammals that have already disappeared, and how we humans tie into all of this. His primary sources are the people who have shaped and continue to shape Kenya's game and wildlife policies; these sources give his writing the distinct tinge of veracity.

Recommended for any interested in travel, African history, or ecology.

Ethnocentric and quite boring.......2005-09-08

I was so disappointed by this book I could not get through more than a couple of chapters. The author may know about mountaineering, but he seems to know very little about Kenya. Moreover, I found the writing to be ethnocentric and quite boring.

"Whatever happens to beasts happens to man.".......2005-02-26

Combining moments of danger with moments of profound introspection, mountaineer/explorer Ridgeway details his journey from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro through the Tsavo game reserves to Mombasa, a month-long journey on foot, which allows him to experience man's primal relationships with the environment. Traveling with an experienced guide, two members of the Kenya Park and Wildlife Service, and two sharpshooters (in case of life-threatening danger), Ridgeway follows dry riverbeds across the savanna, seeking "tactile knowledge of Africa's wildlands and wild animals."

Far more than a search for thrills, the journey offers Ridgeway an opportunity to observe breath-taking vistas and the full panoply of wildlife, from the elephant to the tiniest of birds, paying equal attention to all. Mourning the absence of once-plentiful animals from the bushlands near Kilimanjaro, and the decline of species elsewhere, Ridgeway contemplates the long-term effects of colonialism, big game hunting, poaching, traditional tribal values, climatic changes, and tourism, as well as man's seemingly innate tendency to kill certain species into extinction.

Ridgeway, long a hunter himself, is an engaging author, both observant and thoughtful. A great admirer of hunter-turned-game-park-adminstrator Bill Woodley, whose two sons from the Park and Wildlife Service are on the journey, he provides a sensitive and impartial treatment of conservation issues. Extolling the work of elephant researchers Cynthia Moss and Joyce Poole, the latter of whom joins the group for part of the journey, he points out that they have acquired through study a kind of knowledge not available to hunters. Without preaching, he conveys "the big picture," making a compelling case for the fact that to preserve Africa's large mammals one must "fight fiercely not only to preserve, but even to expand, their wild habitat." Mary Whipple

Not at all patronizing.......2002-04-01

Rick Ridgeway has written a very informative and entertaining account of his 300 mile hike West to East across southern Kenya in 1997. The walk was metaphorically in THE SHADOW OF KILIMANJARO beginning on the summit of that great mountain and spanning the different ecological zones of mountain moraine, foothills, savannah, scrub, desert, and finally tropical white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean coast near Malindi. More significantly Ridgeway writes about his journey in the shadow of others who have written famously on Kenya, most significantly Hemingway, Dinesen, and Blixen. At yet another level this story is set in the shadow of Kenya's colonial history and its current struggles as a developing nation trying to make its way in the modern world.

Ridgeway deals with all the relevant issues - ecology and the environment, conservation, domestic politics, the economy, tourism, the romantic literary images, the colonial legacy, the Mau Mau uprisings, cultural, ethnic, and social issues. And he deals with them in the way good travel writing should. Simply present the facts as you get them and let others speak their truths. No moralizing and very little contextualizing and therefore very refreshing.

The image of Kenya that emerges is that of a real country. Not too much of the fantasy and gloss of a romantic wilderness nor the equally unreal vision of warring tribes at THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. Just reality. Strengths, weaknesses, beauty, blemishes, issues, agendas, and concerns. All the things that face a people making their way on a rapidly globalizing planet. Although Ridgeway's Kenya is a very different place than the country I knew in the 1960's when I lived there in my youth, it's still as rich and as alive as I remember it and Ridgeway has done an excellent job of bringing it home.

Product Description

Chicago Restaurants covers over 1,000 restaurants in and around Chicago, plus Milwaukee. This handy guide contains Zagat Survey's trusted ratings and reviews for area restaurants based on the opinions of diners like you. The trademark reviews and corresponding ratings for Food, Décor, Service and Cost are organized alphabetically in a user-friendly format. Use the indexes arranged by cuisine, neighborhood and special features like "In" Places, Winning Wine Lists, or Romantic Places to find the perfect restaurant for any occasion.

Customer Reviews:

Zagat pays for itself the first time you use it........2007-06-27

I live in Chicagoland and I consider this an essential guide to area restaurants. Chicago is blessed with so many good places, I rely on Zagat to guide me to the best ones. Whenever I travel, I always get the Zagat guide for the destination city. I have used the guide from Paris to San Francisco, and never had a bad recommendation. If you eat out, you need this book. I have already pre ordered the 2007/2008 edition, due out in July. I am egarly awaiting the arrival of the San Diego guide which has been out of print for a while.

best of the restaurants.......2007-04-26

Wow, what a good update on the restaurants in Chicagoland. I use this Zagat reference as I don't live "in" Chicago but am close to it and eat there fairly often in what could be referred to as the higher-end places. This Zagat guide rates the eateries as I would do so in choosing where to eat.

Zagat got it right in Chicago based on how I dine there and dine in other cities.

I have no financial interest in anything I rate.

Alice in Wonderland: Including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

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You know the stories, this is about the book.
alice's adventures in wonderland and through the looking glass
Alice in Wonderlandwith color photos from Hallmark TV movie
This is a book about a little girl who has crazy dreams.
A literary masterpiece

Alice in Wonderland: Including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
Lewis Carroll
Manufacturer: Dove Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0787119784

Customer Reviews:

You know the stories, this is about the book........2006-05-10

One think that frustrates me is when Amazon reviews ignore the medium that the stories are presented in. My review is about this specific Hallmark Edition book.

It's difficult to find a nice hardcover version of both stories complete with the original illustrations. the illustrations are either poor quality, or are reduced in number. This book doesn't use them at all, so if that's important to you, look elsewhere. Instead it includes beautiful photographs of the scenes from the NBC TV movie. In my opinion this is better than the original, but it lacks the historical signifigance.

In my opinion, get this book. It has the stories you want and the photos are very pleasing to look at. This book is bound nicely and will make a great addition to any library or collection.

alice's adventures in wonderland and through the looking glass.......2005-11-01

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a very good book in my opinion. I feel that it is just like you are in a dream and the author does a very good job at writing the book so it seems like that. I think it is a good book because it really keeps you focused on what is happening because it is a complicated story. There are a lot of twists and turns in the book, especially in the beginning. I think that it is also a good book because the author, Lewis Carroll, includes things that you would never even think about until you read to book. I also like the book because it is very entertaining to understand how Alice (the main character) tries to deal with and interoperate all of the strange circumstances that happen in wonderland. All of the characters that are in the book are very strange and tell very bizarre stories. The stories have no point what so ever and it gets quite frustrating to Alice because she really wants to know what happens, but they just wont say it and go on and on. All of the events that happen in the book that need trial do not seem very savvy and are unjust and unfair which is quite interesting to read about because Alice gets accused of a lot of things and it is very gallant of her to stand up for herself. With all of the facts that I just stated, my conclusion is that Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a very good book and I would recommend it to any readers that would like to know about a little girl and her bizarre and exciting adventures in wonderland.

Alice in Wonderlandwith color photos from Hallmark TV movie.......2002-01-02

Alice in Wonderland with color photos from Hallmark TV movie, and also color photos from it on the dust jacket.

This is a book about a little girl who has crazy dreams........1999-10-26

This book takes place in Alice's living room and through her looking glass.(Her mirror) Alice is a sweet little girl whose cat just had kittens. She was talking to one of them, and then thought about what it would be like to live through the looking glass. While she is thinking she falls asleep.She has a very strange dream about going to looking glass land. She almost makes her dream seem real!

A literary masterpiece.......1999-10-15

Lewis Carroll provides us with a twisted view of our worldthat provokes hours upon hours of thought. This novel may seem like anovel for children, however, it is filled with more literary devices than a truck-load of Hawthorne! Beautiful imagery, puns, malapropisms, possible drug innuendoes and grammatical devices make this a masterpiece to be reckoned with. Be prepared for deep thought upon a close examination of this seeming children's novel, because it is certainly a work for the more experienced reader. By far my favorite book!

Average customer rating:

Ayana's Awesome Review
Including Alice
Drama of Teenage Years
What can I say ...
An Enjoyable Read

Including Alice
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0689870744

Book Description

Is Three a Crowd in the McKinley Household?

The day that Alice has been hoping, wishing, and waiting for has finally arrived: Her father and Sylvia Summers are getting married! But Alice soon discovers that having the stepmother of her dreams doesn't necessarily make her life perfect. Suddenly there's another woman sharing the bathroom, and her father and Sylvia are making decisions about her house without consulting her. Sometimes Alice feels like an outsider in her own home.

But at least her father and Sylvia are blissfully happy together, which certainly isn't true of Alice's friends. Everyone seems to be having relationship problems. Elizabeth and Ross never see each other; Leslie and Lori are breaking up; and Pamela and her mother can't even talk to each other. And what's going on with Patrick?Is "Happily Ever After" only in fairy tales?

Customer Reviews:

Ayana's Awesome Review.......2006-10-23

Alyce is a normal teenage-girl. She has boy trouble and a dad who is getting ready to marry Sylvia Summers. The wedding was going to be at a church, and all the gueasts were invited to the reception afterwards. But, as soon as the reception is over, her new step-mom and her dad don't even say goodbye to her,and being a teenage girl with emotions, she feels so left out. Even though she still soesn't get used to Sylvia as her new mom, she has other problems to deal with. First, this girl named Penny(who Alyce doesn't like) writes her an email on the computer. After chatting with her a while, they decide to pretend to become friends. Next, Alyce has to get braces which adds on to the problems that she already has. But, things start to clear up as her friends and her decide to make dinner for her brother Lester, who lives in an apartment a couple of miles down the road. But,as soon as they get there, they look in the window and are too afraid to go inside because Lester was having a party with all his friends. Then, a strange old man appears and invites them to have dinner with them, well, atleast the dinner they had made for Lester. He told them all about how he worked for the CIA which they soon found out was a lie. Sice Alyce is on the newspaper committee for her school, she is invited to a costume dance where you have to make a costume out of newspaper.So, Alyce went in her newspaper bikini glory and had a great time. Soon Christmas is there and it's delayed because poor Sylvia is sick. They all chip in to make her feel better and soon, she is well againD dismay all the troubles that Alyce had, she found a way out, for the time being.

Including Alice.......2006-03-11

In Inculding Alice, Alice dosen't want her dad to get married because of her mother.Then Alice dosen't want to get to know her.Alice gets used to the way that she dose things.

Drama of Teenage Years.......2005-11-22

This Book is about a girl named Alice who has worked for years to get her dad together with her teacher Sylvia. In the mean time her best friend broke her and her boyfriend Patrick up. The wedding day comes up and they are fighting to get everything put together. She is confused on how to be the Maid of Honor. She was walking down the aisle and she drops her purse. She started to panic so Patrick picked it up for her. Then days after Alice finally give them her gift, but the thing is Sylvia got a new bed and the sheet Alice made does fit. Well that is a brief Summary of the book

I like the part in the book where Alice and her friends decide to cook a dinner for her older brother Lester. Then as they were going to knock on the door they heard laughing. Lester was having a party so they just left.

Another part I liked was the Wedding Day were Alice drop her purse going down the aisle and Sylvia almost tripped on it until Patrick picked it up.

I didn't like the part where Alice yelled at her new step mom because she bought a new bed and did not tell her. She just made a beautiful new bed sheets for the old bed.

My other dislike about the book is where the sister couldn't be in the Wedding because she was sick. I think that they should have not made her sick in the book because it is important moment for her sister.

I would recommend this book to girls that love to read love stories.

What can I say ..........2005-05-14

I read some of the Alice books from when she was younger and I really enjoyed them. I checked this one out from the library and I am glad I didn't pay for it because I am pretty sure I wouldn't like to have something like this in my collection.

The Positives: Alice is a real girl; she cops a 'tude; she cries at the drop of a hat; her best friends mean the world to her ... It was sweet the way she bonded (finally) with her stepmother, Sylvia.

The Negatives: OMG was this is trashy! I have read Harlequins (as much as I hate to admit it) and this still made me blush! Alice and her friends are sex-obsessed. I remember being very curious in high school so I understand its realistic but c'mon -should young, impressionable girls really be reading this? I was totally shocked and no body can call me a prude. ~ And the book is lacking the usual humor that I had become accoustmed to in Naylor's novels. Not too many laughs to be had. The "comedy" was pretty tame.

Overall, this book is interesting. But would I recommend it for girls under the age of 15? Heck no!

An Enjoyable Read.......2005-05-02

I have just finished reading the book "Including Alice" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. It is about a young girl named "Alice" who goes through a lot of changes in her life. Her father gets remarried after her mother dies and her brother moves out of the house. She also goes through all of the typical teenage experiences such as, getting braces and breaking up with her boyfriend.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was hard to put down because it was so interesting. Elliana posted a review on amazon.com that said that "once you start reading this book you can't stop!"
Another reason why I liked this book so much was because I could really relate to it. Alice is in high school and so am I. I highly recommend this book to any teenager who is looking for a good book to read that they can enjoy.

Zagatsurvey 2005/2006 Chicago Restaurants: Including Milwaukee (Zagatsurvey)

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Zagatsurvey 2005/2006 Chicago Restaurants: Including Milwaukee (Zagatsurvey)

Manufacturer: Zagat Survey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1570067252
Release Date: 2005-07-04

Book Description

ISBN: 1570067252 TITLE: 2005/06 Chicago Restaurants AUTHOR: Zagat Survey DESCRIPTION: Covering over 1,000 Chicago restaurants including Milwaukee.

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Abakanowicz
Magdalena] Galerie Alice Pauli [Abakanowicz
Manufacturer: Galerie Alice Pauli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LQX2ZI

Alice in Wonderland: Including AliceÃÂs Adventures in Wonderland And Through the Looking-glass

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Alice in Wonderland: Including AliceÃÂs Adventures in Wonderland And Through the Looking-glass
Lewis Carroll
Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: And, Through the Looking-Glass

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: And, Through the Looking-Glass
Lewis Carroll
Manufacturer: Illustrated Editions Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Birds of Southeastern Michigan and Southwestern Ontario (Bulletin Series No 57)

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Birds of Southeastern Michigan and Southwestern Ontario (Bulletin Series No 57)
Alice H. Kelley
Manufacturer: Cranbrook Institute of Science
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0877370346

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A Borzoi book
F. O Matthiessen
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007EK0UO

A Charleston Sketchbook, 1796-1806: Forty watercolor drawings of the city and the surrounding country, including plantations and parish churches

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A Charleston Sketchbook, 1796-1806: Forty watercolor drawings of the city and the surrounding country, including plantations and parish churches
Charles Fraser
Manufacturer: Carolina Art Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0910326002

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