Book Description
1908. A minor work by Thoreau, Cape Cod illustrates the qualities that define his greatest works: his clarity and ease of style, and his concreteness as a naturalist and observer of nature and society. Compiled from magazine articles published in the 1850s after his death, these chapters detail several short trips he made to Cape Cod between 1849 and 1855. Contents: The Shipwreck; Stagecoach Views; The Plains of Nauset; The Beach; The Wellfleet Oysterman; The Beach Again; Across the Cape; The Highland Light; The Sea and the Desert; and Provincetown. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.
Download Description
Our way to the high sand-bank, which I have described as extending all along the coast, led, as usual, through patches of Bayberry bushes, which straggled into the sand. This, next to the Shrub-oak, was perhaps the most common shrub thereabouts. I was much attracted by its odoriferous leaves and small gray berries which are clustered about the short twigs, just below the last year's growth. I know of but two bushes in Concord, and they, being staminate plants, do not bear fruit.
Customer Reviews:
BEST EDITION AVAILABLE, BY FAR.......2007-06-13
This hardcover edition from Peninsula Press is unquestionably the best available edition of Thoreau's Cape Cod, for these reasons:
1) While all other editions are based on Thoreau's journal entries from only his first three visits to the Cape, this edition includes an epilogue compiling Thoreau's notes from his fourth and final visit, in which he traveled south to Chatham and Monomoy.
2) This is the only edition to translate the many, many Greek and Latin phrases Thoreau includes throughout the work, and it is also the only edition to provide illustrations, maps, and sidenotes in-text.
3) This is the only indexed edition ever created.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for fans of both Cape literature and Thoreau in general.
A Cape Cod Walk with Thoreau.......2006-08-05
Thoreau visited Cape Cod in 1849, 1850, and 1853. These trips formed the basis for a series of essays, several of which Thoreau published in magazines. After Thoreau's death, the essays were gathered together and published as "Cape Cod" in 1865.
Thoreau's "Cape Cod" is different in tone in theme from his earlier books. The tone is leisurely and light. Instead of solitude or the wild woods, the picture that remains with me from this book is that of a long walk, or, as Thoreau puts it, a "ramble" through the sand and dunes of Cape Cod. The book is picturesque, full of humor and wry observation. Thoreau unforgettably describes the ocean, in its storms, vicissitudes, and moments of peace, the fish and the fishermen, the sands, birds, plants and lighthouses of Cape Cod, and the people. I have visited portions of the Masachusetts coast, but I have never been to Cape Cod. Thoreau took me there in his book.
The book is arranged into ten chapters. It opens with a description of the shipwreck of the St John on a rock off the Cape. Thoreau then describes a ride by coach across the Cape. But the heart of the book lies in the following chapters in which Thoreau with a companion walks the 30 mile beach from Nauset Harbor to Provincetown with many stops and diversions along the way. I felt the salt air and saw the fishermen and the sandy beach as I walked with Thoreau.
The most vivid characterization in the book is in the chapter "The Wellfleet Oysterman", as Thoreau describes a grizzled, taciturn, and ancient native of Cape Cod and his family who offer him hospitality for the night. Another memorable chapter involves the description of the Highland Lighthouse, no longer standing, and its keeper. The stops with the Oysterman and the Lighthouse punctuate Thoreau's long walks through the day over the beach and his meditiations about and descriptions of what he finds there.
Thoreaus walk ended at Provincetown, on the northernmost portion of Cape Cod, with its wood walkway, shanty houses, and ever-present scenes of fishermen, boats, and drying fish. Thoreau offers what I found an affectionate portrait of these hardy fishermen and their families. Following a description of what he found at Provincetown, Thoreau offers a great deal of historical background on the exploration of the Cape, from the Pilgrims reaching back to earlier French, Icelandic, and English explorers.
Thoreau's "Cape Cod" is a worthy companion to his books describing his experiences inland, on Walden Pond and on the rivers and woods of New England and Maine. It is beautifuly written with unforgettable descriptive passages. It made me want to get up and go from my life in the city, and over 150 years after Thoreau wrote, wander and walk for myself along the dunes and sands of Cape Cod.
Great Humor.......2006-07-18
This book details the flora, fauna and people that Thoreau found in Cape Cod in the 1850s. Thoreau organizes the book around a single trip to Provincetown, although much of the material that he uses in the book came from various visits to the Cape, and to the ocean in general. He starts with a description of a shipwreck at Cohasset, then a stagecoach ride from Plymouth, then a walking trip with a companion along the outer shore to Provincetown. Along the way, he describes not only the plants and animals he encountered, but also the people who he met. The book finishes with a lengthy academic historical account of the discovery and mapping of the Cape.
I found this to be the most humorous of all Thoreau's work. The character sketches he provides in this book, sharpened with his trained eye for observation of natural phenomena, are legendary. The cultural description of the Cape and its environment is quite fascinating for those interested in the history of daily life in 19th century Massachusetts. As Thoreau describes the desolate, treeless desert that made up the far reaches of the Cape, one begins to comprehend what it meant for an economy to be based on wood and whale oil for fuels. Thoreau stresses how valued driftwood was for residents of the Cape, as one of their main sources of heating and cooking fuel. Doubtless, he would not recognize the Cape today with its lush new forests. Or its Wal-Marts--switching to an oil economy has brought mixed blessings for the Cape. For those who think Thoreau to be a humorless didactic philosopher, this book shows a very different aspect of Thoreau as a writer.
Leave your brain at the door........1999-06-24
You will forget about the outside world when you read this; nothing but sand, wind, and water. Plus some natural history, local folklore, a few shipwreck tales. Typical Thoreau; he finds beauty, interest, detail in the wilderness. The desolate landscape will help to clear your mind. Highly recommended.
Cape Cod is the ultimate desert island beach book........1997-01-31
Each year, in preparation for a week's retreat to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I go in search of a book that would be perfect for a sojourn on a desert island. Of course, the Outer Banks are hardly deserted--the locals have printed up Wege's infamous photograph of a packed stretch of Coney Island with the caption "Nags Head, circa 2000 A.D."--but there we are on an island for seven days, my husband experiencing near death in the waves while I read. Sometimes we stop these pursuits and prowl the beach. Mostly we live as if we're the last two people on earth (which is easier in the off-peak season).
I've learned that not every book is right for this way of life. The perfect desert island book has to celebrate the place you are in, not transport you. It should offer a tinge of society, because, after all, a human is a social animal, but it should not make you yearn achingly for what has been left behind nor should you be so repelled by it that you will never fit in again when you leave the island (you always leave the island). It should have some narrative sweep to withstand the competition of the seascape. It should make you think, at least a little: you want the stress to wash out to sea, not the little grey cells.
Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau is the benchmark by which I've chosen beach material for several years. it is the quintessential celebration of littoral life. If you are on the beach, you appreciate it all the more; if you are not, well, at least you know vividly what you are missing. There is drama, as in the specter of villagers racing to the shore at the news of a shipwreck. There is information, as in what part of the clam not to eat, how the Indians trapped gulls for food, how a lighthouse really works. There is Thoreau's contagious respect for solitude, his occasional crankiness, and that magic trick of his that can suck in high school sophomores and get them through his books without so much as a whimper.
There is one flaw to Cape Cod: brevity. It lasts about a day and a half on the Robinson Crusoe plan. This is not to say that it does not withstand re-reading, it does, but at some point after you have committed it to memory, you may wish for the collected works of Shakespeare and move onto the Bard's beach play, The Tempest.
Product Description
Now in his new book, he reflects on a professional career which began with degrees from ivy league colleges in the 1940's and takes us on another fascinating journey to a very different place, the American and overseas business world in the golden, postwar era of 50's, 60's, and 70's.
Average customer rating:
|
A Cape Cod journal
Candace Reed Benyei
Manufacturer: Wyndham Hall Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
ASIN: 0932269435 |
Average customer rating:
|
A Cape Cod Journal
Erma J. Fisk
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Natural History
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Reference & Tips
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
| Beaches
| Business Travel
| Cruises
| Essays & Travelogues
| Food & Lodging
| Guidebooks
| Pictorial
| Reference
| Spas
| Tips
| Tourist Destinations & Museums
| Travel Writing
Cape Cod
| Massachusetts
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
North America
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Massachusetts
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Northeast
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
A Birdwatcher's Cookbook
-
The Peacocks of Baboquivari
ASIN: 0393028585 |
Product Description
This Publisher's Special Edition featuring 80 pages of photographs from documentarian Christopher Seufert, is signed by the photographer and includes the companion DVD (a $19.95 value) in a slipcase within the hard cover book. The exquisitely printed plates capture equally the well-known places and hidden corners of Chatham, as only a local could capture them. This exclusive hard-cover edition is the first coffee table photography book focused solely on the town of Chatham, Massachusetts. The included companion DVD features 50 bonus images not included in the book.
Product Description
A collection of poetry and images by young authors summering on Cape Cod.
Average customer rating:
|
Still Cove Journal
Gladys Bagg Taber
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
General
| Regions
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Massachusetts
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Cape Cod
| Massachusetts
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Harvest of Yesterdays
-
My Own Cape Cod
-
Country Chronicle
-
Stillmeadow Road
-
My Own Cape Cod
ASIN: 0060142278 |
Book Description
The Samurai Series brings together three of the most important books that deal with the Samurai path and philosophy into one volume. It contains:
The Book of Five Rings which was written by Miyamoto Musashi, a Samurai of legendary renown, about 1645 AD. It is a masterpiece of simple exposition written by a master swordsman, who, near the end of his spectacular life, tried earnestly to explain the essentials of individual combat and the essence of being a Samurai. His book is widely considered to a cornerstone of the philosophy of Bushido.
Hagakure - The Way of the Samurai, which means: "Hidden by Leaves", that was composed from dialogs by the famous Samurai, Yamamoto Tsunetomo, by a scribe, Tashiro Tsuramoto, about 1716 AD. It explains the major ideas and philosophy that are essential to the "way of the Samurai", by which is meant the "way of dying". It contains numerous tales of various Samurai and their deeds which illustrate their philosophy and practice.
Bushido - The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe which was first published 1899. It is an extremely literate presentation by a Japanese intellectual who wished to present Japan and its fundamental philosophy in a way that could be understood by Westerners. It describes how the Shinto Religion and Buddhism are the underpinnings of the essentially militaristic view of honor and life that are inherent in Bushido, the Samurai code.
Customer Reviews:
A Real Bargain!.......2007-07-11
Here you have 3 really good books in one cover:
"The Book of Five Rings"
"Hagakure - The Way of the Samurai"
and
"Bushido - The Soul of Japan"
The Japanese view of warfare, honor and beauty are intertwined with Zen Buddhism and forms the unique philosophy of Bushido. This assembly of three famous books does a great job of presenting the philosophy of Bushido in a much more complete manner that any one of them by itself. Each of these books is a classic, in and of itself, and is worth the price all by itself, but to get 3 for 1 - What a deal!
Great Combination! - 3 Books in 1.......2007-01-02
All three of the books contained in this one volume really should be in the collection of anyone interested in Japanese philosophy, religion or martial arts. It is not often that three really good books get bundled together into one volume but to have three classics together is really extraordinary.
The reflections of a master swordsman, the advice of a proper old Samurai and the explanations of a well-traveled scholar fit together synergistically; they add up to much more than the sum of the parts. Although the writers were separated from each other in time, they are united in a coherent view of what constitutes proper conduct and honor. There is enough difference in their styles of expression to illuminate points that might otherwise be obscure and at the same time provide some interesting juxtapositions.
Those who are already familiar with one or more of the books contained in this volume will find that having all three of them together is a real plus. Each, on its own, is an important little book; the three of them together form an important big book.
This is my new favorite book!.......2006-12-08
I was so happy for Amazon's fast shipping. I have been eye-balling The Book of Five Rings for quite some time. I've been on a personal quest to understand the history and philosophy of the Samurai, but I confess to not having a lot of time to read any more. Most of my reading ends up being in an airport waiting for a flight. Needless to say, the last thing I need is a bunch of hardcover books to haul around.
I saw this volume and had to do a little Snoopy Dance. Not only did I finally get to read "The Book of Five Rings", but I went on and read "Hagakure" and "Bushido". I feel like I have a real understanding, or at least as much as someone from the West can have about the Samurai's philosophy and way of life. Kudos to Amazon for finding this gem.
Book Description
Hagakure ("In the Shadow of Leaves") is a manual for the samurai classes consisting of a series of short anecdotes and reflections that give both insight and instruction-in the philosophy and code of behavior that foster the true spirit of Bushido-the Way of the Warrior. It is not a book of
philosophy as most would understand the word: it is a collection of thoughts and sayings recorded over a period of seven years, and as such covers a wide variety of subjects, often in no particular sequence.
The work represents an attitude far removed from our modern pragmatism and materialism, and possesses an intuitive rather than rational appeal in its assertion that Bushido is a Way of Dying, and that only a samurai retainer prepared and willing to die at any moment can be totally true to his lord.
While Hagakure was for many years a secret text known only to the warrior vassals of the Hizen fief to which the author belonged, it later came to be recognized as a classic exposition of samurai thought and came to influence many subsequent generations, including Yukio Mishima.
This translation offers 300 selections that constitute the core texts of the 1,300 present in the original.
Hagakure was featured prominently in the film Ghost Dog, by Jim Jarmusch.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Book!.......2007-09-30
I loved it. It's an enjoyable read, full of great stories and full of insights. When I first read this book back in 1998, it had a tremendous impact on my life. It allowed me to view things from a different perspective. I will continue to recommend it to everyone. I also highly recommend the modern day version Understanding: Train of Thought.
A classic!.......2007-09-26
This is one of the best historical texts available on the subject of Japanese warrior philosophy. While many of its practices seem alien to the 21st century reader, there is still much wisdom to be found here. I have read this book many times over the years. I will very likely continue to read it again and again.Bushido: A Modern Adaptation of the Ancient Code of the SamuraiMeditations (Penguin Classics)
Easy to Read - Difficult to Apply.......2007-07-19
Hagakure: The Book of the Samauri is a superb little book that makes some important points. However, it is all too easy to take what it has to say out of context. The time and place to which it was literally relevant has long since passed. What it has to say about the values one should live by and how one should carry out their mission in life are, on the other hand, timeless.
The same can be said of another important Japanese classic: The Book of Five Rings. Both of these books are important from a philosophical point of view, but difficult to really understand for those who are not immersed in Japanese culture. Both spring from the philosophy of Zen and both do a good job of showing its application is a time of constant warfare and personal danger.
A good choice to put the advice of the Zen warriors into perspective is the book Bushido, the Soul of Japan which gives a broader look at the philosophy and its roots. What Zen is all about and how it may be applied in everyday life - how compatible it is with other philosophies and religions - is well presented.
All three of these books have been bound together into one book: The Samurai Series: The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure -The Way of the Samurai & Bushido - The Soul of Japan, which I can recommend without reservation. Together, these three books add up to much more than the sum of the parts. They are truly synergistic.
What many overlook.......2007-06-07
Though I am here to review this book I must comment on previous editorials and reviews posted. As you may have just read, this book is about the mindset of the Samurai. And really, it isn't about the samurai as in a sense of all samurais lumped together as one group, or even a type of samurai, as it is more about just one samurai, the author. However, many of the reviewers here fail to make the connection with this book to today's trials and tribulations.
Much of what Hagakures writes is outdated - instructions and etiquette on murder, suicide, treatment of women, etc. However, there is much of this book that is applicable to today. Look through the absurd passages into the lesson behind the text. Portions of this book that discuss fighting enemies, too, are outdated. But one must make the connection of terms like `enemy' with struggle or test; etiquette on waking up from a nap doesn't necessarily refer to literally waking from slumber. There is so much in this book that many will never see if they read it without pondering its teachings. The references to specific situations may seem obsolete, but one must look deeper.
The Bible passage of not putting a stumbling block before a blind man does directly mean just that. However, a blind man does not necessarily refer to a man without his eyesight. And a stumbling block may not be a physical object. If one can truly read this book without paying so much attention to the writer, and more to translating the deeper meaning between each passage, then this book will change your life. Passages of awaking from sleep, the spirit of an age, tackling obstacles without complexity, form and emptiness, and (my absolute favorite) the lesson of a rainstorm, will undoubtedly bestow a new level of understanding life to any deep reader.
I recommend this book for all of the reasons others have previously listed; but I also recommend this book for so many more.
Hagakure.......2007-03-29
This book is a wonderful look into the hearts and minds of the Samauri. Anybody intrested in trying to comprehend the Samauri mindset should start here. The book gives you a clear point of view on basic life, from doing good versus bad, to manners, to raising children, and everything inbetween all from the ancient Samauri ways of life. The world today would be a much better place if more people were to live their lives in this manner.
Average customer rating:
|
Lonely Planet Kathmandu: City Map (City Maps)
Lonely Planet Publications
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Map
Atlases
| Atlases & Maps
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Maps
| Atlases & Maps
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Asia
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| India
| Asia
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Nepal
| Asia
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Kathmandu
| Nepal
| Asia
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Lonely Planet
| Guidebook Series
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1740592662 |
Book Description
- Around Kathmandu
- Central Kathmandu Valley
- Central Kathmandu
- Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Bhaktapur
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square
- Central Patan
- Unique Lonely Planet Walking Tour
- Index of all Streets & Sights
Average customer rating:
|
Crossed Signals
Caroline Courey
Manufacturer: Caroline Courey Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Health
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Hygiene
| Health
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Teen Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0968563317 |
Book Description
An insightful fact-based fictional novel describing the impact of chronic disease in families. Aimed at teenagers, Crossed Signals chronicles a family torn apart by a devastating diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and reawakened by the experience.
Customer Reviews:
Wish I had this eariler.......2005-09-12
Everything in the book is so true. I too have MS and this would have let me know what to expect. It actually shows what a newly diagnosed person feels like and what you need to do to cope with the disease.
Average customer rating:
|
Crossed Signals (Sweet Dreams Series #158)
Janice Boies
Manufacturer: Bantam Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Baby-3
| Ages 4-8
| Ages 9-12
| Audiobooks
| Animals
| Arts & Music
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Computers
| Educational
| History & Historical Fiction
| Issues
| Literature
| Obsessions
| People & Places
| Popular Characters
| Reference & Nonfiction
| Religions
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Series
| Sports & Activities
Love & Romance
| Literature & Fiction
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0553275933
Release Date: 1988-11-01 |
Average customer rating:
|
Crossed Signals: How to Say No to Sexual Harassment
Valerie Vanhyning
Manufacturer: Infotrends Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Workplace
| Organizational Behavior
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Labor & Industrial Relations
| Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Labor & Industrial Relations
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1882562003 |
Books:
- CAPTIVATING LIFE
- Cloud Watcher (The Watcher Series, Book 4)
- Cockatiels! Pets-Breeding-Showing
- Culture and Global Change: Social Perceptions of Deforestation in the Lacandona Rain Forest in Mexico (Linking Levels of Analysis)
- Dancing on the Shore
- Dark Life: Martian Nanobacteria, Rock-Eating Cave Bugs, and Other Extreme Organisms of Inner Earth and Outer Space
- Death and the Dancing Footman
- Discover America : The Smithsonian Book of the National Parks
- Dung Beetle Ecology
- Ecology and Natural Resource Management: Systems Analysis and Simulation
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Ghetto Schooling: A Political Economy of Urban Educational Reform
- Bud Hastins Avon Collectors' Encyclopedia: The Official Guide for Avon Bottle & Cpc Collectors
- 1974 Report on the World Social Situation
- America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It
- Beethoven`s Piano Sonatas: A Short Companion
- Dancing on the Stones : Selected Essays
- Bioremediation
- Outbound Tourism of Spain: Market Profile
- Basic Accounting for Churches: A Turn Key Manual
- Money While You Sleep - The Simplified Guide to Automatic Retirement Savings
The Outermost House: A Year of Life On The Great Beach of Cape Cod
The Enduring Shore: A History of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket
The Salt House: A Summer on the Dunes of Cape Cod
The Maine Woods (Penguin Nature Library)
The Nature of Cape Cod
