Amazon.com
From the watery Northwest corner of the United States comes this exquisite collection of nature stories by renowned author Brenda Peterson. Like a misty Seattle weekend, Peterson's contemplative prose invites readers to go inward, to a landscape of rivers, sounds, and oceans, places that host mythical shape-shifters and mer-people, as well as seals, whales, gulls, and salmon.
Whether she is discussing her wind-rattled studio on the shore of Puget Sound or her deep relationships with marine and land animals, Peterson writes with spiritual maturity and environmental authority. Each passionate story examines the way humans commune or collide with the natural world, so that a pearl of wisdom is always found beneath the surface. This gift of wisdom is especially appreciated in the section on the Makah whale hunt, where Peterson takes huge risks as a narrator, willing to delve into the spiritually and politically complicated issues of native whale hunting. When negotiations between Makah representatives and moderate environmentalists (including Peterson) tragically faltered and a 2-year-old gray whale was killed in May 1999, Peterson writes, "We hear only of the wars--the winners and losers. But what of those who battled most to understand themselves and reconcile seeming opposites? What about those who allowed themselves troubling ambivalence and soul searching, without an easy answer?" Indeed it is her willingness to dive into this underworld of ambivalence and soul searching that makes her nature writing so resonant and influential. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
For two decades now I have cleaved to the misting, mysterious shores of Washington's Puget Sound...
From wolves to salmon, from the great blue Heron to the gray whale, Singing to the Sound is Brenda Peterson's eloquent refrain to the American West. In this her latest book of personal and journalistic essays, Brenda Peterson explores and illuminates the complicated, but essential relationship between humans and animals, between humans and nature. Whether describing her swims with dolphins in the wild; the healing benefits of animal play; or the ongoing battles over hunting wolves and whales, Peterson gives her readers the opportunity to become "other" as she muses and envisions nature, animals and spirit in new ways.
A treaty has been kept and a treaty broken
Brenda Peterson unravels the complexities of the highly controversial Makah whale hunt, the first off U.S. mainland shores in nearly a century. Since 1996, Peterson's essays on the Makah have appeared in The Seattle Times. For the first time in book form, Peterson, who helped mediate between the Makah and environmentalists, gives an in-depth view of this dramatic and complex story.
Customer Reviews:
Every living thing is sacred........2001-01-30
Nearly twenty years ago, I was a student in Brenda Peterson's creative writing class at Arizona State University. Just as she was an inspiring teacher, SINGING TO THE SOUND is an inspiring collection of fifteen essays about living one's life with meaning and clarity. It is organized into three sections, "The Way of Water," "Common Ground," and "Between Species."
No longer a resident of the Arizona desert, Peterson now lives on the Puget Sound, the primary subject of her book. Her essays are insightful and somewhat reminiscent of Annie Dillard's writing. About the rain, she writes, "to survive here without the daily illumination of sunlight, we must have an inner life bright with hidden worlds" (p. 18). Living in the company of water, she writes: "Yet still, I find myself praising the solace and privacy of the fine, silver drizzle, the comforting cloaks of salt, mold, moss and fog, the secretive shelter of cedar and clouds" (pp. 26-7). For Peterson, feeding seagulls is "one of those everyday prayers" (p. 34). In another essay, we find her unplugging from information sensory overload to find "spacious quiet" (p. 164). "Electricity and modems are not the deepest connections," she writes. "Real bonds are about body and Earth, fur and skin, and heartbeat and breathing" (p. 166). Peterson concludes her book with my favorite essay, in which we find her "down at the beach" with a great blue heron, praying for the world on the day of the Oklahoma City bombing (p. 188).
This is a fine book, filled with contemplative moments, each revealing that every living thing is sacred.
G. Merritt
Another Good Book.......2000-08-23
I finished this book this month after reading Animal Grace by Randour and McElroy. Both of these books are immensely interesting and well written and I give "Singing..." a "4" only because I gave this rating to "Animal Grace...." as well and ONLY because I still trying to learn about this interface between science and fancy, fact and conjecture when it comes to nature, spirit, man and animal sprituality etc. Peterson's book is somewhat different from Randour's although they've been advertised together. Peterson's book is more of an essay, sensitive and poignant, regarding her own view on man and nature's interconnections; Randour's book makes more actual claims about spirituality in animals. I've mentioned the interest in this kind of work (see Randour's book) which follows on last year "Parrot's Lament" (about animal feelings) and the book "Nabokov's Blues" which dealt with artist Vladimir Nabokov's scientific work and whether or not Nabokov was a pure scientist or a mystic when it came to nature, creation, evolution etc. These are all wonderful books. Its particularly interesting that more and more scientists and other specialists who in the past might not believe in spirituality in nature, feelings in animals, etc. are becoming more outspoken AND that the public, including myself, is giving them a serious reading. This may actually have some value for environmental protection. Its timely in science reading also because the literary world has been full of authors who have had more or less mystical views of nature (Nabokov, Pope, and many others) (with Nabokov, even ghosts entering into the picture!) and sooner or later we readers start asking ourselves about what is "really real". I'd recommend all these books for those who are exploring these frontiers in their reading. Brenda Peterson wrote a wonderful book, "Duck and Cover" earlier, and in "Singing to the Sound" I think the success of the earlier book and allowed her to "let go" a bit more and trust her audience with a bit more of her exceptional vision on how man and nature are intertwined. I'm starting to see some "unity" in the whole thing now (man and nature) as these books continue to appear explaining more about art/science, man/nature and how their inner natures may be intrinsicly intertwined. Five years ago I might not have read these books; I would have been less believing of the subject matter; but I certainly recommend them now.
An Important book.......2000-08-10
I loved this book, and really appreciate the life-long work that Brenda Peterson has done to write about the ways in which humans and other animals are connected. Her chapters on the Makah whale hunt are beautifully written and very informative. Few of us--even those of us who live in the Northwest and follow the news carefully--would otherwise have access to the many-layered story that she gives us. Writers like Brenda who care passionately about both human and nonhuman animals are crucial to any hope of making progress in the vital area of animal rights.
A beautifully written, informative, life-giving book.......2000-05-09
Watching human beings 'progress' to the detriment of the earth and animals, I often feel a sense of hopelessness. I encourage anyone who feels the same to read this book, Singing to the Sound. Brenda Peterson writes masterfully about some of the most difficult things we face today, with insight, balance and compassion. She gives cause for hope.Inundated as we are by thousands of news sources that trumpet all that is painful in the world, it is natural for us to want to turn away from things like the incomprehensibly cruel Oklahoma City bombing, the heartbreaking battle of wills in the Macah whale hunt controversy, the depletion of the Colorado River in pursuit of electricity, the decimation of the Salmon population, the Exxon oil spill, the 'species management' knee-jerk killing of wolves, and child witnesses to gang violence and murder. But healing is possible. There are people at work to repair and prevent the damage. It soothed my heart to read how, in the chapter Spill, she and her neighbors took action to stop a contractor from pouring excess paint into Puget Sound. In the chapter Great Blue, she found respectful solace with a great blue heron on the beach after learning of the Oklahoma bombing. There is a wonderful chapter called Animal Allies, about inner city children -- witnesses and victims of human brutality -- discovering the strength of their own souls with the help of spirit animals. A powerful section, entitled Common Ground, contains several chapters on the Macah whale hunt, from which I guarantee you will learn more facets to this story than you have in the mainstream media. It is clear that she spent many hours with people directly involved in the controversy, combining painstaking dedication with empathy and sensitivity towards all the participants -- a blessed accomplishment. I treasure this book.
Book Description
This fully revised and updated guide to hiking in Yosemite National Park will help readers choose and plan a day hike or backpacking trip best suited to their time, energy, experience, and personal preferences. There are fifty-nine classic day hikes and overnight backpacking trips meticulously prepared by backcountry guide Suzanne Swedo.
Customer Reviews:
Very useful book.......2007-02-06
This book is very easy to navigate through & the author gives great topgraphical maps for each hike section. I've been using this book to plan my trip this year & it will let you know what to expect on the terrain mile by mile. Each trail has a difficulty rating, appx. travel time, seasons best to hike, GPS compatible, and some VERY basic info on contacting the park.
I would recommend buying a complete map to Yosemite which will help to plan your entire trip. I've recently purchased National Geographic Destination Map & it will give you all the additional info you need. It gives much more info on campgrounds, how/where to purchase permits for the backcountry, driving distances within the park & other accomodations.
Perfect!.......2006-11-05
This book is just what you need when visiting Yosemite National Park if you do any hiking at all. It is thorough, well written, acurate, and easy to use.
great book for casual hiker.......2006-07-06
I bought several yosemite books before my visit, but this is by far the best book I found for the many hikes now that I am here. Perhaps there are better ones, but this one is quite good. One great feature is that for most hikes it gives a 2D elevation change cutaway map for the entire route so that you can judge for youself the level of difficulty of the hike. Many books seem to disagree on this point. (You can see the big spike at half dome for instance as a comparison.) The maps even have GPS coordinates. The maps do have rough topographical shading as well (though color would be better for this).
hiking book collector.......2004-06-22
I spend all winter planning my hikes for the summer. I own and have used most of the titles for Yosemite. Hiking Yosemite National Park has most of the most popular trails but two other books do a better job: 100 Hikes in Yosemite National Park and Lonely Planet Hiking in the Sierra Nevada.
My main complaint is the incomplete descriptions, too short and too vague. If you get off the trail you'll run the risk of getting lost because there are no "big picture" maps. A topo is absolutely essential if you want to understand your location.
Excellent and concise guide.......2003-09-24
This is an indispensible guidebook for any hiker who loves Yosemite. I use it almost daily during hiking season and it helps in selecting hikes, planning them, reaching the trailhead and gauging whether a hike will be worthwhile. Each hike contains an accurate, though brief, description of the rigors of each trek. Occasionally I quibble with the authors ranking of a given hike, but usually they are on the mark.
A few cautionary notes: there are no detailed maps in the book, except general maps which introduce the hiker to each specific place. Te map for the John Muir trail, for example, is very basic. Don't expect detailed maps for each hike because there are none. The descriptions of how to reach each trailhead are excellent, unless you have little experience with Yosemite.
My favorite part of the book is that the Touloume Meadows High Country area is not neglected. Swedo has various categories and list the hikes they think are best suited to be placed in every league and the valley floor is not the only area of the park that is stressed .If you spend any time hiking in Yosemite, this book is essential!
Book Description
Sampling twenty-four of the most scenic and least physically challenging trails within the park, this guide features spectacular hikes accessible by paved road, and all are easy to find. This indispensable guide provides accurate hike descriptions, easy-to-follow maps, and concise trail information for the author's favorite trails. With hikes varying from half-hour strolls to full-day adventures, it has something for everyone.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but not always accurate.......2007-05-24
This is a handy little book to carry around Yosemite. It's suggested hikes are great.
I did find at least one error. The hike to Sentinel Dome tells you to "continue around the base of the dome on your left (west)" which is virtually impossible. There is no trail there. I finally gave up and hiked back to the trail head and spend the rest of the time down the road at Glacier Point. I found out later that I should have gone right, not left, around the base of the dome.
The hike to Vernal Falls is described well, but the author doesn't mention that from the footbridge at the base of the falls it is 100 yards to the Vernal Falls Viewpoint. I found it out later. If you've gone as far as the footbridge, you might as well enjoy the view slightly further up.
In spite of a few problems, I recommend this book for families and causal hikers.
Good Guide for Our Family.......2007-05-09
This guide was helpful as we planned our family vacation. It gave basic needed info, such as length of hike, type, facilities, etc... with distances and difficiculty easy to understand. A must when doing this with kids who have limited energy. It helped us out!
Mid Week or Off Season Only.......2005-12-13
Visiting Yosemite National Park should top the "to do" list of any outdoor enthusiast in California. It is famous for its scenic wonders: stunning waterfalls, giant sequoia trees, and imposing walls of granite. Unfortunately, most of us can only spare a few days for a trip to this grand park. Multiple short day hikes therefore offer the best approach to exploring all Yosemite has to offer and Suzanne Swedo's book is an excellent place to start.
This book describes some of the classic Yosemite Walks including the trails to Vernal Falls, Glacier Point, Lembert Dome and the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias. These walks are classics because they feature world class scenery, and if you do them on a summer weekend you are likely to share the trail with thousands of tourists from all over the world. Fortunately Swedo also includes hikes to lesser known gems like Chilnualna Falls and the Tuolumne Grove of Sequoias. Still, if you want to avoid the crowds, these trails are best explored mid-week or during the off season. That said, this book, like the trails it describes, provides a lot of bang for the buck. It is well worth the price if you are planning a visit to Yosemite.
Book Description
Includes 55 hikes in this incredible park, which lies within the Sierra Nevada Range in central California. Hikes in the park range from quiet paths through giant sequoia groves to fairly strenuous climbs up Yosemite's chiseled gorges.
Customer Reviews:
Yosemite Day Hikes by Stream Side.......2007-04-20
Robert Stone writes hiking guides with a strong bias towards the typical day hiker. This is fine and his books easily fit the schedules of most national park tourists. While Ms. Scott is correct in noting that some of the longer classics in the park, notably Half Dome and Clouds Rest, are not included in this book, many nice hikes are. These include Lembert Dome, May Lake, and the very strenuous climb to the lip of Yosemite Falls. Hike distances range from 1/2 mile to 10 miles. Approximately 1/3 of the hikes described are between 2 and 3 miles. What separates this guide from the many other day hiking guides available to Yosemite is that Stone has a strong preference for stream side hikes. Walks along Upper Yosemite Creek and to Foresta Falls are simply not found in other guides of this sort.
I've done about half the hikes described by Stone and they are all winners. That said, I cannot give this book five stars. In the first instance, while the maps are well drawn, I prefer north to always be at the top of the page and Stone's maps in this volume are presented in a variety of different settings. I also found that on occasion, the routes he describes are actually longer than the mileage he provides. For example, he begins the hike to the top of Yosemite Falls from the Lodge, not camp 4, but this adds about a mile to the trip. Still, this is a nice book with lots of pleasant diversions from the typical drive through the park. If you are looking for pleasant day hikes, this is a decent volume.
Excellent book for the day hiker.......2006-05-03
While I can agree with SOME of the comments in the reviews above, this book does contain some fairly good hikes.
The hike up Yosemite falls, while not THAT long (8 miles or so) is a fairly good hike, you gain 2700 feet in elevation, and it's at least what I would consider pretty much an all day hike.
The book contains fairly good maps and directions for each hike, I was a bit disappointed with some of the hikes (having lower Yosemite falls listed as a hike is a bit of a joke) but overall this book has been well worth the money.
Only for beginners.......2000-12-28
This is a fine guide if you have never hiked before in a National Park, or if you merely dabble occasionally in the sport. The maps are excellent, as are the trail descriptions, elevation gains and driving directions to the trail heads. Most of these hikes can easily be completed by even the most unfit hiker, children, or eldery people.
However, this is *not* the guide to purchase if you are a serious hiker. I was bemused to see that this book doesn't even contain the quintessential Yosemite hike, Half Dome. Nor does it contain the second-best hike in the park, the Four-and-a-half-mile-trail. In fact, none of the hikes profiled in this Guide are lengthier than a few miles and none would be considered even semi-strenuous. Heed this advice if you're a serious hiker and consult a different guide. But if you're just a casual weekend athlete, or have children in tow, this is a well-written and adequate book for your needs.
A short and informative guide for beginners.......2000-04-05
If a short hike is what you're looking for, this is the right book for you! The hikes are short and accessible. You find all the information you need; the maps are good enough, the pictures exquisite... In short, a good book mainly for beginners. For more challenging hikes or longer backpacking trips, look somewhere else...
Book Description
The great beauty and elegance of this gorgeous wedding planner are surpassed only by its many features and functions. This planner was designed from the input of brides nationwide. It offers a collection of organizational features not found in any other wedding planner.
Customer Reviews:
Really Helpful.......2007-08-15
I used this book for my wedding 5 years ago and it kept me organized! I liked it so much that I bought it for a cousin who is getting married.
Exactly What I Needed.......2007-08-10
This is the most amazing thing ever. It was exactly what I was looking for and has been so helpful to me in planning my wedding. All of my wedding stuff is in one place and is so easy to find. I just wish there were some blank excel style pages to add my own stuff in on, but no big. I still love the Wedding Planner and the website has been extremely helpful too!
Great engagement gift!.......2007-06-28
I bought this for my sis-in-law when she got engaged. She is using it and says she loves it, loves the pockets and hole puncher and calculator. You could probably buy a 3 ring binder and pouches and similar items at an office supply store. But this is wedding theme and fun! Anyway it made for a nice gift, I'm going to buy it again the next time someone I know gets engaged.
Definitely the best one out there.......2007-03-03
I sat at the bookstore and pored over many planners and this one definitely came out on top. One of the best features is that it's a 3-ring binder, so you can add stuff easily. Not to mention it has a calculator built in to the cover. It also brought up a whole bunch of stuff i didn't even think of.
On a side note, I also recommend Bridal Bargains - it opens your eyes to what to expect in the industry and how you can get around high prices.
An excellent wedding planner.......2007-02-06
I found exactly what I was looking for in this book, easy layout, great suggestions, and has everything I need for planning my daughters wedding. I couldn't ask for any more.
Average customer rating:
- Nice size but disappointing content
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The Wed Plan: The Ultimate Planner (Black)
Ana Studio Inc.
Manufacturer: Ana Studio Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Loose Leaf
 General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Planning
| Weddings
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000MK54RM |
Product Description
This Complete Wedding Planner has a very detailed timeline and Checkists with monthly tasks from 12 month prior to the wedding until the Wedding Day! This will help you stay organized and it will save you a lot of headaches. It also has a yearly Calendar, a Budgeting section for all the Expenses, an Address Book, a Notebook and a Gift Journal to help you keep track of all the gifts you receive. Its also small and neet so you can carry it wherever you go, and its something it will last forever!
Customer Reviews:
Nice size but disappointing content.......2007-02-27
Pros - size, checklist and exterior appearance
Cons - price, insufficient room to write, missing information, no section for Honeymoon
After looking far and wide for a compact wedding planner I settled on this one. It was everything I was looking for, or so I thought-
It's small size (5x7) and clean look are appealing. It comes in Black and bubble gum Pink and has the fit and finish of a Filofax day planner, though the words `The WedPlan' are stamped on the cover (unfortunate if you want to recycle it after your wedding as use as an actual day planner). The cover snaps shut. It is described as `Leather Bound' and while it has the appearance of leather it does not feel or smell like leather which is unfortunate for it's $33.99 price tag.
Inside there are slots for a half dozen or so business cards - a nice touch.
The first series of pages include a Checklist and Timeline. There is an index to help find pages by topic but there are no page numbers to be found. It is in this month to month Checklist that you are to list options for Photographers, Florists, Reception locations etc etc. however no space is given to note their contact information.
The remainder of the planner is divided into categories - Calendar, Budgeting, Addresses, Notes and Gifts.
The 'Calendar' is divided into three days per page side and the days/dates are left blank.
The 'Budget' seems to be well organized and is broken down into Actual vs. Budgeted costs.
The section for 'Addresses' is very compact and each entry is only given three lines - Name, Address and Phone. One needs to master tiny type to include the entire mailing address on one line. It would have been helpful to have a line for Email as well.
'Notes' is series of blank lined pages.
And finally 'Gifts' appears to be a is a nice way to write in which gift was from whom and includes spaces under each entry for comments.
It appears this is a `First Edition' run. If the bugs can be worked out this would be a nice thing to have. It's the only planner on the market I have found that I wouldn't be embarrassed to pull out in a business meeting although, as it stands, I won't be carrying it around with me at all.
The seller answered my two questions promptly and even posted a requested image. The item arrived quickly and I had no problems with the ordering process.
Average customer rating:
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Adventures of High John the Conqueror (American Storytelling)
Steve Sanfield
Manufacturer: August House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Teens
| Subjects
| Books
| Audiobooks
| Authors, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Health, Mind & Body
| History & Historical Fiction
| Horror
| Literature & Fiction
| Manga
| Mysteries
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| School & Sports
| Science & Technology
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Series
| Social Issues
Anthologies
| Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
African-American
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 087483774X |
Book Description
High John the Conqueror sometimes called simply High John or John is a slave trickster who always outwits Old Master. Much like Greek slave Aesop's animal characters, High John was the subject of subversive narrative, whose mission was to outsmart his oppressors. Tales of High John flourished during slavery, but after emancipation they fell out of circulation and his antics were all but forgotten.
Books:
- Solar Radiation and Daylight Models, Second Edition: For the Energy Efficient Design of Buildings
- Songs of the Earth: A Tribute to Nature, in Word and Image (Running Press Miniature Editions)
- Statistics for Management and Economics ( student solutions manual)
- Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Oceans (The Complete Idiot's Guide)
- The Enchanted Islands: The Galapagos Discovered
- The enchanted wilderness: A red rock odyssey
- The Fungal Community: Its Organization and Role in the Ecosystem (MYCOLOGY)
- The Geology of Devon
- The Grouchy Ladybug
Books Index
Books Home
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