Our National Park System: Caring for America's Greatest Natural and Historic Treasures

Customer Reviews:

A long-time insider's vision for NPS.......2007-05-18

This book differs significantly from most other books on national parks and the US national park system. Most tell a heroic story of building the park system, built around the "crown jewels" such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, and a half-dozen others. Though critical of the National Park Service (NPS) at times, most of the other histories don't focus on the nitty-gritty of park management, and they don't take seriously the full breadth of what the NPS does.

Rettie does, and this is the best book around for learning about the park units that everyone else forgets. Much more than other books, he takes the historical and cultural sites in the National Park System seriously, and even discusses the standards for non-monumental parks at length. He has a chapter on park planning processes, another on NPS staff, and yet another on budgets. This is truly an insider's view of the System and the people that run it.

Rettie argues for seeing the NPS as a system, a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. This claim is a bit mystical, but a more serious claim is that each unit - - no matter how odd it seems now - - is an expression of American values at some point in time. In other words, each unit represents a decision about what the people at that time wished to bequeath to future generations. Thus all units are (equally?) valuable.

This position risks being Panglossian, arguing that we always live in the best of all possible worlds. Rettie almost always likes things the way they are. For example, the system lacks any coherent system to the three dozen types of parks (both National Military Parks and National Battlefields, say). Rettie tends to believe that this lack of system is a good thing because it reflects the many goals of Congress and the American people over time. Steamtown USA, a park that most people view as an abomination, an artificial theme park, also reflects American values, Rettie argues. Most people believe it reflects pork barrel politics.

Even though I disagree with this aspect of the book, it has the potential to be a truly excellent addition to your national park library. Unfortunately, it doesn't meet this potential. Rettie's presentation of this material is messy, even disorganized. For example, he talks about parks divested from the system in several different chapters instead of bringing them together into one. He talks about the same issues concerning Ebey's Landing in several chapters. His chapter on park planning discussed the Organic Act of 1916 at the *end* of the chapter, after the National Environmental Planning Act of 1969. This seems perverse.

I think that Rettie would have done better to break each chapter into smaller subsections, which would have imposed a stronger organization on this material. That said, there is a lot of good material here, and the insider's perspective cannot be beat.

Our National Park System: Caring for America's Greatest Natural & Historic Treasures

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Our National Park System: Caring for America's Greatest Natural & Historic Treasures
Dwight F. Rettie
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPV5E6

Book Description

A virtually undiscovered backpacker paradise, Idaho has numerous wilderness areas of mind-boggling size. Backpackers can find complete solitude, wildlife, and some of North America's most outstanding scenery. Idahp's mountains also boast great weather--fewer thunderstorms than the central Rockies, less rain than Oregon and Washington, and cooler summer temperatures than California. Backpacking Idaho takes you to what author Doug Lorain calls a "Shangri-la" for backpackers.

In the craggy Selkirk Mountains you'll find lush forests, small cirque lakes, and jagged granite peaks. Watch for ospreys, river otters, and belted kingfishers in the swift Selway River. Explore hundreds of miles of trails in the gently rolling forested hills in north-central Idaho, or head to Hell's Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America, where you'll find both alpine tundra and cactus-studded desert.

--24 trips, varying in length from three days to two weeks
--Distance, length, elevation gain, and shuttle mileage for each trip
--The best places to see premier scenery, find solitude, or challenge your strength and endurance
--Special attractions and problems you might encounter, plus helpful tips and warnings

Customer Reviews:

Showcases 33 diverse "backpacker friendly" trips .......2004-08-07

Idaho has more than four million acres of designated wilderness, impressive mountains, beautiful desert canyons, and adventuresome rivers. All of this spectacular Idaho scenery is perfect for nature-loving packbackers. Doug Lorain's Backpacking Idaho: From Alpine Peaks To Desert Canyons showcases 33 diverse "backpacker friendly" trips ranging from three day getaways to two week extended excursions. Backpacking Idaho lays out routes in the Selkirk and Sawtooth mountains, the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area, the Continental Divide Trail, and in the Yellowstone National Park. Provided are trip summary charts with ratings for scenery, solitude, and degree of difficulty, as well as maps highlighting trail types, campsites, ranger stations, and elevation. If you are looking to personally experience Idaho's most memorable hiking opportunities, then you need a copy of Doug Lorain's Backpacking Idaho!

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Desk Reference for Shooters and those who wish to retain their liberties
An essential resource.
A review for a fellow Patriot...
A must for every Americans library
If you have any interest in guns...

Boston's Gun Bible
Boston T. Party
Manufacturer: Javelin Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

jp-unknown3 | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1888766069

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Desk Reference for Shooters and those who wish to retain their liberties.......2007-10-11

Boston has given us a great manual on firearms which should be on every gun owners shelf next to the writings of Massad Ayoob and the late Jeff Cooper. Just the links alone are worth the cost of the book. As a result I've just acquired my MBR, and am culling my collection for funds to add a CQBC. A year from now, when the 2008 election nears, we will all be grateful for what Boston has taught us and what we've done with it (Luke 22:36). Boston is the writer for all who would rather die on their feet than live on their knees.

Along the way, Boston confronts us-in a polite way-to walk our talk and give more than lip service to the groups who continue to work in the trenches to protect our first freedom.

His novel "Molon Labe" is also a must read. More punch than "Atlas Shrugged" and about 200 less pages of meaningless romantic swooning of a modern woman into the arms of an industrial manly man. Buy everything this man sells so he can take time off to write a sequel to Molon Labe!

Thanks, Boston, and may God Bless!

An essential resource........2007-09-29

Need a quick referance for a legal question? How about advice on what firearm to purchase next. What kind of reticle should you choose for a scope? Why have governments sought to disarm people? This book is an outstanding referance. It makes no claim to be the final say on any of these subjects, but instead, is a primer of sorts on all things firearm related.
Frankly, I'm amazed I have gone this long in life without the valuable resource.

A review for a fellow Patriot..........2007-08-18

This review has been a long time coming. I should've written this when I first got the book brand new from Paladin years and years ago but alas, I hesitated until now. When I first got the book, I read it front to back. I had decided to get it after reading "Boston on surviving Y2k & other lovely disasters". I was hooked from that moment on. The sheer amount of information contained in "Boston's Gun Bible", coupled with the massive amount of insight from someone who obviously pracitces what he preaches is a true help in times when most authors "fly by night" with little information and lots of "it's been reported". From the sections from what catridges are the best choice for "X" game/2-legged critter, to the CCW laws of various states the guide covers literally everything. If I had any complaints to make, it would be: 1.) I'd like to see a post-ban (I love the fact that I can say that cosmetic law sunseted...) version of the book, 2.) A little bit more of reloading information, 3.) Tactics (Reloading, calling for fire/communication. 3.) An expanded version of ergonomics for us south-paws. I would highly reccomend that anyone interested in the past, present and future of our beloved "hobby" pick this book up. Support a fellow Patriot and someone who cares about your rights, even if he does/doesn't agree with your beliefs.

A must for every Americans library.......2007-07-26

No matter what you know or don't know about guns you will come away more enlightened than before you began. This book will help you decide on what armorments you should be looking at, it might even be a good book to give to educate a gun fearing liberal friend.

A minor complaint is the preponderance of acronyms that don't appear in the acronym index in the front of the book. Not much of a beef of a 900 page tome. It still gets 5 stars!

If you have any interest in guns..........2007-07-17

I have bought three of Boston's books within the past three years and consider them among the most important I own. I have read each through at least twice and refer back to them often. My wife chides me: "Do you read the "real" Bible this often?" I only wish I had encountered Boston earlier, since the education I've gained would have helped me make better choices.
BGB has much to offer anyone with interest in guns. Particularly, his books concern the use of guns the way the 2nd Amendment was intended. That said, there's more to do here with defense than hunting. Gun and equipment reviews, political and historical essays, how-to information regarding buying and selling, all with the object of helping restore our country into a nation of riflemen. It's also an excellent resource for other books and gun related sources.
If you buy one book about guns, this is it.

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BOSTON'S GUN BIBLE
Boston T. Party
Manufacturer: Javelin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JVC8SW

Average customer rating:

A Must Read!

I love "Closer"

Excellent Buy

Defiantly worth it's price

Patrick Marber Plays 1: Dealer's Choice / After Miss Julie/ Closer

Manufacturer: A&C Black
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Theater | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0413774279

Book Description

This first collection of plays by a major young British playwright includes the landmark Closer, which won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play in 1999. Also here is his acclaimed Dealer's Choice, his treatment of the demons that drive compulsive gamblers, and After Miss Julie, his ingenious update of Strindberg's classic play.

Patrick Marber has written extensively for television and radio in the UK. His plays have won numerous awards.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read!.......2006-08-04

I must admit I didn't know this play existed until the movie came out. The script does not dissapoint. For those of you that are into intense character development and gritty language - this is for you. Would be great to have for scene work, it includes scenes for 2 men, 2 women, 1 man and 1 woman. No great monologues throughout the entire book though.

I love "Closer".......2006-02-17

I have not yet read the other two plays, and I bought this book so I could do just that. However, "Closer" is so captivating to me and so satisfying in its complexity that I feel ok about giving the whole a 5 star rating even before I've read the others. This writer's ability to express the emotional depth of a variety of characters in one play and reveal how they all influence and are influenced by one another makes this a very stimulating read. The movie was wonderful as well. I don't think I like one over the other.

Excellent Buy.......2005-09-09

To be perfectly honest, I bought this book to read "Closer", after having seen the movie, which I loved. It was really intriguing to see a movie based on a play, as an avid theatre-goer. You can tell that the movie was based on a stage production, just because it relies almost entirely on text, as opposed to the other production elements. There are almost no blank spaces of silence in this movie! But that's not why I'm here...the play was every bit as raw and filthy as the movie. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Marbers other plays, Dealer's Choice and After Miss Julie, were of equal quality, and offered something surprisingly different from his other text (a rarity in today's theatre world). I do suggest reading the book front to back, to get a grasp of his style...the text is so readable (even for people who tend to read only prose).

Dealer's Choice - This play follows several men who meet up to play poker every once in awhile. What should be a simple game between them holds such higher relevance, which we learn as the play progresses. As another reviewer posted before, Marber has mastered time flow with this piece. The characters are believable, and play off of each other with such ease.

After Miss Julie - Being a youngun who hasn't even read the original "Miss Julie", I has reservations that I might not understand the characters or storyline at all in this one. I was proven wrong, of course, as this story of passion and greed jumps off the page and brings you right into the scene. The text is really vivid with this, and carries such an elegant theme to it, which makes the fall of this elegance so much more brutal and fun to read. I love the play on societal differences that this plot brings out, the dominant and the submissive. Very engaging.

Closer - The character work in this is brilliant, as well as the pace. Marber has such remarkable ease with the character interactions, given such a complex and fast moving storyline. There is nothing unneccessary, but it moves along slowly enough for you to grasp every image, and idea. A couple of scenes that were excluded from the movie were a nice surprise, as well as a plot twist at the end that was only suggested in the movie, if that. Never before have I read a scene in a play and felt as though I should read it aloud. Doing so gave me shivers. Brilliant for actors looking for ruthless, energetic text that rolls off the tongue. Though the characters fall is shatttering and devastating, the play is beautiful and satisfying in the end.

Overall, I completely recommend this text, for people just getting into playreading, or avid readers. Can't wait to see more of what Marber can bring to the table.

Defiantly worth it's price.......2005-01-07

The Book it's self is of average quality. Nothing special about the binding, I don't think it could last more than 5 years with normal use.

Patrick Marber is a novice play right but one with so much natural talent he seems like a seasoned pro at times. Dealer's choice has never been on my hit list but I have admired his rendition of Miss Julie in his After Miss Julie. Closer is the crown jewel of this collection. Witty and honest portray of how people choice to mess up their relationships. The book is in chronological order, going for his first play Dealers Choice to After Miss Julie then ending with Closer. If you read the book straight through you can see his writing style mature from dealer's choice and eventually peak in Closer. The intro and forward are nothing to brag about and might as well not be included. If you're looking to get this book cause you saw the movie version of closer then I recommend it. The movie is almost a exact replica of the play with just a few location changes and some scenes deleted. The character Alice isn't so sympathetic in the play but just as vulnerable and endearing.

The material speaks for itself really. Patrick Marber is a brilliant playwright and I look forward to any future material he produces.

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